Landis+gyr Innovations, Inc.

General Electric Company

Landis+gyr Technology, Inc.

James Patrick Hanley

Christopher Scott Hett

Stephen John Chasko

Bradley Richard Ree

Chad K Wolter

Lawrence S Harris

Jeffrey B Shudark

Michael Sean Holcombe

Chris Calvert

Vidya Prakash

Darrell Jefferson

Chad Wolter

Bryce D Johnson

Jeffrey Shudark

Christopher Hett

A node includes a processor coupled to a wireless transceiver and a memory. The memory includes instructions that can cause the processor to store a broadcast channel hopping timing interval and a broadcast channel hopping sequence, as well as, channel hopping timings and channel hopping sequences for tracked neighbor nodes. The instructions can also cause the processor to determine whether a destination node for a unicast message corresponds to tracked neighbor nodes. Based on a determination that the destination node does not correspond to any tracked neighbor nodes, the processor can determine (i) a broadcast dwell interval based on the broadcast channel hopping timing interval and (ii) a next broadcast channel based on the broadcast channel hopping sequence. Additionally, instructions can cause the processor to transmit the unicast message to the destination node during the broadcast dwell interval.

Overloading broadcast dwell intervals in unsynchronized channel hopping mesh networks

A deployed node may automatically switch from one configuration to another configuration. The node includes a first firmware image that corresponds to a first configuration and a second firmware image that corresponds to a second configuration. The node executes the first firmware image to run the first configuration. At some point, the node determines that a switch to the second configuration is appropriate and switches to the second configuration by activating the second firmware image. The switch does not require intervention by a central system or any manual intervention. In some instances, the configurations are associated with different communication protocols.

Automatic configuration switch for a node joined to a wireless network

Systems and methods are disclosed for facilitating communications in heterogeneous networks that include different data networks. A gateway device is configured to communicate with a first network using a TSCH protocol and with a second network using a channel hopping CSMA protocol. The gateway device can determine, during a first part of a TSCH timeslot, whether a message is received from the first network. If no message is received, the gateway device switches to the second network during a second part of the timeslot. If the gateway device receives a message from the second network, the gateway device may continue to receive the message. The receipt of the message in the second network may continue into a subsequent TSCH timeslot or may be interrupted if certain conditions are met.

Heterogeneous networks using two channel hopping protocols

A multi-radio border router for synchronizing communications of multiple border router radios is provided. For example, the border router includes a border router component connected to each of the plurality of border router radios. The border router component configured for selecting one of the plurality of border router radios as a master radio and assigning channel offset parameters for each of the plurality of border router radios. The master radio is configured for broadcasting synchronization beacons based on which the non-master radios synchronize their respective clocks with that of the master radio. After the synchronization, each of the border router radios communicates with endpoints associated therewith according to a channel hopping pattern modified by applying a channel offset determined based on the channel offset parameters assigned to the respective radio.

Multi-radio synchronization within a single connected system

Systems and methods are disclosed for reconstructing a personal area network ('PAN') after a failure in a system or network. A method can include detecting, by a node, a power failure in a system. The method can further include storing, by the node, data about a parent node in the system at a time of the power failure. The method can further include detecting, by the node, power restoration in the system and entering a restoration state in response to detecting the power restoration. The method can further include transmitting, by the node and to the parent node, an enhanced beacon request via a particular frequency channel associated with the parent node. The method can also include receiving, by the node, an acknowledgment response from the parent node via the frequency channel and receiving, by the node, an enhanced beacon request from the parent node via the frequency channel.

Reconstructing a personal area network or system after a failure in the network or system

Aspects and examples are disclosed for apparatuses and processes for establishing a communication link between a network using a routing protocol for low power and lossy networks (RPL) and a non-RPL-enabled device. For instance, a communication link establishment method includes establishing, by a routing protocol for low power and lossy networks (RPL) enabled device, a communication link with a non-RPL-enabled device. The method also includes establishing, by the RPL-enabled device, a network connection with an RPL-enabled network. Further, the method includes providing, by the RPL-enabled device, a proxy communication link between the non-RPL-enabled device and the RPL-enabled network. Providing the proxy communication link includes assigning a globally unique address (GUA) to the non-RPL-enabled device, and transmitting, by the RPL-enabled device, a proxy destination advertisement object to the RPL-enabled network where the proxy destination advertisement object comprises the GUA.

Systems and methods for establishing communication links between networks and devices with different routing protocols

A method for transmitting unicast messages includes: obtaining, by a first node configured to communicate on a primary time-slotted channel hopping (TSCH) network, a media access control (MAC) address of a second node configured to communicate on the primary TSCH network; determining whether the first node and the second node are also configured to communicate on a secondary TSCH network; and in response to determining that the first node and the second node are also configured to communicate on the secondary TSCH network: offsetting transmission of a unicast message until a second portion of a timeslot for the primary TSCH network; synchronizing to a channel hopping sequence and frequency of the secondary TSCH network for the second node, and transmitting, by the first node, the unicast message to the second node on the secondary TSCH network during the second portion of the timeslot.

Optimized unicast and broadcast communication in TSCH primary and secondary networks

Systems and methods are disclosed for reconstructing a personal area network ('PAN') after a failure in a system or network. A method can include detecting, by a node, a power failure in a system. The method can further include storing, by the node, data about a parent node in the system at a time of the power failure. The method can further include detecting, by the node, power restoration in the system and entering a restoration state in response to detecting the power restoration. The method can further include transmitting, by the node and to the parent node, an enhanced beacon request via a particular frequency channel associated with the parent node. The method can also include receiving, by the node, an acknowledgement response from the parent node via the frequency channel and receiving, by the node, an enhanced beacon request from the parent node via the frequency channel.

Systems and methods for managing nodes in mesh networks are provided. A parent node may switch PANs and coordinate the switch with its child nodes. The parent node and its child nodes may maintain timing synchronization information for a current PAN and a new PAN. The parent node and its child nodes may switch to the new PAN using the same switching time.

Switching PANs while maintaining parent/child relationships

Systems and methods optimize broadcast transmissions from a parent device operating on a time-slotted channel hopping (TSCH) network to one or more low-energy endpoint devices connected and synchronized to the communications of the TSCH parent device. As part of a Receiver Initiated Transmit (RIT) communication process, the TSCH parent device receives a check-in communication from a connected low-energy endpoint device during a wake state of a wake/sleep cycle of the low-energy endpoint device. In response to the check-in message, the TSCH parent device transmits an acknowledgment message identifying a broadcast timeslot during which the TSCH parent device will broadcast stored broadcast messages. During the identified timeslot, the TSCH parent device broadcasts stored broadcast messages to any connected low-energy endpoint devices that are tuned in to the corresponding frequency channel according to the TSCH protocol.

Optimization of broadcast messaging for low-energy devices communicating with a node on a time-slotted channel hopping network

Systems and methods for managing nodes in mesh networks are provided. A critical node may determine a status of a backhaul connection prior to joining a PAN. A critical path may be created and maintained that includes the critical node and any intervening nodes between the critical node and the root. A critical node may switch PANs when a backhaul connection becomes unavailable. The switch may be facilitated by a node on the critical path other than the critical node. A node may switch PANs and coordinate the switch with its child nodes.

Managing connectivity for critical path nodes

Systems and methods are disclosed for selecting a parent node in a time-slotted channel hopping ('TSCH') network. A method can include synchronizing, by a low-energy node, communications with a channel hopping pattern of a primary TSCH network. The method can further include transmitting, by the low-energy node, a selection-phase enhanced beacon request that requests an enhanced beacon from TSCH nodes with availability to accept children and with at least a specified link quality using the synchronized communications. The method can further include receiving, by the low-energy node, a selection-phase enhanced beacon from a TSCH node. The method can further include transmitting, by the low-energy node, an adoption request to the TSCH node. The method can further include receiving, by the low-energy node, an adoption response from the TSCH node indicating the TSCH node is managing the primary TSCH network join on behalf of the low-energy node.

Growing community of inventors

Decatur, GA, United States of America

James Patrick Hanley