The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 25, 2014
Filed:
Apr. 10, 2008
Wallace A. Pratt, Jr., Pfugerville, TX (US);
Mark J. Nixon, Round Rock, TX (US);
Eric D. Rotvold, West St. Paul, MN (US);
Robin S. Pramanik, Karlsruhe, DE;
Tomas P. Lennvall, Vasteras, SE;
Yuri Zats, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Wallace A. Pratt, Jr., Pfugerville, TX (US);
Mark J. Nixon, Round Rock, TX (US);
Eric D. Rotvold, West St. Paul, MN (US);
Robin S. Pramanik, Karlsruhe, DE;
Tomas P. Lennvall, Vasteras, SE;
Yuri Zats, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Hart Communication Foundation, Austin, TX (US);
Abstract
A method for synchronizing communications in wireless mesh network operating in a process control environment and including a plurality of network devices includes defining a communication timeslot of a predetermined duration, wherein each of the plurality of network devices transmits or receives data only within the communication timeslot generating a network schedule including at least one superframe having repeating superframe cycles each having a number of communication timeslots sequentially numbered relative to a beginning of each cycle, the number of communication timeslots defining a length of the at least one superframe, maintaining an absolute slot number indicative of a number of communication timeslots scheduled since a start time of the wireless network, synchronizing each of the plurality of network devices with respect to a timing of an individual communication timeslot, and synchronizing each of the plurality of network devices with the network schedule based on the absolute slot number.