Itron Gmbh

Itron Global Sarl

Imad Jamil

Keith W Barnes

Fabrice Monier

Thomas F Uhling

Howard N Brace

Jerome Bartier

Samuel De Vals

Yacine Khaled

Khalid Maallem

Iskander Banaouas

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for communicating within a network. The technique includes receiving, by a first node in a mesh network at a first receive time, a first beacon from a second node in the mesh network, the first beacon including a first network time associated with the second node; determining, by the first node, a first transmission time of a first unicast message to the second node based on (a) the first receive time, (b) the first network time, and (c) a unicast interval between consecutive unicast listening times on the second node; and transmitting, by the first node, the first unicast message to the second node at the first transmission time.

Unicast transmissions in mesh network nodes

One embodiment of the present disclosure sets forth a technique for resolving beaconing conflicts within a network. The technique includes detecting, by a first node in a network, a first scheduling conflict between a first time when a first beacon is to be transmitted from the first node and a first listening window when a second beacon is expected to be received from a second node in the network; determining, by the first node in response to detecting the first scheduling conflict and based on an expected transmission time for the second beacon and a position of the second node in the network, an alternate listening window during which to listen for a third beacon from the second node; and listening, by the first node, for the third beacon from the second node during the alternate listening window.

Resolving beacon transmission and receipt conflicts in mesh network nodes

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

Techniques for performing time synchronization within a network include a method comprising: determining, by a first node, a receive time at which a periodic beacon from a second node is expected to be received based on timing information associated with the second node; determining, by the first node, a first listening window for the periodic beacon based on the receive time and one or more of a drift uncertainty associated with an anticipated drift in a correction of a timing error between the first node and the second node or a jitter uncertainty associated with timing jitter in the first node or the second node; and listening, by the first node, for the periodic beacon during the first listening window.

Time synchronization of mesh network nodes

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

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.

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for performing time synchronization within a network. The technique includes detecting a first scheduling conflict between a first transmission time associated with a first periodic beacon from a first node in the network and a second transmission time associated with a second periodic beacon from a second node in the network. The technique also includes determining a first alternate transmission time associated with the first periodic beacon based on a position of the first node in the network and the first transmission time. The technique further includes transmitting the first periodic beacon at the first transmission time, and transmitting an alternate periodic beacon at the first alternate transmission time.

Resolving beacon transmission conflicts in mesh network nodes

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for performing time synchronization within a network. The technique includes detecting a first scheduling conflict between a first transmission time associated with a first periodic beacon from a first node in the network and a first listening window associated with receiving a second periodic beacon from a second node in the network. The technique also includes determining a first alternate transmission time for the second periodic beacon based on a second transmission time associated with the second periodic beacon and a position of the second node in the network and calculating a second listening window associated with transmission of the second periodic beacon from the second node at the first alternate transmission time. The technique further includes listening for the second periodic beacon during the second listening window.

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for communicating within a network. The technique includes receiving, from a first node in the network and at a first receive time, a first periodic beacon that includes a first network time associated with the first node. The technique also includes determining a first transmission time of a first unicast message to the first node based on the first network time and a unicast interval between consecutive unicast listening times on the first node. The technique further includes transmitting the first unicast message to the first node at the first transmission time.

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 performing time synchronization within a network. The technique includes receiving, from a first node in the network and at a first receive time, a first periodic beacon that includes a first network time associated with the first node. The technique also includes determining a second receive time at which a second periodic beacon from the first node is to be received based on the first network time and the first receive time. The technique further includes calculating a first listening window for the second periodic beacon based on the second receive time, a first jitter uncertainty, and a first drift uncertainty, and listening for the second periodic beacon during the first listening window.

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.

Growing community of inventors

Meudon, France

Imad Jamil