Itron Gmbh

Itron Global Sarl

Eric Donald White

Benjamin N Damm

Tommi Petteri Parkkila

Kevin Richard Crouse

Bernard M Woodland

Matthew Rockey

Ryan Matthew Wilson

Techniques are provided for ad-hoc authenticated group discovery and data sharing in a mesh network. A group of devices is created without leaving a security gap due to the open communication needed to establish the discovery of the devices forming the group. The group can be authenticated autonomously following network discovery of the devices. Instead of requiring global pre-assigned keys for authentication, the devices in the group are authenticated with signatures and certificate passing thereby providing strong security. The efficiency of data sharing between the devices of the network, such as a mesh network, can also be increased. One or more devices may act as a bridge device between devices of a same group that are not in direct wireless communication with each other to reduce re-broadcasts within the mesh network.

Ad-hoc authenticated group discovery

Techniques for hub and spoke publish-subscribe are described herein. In some examples, an outgoing-data database comprising addresses of remote device hubs on respective remote devices is maintained. First data is received from a first process operating on the device. The first data is sent to a first remote hub associated with a first remote device and associated with an entry in the outgoing-data database. An incoming-data database is maintained to associate processes operating on the device with data to which the processes subscribe. Second data is received from a second device hub associated with a second device. It is determined&#x2014;by reference to the incoming-data database&#x2014;that the second data is data subscribed-to by a second process operating on the device. The second data is sent to the second process.

Hub and spoke publish-subscribe

Data sharing in a mesh network

Based at least in part on a determination of an amount of remaining storage available in a device being relative to a particular level, a device trims at least a portion of the blockchain from the device including by making storage allocated to the portion of the blockchain available. The device recalculates the blockchain without the portion of the blockchain that has been trimmed from the device. Further, the device sends a message to another device participating in the blockchain, the message including at least the hash for the recalculated blockchain devices.

Secure trimming of blockchain in a resource-constrained network

A first device participating in a blockchain receives an indication of an error in the blockchain being maintained by the first device. The first device determines a defective block of the blockchain and receives a replacement for the defective block from a second device. The first device determines a recalculated blockchain that includes the replacement for the defective block.

Secure blockchain data recovery

A device selects a plurality of other devices to participate in a blockchain based at least in part on observed behavior of a communication link between the device and each of the other devices. The device, based at least in part on the selecting, participates in the blockchain with at least some of the plurality of other devices.

Forming a blockchain in low-bandwidth, resource-constrained network

A network device includes one or more processors and a memory storing firmware that when executed by the one or more processors causes the network device to perform operations including executing the firmware according to a configuration file, wherein the executing includes receiving one or more commands updating the configuration file to become a modified configuration file; and executing the firmware according to the modified configuration file. Wherein executing the firmware according to the modified configuration file includes: extracting a mode from the modified configuration file, the mode indicating a condition, a set of parameters, and a rule mapping the condition to an action; evaluating the condition based on one or more parameter values associated with the set of parameters; and in response to determining that the condition has been met, performing the action, wherein performing the action modifies how a resource is distributed at a location.

Techniques for dynamically modifying operational behavior of network devices in a wireless network

A node includes a firmware application that analyzes sensor data to detect and respond to events associated with the distribution of resources. During execution, the firmware application reads a configuration file that specifies a set of conditions and different actions that should be performed in response to different events associated with those conditions. The configuration file can be dynamically updated during execution of the firmware application to modify the set of conditions the firmware application evaluates and the different actions to be performed when occurrences of specific events are detected. Accordingly, the operational behavior of the node can be modified without needing the node to undergo a firmware update.

Growing community of inventors

Seneca, SC, United States of America

Eric Donald White