US Patent 7436797 Wireless architecture and support for process control systems

A wireless communication system for use in a process environment uses mesh and possibly a combination of mesh and point-to-point communications to produce a wireless communication network that can be easily set up, configured, changed and monitored, thereby making a wireless communication network that is less expensive, and more robust and reliable. The wireless communication system allows virtual communication paths to be established and used within the process control system in a manner that is independent of the manner in which the wireless signals are sent between different wireless transmitting and receiving devices within the process plant, to thereby operate in a manner that is independent of the specific messages or virtual communication paths within the process plant. Still further, communication analysis tools are provided to enable a user or operator to view the operation of the wireless communication network to thereby analyze the ongoing operation of the wireless communications within the wireless communication network.