Honeywell International Inc.

Christopher Pulini

Norman Raymond Swanson

Alexander Chernoguzov

Channabasavaraj Raravi

Prasad Samudrala

Niral B Sanghavi

Soumitri N Kolavennu

Ramakrishna S Budampati

Jethro F Steinman

Michael L Baker

Gary Drayton

Jeffrey B Scott

William Osei-Bonsu

Karthikeya S Ramanathan

Gregory R Leib

Norman R Swanson

Niral Sanghavi

A method for use by a first device associated with a redundant second device includes issuing a synchronization request to a file system of the first device. The file system is configured to cache changes associated with a memory space of an application, the synchronization request causing the file system to send the cached changes to a driver of the first device The driver is used to commit the cached changes to a copy of the memory space of the application in order to cause the copy of the memory space of the application to match the memory space of the application. One or more changes made to the copy of the memory space of the application caused by committing the cached changes are identified. A change set identifying the one or more changes being made to the copy of the memory space of the application is created in a buffer and the change set transmitted from the buffer to the second device in order to synchronize an additional copy of the memory space of the application at the second device.

Apparatus and method for implementing process control redundancy using operating system (OS) file system support

A system and method for converting data sets. The method includes providing a data provider device (DPD) and a controller communicably coupled to one another. The controller or an interface device between the controller and the DPD includes a processor that is connected to a memory device which stores a data converter program. The memory device stores an earlier in time descriptive data set having an earlier data set format and a different later in time descriptive data set having a later data set format. The data converter program determines if a format associated with a received DPD data set is the later data set format. In response to determining that a data set format associated with the received DPD data set is the later data set format, the received DPD data set is converted into a converted data set that has the earlier data set format.

Converting data sets in a shared communication environment

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.

Apparatus and method for providing a common interface for multiple wireless communication protocols

A method includes identifying multiple statistics associated with each of multiple wireless connections. The multiple wireless connections form a single communication path between two wireless nodes in a wireless network. The method also includes identifying an overall quality associated with the communication path using the statistics. The method can also include assigning a quality value to each statistic for each wireless connection, where the overall quality is based on at least one of the quality values assigned to the statistics (such as a lowest of the quality values). The statistics could include a Received Signal Quality Indicator (RSQI), a Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), and a transmit success/fail ratio. The quality value assigned to each statistic could include a 'good' quality, a 'fair' quality, or a &#x201c;poor&#x201d; quality.

Apparatus and method for reporting of communication path quality within a wireless network

A method includes identifying an amount of time that a wireless device has or does not have redundant connectivity in a wireless network during a specified time period. The method also includes identifying a redundant wireless connection availability of the wireless device during the specified time period. Identifying the amount of time that the wireless device has or does not have redundant connectivity could include identifying connection events associated with the wireless device. The connection events can include events in which a wireless connection with the wireless device is formed and events in which a wireless connection with the wireless device is dropped. Time periods during which multiple wireless connections with the wireless device exist or do not exist can be identified. Identifying the redundant wireless connection availability could include identifying a percentage of the specified time period during which multiple wireless connections with the wireless device exist.

Apparatus and method for measuring and reporting redundant wireless connectivity over time

A method includes receiving link quality information associated with multiple wireless connections in a wireless network. The method also includes identifying at least one asymmetric communication path in the wireless network using the link quality information. The link quality information could include a statistical value for each of the wireless connections. Identifying the at least one asymmetric communication path could include identifying a first and a second of the statistical values associated with a first and a second of the wireless connections, respectively, and determining whether a difference between the first and second statistical values exceeds a threshold. The method could further include applying a heuristic to indicate that the first and second wireless connections do not form an asymmetric communication path even if the difference between the first and second statistical values exceeds the threshold.

Apparatus and method for maintaining reliability of wireless network having asymmetric or other low quality wireless links

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.

Apparatus and method for supporting wireless actuators and other devices in process control systems

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.

Gateway supporting transparent redundancy in process control systems and other systems and related method

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.

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Ambler, PA, United States of America

Christopher Pulini