Wireless mesh network analysis and configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017310590-A1
Application number	US-201615136390-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 22, 2016
Priority date	Apr 22, 2016
Publication date	Oct 26, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method for configuring wireless process mesh networks is provided. The system includes a processor, user interface module, memory, and an analysis module. The user interface module is configured to generate a user interface to receive user-provided mesh network design parameters. Memory is coupled to the processor and stores information indicative of a plurality of wireless process mesh networks and associated wireless field devices. The analysis module is configured to analyze the information indicative of the plurality of wireless process mesh networks and generate an alternate wireless mesh network configuration based on the user-provided mesh network design parameters.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for configuring wireless process mesh networks, the system comprising:
a processor; a user interface module configured to generate a user interface to receive user-provided mesh network design parameters; memory coupled to the processor and storing information indicative of a plurality of wireless process mesh networks and associated wireless field devices; and an analysis module configured to analyze the information indicative of the plurality of wireless process mesh networks and generate an alternate wireless mesh network configuration based on the user-provided mesh network design parameters.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the information indicative of the plurality of wireless process mesh networks includes a graphical representation of a process installation.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface configured to receive user inputs that position devices in the graphical representation of the process installation using a pointing device.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the information indicative of the plurality of wireless process mesh networks includes a geographical location of a plurality of wireless gateways, each wireless gateway providing a respective wireless process mesh network.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein information indicative of the plurality of wireless process mesh networks includes a geographical location of each wireless field device in the plurality of wireless process mesh networks.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein information indicative of the plurality of wireless process mesh networks includes a geographical location of at least one obstruction.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the user-provided mesh network design parameters includes a minimum number of neighbors required for each wireless field device.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the user-provided mesh network design parameters includes an effective range for each wireless gateway.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the user-provided mesh network design parameters includes a minimum number of wireless field devices that are able to directly communicate with a wireless gateway.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface is configured to display a result based on the alternate wireless mesh network configuration.

11 . The system of claim 1 , and further comprising a network communication interface coupled to the processor and configured to communicate with at least one wireless gateway to obtain at least some of the information indicative of the plurality of wireless process mesh networks.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wireless process mesh networks are WirelessHART process mesh networks.

13 . A method of generating wireless process mesh network configurations, the method comprising:
receiving mesh network design parameters; receiving information indicative of a plurality of wireless process mesh networks and associated wireless field devices; responsively analyzing the plurality of wireless process mesh networks using the mesh network design parameters to generate an alternate wireless process mesh network configuration; and displaying the alternate wireless process mesh network configuration.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein analyzing the plurality of wireless process mesh networks includes a first phase wherein of a core network is created comprising wireless field devices that are closest to each respective wireless gateway and can communicate directly with said each respective wireless gateway.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein analyzing the plurality of wireless process mesh networks includes a second phase wherein remaining wireless field devices are assigned that can reach each respective wireless gateway.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein analyzing the plurality of wireless process mesh networks includes a third phase remaining wireless field devices distribution is performed for wireless field devices that are beyond any wireless gateway's range.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the wireless process mesh networks are WirelessHART process mesh networks.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the mesh network design parameters are received from a user through a user interface.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein at least some of the information indicative of a plurality of wireless process mesh networks and associated wireless field devices is received from a wireless gateway via a network communication interface.

20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the alternate wireless process mesh network configuration includes at least one wireless field device that is assigned to a different wireless process mesh network.

Assignees

• Fisher Rosemount Systems Inc

Inventors

• Diancin Wynn Gervacio
• Meyer Nicholas T
• Santos Leonor Wendy Geneva
• Natividad Patrick Pererras

Classifications

• H04W72/51

  based on terminal or device properties · CPC title

• H04L41/14

  Network analysis or design · CPC title

• H04L41/12

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title

• H04W72/048

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W84/18

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