Patent ID: 6255988
Filing Date: 2001-07-03
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
A field instrument for reporting the geographic location and time referenced signals representing a state of an industrial process to a host system over a communication network comprising:a) controller means for operating said field instrument;b) sensor means connected to said industrial process and to said controller means for sensing a state of industrial process and transmitting process signals to said field instrument representative of said state;c) receiving means connected to said controller means for receiving radio wave reference signals radiated from a plurality of locations remote to said field instrument and for calculating and transmitting to said controller means location and time data derived from said plurality of reference signals, said controller means referencing said process signals with instances of time from said time data; andd) communications means connecting said controller means to said communication network whereby said field instrument operates to transmit signals representing the geographic location of said field instrument and time referenced process signals representing a state of the industrial process specific to said field instrument to said host system over said communication network.