Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for detecting and reporting node power outages in a connected network. A node in the network detects that a power outage has occurred at the node and the node generates a last gasp packet using a packet format containing fewer data units than a regular packet format used by the network for communication. The node broadcasts the last gasp packet to its neighboring nodes. After receiving the last gasp packet, a neighboring node estimates the time of the power outage and converts the last gasp packet into an outage alarm message using the regular packet format. The neighboring node transmits the outage alarm message to a headend system to report the power outage at the node.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for detecting node outages in a mesh network. A tracking node in the mesh network detects a set of signals originating from a tracked node in the mesh network. The set of signals includes beacons and communication messages transmitted by the tracked node. The tracking node determines that a threshold number of the alive beacon intervals have passed since receiving a most recent signal from the tracked node. The tracking node then outputs a ping to the tracked node requesting a response to the ping. When the response to the ping is not received from the tracked node, the tracking node transmits an outage alarm message to a next topologically higher layer of the mesh network, the outage alarm message comprising an identification of the tracked node.

Abstract: An electricity meter includes: a housing; a plurality of antennas, each of the plurality of antennas comprising a contacting portion, the contacting portion formed on an interior surface of the housing; a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed within the housing, the PCB including a plurality of communications circuits, each of the plurality of communications circuits operable to communicate using different communications technologies; and a plurality of contacts disposed on the PCB, each of the plurality of contacts configured to provide a solderless electrical connection between contacting portions of one or more of the plurality of antennas and one of the plurality of communications circuits when the PCB is installed in the housing.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A method is provided to transmit a message over a wireless mesh network. According to the method, a node connects to a second node by a first communications band and a second communications band, such that the node is configured to communicate with the second node over both the first communications band and the second communications band. The node identifies a message for transmission to the second node. The node determines that the second node is capable of receiving the message by way of the first communications band and is capable of receiving the message by way of the second communications band. The node dynamically determines a selected communications band, from the first communications band and the second communications band, to use to transmit the message to the second node over the wireless mesh network. The node transmits the message to the second node over the selected communications band.

Abstract: Described is a communication link establishment method. The method includes transmitting, by a diagnostic tool, a wireless wake signal on a wake wireless channel to a low-power endpoint in a metrology mesh network. The wake wireless channel is selected using a unique identifier of the battery-operated endpoint. The method also includes receiving, at the diagnostic tool, a confirmation message from the low-power endpoint that the wireless wake signal was received at the low-power endpoint. Additionally, the method includes establishing, by the diagnostic tool, a communication link between the diagnostic tool and the low-power endpoint at a wireless communication channel different from the wake wireless channel. Further, the method includes performing, by the diagnostic tool, a diagnostic operation on the low-power endpoint.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for detecting node outages in a mesh network. A tracking node in the mesh network detects a set of signals originating from a tracked node in the mesh network. The set of signals includes beacons or communication messages transmitted by the tracked node. The tracking node determines that a threshold number of the beacon intervals have passed since receiving the most recent signal from the tracked node. The tracking node performs outage validation based on data received from another node in the mesh network and updates the status of the tracked node. Based on the updated status, the tracking node outputs a ping to the tracked node requesting a response to the ping. When the response to the ping is not received from the tracked node, the tracking node transmits an outage alarm message to a next topologically higher layer of the mesh network.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining a voltage meter rating for a utility meter connected to a distribution system via one or more distribution lines. The system accesses voltage measurements provided by a meter that represent a voltage at different time intervals. The system filters the voltage measurements to remove any voltage measurements that fall outside a voltage range for the distribution line. The system further determines a measured voltage rating from a set of candidate voltage ratings for the meter. The system compares a stored voltage rating for the meter and the measured voltage rating to determine a confidence level for the measured voltage rating. When the confidence level for measured voltage rating exceeds a confidence threshold, the system uses the measured voltage rating to maintain the distribution system.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A method includes receiving beacons originating from endpoints. The beacons are received during a single beacon interval and are sent using a power strength to reach nodes within physical proximity of the endpoints. The method also includes establishing a list including multiple endpoints from which a node receives the beacons at more than a threshold percentage of the beacon intervals. The method includes detecting that a threshold number of the beacon intervals have passed since receiving a most recent beacon from an endpoint. The method includes outputting a ping at full power strength to the endpoint requesting a response. When the response is not received from the endpoint, the method includes transmitting an outage alarm to a next topologically higher layer of a mesh network. The outage alarm includes an identification of the endpoint and a timestamp indicating when the first node received the most recent beacon from the endpoint.

Abstract: A system for selecting a communication mode for a transmitting node to communicate with a receiving node in a mesh network is provided. For example, a transmitting node can gather mode selection data that describe communication conditions of the transmitting node and the receiving node. Based on the mode selection data, the transmitting node can determine a first white list of modes that can be used by the transmitting node to successfully transmit data packets to the receiving node. The transmitting node also determines a second white list of modes that can be used by the receiving node to send acknowledgment packets successfully to the transmitting node. The transmitting node further identifies overlapped modes between the first and second white lists of modes. The transmitting node can then select one of the overlapped modes for transmitting data packets to the receiving node.

Abstract: Certain aspects and features include a system and method for monitoring the operational status of assets in an electric power distribution system. For example, an asset monitoring system identifies a zone of operation for an asset under evaluation. The asset monitoring application identifies meters connected to transformers in the zone of operation and obtains meter voltages for the meters over multiple intervals. The asset monitoring application determines a primary voltage for at least one transformer based on at least one meter voltage. The asset monitoring application uses the primary voltage in a power flow calculation to estimate an operational setting for the asset. The asset monitoring application compares the voltages from the power flow analysis using the estimated operational setting and the voltages from the meter voltages across multiple time intervals. Based on the comparison, the asset monitoring application determines an operational status of the asset.

Abstract: An integrated metering device allows a resource provider to control the output of a distributed generation device onto a resource distribution network or grid. The integrated metering device may include a communications module, a metrology module, an inverter and regulator device, and a transfer switch. A resource provider may communicate with the integrated metering device via the communications module and may control the inverter and regulator device or the transfer switch. The metrology module may monitor the energy provided by the distributed generation device to the grid and may send information about the generated energy to the resource provider via the communications module.

Abstract: A method performed by a node includes writing normal records to a buffer. Each normal record is associated with a respective time interval having a respective start time and end time according to network time, and each normal record includes respective collected data describing an activity. The method includes detecting that access to network time has become unavailable as well as detecting that access to network time has become available after having been unavailable. The method includes determining information describing an incomplete period during which network time was unavailable, where the incomplete period includes at least one of a skipped interval and a standby interval. During each skipped interval, no collected data describing the activity is collected. Each standby interval is associated with respective collected data describing the activity during the incomplete period. The method includes writing to the buffer a placeholder record including the information describing the incomplete period.

Abstract: A system for determining a communication mode utilized by a transmitting node to transmit a data packet in a mesh network is provided. For example, a receiving node operates in a base communication mode to detect a pilot prefix of a data packet. The pilot prefix contains a signal with a predetermined frequency. In response to determining that the pilot prefix is detected, the receiving node detects a communication mode used to transmit the data packet based on preamble signals that are contained in a preamble of the data packet and are received after the detected pilot prefix. Once the communication mode is detected, the receiving node receives and processes the remaining portion of the data packet using the detected communication mode.

Abstract: A system can include a server and a device having a power source with a limited life span. The server receives data from the device and identifies a gap in the data from the device that indicates that at least a portion of the data from the device is missing. The server uses a gap reconciliation profile associated with the device to control the server to collect the missing data from the device. The server can generate a signal to request the missing data from the device based on the gap reconciliation profile and transmit the signal to the device to collect the missing data based on the gap reconciliation profile. A parameter of the gap reconciliation profile can be used to control generating or transmitting of the signal, which can preserve the limited life span of the power source of the device.

Abstract: An electric meter socket includes: a first plurality of connection points within the electric meter socket configured to form electrical connections to line voltage wirings of an electric distribution system; a second plurality of connection points within the electric meter socket configured to form electrical connections to output voltage wirings of a DER device; one or more connection points within the electric meter socket configured to form an electrical connection of neutral wires of the electric distribution system, the DER device, and a load; and a plurality of receptacles, each of the plurality of receptacles electrically connected to a corresponding connection point and configured to accept a mating connector of an electric meter.

Abstract: A method described herein is performed by a utility meter lacking an integrated display. The method includes measuring consumption of a resource and, further, generating consumption data based on measuring the consumption of the resource. Via a communication device, the utility meter wirelessly connects directly to an external device having a display. The utility meter verifies that the external device is authorized to access the utility meter. The utility meter transmits the consumption data to the external device to utilize the display of the external device as an interface to the utility meter. The utility meter receives an instruction via manual entry at the display of the external device, and the utility meter executes the instruction.

Abstract: A method for determining the phase of an electric meter includes: selecting a population of electric meters; selecting a historical time range based at least in part on the selected population of electric meters; selecting an interval period; creating profiles for each electric meter in the selected population of electric meters based on the voltage measurements over one or more interval periods; calculating a correlation coefficient matrix based on the profiles; clustering the selected population of electric meters into a plurality of clusters; and determining a phase of each cluster of the plurality of clusters.

Abstract: A DER (distributed energy resource) device includes a metrology module and a communications module. The metrology module monitors the output of the DER device and the communications module provides bidirectional communications across a communications network to control the DER device. The control of the DER devices may include commands to connect the DER device to the grid, to disconnect the DER device to the grid, to connect the DER device to the premises, or to adjust a power characteristic of the output of the DER device.