Patent ID: 9323243
Filing Date: 2016-04-26
CPC Classification: G05B,H04L,H04Q,H04W

Claim Text:
1. A method of allocating time slots for sensor node sample transmission from sensor nodes in a wireless sensor node network, which wireless sensor node network forms part of a control system for controlling an industrial process, wherein the method comprises the steps of: receiving a sample of a process variable from a first sensor node in a first time slot of a superframe, which first sample has a value outside an accepted range of values; receiving, by a gateway, information from a controller or a network manager concerning the need of a higher sample rate from the first sensor node due to the first sample having a value outside the accepted range of values; obtaining an identification of a second time slot of the superframe in which second time slot the first sensor node is to send a further sample in a subsequent superframe such that the rate of samples provided to the controller from the first sensor node can be increased; and providing instructions to the first sensor node to send the further sample in the second time slot of a subsequent superframe, wherein the gateway is arranged to receive the sample and to provide the sample to a controller arranged to control process variables associated with the sensor nodes based on control errors determined by the difference between respective setpoint values and the samples received by the controller.