Patent ID: 8570922

Claim:
A method of providing a wireless extension to a wired protocol for transferring data to and from a field device operating in a process control environment via a wired connection to generate a wireless protocol, the method comprising: adding a network layer and a session layer to the wired protocol to generate the wireless protocol, the wireless protocol and the wireless protocol sharing a common application layer including command oriented, predefined data types and application procedures that correspond to a plurality of wireless devices operating in the process control environment, the wireless protocol and the wired protocol utilized in the process control environment for transferring process control data between field devices corresponding to the plurality of wireless devices, and the plurality of wireless devices forming a wireless network; identifying each wireless device of the plurality of wireless devices by a respective unique address consistent with a first addressing scheme of the wired protocol, wherein a data packet is routed between two of the plurality of wireless devices within the wireless network based on the respective unique address of the each wireless device; associating a network identifier of the wireless network with the each wireless device included in the plurality of wireless devices; forming, for the each wireless device of the plurality of wireless devices, a global address uniquely identifying the each wireless device, the global address including the respective unique address and the network identifier of the wireless network in accordance with a second addressing scheme; and providing access to an external host operating outside the wireless network to the each wireless device included in the plurality of wireless devices based on the global address associated with the each wireless device specified at the external host.