Wireless architecture and support for process control systems
First Claim
1. A wireless communication network disposed in a process control system, the wireless communication network comprising:
- a plurality of communication nodes each including a wireless transceiver, the one or more wireless transceivers of the one or more communication nodes implementing wireless communications within the wireless communication network, wherein the plurality of communication nodes include a first communication node and a second communication node;
one or more field devices each performing a process control action within the process plant, each of the one or more field devices being communicatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of communication nodes; and
a host device configured to;
collect, from at least one of the plurality of communication nodes, data related to the operation of the wireless communications within the wireless communication network; and
process the collected data to determine one or more wireless communication network performance factors indicative of the quality of the wireless communications within the wireless communication network, wherein one of the one or more wireless communication network performance factors includes an indication of a wireless communication capability between the first communication node and the second communication node.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless communication system for use in a process environment uses mesh and possibly a combination of mesh and point-to-point communications to produce a wireless communication network that can be easily set up, configured, changed and monitored, thereby making a wireless communication network that is less expensive, and more robust and reliable. The wireless communication system allows virtual communication paths to be established and used within the process control system in a manner that is independent of the manner in which the wireless signals are sent between different wireless transmitting and receiving devices within the process plant. Still further, communication analysis tools are provided to enable a user or operator to view the operation of the wireless communication network to thereby analyze the ongoing operation of the wireless communications within the wireless communication network.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A wireless communication network disposed in a process control system, the wireless communication network comprising:
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a plurality of communication nodes each including a wireless transceiver, the one or more wireless transceivers of the one or more communication nodes implementing wireless communications within the wireless communication network, wherein the plurality of communication nodes include a first communication node and a second communication node; one or more field devices each performing a process control action within the process plant, each of the one or more field devices being communicatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of communication nodes; and a host device configured to; collect, from at least one of the plurality of communication nodes, data related to the operation of the wireless communications within the wireless communication network; and process the collected data to determine one or more wireless communication network performance factors indicative of the quality of the wireless communications within the wireless communication network, wherein one of the one or more wireless communication network performance factors includes an indication of a wireless communication capability between the first communication node and the second communication node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for controlling a process using a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
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receiving, using one of one or more communication nodes of the wireless communication network, data indicative of the quality of wireless communications within the wireless communication network between a first communication node of the wireless network and a second communication node of the wireless network; sending the data indicative of the quality of the wireless communications from the one of the one or more communication nodes to a host device; processing, using the host device, the data indicative of the quality of the wireless communications at the host device; and sending a control signal, based on the processing of the data indicative of the quality of the wireless communications, from the host device to one of the one or more communication nodes of the wireless communication network in order to cause the one communication node to which the control signal is sent to modify one or more operating parameters of the wireless communication network so as to affect the quality of the wireless communications within the wireless communication network. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A wireless communication network disposed in a process control system, the wireless communication network comprising:
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one or more communication nodes implementing wireless communications within the wireless communication network; a measuring device communicatively coupled to at least one of the one or more communication nodes, the measuring device measuring one or more parameters that affect the quality of the wireless communications within the wireless communication network; and a host device communicatively coupled to at least one of the one or more communication nodes, the host device configured to; receive data indicative of the one or more measured parameters from the measuring device; and use the received data to determine one or more wireless communication network performance factors that are indicative of the quality of the wireless communications within the wireless communication network and that are affected by the one or more measured parameters. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification