Itron Gmbh

Itron Global Sarl

Jerome Bartier

Fabrice Monier

Yacine Khaled

Viet-Hung Nguyen

Khalid Maallem

James Laurence Taylor

Hartman Van Wyk

Keith W Barnes

Thomas F Uhling

Bastien Mainaud

Imad Jamil

Samuel De Vals

Ahmad Kaouk

Gilles Picard

Arnaud Clave

Aziza Ben-Mosbah

Daniel Popa

Mike Peters

Meriem Mahjoub

Vincent Roussel

Sylvain Trinquet

Laurent Van Dersteen

Techniques are directed to using communication metric data associated with multiple modulation schemes to achieve a link quality metric that is representative of the link as a whole, across the multiple modulation schemes that may be employed on the link. A calculation of a link quality metric may be triggered by a network layer transmission attempt, with communication metrics accumulated at the link layer of the link. A filter used to calculate the link quality metric may be updated based on network layer transmission attempts, based on successful and/or unsuccessful transmissions at a Media Access Control (MAC) layer of the link. More generally, a calculation of link quality may be triggered by a higher layer transmission attempt while being calculated based on transmission attempts at a lower layer of the link.

Reliable link quality estimation in multi-rate networks

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 allocating event offsets within a period of transmission are described. A mains-powered device (MPD) may act as a 'parent' to one or more battery-powered devices (BPDs). The MPD may assign “event offsets” to each BPD. The event offset is a time by which the BPD's timeslot is “offset” from the start of a periodic cycle of transmissions by the MPD. Thus, each event offset indicates a time that the BPD must be “awake,” i.e., operating its radio receiver and/or performing other functionality. A BPD may spend a substantial fraction of its time in a “sleep” mode, wherein less power is used and fewer functions are performed than during a period of that BPD's event offset. Another BPD may have a different event offset. Communications by the MPD with each child BPD may be substantially uniformly distributed over the period. To increase efficiency, groups of BPDs may receive multicasts.

Downlink event allocation in a network

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.

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.

Source routing techniques include sending data across several networks, while limiting source routing overhead. For example, the source routing techniques may use a first address format to route data to nodes along a routing path that are within a first network where a source node is located, and use a second address format to route the data to a node along the routing path that is within a second, different network. The node in the second network may similarly route the data through the second network using the first address format for nodes within the second network and, if needed, route the data to a node within a third network using the second address format. This may be repeated for any number of networks to reach a destination.

Partial source routing for cross-network routing

Techniques are directed to determining, based at least in part on link quality metric data associated with communication over a link between the first node and a second node, to send an information message to the second node preceded by sending a corresponding polling message to the second node or to send the information message to the second node not preceded by sending the corresponding polling message to the second node. Based at least in part on the determining, a node may send the information message to the second node preceded by sending the corresponding polling message to the second node or sending the information message to the second node not preceded by sending the corresponding polling message to the second node. Overhead associated with polling messages may be reduced.

Adaptive polling based on link quality

Techniques for allocating event offsets within a period of transmission are described. A mains-powered device (MPD) may act as a 'parent' to one or more battery-powered devices (BPDs). The MPD may assign 'event offsets' to each BPD. The event offset is a time by which the BPD's timeslot is &#x201c;offset&#x201d; from the start of a periodic cycle of transmissions by the MPD. Thus, each event offset indicates a time that the BPD must be &#x201c;awake,&#x201d; i.e., operating its radio receiver and/or performing other functionality. A BPD may spend a substantial fraction of its time in a &#x201c;sleep&#x201d; mode, wherein less power is used and fewer functions are performed than during a period of that BPD's event offset. Another BPD may have a different event offset. Communications by the MPD with each child BPD may be substantially uniformly distributed over the period. To increase efficiency, groups of BPDs may receive multicasts.

A first node operates in a network. The first node sends a polling message to a second node over a link at a first data rate, receiving an acknowledgement message from the second node. Based at least in part on receiving the acknowledgement message, the first node determines the second node is available to receive an information message. Based at least in part on the determining the second node is available to receive the information message, the first node sends the information message to the second node over the link at a second data rate. The second data rate is based at least on an indication of observed behavior of the link and the first data rate is based at least on the second data rate. For example, the first node may determine the first data rate to be a next slowest available data rate than the second data rate.

Growing community of inventors

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Jerome Bartier