Patent application EP18177885A (EP), filed 2018-06-14
Publication number: EP3419199A1
Title: VIRTUAL WIRELESS DEVICES FOR INDUSTRIAL WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS
Abstract: This disclosure provides an apparatus and method for virtual wireless devices for industrial wireless sensor networks, including but not limited to, in industrial control systems and other systems. A method includes initializing (502), by a physical wireless device (200, 400), a plurality of virtual wireless devices (420A-D) executing on the physical wireless device (200, 400). The method includes registering (504) with a control network (108) by the physical wireless device (200, 400). The method includes emulating (506) a plurality of wireless sensors, by the physical wireless device (200, 400) and in the control network, by using the virtual wireless devices (420A-D).
IPC codes: H04B  17/   391            A I
H04W   4/    00            A I
Claims: number: 1
text: A method comprising:
number: 2
text: The method of claim 1, wherein the control network (108) is an industrial control network or a simulated industrial control network.
number: 3
text: The method of claim 1, wherein each virtual wireless device (420A-D) includes an application layer (422) that executes a wireless sensor application and includes a virtualized physical layer (426) that interacts with wireless hardware (430) of the physical wireless device (200, 400).
number: 4
text: The method of claim 1, wherein each of the virtual wireless devices (420A-D) stores attributes of a physical wireless device (200, 400), including at least one of a unique network address, a short address, a nickname, a manufacturer ID, or a device type identifier.
number: 5
text: The method of claim 1, wherein each virtual wireless device (420A-D) communicates over the control network (108) using an assigned network address, short address, or nickname as if the virtual wireless device were a physical wireless device (200, 400).
number: 6
text: The method of claim 1, wherein registering with the control network (108) includes sending a plurality of join messages, each corresponding to a different virtual wireless device (420A-D), to the control network.
number: 7
text: The method of claim 1, wherein an emulated physical layer on each virtual wireless device (420A-D) is used to filter, send, and receive messages over the control network (108).
number: 8
text: A physical wireless device, comprising:
number: 9
text: The physical wireless device of claim 8, wherein the control network (108) is an industrial control network or a simulated industrial control network.
number: 10
text: The physical wireless device of claim 8, wherein each virtual wireless device (420A-D) includes an application layer (422) that executes a wireless sensor application and includes a virtualized physical layer (426) that interacts with the wireless hardware of the physical wireless device.
number: 11
text: The physical wireless device of claim 8, wherein each of the virtual wireless devices (420A-D) stores attributes of a physical wireless device (200, 400), including at least one of a unique network address, a short address, a nickname, a manufacturer ID, or a device type identifier.
number: 12
text: The physical wireless device of claim 8, wherein each virtual wireless device (420A-D) communicates over the control network (108) using an assigned network address, short address, or nickname as if the virtual wireless device were a physical wireless device (200, 400).
number: 13
text: The physical wireless device of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to register with the control network (108) by sending a plurality of join messages, each corresponding to a different virtual wireless device (420A-D), to the control network.
number: 14
text: The physical wireless device of claim 8, wherein an emulated physical layer on each virtual wireless device (420A-D) is used to filter, send, and receive messages over the control network (108).
number: 15
text: A non-transitory machine-readable medium (158) encoded with executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more controllers (156,404) of a physical wireless device (154, 400) to perform the method of any of claims 1-7.
Office action: search_report, dated 2018-12-26
Rejection reasons: novelty_epc_54
Prior art cited: ref_id: US2010054234A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2013227569A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: WO2016155611A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2018013606A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US9344907B1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2010054234
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
ref_id: US2013227569
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US9344907
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: WO2016155611
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2018013606
ref_type: patent
severity: background
Final disposition: pending (2018-12-26)