Abstract: An energy storage robot configured to be used to power electric underground equipment, the energy storage robot including a propulsion system being arranged to move the energy storage robot, an energy storage unit, a control unit being connected to the propulsion system and the energy storage unit. The energy storage unit is connectable to the electric underground equipment for powering the electric underground equipment and the control unit is arranged to communicate a level of energy of the energy storage unit to a coordinating module or another energy storage robot.

Abstract: A method for communication between a wireless device node in a wireless sensor network (WSN) and control apparatus or control processes of an industrial control system is used to determine a method of radio transmission which provides a greater or a lesser measure of transmission quality between nodes. Thus a transmitter node measures a transmission quality metric of at least one packet received from two or more different switching branches, identifies which of the two or more switching branches has the greater transmission quality metric, distributes data packets with a first priority to the switching branch with the greater transmission quality metric, and transmits data packets with the first priority such as real-time data on the switching branch with the greater transmission quality metric. A wireless node, a sensor network system and a computer program for carrying out the method are described.

Abstract: A method for communication between a wireless device node in a wireless sensor network and control apparatus or control processes of an industrial control system. The wireless network includes a plurality of device nodes and at least one gateway. The method includes receiving at a gateway an aggregated data packet or a final address in the ICS. The gateway processes the data packet, detects that it is an aggregated data packet and reconstructs the original data packets contained therein. The gateway then sends each of the original data packets as standard data packets to the intended final address in the ICS. In other aspects of the invention a method, system and a computer program for carrying out the method are described.

Abstract: An energy storage robot configured to be used to power electric underground equipment, the energy storage robot including a propulsion system being arranged to move the energy storage robot, an energy storage unit, a control unit being connected to the propulsion system and the energy storage unit. The energy storage unit is connectable to the electric underground equipment for powering the electric underground equipment and the control unit is arranged to communicate a level of energy of the energy storage unit to a coordinating module or another energy storage robot.

Abstract: A wireless communication device for a wireless network employing a wireless time division communication structure, where the wireless communication device includes a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver and an access control unit, which is configured to order the wireless transmitter to transmit, in a contention interval, a priority setting of a wireless communication device competing for resources, where the priority setting is transmitted as a signal having a frequency representing the priority setting, order the wireless receiver to receive, in the contention interval, priority settings of other competing wireless communication devices as signals having frequencies representing these priority settings, compare the transmitted priority setting with the received priority settings and seize a following data interval if the transmitted priority setting is higher than the received priority settings.

Abstract: A wireless communication device providing a node in the network includes a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, a transmission buffer, and a packet prioritizing unit configured to obtain data relating to packets to be transmitted in the network, obtain indications of the remaining lifetime of the packets, where the indications are based on the time needed for reaching a destination node, prioritize the packets according to the remaining life time indications, where the prioritization is made in ascending order from an indication of a low remaining life time to a high remaining lifetime, and place the packets in the transmission buffer for transmission according to the prioritization.

Abstract: A method for communication in a wireless sensor network of an industrial control system. The network includes a plurality of device nodes and at least one gateway. The method includes aggregating in at least one wireless device data originating from at least two data packets. The method includes receiving at a first node at least one first data packet for a first destination address and aggregating data from the at least one data packet with data from at least one second data packet, intended for the same first destination address, forming an aggregated data packet and sending the aggregated data packet to another node or to said gateway. In other aspects of the invention a method, system and a computer program for carrying out the method are described.

Abstract: A network manager device in an industrial wireless network sends a network investigating message to other network nodes for processing and forwarding through the network, the message including a message weight. A wireless communication device providing a node in the network receives the message from another network node, determines a communication weight based on the quality of communication, adds the communication weight to the message weight and compares the sum with the node weight. If the sum is lower than the node weight, it is set as new node weight and as new message weight, whereupon the changed message is sent to other nodes in the network. The network manager device maps the topology of the network based on updated node weights, sets a communication scheduling scheme based on the mapped topology and informs the network nodes of the scheme.

Abstract: A wireless network managing device for a wireless network that is part of a process control system. The wireless network managing device includes a node determination element configured to receive an operator selection of at least one node in the process control system via an operator terminal and determine a field device implementing the functionality of the node, and a bandwidth control element configured to adjust a bandwidth assigned to the at least one field device in an auxiliary data section of a communication structure used by the wireless network based on the received operator selection in order to increase system responsiveness.

Abstract: A method for communication between a wireless device node in a wireless sensor network (WSN) and control apparatus or control processes of an industrial control system is used to determine a method of radio transmission which provides a greater or a lesser measure of transmission quality between nodes. Thus a transmitter node measures a transmission quality metric of at least one packet received from two or more different switching branches, identifies which of the two or more switching branches has the greater transmission quality metric, distributes data packets with a first priority to the switching branch with the greater transmission quality metric, and transmits data packets with the first priority such as real-time data on the switching branch with the greater transmission quality metric. A wireless node, a sensor network system and a computer program for carrying out the method are described.

Abstract: A wireless communication device providing a node in the network includes a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, a transmission buffer, and a packet prioritizing unit configured to obtain data relating to packets to be transmitted in the network, obtain indications of the remaining lifetime of the packets, where the indications are based on the time needed for reaching a destination node, prioritize the packets according to the remaining life time indications, where the prioritization is made in ascending order from an indication of a low remaining life time to a high remaining lifetime, and place the packets in the transmission buffer for transmission according to the prioritization.

Abstract: A network manager device in an industrial wireless network sends a network investigating message to other network nodes for processing and forwarding through the network, the message including a message weight. A wireless communication device providing a node in the network receives the message from another network node, determines a communication weight based on the quality of communication, adds the communication weight to the message weight and compares the sum with the node weight. If the sum is lower than the node weight, it is set as new node weight and as new message weight, whereupon the changed message is sent to other nodes in the network. The network manager device maps the topology of the network based on updated node weights, sets a communication scheduling scheme based on the mapped topology and informs the network nodes of the scheme.

Abstract: A method for providing wireless communication between a source node and a destination node in a wireless network wherein the wireless network uses a time division multiple access (TDMA) protocol. One or more dedicated TDMA transaction timeslots are arranged in a superframe. The superframe includes at least one dedicated transaction slot forming a hybrid protocol with two or more shared transaction slots per superframe. The method is of particular advantage when practised with a WirelessHART protocol wireless sensor network and when used for monitoring and control equipment and processes in an industrial installation. A computer program, and a wireless node and a wireless network using the inventive method are also disclosed.

Abstract: A wireless network managing device for a wireless network that is part of a process control system. The wireless network managing device includes a node determination element configured to receive an operator selection of at least one node in the process control system via an operator terminal and determine a field device implementing the functionality of the node, and a bandwidth control element configured to adjust a bandwidth assigned to the at least one field device in an auxiliary data section of a communication structure used by the wireless network based on the received operator selection in order to increase system responsiveness.

Abstract: A wireless network managing device for a wireless network that is part of a process control system. The wireless network managing device includes a node determination element configured to receive an operator selection of at least one node in the process control system via an operator terminal and determine a field device implementing the functionality of the node, and a bandwidth control element configured to adjust a bandwidth assigned to the at least one field device in an auxiliary data section of a communication structure used by the wireless network based on the received operator selection in order to increase system responsiveness.

Abstract: A system for setting up a wireless connection between two temporarily connected devices includes a device interconnector having a first end provided with a first wireless communication identifier and a second end provided with a second wireless communication identifier, a first device having a first interconnector mating unit, a first wireless communication unit and a first reading unit and a second device having a second interconnector mating unit, a second wireless communication unit and a second reading unit. The wireless communication units of each device is configured to receive an identifier being read by the corresponding reading unit as the device interconnector is attached to the corresponding mating unit and the wireless communication unit is configured to employ this identifier in setting up, together with the other wireless communication unit, a wireless connection between the two devices.

Abstract: A wireless communication device for a wireless network employing a wireless time division communication structure, where the wireless communication device includes a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver and an access control unit, which is configured to order the wireless transmitter to transmit, in a contention interval, a priority setting of a wireless communication device competing for resources, where the priority setting is transmitted as a signal having a frequency representing the priority setting, order the wireless receiver to receive, in the contention interval, priority settings of other competing wireless communication devices as signals having frequencies representing these priority settings, compare the transmitted priority setting with the received priority settings and seize a following data interval if the transmitted priority setting is higher than the received priority settings.

Abstract: A wireless network managing device for a wireless network that is part of a process control system. The wireless network managing device includes a node determination element configured to receive an operator selection of at least one node in the process control system via an operator terminal and determine a field device implementing the functionality of the node, and a bandwidth control element configured to adjust a bandwidth assigned to the at least one field device in an auxiliary data section of a communication structure used by the wireless network based on the received operator selection in order to increase system responsiveness.

Abstract: A method for providing wireless communication between a source node and a destination node in a wireless network wherein the wireless network uses a time division multiple access (TDMA) protocol. One or more dedicated TDMA transaction timeslots are arranged in a superframe. The superframe includes at least one dedicated transaction slot forming a hybrid protocol with two or more shared transaction slots per superframe. The method is of particular advantage when practised with a WirelessHART protocol wireless sensor network and when used for monitoring and control equipment and processes in an industrial installation. A computer program, and a wireless node and a wireless network using the inventive method are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for communication between a wireless device node in a wireless sensor network and control apparatus or control processes of an industrial control system. The wireless network includes a plurality of device nodes and at least one gateway. The method includes receiving at a gateway an aggregated data packet or a final address in the ICS. The gateway processes the data packet, detects that it is an aggregated data packet and reconstructs the original data packets contained therein. The gateway then sends each of the original data packets as standard data packets to the intended final address in the ICS. In other aspects of the invention a method, system and a computer program for carrying out the method are described.