Itron Gmbh

Itron Global Sarl

Fabrice Monier

Jerome Bartier

Imad Jamil

Keith W Barnes

Thomas F Uhling

Hartman Van Wyk

Viet-Hung Nguyen

Yacine Khaled

Bastien Mainaud

Samuel De Vals

Arnaud Clave

Gilles Picard

Howard N Brace

James Laurence Taylor

Khalid Maallem

Philippe Chiummiento

Matthieu Pichot

Jérôme Bartier

Guillaume Descamps

Madani Lainani

Daniel Popa

Ahmad Kaouk

Iskander Banaouas

Sylvain Trinquet

Laurent Van Dersteen

Vincent Roussel

A network system includes a main network implementing a conventional network protocol and a subtree of battery-powered nodes implementing a custom network protocol. The main network and the subtree are managed according to different subtree parameters. When a root node receives a request by a battery-powered node to join the subtree, the root node determines whether to allow the battery-powered node to join based on the subtree parameters for the subtree before sending a response to the battery-powered node.

Network protocol for battery powered devices within a wireless network

Various embodiments disclose a method performed by a first node device in a mesh network that includes receiving respective messages from respective neighbor node devices that have one or more blocks of a dataset, determining a quality score for a second node device of the respective neighbor node devices, and based on the quality score, sending a request to receive the one or more blocks from the second node device.

Peer selection for data distribution in a mesh network

Various embodiments disclose techniques for time-multiplexing multiple listening schedules and physical layer modes that include a first node listening, using a first physical layer mode, for a first network discovery signal; in response to not detecting the first network discovery signal, listening, using a second physical layer mode, for a second network discovery signal; and in response to detecting the second network discovery signal transmitted by a second node using the second physical layer mode, establishing a connection with the second node using the second physical layer mode.

Time-multiplexing of multiple listening schedules and physical layer modes in a mesh network

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for processing packets transmitted within a network in accordance with a network protocol. The technique includes a network device in a mesh network receiving a type-length-value (TLV) element, determining, based on a type field of the TLV element, an expected length of a value field of the TLV element, and processing the value field up to the expected length.

Frame compatibility across network protocol version

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for establishing communications within a multicast group of nodes included in a mesh network. The technique includes receiving a first unicast message that includes a multicast join request from a member node included in the multicast group, wherein the multicast join request specifies a first shortest path from the member node to a multicast group leader also included in the multicast group. The technique also includes forwarding the first unicast message to the multicast group leader along the first shortest path, and forwarding a second unicast message from the multicast group leader to the member node along a second shortest path, wherein the second unicast message includes a multicast join acknowledgment. The technique further includes declaring a first node as a multicast forwarder in the multicast group, wherein the first node is responsible for forwarding the second unicast message.

Unicast discovery of forwarders in a multicast group

Various embodiments disclose a method performed by a first node device in a mesh network that includes identifying a plurality of neighbor node devices that have one or more blocks of a dataset; determining quality scores for respective node devices of the plurality of neighbor node devices; selecting, based on the quality scores, a second node device from the plurality of neighbor node devices; and sending, to the second node device, a first request to receive at least one block of the one or more blocks.

Various embodiments disclose a method comprising receiving, at a first node, a listening schedule associated with a second node; determining, by the first node, a link latency associated with the second node based on the listening schedule; in response to the first node detecting a frame transmission failure for a frame being transmitted by the first node to the second node, determining, by the first node based on the link latency, a backoff time; and in response to the first node determining that the backoff time has elapsed, the first node retransmitting the frame from the first node to the second node. In some embodiments, the method also includes determining a frame lifetime value associated with the second node based on the link latency; and in response to determining that a time period corresponding to the frame lifetime value has elapsed, dropping the frame.

Adaptive transmission management based on link latency

Various embodiments disclose a method that includes: attempting to detect, with a first transceiver associated with a first node, a network discovery signal, wherein the attempting is performed according to (a) a first listening schedule associated with a first physical layer mode and (b) a second listening schedule associated with a second physical layer mode; detecting, with the first transceiver, the network discovery signal during a slot associated with the first listening schedule; and in response to detecting the network discovery signal, establishing, with the first node, a connection between the first node and the second node using the first physical layer mode.

In various embodiments, a system within a wireless network comprises a set of battery-powered device (BPD) nodes within the wireless network, and a joining BPD node that identifies, in a subset of BPD nodes, a set of potential parent nodes, filters the set of BPD nodes based on network optimization criteria to identify a target parent node, and transmits a request message to establish a communications link with the target parent node as a child node, where the target parent node in the set of BPD nodes executes instructions to receive the request message from the joining BPD node, evaluate data associated with the joining BPD node with acceptance criteria, and upon determining that the joining BPD node meets the acceptance criteria, establish the communications link with the joining BPD node, where, upon the communications link being established, the joining BPD node is a child to the target parent node.

Targeted parent selection for battery-powered devices

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for establishing communications within a multicast group of nodes included in a mesh network. The technique includes detecting that a first message related to the member node joining the multicast group has not been received from a multicast group leader included in the multicast group. The technique also includes in response, generating a first broadcast message for the member node that includes a multicast join request. The technique further includes forwarding the first broadcast message to one or more nodes included in the mesh network that are direct neighbors of the member node, wherein at least one node included in the one or more nodes further forwards the first broadcast message based on a first maximum hop limit.

Discovery of forwarders to mitigate asymmetric links in a multicast group

A method includes computing electrical phase of electrical metering devices including obtaining data indicating zero-crossing times at first and second metering devices. A time difference between the zero-crossing times may be determined. In a first example, the time difference may be based at least in part on calculations involving a first value of a first free-run timer on a first metering device, a second value of a second free-run timer on a second metering device, the time of reception of a packet, and a latency defined by a time taken for the packet to propagate through at least one layer of at least one of the first metering device and the second metering device. A phase difference between the first zero-crossing and the second zero-crossing may be determined, based at least in part on the determined time difference.

Electrical phase computation using RF media

A network system includes a main network implementing a conventional network protocol and a BPD subtree implementing a custom network protocol. The main network comprises a plurality of MPD nodes, the conventional network protocol being configured for MPD nodes. The BPD subtree comprises a plurality of BPD nodes, the custom network protocol being configured for BPD nodes. The custom network protocol defines smaller and simpler subtrees relative to the conventional network protocol. As a result, the custom network protocol defines less complex functions relative to the conventional network protocol, including functions for discovery, messaging, and loop management. A root node of the BPD subtree is connected with an MPD node of the main network and one or more descendant nodes of the BPD subtree. The root node implements the conventional network protocol and the custom network protocol.

Methods and devices for providing routing path and transit delay time data to a device running traceroute on an IP network comprising routing tunnels are described herein. In examples, a tunnel entrance device may copy a hop limit value associated with a traceroute probe into a hop limit field of a tunneled IP header. In other examples, the tunnel entrance device may perform address spoofing to generate an error message with a source address corresponding to an intermediate device disposed within a routing tunnel. In this way, a device executing traceroute may be able to receive network addresses corresponding to intermediate devices in a routing tunnel in order to perform network diagnostics, construct routing tables, determine more efficient routing paths, and so on.

Traceroute method to identify devices in tunneled segment of routing path

Various embodiments disclose a method that includes sending, by a first node to a plurality of neighbor nodes, a query associated with a dataset, wherein the dataset includes multiple blocks; receiving, at the first node from a set of the plurality of neighbor nodes, one or more responses to the query; based on a first quality ranking of individual nodes in the set, selecting, by the first node, a second node from the set; and sending, by the first node, a first request to the second node for at least one block of the multiple blocks.

Growing community of inventors

Bry sur Marne, France

Fabrice Monier