Echelon Corporation

Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Other

Sohrab Modi

Kevin C Fox

Hariprasad B Mankude

Shalender Singh

John G Waclawsky

Sankar Ramamoorthi

Mahalingam Mani

Brian M Oki

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for improved powerline communication (PLC) are described. In one embodiment, a system comprises power down hardware coupled to internal wiring of a premises to selectively power down a portion of the internal wiring on request, and at least one hardware device to transmit a request to the power down hardware to selectively power down a portion of the internal wiring on request and to transmit data using power line communication hardware of the at least one hardware device while the portion of the internal wiring is powered down.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for powerline communication

A distributed system is disclosed for mining, correlating and analyzing locally obtained traffic video data. The system comprises a central controller configured to correlate traffic counting meta data gathered at a thoroughfare, to transmit control information to specify one or more traffic counting events to be monitored by at least one video unit located at the thoroughfare and to receive traffic counting meta data from the at least one video unit. The at least one video unit located at the thoroughfare, is configured to process a video stream from a video camera while monitoring the traffic counting events at the thoroughfare specified by the central controller, to analyze and evaluate the traffic counting event, to encode traffic meta data characterizing the analysis, and to transmit the meta data to the central controller. Further meta data can be acquired by mining the meta data history or any captured raw video footage.

Distributed system for mining, correlating, and analyzing locally obtained traffic data including video

A distributed system for traffic monitoring and event detection includes a plurality of video units within viewing distance of a thoroughfare to be monitored. Each video unit processes a video stream while monitoring events at the thoroughfare, identifies and analyzes events, encodes traffic meta data characterizing the analysis, and transmits the meta data to a central controller. The central controller stores a geographic map representing the thoroughfare, correlates the meta data received from the video units, and forms a composite representation of the geographic map and the correlated meta data. The central controller replays previously stored composite representations of the geographic map and the correlated meta data, which were monitored under mutually different event conditions. The central controller is also configured to allow changes to previously stored composite representations of the geographic map and to the correlated meta data for the purpose of understanding the impact of change.

Video data and GIS mapping for traffic monitoring, event detection and change prediction

A parking management system includes a parking facility management controller configured to allocate parking spaces at a parking facility as at least one of customer reserved spaces, handicap spaces, electric vehicle station spaces, premium spaces or unreserved spaces, the controller further including a communications unit configured to transmit the allocation of parking spaces to at least one video unit located at the parking facility. The video unit located at the parking facility, includes a video camera and video frame processing logic to process a video stream from the video camera while monitoring a parking space allocated by the controller, identify an event occurring at the allocated parking space, and encode a low bandwidth message characterizing the event. The at least one video unit includes a communications unit configured to transmit the low bandwidth message over low bandwidth communication links to the management controller.

System of correlated video and lighting for parking management and control

The combination of LED lighting and particulate detectors are enhanced by exploiting the light degradation/reflection/wavelengths detected, absorbed or frequency shift seen in lighting due to the presence of smoke, gas or other molecules (such as explosives) in the air can be detected. The use of LEDs is expanded well beyond simple lighting and energy savings to include not only smoke and fire detection by also to scan for gases and particulates found based in the usage environment.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for detecting problems in air

A system that communicates across a network is described. During operation, the system receives a subscription request from a subscriber requesting to subscribe to receive information published to a service name. The system applies a function to the service name to generate a value that maps to a root-node associated with the service name. The system forwards the subscription request through the network to the root-node and logs information associated with the subscription request in a subscription table at the root-node, so that the root-node can forward messages that are subsequently published to the service name to the subscriber. Upon receiving a publication request from a publisher requesting to publish a message to the service name, the system first determines the root-node from the service name. The system forwards the publication request to the root-node to be forwarded to one or more subscribers for the service name.

Communicating messages between publishers and subscribers in a mesh routing network

A distributed lighting network has its lights scheduled based on weather forecast information. A lighting controller stores a lighting schedule for distribution to the distributed lighting network and transmits the lighting schedule to the network. The lighting controller receives from a subscription weather server, short-term or long-term weather forecast datasets. The lighting controller generates lighting control information to modify the lighting schedule, based on the received customized weather forecast datasets, and transmits the lighting control information to the distributed lighting network to modify the lighting schedule, based on the customized weather forecast datasets. The system also enables the lighting schedules to modulate human circadian rhythms if necessary to further promote public health and safety during weather events.

System and method for optimizing lighting in response to online weather data

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates forwarding fragments of a packet received from a source node to a destination node, wherein the destination node is determined based upon information within a first fragment of the packet. The system operates by receiving at least one fragment of the packet at an interface node from the source node. The system uses a packet identifier from the fragment to look up an entry for the packet within a packet forwarding data structure. If this entry specifies the destination node, the system forwards the fragment to the destination node. If the entry does not specify the destination node, and if the fragment is not the first fragment of the packet, the system links the fragment into the entry for the packet within the packet forwarding data structure, so that the fragment can be forwarded to the destination node when the destination node later becomes known. In one embodiment of the present invention, if the entry for the packet does not specify the destination node, and if the fragment is the first fragment of the packet, the system: determines the destination node from information contained within the first fragment; initializes the entry for the packet to specify the destination node; and forwards any fragments linked into the entry as well as the first fragment to the destination node.

Method and apparatus for forwarding packet fragments

A scalable cluster system that provides scalable services for client applications is provided with a forwarding list. The scalable services are transparent to the client application. To facilitate this transparent scalability, the system provides a forwarding list. For various operational reasons, such as tuning the system, an operator may change the work distribution weights between nodes of a scalable cluster system. Such a change in work distribution weights may change how packets are assigned to nodes. Forwarding lists are provided so that if the work distribution weights are changed while there are existing connections the forwarding lists allow packets from existing connections to go to the same node as earlier packets from the same connection.

Method for creating forwarding lists for cluster networking

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for forwarding a packet between nodes in a clustered computing system. The system operates by receiving the packet at an interface node in the clustered computing system. This packet includes a source address specifying a location of a client that the packet originated from, and a destination address specifying a service provided by the clustered computing system. The system selects a server node in the clustered computing system to send the packet to from a plurality of server nodes that are able to provide the service. Next, the system forwards the packet to the server node so that the server node can provide the service to the client by, attaching a transport header to the packet, the transport header containing an address of the server node, and sending the packet to the server node through an interface. This interface is used for communications between the interface node and other nodes in the clustered computing system. In one embodiment of the present invention, in forwarding the packet to the server node, the system load balances between multiple redundant paths between the interface node and the server node.

Method and apparatus for fast packet forwarding in cluster networking

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that uses a destination address of a packet to perform a fast lookup to determine a service that is specified by the destination address. The system initially receives a packet at an interface node in the cluster of nodes. This packet includes a source address specifying a location of a client that the packet originated from, and the destination address specifying a service provided by the cluster of nodes. The system uses the destination address to perform a first lookup into a first lookup structure containing identifiers for scalable services. Note that a scalable service is a service that provides more server node capacity for the scalable service as demand for the scalable service increases. If no identifier for a scalable service is returned during the first lookup, the system sends the packet to a server node in the cluster of nodes that provides a non-scalable service.

Method and apparatus for performing a fast service lookup in cluster networking

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that uses a packet distribution table to distribute packets to server nodes in a cluster of nodes that operate in concert to provide at least one service. The system operates by receiving a packet at an interface node in the cluster of nodes. This packet includes a source address specifying a location of a client that the packet originated from, and a destination address specifying a service provided by the cluster of nodes (and possibly a protocol). The system uses the destination address to lookup a packet distribution table. The system then performs a function that maps the source address to an entry in the packet distribution table, and retrieves an identifier specifying a server node from the entry in the packet distribution table. Next, the system forwards the packet to the server node specified by the identifier so that the server node can perform a service for the client. In this way, packets directed to a service specified by a single destination address are distributed across multiple server nodes in a manner specified by the packet distribution table. In one embodiment of the present invention, the system allows the server node to send return communications directly back to the client without forwarding the communications through the interface node. In one embodiment of the present invention, the function includes a hash function that maps different source addresses to different entries in the packet distribution table in a substantially random manner. Note that this hash function always maps a given source address to the same entry in the packet distribution table.

Method and apparatus for providing scalable services using a packet distribution table

A scalable cluster system that provides scalable services for client applications is provided with client affinity. The scalable services are transparent to the client application. To facilitate this transparent scalability, the system provides different types of client affinity to different services for the client applications. Services may have no client affinity, so that different packets sent during different connections could be sent to different nodes on the cluster. Services may have single service client affinity, which causes packets for a single service from different connections from the same source to be sent to the same node. Services may have multiple service client affinity, which causes packets for different services from different connections from the same source to be sent to the same node. Services may have wild card client affinity, which causes packets for different destination ports from different connections from the same source to be sent to the same node.

Growing community of inventors

Oakland, CA, United States of America

Sohrab Modi