Device for transmitting data and control commands via radio connections in a distributed control system for one or more machines and/or processes

A network having a plurality of nodes forming a distributed control system for a plurality of machines comprising:

• a system which pre-establishes communication connections between nodes by assigning unique transmit and receive time slots to each node;
• radio transmitter and receiver at each node for receiving information from other nodes and transmitting information to other nodes via radio communications, a first set of said nodes being assigned to communicate in a first geographic region, and a second set of said nodes being assigned to communicate in a second geographic region;
• a local clock for identifying the time of transmission and receiving states of the node in time slots previously assigned to said nodes;
• a connection device for enabling said transmitter and receiver at said identified time wherein said node transmits information to a pre-identified node in a respective geographic region during a time said pre-identified node has a corresponding receive state, and receives information during a state in which another of said nodes is transmitting information, whereby communications are established between pre-identified nodes needing information from other nodes in the same region said connection device placing certain of said nodes in a receive state only, and
• means to switch the transmit and receive directions of a node in said second region to communicate with a node in said first region.

A network having a plurality of nodes with pre-established communication connections between said nodes for controlling a plurality of machines comprising:

• a system for pre-establishing communications between said nodes by assigning unique transmit and receive time slots to said nodes;
• radio transmitter and receiver at each node for receiving information from other nodes, and transmitting information to other nodes via radio communications, a first set of said nodes being pre-assigned transmit and receive time slots to communicate with pre-identified nodes in a first geographic region and a second set of nodes being pre-assigned transmit and receive time slots to communicate with pre-identified nodes in a second geographic region at least one of said nodes operating in a receive state only;
• a local clock for identifying the respective transmit and receive time slots of each node;
• a connection device for enabling said transmitter and receiver at said identified time slots wherein a first node transmits information to a second, pre-identified node in a respective geographic region during a time slot a corresponding to a receive time slot of said second node, and said first node receives information during a time slot in which another of said nodes is transmitting information, whereby communications are established between pre-identified nodes needing information;
• signal detection apparatus at another of said nodes to detect said first node transmission;
• and
• means for forwarding said detected transmission from said another node to said second node when a signal level of said detected transmission is not sufficient to directly communicate with said second pre-identified node.