Patent ID: 7453834

Claim:
A process control system disposed within an industrial process environment, comprising: a first process control device communicatively coupled to a process controller via a hardwired communication connection; a bridge device; a plurality of field devices disposed within the industrial process environment and under control of the process controller, wherein each of the plurality of field devices measures one or more physical process parameters of the industrial process environment or performs a physical action within the industrial process environment to affect one or more physical process parameters of the industrial process environment; a hardwired communication link disposed between the bridge device and each of the plurality of field devices; and a wireless communication network including a first wireless transceiver located at the first process control device and a second wireless transceiver disposed at the bridge device, wherein the bridge device operates to relay signals sent over the hardwired communication link from of the plurality of field devices to the first process control device using the wireless communication network and operates to relay signals sent over the wireless communication network from the first process control device to one or more of the plurality of field devices using the hardwired communication link.