Honeywell International Inc.

Budampati, Ramakrishna S.

Ramakrishna S Budampati

Soumitri N Kolavennu

Patrick S Gonia

Arun Vijayakumari Mahasenan

Alexander Chernoguzov

Anoop Kumar Mathur

SrinivasaRao Katuri

Denis Foo Kune

Hai D Pham

Vinayak Sadashiv Kore

Arun V Mahasenan

Smriti Narang

Haiyang Liu

Yu-Gene T Chen

Christopher Pulini

Channabasavaraj Raravi

Henrik Holm

David R Kaufman

Jeff Becker

Srinivasarao Katuri

Soumitri N Honeywell International Inc Kolavennu

Guhapriyan Thanikachalam

Sharath Babu Malve

The present disclosure provides methods and systems for initiating sealed sensor units in the field. A packaged sensor unit may include a sensor module, an activation mechanism and an internal battery, all situated in a sealed enclosure. In some cases, the sealed enclosure may be devoid of any externally accessible switches. A pre-defined triggering stimulus may be applied to the packaged sensor unit, and the pre-defined triggering stimulus may be detected via the activation mechanism. In response to the activation mechanism detecting the pre-defined triggering stimulus, the internal battery may be connected to the sensor module. Prior to detecting the pre-defined triggering stimulus, both the sensor module and the activation mechanism may draw no power from the internal battery of the packaged sensor unit. In some cases, the activation mechanism, once activated, irreversibly couples the power supply to the sensor module.

Methods and systems for activating sealed sensors in the field

An apparatus includes an image recorder configured to record video images. The apparatus also includes a display screen configured to present the video images to a user and to create notations overlying one or more of the video images based on user input. The apparatus further includes a transceiver configured to stream the video images over a wireless mesh network and to transmit data associated with the notations over the wireless mesh network. The apparatus could also include components for providing cryptographic keys to wireless nodes joining the wireless mesh network, a sensor for detecting or measuring one or more characteristics, and/or an asset tracker for transmitting or receive signals for identifying a location of the apparatus. The apparatus could further include at least one voice unit supporting bidirectional voice communications and/or a site survey unit for identifying signal strengths associated with detected wireless nodes.

Personnel field device for process control and other systems and related method

Redundant, non-overlapping paths or routes for a sensor signal in a mesh network are selected based on predetermined metrics. In one embodiment, a wireless sensor transmits a signal that is received by two separate infrastructure nodes. The signal is retransmitted by the two intermediate nodes via the selected non-overlapping routes to a controller node. Routes are identified for at least two infrastructure nodes that receive signals from an added sensor. Performance metrics are calculated for each route. The two routes with the best performance metrics are selected in one embodiment.

Latency controlled redundant routing

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

Wireless communication systems using transmitter initiated communications methods. Several devices in the system listen by following a common frequency hopping sequence. When communication is desired, a transmitting device sends a request to send signal to an addressee; if available, the addressee sends a clear to send signal, and the transmitting device and the addressee then perform communications using a separate frequency hopping sequence. Methods for adding new devices are also included. In an example, a new device uses a discovery frequency hopping sequence to ping a number of frequencies until the common frequency hopping sequence is discovered. In another example, a new device listens on a single frequency forming part of the common frequency hopping sequence until the common frequency hopping sequence overlaps the single frequency.

Wireless transmitter initiated communication systems

A system, apparatuses, and methods support simultaneous connectivity between devices in an industrial control and automation or other system. For example, a data publisher can publish or provide data to multiple data subscribers. This can be done using a multicast group associated with the multiple data subscribers. The data publisher transmits a data message using a network address associated with the multicast group. Each data subscriber associated with the multicast group receives a copy of the data message. As a particular example, the data publisher could represent a wireless sensor or wireless actuator in the industrial control and automation or other system. Also, the data subscribers could represent multiple controllers or actuators in the industrial control and automation or other system. In this way, the multicasting functionality allows for simpler connectivity or interaction between devices in the industrial control and automation or other system.

System and method for providing simultaneous connectivity between devices in an industrial control and automation or other system

Wireless transmitter initiated communication methods

A wireless network includes leaf nodes (such as wireless sensors or other wireless devices) and infrastructure nodes (such as access points). The leaf nodes communicate data messages to the infrastructure nodes. The infrastructure nodes communicate the data messages to gateway infrastructure nodes, which transmit the data messages over a wired network. The leaf nodes may communicate data messages to multiple infrastructure nodes in various ways. For example, the leaf nodes may transmit multiple messages, one at a time, to multiple infrastructure nodes. The leaf nodes may also broadcast a single message to multiple infrastructure nodes. In addition, the leaf nodes may communicate a single message containing a group identifier (such as a multi-cast group address) associated with multiple infrastructure nodes. In this way, communications from the leaf nodes may be more reliable. This may be particularly useful, for example, in networks such as 802.11-based networks.

Apparatus and method for redundant connectivity and multi-channel operation of wireless devices

A method includes wirelessly receiving first data at a first backbone router and routing the first data from the first backbone router to a backbone network using a backbone connection of the first backbone router when the backbone connection is operational. The method also includes detecting a failure of the backbone connection after routing of the first data and automatically reconfiguring the first backbone router to function as a field router that does not route data using the backbone connection. The method further includes wirelessly receiving second data at the first backbone router and wirelessly routing the second data along an alternate path from the first backbone router to a second backbone router without using the backbone connection. The method could also include establishing the alternate path between the first backbone router and the second backbone router based on whether the first and second backbone routers are within wireless range.

Apparatus and method for improving the reliability of industrial wireless networks that experience outages in backbone connectivity

Different components in a wireless transceiver are powered using different power supplies. For example, one or more first tasks in the wireless transceiver can be powered with a Galvanic cell, and one or more second tasks in the wireless transceiver can be powered with a fuel cell. The one or more first tasks could represent higher-current or intermittent tasks, and the one or more second tasks could represent lower-current or continuous tasks. The one or more first tasks could include transmission of a radio frequency (RF) signal, which may involve RF signal modulation or RF signal amplification. The one or more second tasks could include RF signal tuning, RF signal reception, RF signal demodulation, analog-to-digital conversion, digital-to-analog conversion, digital signal processing, operation of a controller, illumination of a display, operation of an audio speaker, operation of a microphone, or operation of a keypad.

System and method for optimizing power supplies in a wireless transceiver

Wireless configuration tools for communicating with and configuring wireless device systems. An illustrative tool makes use of a software defined radio (SDR) to communicate in multiple formats, modes, or frequencies, with multiple wireless device systems that may otherwise be incompatible. In some embodiments, the tool determines what type and how many wireless systems are to be configured prior to configuration of any of the systems. The tool may then adjust how each system is configured to reduce intra-system as well as inter-system interference. Methods for performing such functions are also included.

Wireless application installation, configuration and management tool

A method includes storing a security credential associated with a communication network on a portable storage device. The method also includes detecting removal of the portable storage device from a specified location. The method further includes allowing at least one communication device to communicate over the communication network using the security credential. In addition, the method includes revoking the security credential after a specified time period has elapsed. The portable storage device could represent a card, and the specified location could represent a card reader/writer. Also, the communication network could represent a wireless network, and the security credential could represent a cryptographic key.

System, method, and apparatus for on-demand limited security credentials in wireless and other communication networks

A method includes identifying a condition associated with a communication network and/or an industrial control and automation system. The method also includes selecting, based on the identified condition, one or more quality of service (QoS) parameters used to route data through the communication network. In addition, the method includes communicating information identifying the one or more QoS parameters to one or more components in the communication network. The one or more QoS parameters could be contained within one of multiple QoS policies, and the method could include selecting one of the QoS policies. The condition could represent an emergency condition, and the one or more QoS parameters could include a higher QoS priority for traffic (such as voice communications and sensor data) to and from specified personnel (such as first responders). The communication network could represent at least one wired network and/or at least one wireless network.

Method and apparatus for dynamic assignment of quality of service parameters in a communication network

A method includes obtaining data to be transmitted wirelessly and detecting if any transmitting devices having a higher priority are currently using at least one of multiple wireless channels. The method also includes transmitting the data wirelessly over the multiple wireless channels in a first specified manner when no transmitting devices having the higher priority are detected. The method further includes transmitting at least a portion of the data wirelessly over the multiple wireless channels in a second specified manner when at least one transmitting device having the higher priority is detected. The data could normally be transmitted using OFDM. When a higher-priority transmitting device is detected, at least a portion of the data could be transmitted using a reduced transmit power and a reduced constellation size and/or larger error correcting code. One or more wireless channels associated with one of two quadrature components could also be suppressed.

Apparatus and method for modifying transmissions on specified wireless channels to reduce interference with higher-priority transmitters

An apparatus includes a plurality of antennas, where each antenna is configured to receive wireless signals transmitted using adaptive beam forming. The apparatus also includes a plurality of wireless radios, where each wireless radio is configured to output signals representing the wireless signals received by one of the antennas. The apparatus further includes a plurality of first diversity combiner units, where each first diversity combiner unit is configured to perform spread spectrum diversity combining using the signals output by one of the wireless radios. In addition, the apparatus includes a second diversity combiner unit configured to perform antenna diversity combining using signals output by the first diversity combiner units, where the second diversity combiner unit is configured to output recovered wireless signals.

Growing community of inventors

Plymouth, MN, United States of America

Ramakrishna S Budampati