Silver Spring Networks, Inc.

Itron Networked Solutions, Inc.

James Pace

Raj Vaswani

Sterling Hughes

Jay Ramasastry

Jana Van Greunen

George Henry Flammer, Iii

George Flammer

Jay Ramasatry

Donald L Reeves, Iii

William E San Filippo, Iii

Daniel McKernan

Brian Matsuo

Brian Douglas Grady

Winston Lew

William E San Filippo

William Pugh

Sterlings Hughes

Winston D Lew

Daniel S Mckernan

George H Iii Flammer

William E Iii San Filippo

Wiliam Iii San Filippo

Systems and methods for charging vehicles includes at least one mobile device and a utility network management center ('NMC'). The at least one mobile device is configured as an electronic utility device and includes a network interface card (“NIC”). The at least one mobile device is also associated with a utility billing account and at least one utility commodity meter. The utility NMC is configured to communicate with the at least one mobile device and the at least one utility commodity meter over a network, locate the at least one mobile device, and monitor a state of the at least one utility commodity meter. The utility NMC is also configured to determine a usage of a commodity based on the state of the at least one utility commodity meter and bill the utility billing account associated with the mobile device for the usage of the commodity.

Systems and method for charging vehicles

Systems and methods for charging vehicles. In some embodiments, a system includes at least one mobile device and a utility network management center ('NMC'). The at least one mobile device is configured as an electronic utility device and includes a network interface card ('NIC'). The at least one mobile device is also associated with a utility billing account and at least one utility commodity meter. The utility NMC is configured to communicate with the at least one mobile device and the at least one utility commodity meter over a network, locate the at least one mobile device, and monitor a state of the at least one utility commodity meter. The utility NMC is also configured to determine a usage of a commodity based on the state of the at least one utility commodity meter, and bill the utility billing account associated with the mobile device for the usage of the commodity.

Systems and methods for charging vehicles

One embodiment of the present disclosure sets forth a technique for convergence and automatic disabling of access points in a wireless mesh network. Specifically, an access point within a wireless mesh network computes one or more network metrics to determine whether the metrics are unfavorable or favorable. If the network metrics are favorable, then the access point disables the access point's network connection. An access point turns the network connection back on based on whether a routing was lost for at least a preset amount of time, utilization of one or more neighboring access points is above a preset value, or one or more network metrics have degraded by a certain percentage value. One advantage of this approach is that cost savings may be achieved when the number of access points dynamically changes to accommodate varying communications conditions.

System and method for convergence and automatic disabling of access points in a wireless mesh network

A meshed networking of access points in a utility network provides a more efficient and cost effective arrangement for communicating data between meters and the utility by linking the access points of multiple subnetworks for purposes of communicating with the utility. As a result, each individual subnetwork is not required to directly communicate with the utility. For those access points that are relieved of the need to directly communicate with the utility, the communication mechanism, e.g., cellular modem, can be eliminated, or deactivated, to thereby reduce capital expenditures and/or operational costs. Additionally, links to a WAN can be selectively activated or disabled to provision bandwidth, for example, on demand, to react to changing conditions in the subnetworks.

Meshed networking of access points in a utility network

The present invention provides a system including a utility network including a product distribution pathway for delivering a product, a plurality of electronic utility devices associated with the utility network to monitor at least one parameter associated with the product distribution pathway, and a management processor in communication with the devices and operable to poll at least a subset of the electronic utility devices in response to an input to evaluate performance of one of the utility network and the system in response to information relating to the at least one parameter. The evaluation can include a rule-based analysis of one of the parameter and the information relating to the parameter.

Methods and system for utility network outage detection

A utility meter may be read by sending a request to read the meter from a meter reading application, which may be located on a utility server or on an access point to a network, to a communications module associated with the utility meter. The communications module initiates a session with the utility meter, makes requests for data from the associated utility meter, receives the responses to requests for data from the utility meter, and terminates the session after receiving all the requested data from the meter. It then formats the responses with the data received from the utility meter, and transmits the formatted response to the meter reading application.

Method and system of reading utility meter data over a network

One example embodiment provides a method and system where a node in an IPv6 utility network communicates with an IPv6 destination node through and IPv4 network. IPv6 utility nodes are reachable through at least one access point. IPv6 packets to be transmitted between an IPv6 access point and an IPv6 destination node through a IPv4 communications network are encapsulated in IPv4 packets for transmission through the IPv4 communications network. Packets received after transmission through the IPv4 communications network at the destination node are extracted to retrieve the IPv6 packet.

Method and system of providing IPv6 packet transit between two IPv6 nodes of a utility network connected via an IPv4 network using encapsulation technique

One example embodiment provides a method and system where a node in a utility network registers with one or more access point devices associated with one or more local area utility networks. The utility node generates a unique network address using a network address prefix of a network address associated with the access point device. The utility node registers with a DNS server. Messages sent to the utility node are routed through the access point corresponding to the received prefix used to generate the unique network address for the utility node. The network address for the utility node and access point may be IPv6 addresses and the network address prefix may be an IPv6 prefix, or may be an IPv4 address.

Method and system of providing IP-based packet communications in a utility network

One example embodiment provides a method and system where a node in an IPv6 utility network communicates with an IPv6 destination node through and IPv4 network. IPv6 utility nodes are reachable through at least one access point. IPv6 packets to be transmitted between an IPv6 access point an and an IPv6 destination node through a IPv4 communications network are encapsulated in IPv4 packets for transmission through the IPv4 communications network. Packets received after transmission through the IPv4 communications network at the destination node are extracted to retrieve the IPv6 packet.

Method and system for transit between two IPV6 nodes of a utility network connected VIA an IPV4 network using encapsulation technique

Techniques are disclosed by which RF mesh networks can identify utility distribution topologies by using power line communication combined with wireless networking to identify the mapping of transformers and other distribution equipment at a back office system server. At a specified time, an item of distribution equipment signals a unique identifier by introducing a phase shift in the electric power being delivered by that equipment. A meter node detects and decodes these temporal shifts to obtain an identifier of equipment supplying the power to it. Upon ascertaining this identification, the meter node sends an acknowledgment to thereby register with that equipment. The association of the particular customer's premises with the equipment is also sent to a back office system, to enable a map of the correspondence between meter and the equipment to be generated.

Powerline carrier zero-crossing transformer mapping with asymmetric RF return path

One example embodiment provides a method and system where a node in a utility network assigns an IP network address to an in-premise device which communicates to the utility node over an in-premise network which is not IP based. The utility node proxies the assigned IP address to the utility network, allowing other nodes on the utility network to address and communicate with the in-premise device.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

James Pace