Apparatus for interconnecting wireless networks separated by a barrier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10645628-B2
Application number	US-71763810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2010
Priority date	Mar 4, 2010
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus for bridging a barrier to wireless communication between wireless field device networks includes a pair of locally-powered wireless devices connected by a wired link spanning the barrier. At least one of the locally-powered wireless devices is in wireless communication with each of the wireless networks intended to be interconnected. The wireless devices include a wireless transceiver and an antenna. Messages from one wireless field device network addressed to a member node of another wireless field device network are received by a wireless device on one side of the barrier and transmitted via the wired link to another wireless device on the other side of the barrier for routing to the member node of the other wireless field device network.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for bridging a barrier to wireless communication between a first wireless field device mesh network and a second wireless field device mesh network, the apparatus comprising:
a first wireless device in wireless communication with the first wireless field device mesh network, the first wireless device comprising:
a first data router;
a first field device;
a first local power source;
a first transceiver; and
a first antenna;

a second wireless device in wireless communication with the second wireless field device mesh network, the second wireless device comprising:
a second transceiver; and
a second antenna; and

a wired electrical transmission link directly connecting the first data router to the second wireless device, wherein the wired electrical transmission link spans the barrier to wireless communication between the first wireless field device mesh network and the second wireless field device mesh network to functionally form a unified wireless field device mesh network;
wherein the first data router is configured to receive a message from the first wireless field device mesh network and determine a destination for the message as a function of whether the message is addressed to one of the first field device, another member of the first wireless field device mesh network, and a member of the second wireless field device mesh network;
wherein the first data router, as a function of the destination for the message, is configured to:
unpack the message for the first field device and send the unpacked message to the first field device when the first data router determines the destination for the message is the first field device;
wirelessly forward the message to a member of the first wireless field device mesh network when the first data router determines the destination for the message is another member of the first wireless field device mesh network; and
format the message for transmission and transmit the formatted message to the second wireless device over the wired electrical transmission link, the formatted message crossing the barrier to wireless communication via the wired electrical transmission link, when the first data router determines the destination for the message is the member of the second wireless field device mesh network; and

wherein the second wireless device is powered by the first local power source through the wired link, and the wired link is powered exclusively by the first local power source.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second wireless device further comprises a second data router.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second data router is configured to receive a second message from the second wireless field device mesh network and determine a destination for the second message as a function of whether the second message is addressed to a member of the first wireless field device mesh network or another member of the second wireless field device mesh network.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the second data router, as a function of the destination for the second message, is configured to:
forward the second message to a member of the second wireless field device mesh network when the second data router determines the destination for the message is another member of the second wireless field device mesh network; and
format the second message for transmission and transmit the formatted second message to the second wireless device over the wired electrical transmission link, the formatted second message crossing the barrier to wireless communication via the wired electrical transmission link, when the second data router determines the destination for the second message is the member of the first wireless field device mesh network.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second wireless device further comprises a second field device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the second data router is configured to receive a second message from the second wireless field device mesh network and determine a destination for the second message as a function of whether the second message is addressed to the second field device, a member of the first wireless field device mesh network, or another member of the second wireless field device mesh network.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second data router, as a function of the destination for the message, is configured to:
unpack the second message for the second field device and send the unpacked second message to the second field device when the second data router determines the destination for the second message is the second field device;
forward the second message to another member of the second wireless field device mesh network when the second data router determines the destination for the second message is another member of the second wireless field device mesh network; and
format the second message for transmission and transmit the formatted second message to the first wireless device over the wired electrical transmission link, the formatted second message crossing the barrier to wireless communication via the wired electrical transmission link, when the second data router determines the destination for the second message is the member of the first wireless field device mesh network.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the second data router is configured to receive the message from the first data router via the wired electrical transmission link and determine a destination for the message as a function of whether the message is addressed to one of the second field device or another member of the second wireless field device mesh network.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second data router, as a function of the destination of the message, is configured to:
reformat and unpack the message for the second field device and send the reformatted and unpacked message to the second field device when the second data router determines the destination for the message is the second field device; or
reformat the message for transmission over the wireless field device network and forward the reformatted message to another member of the second wireless field device mesh network when the second data router determines the destination for the message is another member of the second wireless field device mesh network.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second wireless device further comprises a second field device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the wired electrical transmission link directly connects the first data router to the second field device, and wherein the first data router is configured to unpack the message for the second field device, format the message for transmission, and transmit the formatted and unpacked message to the second field device over the wired electrical transmission link, the formatted and unpacked message crossing the barrier to wireless communication via the wired electrical transmission link when the first data router determines the destination for the message is the second field device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a third field device, wherein the third field device is electrically connected to and can communicate with the first wireless device, and wherein the third field device is physically separated from the first wireless device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a fourth field device, wherein the fourth field device is electrically connected to and can communicate with the second wireless device, and wherein the fourth field device is physically separated from the second wireless device.

Assignees

• Orth Kelly Michael
• Rosemount Inc

Inventors

• Orth Kelly Michael

Classifications

• H04W92/02

  Inter-networking arrangements · CPC title

• H04W40/00 Primary

  Communication routing or communication path finding · CPC title

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title