Patent ID: 7878250

Claim:
A wireless communication network for a remote process control system having distributed process control functions performed at sub-systems of the process control system, the network comprising: a. a plurality of field devices, wherein each of the plurality of field devices is included in a respective sub-system of the process control system to perform a physical operation in a field; b. a plurality of meters, wherein each of the plurality of meters is included in a respective sub-system of the process control system to measure a parameter of the physical operation performed by the respective one of the plurality of field devices; c. a plurality of modules, each control module controlling the operation of a respective one of the plurality of field devices in one of the sub-systems of the process control system, wherein one control module is designated a master communicator and the remaining control modules are designated slave communicators, d. a radio frequency communications module connected to each of the control modules for remotely transmitting and receiving information regarding its sub-system, wherein the designated slave communicators transmit process information to and receive process information from the master communicator, e. a cellular communications module connected to the master communicator for (i) remotely transmitting sub-system process information including measurement or diagnostic data, received from the slave and master communicators, using cellular communication technology, and (ii) receiving sub-system process information for the sub-systems using cellular communication technology, and f. an operator computer communicating with the master communicator using cellular communication technology to transmit sub-system process information to and receive sub-system process information from the master communicator, wherein the sub-system process information transmitted to the master communicator from the operator computer includes information for controlling the operation of the control modules and the corresponding field devices of the process control system.