Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090034441 | Apparatus and method supporting a redundancy-managing interface between wireless and wired networks - A wireless network includes a leaf node, which generates a data message. The data message is routed through infrastructure nodes to a gateway infrastructure node, which is coupled to a wired network. A wireless interface module is also coupled to the wired network and communicates with the gateway infrastructure node. Multiple copies of the data message are created in the wireless network due to redundancy mechanisms supported in the wireless network, such as redundant connectivity and redundant message routing. The multiple copies of the data message are received at the gateway infrastructure node or the wireless interface module, which identifies the copies and communicates a single copy of the data message over the wired network to a destination. In this way, the redundancy mechanisms supported in the wireless network are concealed from wired components coupled to the wired network. | 02-05-2009 |
20090196218 | WIRELESS SYSTEM GATEWAY CACHE - A wireless system gateway cache is presented. The gateway includes a first, wireless interface, a second interface, and a cache controller. The cache controller receives a characteristic of a parameter of a first device. The cache controller also receives a value of the parameter from the first device via the first interface and stores the value according to the characteristic of the parameter. The cache controller further receives a request for the value of the parameter from a second device via the second interface and sends the stored value to the second device in response to the request. | 08-06-2009 |
20100269005 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR IMPROVED RELIABILITY OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS USING PACKET COMBINATION-BASED ERROR CORRECTION - Various techniques are disclosed for improved reliability of wireless communications using packet combination-based error correction. For example, a method includes receiving a first message transmitted wirelessly, where the first message contains a first copy of a data packet and has at least one error. The method also includes receiving a second message transmitted wirelessly, where the second message contains a second copy of the data packet and has at least one error. The method further includes identifying a set of bit positions based on where the first and second copies of the data packet differ and modifying the set of bit positions to produce a modified set of bit positions. In addition, the method includes modifying one or more bit values in the modified set of bit positions to produce at least one modified copy of the data packet and determining if the at least one modified copy of the data packet is error-free. | 10-21-2010 |
20100271989 | WIRELESS CONTROLLER GRIDS FOR PROCESS CONTROL AND OTHER SYSTEMS AND RELATED APPARATUS AND METHOD - A system includes a plurality of wireless nodes including multiple controller nodes. Each controller node is configured to execute at least one of multiple control algorithms for controlling at least a portion of a process. Each control algorithm is associated with one or more sensor nodes and/or actuator nodes. At least one wireless node is configured to distribute the control algorithms amongst the controller nodes. At least one wireless node may be configured to redistribute the control algorithms amongst the controller nodes in response to one or more triggering events. A triggering event could include a new controller node being added to the system, and at least one wireless node could be configured to redistribute the control algorithms amongst the controller nodes including the new controller node. Redistribution of control algorithms can change a physical location where at least one control algorithm is executed without interrupting control of the process. | 10-28-2010 |
20100272093 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SUPPORTING WIRELESS ACTUATORS AND OTHER DEVICES IN PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEMS - A system includes a wireless leaf node configured to modify operation of an industrial process. The system also includes a plurality of wireless access points configured to transmit data to the wireless leaf node in specified time slots and to receive an acknowledgement from the wireless leaf node in response to successful receipt of the data by the wireless leaf node. Various communication schemes are disclosed for supporting communications between the wireless leaf node and the access points. Each access point could also include a local slot manager configured to assign the specified time slots for that access point to communicate with the wireless leaf node. The wireless leaf node could represent a wireless actuator. | 10-28-2010 |
20110258433 | GATEWAY SUPPORTING TRANSPARENT REDUNDANCY IN PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEMS AND OTHER SYSTEMS AND RELATED METHOD - A method includes synchronizing a first gateway with information from a second gateway. The second gateway operates in a primary role with at least one primary network address. The second gateway communicates with at least one wireless device that uses at least one encryption key during at least one secure communication session. The information includes the at least one encryption key. The method also includes detecting a switchover event at the first gateway. The method further includes, in response to detecting the switchover event, switching the first gateway to the primary role, communicating using the at least one primary network address, and maintaining the at least one secure communication session at the first gateway after the first gateway switches to the primary role. | 10-20-2011 |
20120236768 | ADAPTER DEVICE FOR COUPLING AN INDUSTRIAL FIELD INSTRUMENT TO AN INDUSTRIAL WIRELESS NETWORK AND RELATED SYSTEM AND METHOD - A method includes coupling an adapter device to a field instrument in an industrial control system to provide a wireless communication capability to the field instrument. The method also includes converting, by the adapter device, information from a first protocol native to the field instrument into a second protocol native to a wireless network. The method further includes transmitting the information to at least one other device over the wireless network. | 09-20-2012 |
20130198799 | ROLE-BASED ACCESS CONTROL PERMISSIONS - Devices, systems, and methods for role-based access control permissions are disclosed. One method includes a policy decision point that receives up-to-date security context information from one or more outside sources to determine whether to grant access for a data client to a portion of the system and creates an access vector including the determination; receiving, via a policy agent, a request by the data client for access to the portion of the computing system by the data client, wherein the policy agent checks to ensure there is a session established with communications and user/application enforcement points; receiving, via communications policy enforcement point, the request from the policy agent, wherein the communications policy enforcement point determines whether the data client is an authorized node, based upon the access vector received from the policy decision point; and receiving, via the user/application policy enforcement point, the request from the communications policy enforcement point. | 08-01-2013 |
20140198670 | WIRELESS NETWORK SITE SURVEY SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Wireless network site survey systems and methods are described herein. One system includes a plurality of wireless nodes placed at a number of locations and a computing device configured to receive communication metrics, wherein the communication metrics include metrics of communication between the plurality of wireless nodes and between the computing device and each of the plurality of wireless nodes, and generate a node coverage map based on the received communication metrics. | 07-17-2014 |
20140321443 | SLOT SEGREGATION FOR SUPPORTING MULTIPLE COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS IN AN INDUSTRIAL WIRELESS NETWORK - A method includes dividing a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) structure into a plurality of first time slots and a plurality of second time slots. The first and second time slots are allocated to communications using first and second protocols, respectively. The method also includes communicating with at least one first wireless device using the first protocol during the first time slots. The method further includes communicating with at least one second wireless device using the second protocol during the second time slots. | 10-30-2014 |
20140355581 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A COMMON INTERFACE FOR MULTIPLE WIRELESS COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS - A method includes receiving data from multiple wireless field devices using multiple wireless communication protocols. The method also includes normalizing the data from the wireless field devices using one or more templates associated with the wireless field devices. The method further includes transmitting the normalized data in a unified format. The method could also include generating the one or more templates using device description (DD) files associated with the wireless field devices. Each template may provide, for one wireless field device or type of wireless field device, (i) an indication of a type of data provided by the wireless field device or type of wireless field device, (ii) a range of data provided by the wireless field device or type of wireless field device, and (iii) how to normalize data from the wireless field device or type of wireless field device into the unified format. | 12-04-2014 |
20150084747 | REMOTE TERMINAL UNIT (RTU) WITH WIRELESS DIVERSITY AND RELATED METHOD - A method includes receiving first data from multiple wireless field devices at a remote terminal unit. The first data is received using multiple wireless communication protocols. The method also includes executing control logic at the remote terminal unit in order to control at least part of an industrial process. The method further includes communicating second data to the wireless field devices from the remote terminal unit. The second data is transmitted using the multiple wireless communication protocols. In addition, the method includes communicating at the remote terminal unit with a control system, where the remote terminal unit is at least partially controlled by the control system. | 03-26-2015 |