Abstract: Described herein are power receptacle wireless access point (AP) devices that may be used as part of a networked (smart) living and work space. These power receptacle wireless AP devices may be wall-mounted and/or retrofitted over existing electrical outlets or light switches, for providing wireless access to a room or region of a room. The power receptacle wireless AP device may connect via power line communication to a data connection.

Abstract: Described herein are networked (smart) living and work spaces, including a variety of different wireless nodes that may be distributed, including wall-mounted and/or retrofitted over existing electrical outlets and light switches, for providing data streams to a digital hub or master controller. For example, described herein are wall-mounted, interactive sensing and audio-visual node device for a networked living/working space.

Abstract: An interfacing device is configured to process one or more rules, based on sensor data, to perform a predetermined action. During operation, the device can establish a network connection with a device controller, and receives a device configuration that includes a rule for the interfacing device. The rule can include an action description for performing an action, and can include a condition that takes sensor data as input and indicates criteria for performing the action. The device can store the rule in a rule repository, and determines data generated by processing the rule's action description. When the device receives a data-subscription request for the data generated by processing the rule's action description, the device determines a remote interfacing device which issued the data-subscription request, and stores the data-subscription request, for the data generated by the rule's action description, in association with the remote interfacing device.

Abstract: An interfacing device is configured to process one or more rules, based on sensor data, to perform a predetermined action. During operation, the device can establish a network connection with a device controller, and receives a device configuration that includes a rule for the interfacing device. The rule can include an action description for performing an action, and can include a condition that takes sensor data as input and indicates criteria for performing the action. The device can store the rule in a rule repository, and determines data generated by processing the rule's action description. When the device receives a data-subscription request for the data generated by processing the rule's action description, the device determines a remote interfacing device which issued the data-subscription request, and stores the data-subscription request, for the data generated by the rule's action description, in association with the remote interfacing device.

Abstract: An interfacing device is configured to process one or more rules, based on sensor data, to perform a predetermined action. During operation, the device can receive a device configuration that includes a rule for the interfacing device. The rule can include an action description for performing an action, and can include a condition that takes sensor data as input and indicates criteria for performing the action. The device can store the rule in a rule repository, and determines a remote interfacing device that generates data associated with the rule's condition. The device can also subscribe to the data from the remote interfacing device.

Abstract: A sensor-monitoring interfacing device is coupled to one or more physical devices that include sensors for measuring physical attributes. During operation, the interfacing device obtains and processes sensor data from the physical devices. When the interfacing device obtains sensor data from a physical device, the interfacing device selects a rule to process based on the obtained sensor data. If the interfacing device determines that the rule's condition is satisfied, the interfacing device can process the rule's action description to perform a corresponding action.

Abstract: A load-monitoring interfacing device obtains and processes sensor data from an electrical load. The interfacing device can include at least one power outlet to provide power to a corresponding electrical load. During operation, the interfacing device can obtain sensor data from a local power outlet coupled to an electrical load, such that the sensor data can indicate an electrical measurement associated with the electrical load. The interfacing device selects a rule to process based on the obtained sensor data, and processes the rule to determine whether to perform an action. If the rule's condition is satisfied, the interfacing device proceeds to processing the rule's action description to perform the action, such as to enable or disable a power outlet, or to perform any other pre-defined action.

Abstract: A data-forwarding system establishes a network connection to a plurality of network devices to facilitate an interfacing device communicating with a device-controlling system, a peer interfacing device, or other computing devices. During operation, when the system receives data from a network device, the system determines a peer network device that is to receive the data, such as a device that is subscribed to receive the data. The system can forward the sensor data to the peer network device by determining an established network connection for communicating with the second network device, and sending the sensor data to the peer network device via the established network connection.

Abstract: A load-controlling interfacing device obtains and processes event data, for example, from a touch-screen user interface and/or other devices, and that processes rules based on the event data to control an electrical load, such as a light fixture. During operation, when the interfacing device obtains event data, the interfacing device selects a rule to process based on the event data from the touch-screen user interface. If the interfacing device determines that the rule's condition is satisfied, the interfacing device can process the rule's action description to perform a corresponding action for controlling power to the electrical load.

Abstract: An interfacing device is configured to process one or more rules, based on sensor data, to perform a predetermined action. During operation, the device can receive a device configuration that includes a rule for the interfacing device. The rule can include an action description for performing an action, and can include a condition that takes sensor data as input and indicates criteria for performing the action. The device can store the rule in a rule repository, and determines a remote interfacing device that generates data associated with the rule's condition. The device can also subscribe to the data from the remote interfacing device.

Abstract: A local controller maintains a local database which stores information associated with a set of interfacing devices of a local-area network. The local database can include a database mirror for a remote database, of a remote controller, that stores information for a set of provisioned interfacing devices. During normal operation, a remote controller hosting the remote database can have primary control of interfacing devices within the local area network and/or other network domains, and the local controller maintains the local database to include at least a subset of the remote database. However, when the local controller determines that the remote controller has gone offline, the local controller can obtain primary control of interfacing devices within the local area network.

Abstract: A device-controlling system configures, monitors, and controls one or more interfacing devices, such that an interfacing device can obtain and disseminate sensor data from one or more attached physical devices that include sensors for measuring physical attributes. During operation, the system can configure an interfacing device by establishing a network connection with an interfacing device, and determining one or more rules for the interfacing device. A rule can indicate an action description for performing an action, and indicates a condition that indicates criteria for processing the rule's action description. The system can configure the interfacing device to process its associated rules.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for admitting an additional node into a communications network that uses a scheduled communications protocol. Specifically, the node detects the presence of a network, establishes a communication link with a node already present on the network using a unicast messaging protocol, and then communicates pre-admission information to the node on the network. After pre-admission is complete, the new node is admitted to the network.

Abstract: A mesh network routing protocol for optimizing network data transmission capacity using a cost analysis based upon a links proximity to the gateway or other bandwidth constrained node. Specifically, the protocol computes a plurality of routing costs associated with each data path, compares the routing costs, and then selects the data path associated with the lowest routing cost for the transmission of data. Each link in each of the paths is weighted in view of its proximity to an ingress/egress point to the mesh network or other bandwidth constrained node or link of the network.

Abstract: A mesh network routing protocol for optimizing network data transmission capacity using a cost analysis based upon a links proximity to the gateway or other bandwidth constrained node. Specifically, the protocol computes a plurality of routing costs associated with each data path, compares the routing costs, and then selects the data path associated with the lowest routing cost for the transmission of data. Each link in each of the paths is weighted in view of its proximity to an ingress/egress point to the mesh network or other bandwidth constrained node or link of the network.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for admitting an additional node into a communications network that uses a scheduled communications protocol. Specifically, the node detects the presence of a network, establishes a communication link with a node already present on the network using a unicast messaging protocol, and then communicates pre-admission information to the node on the network. After pre-admission is complete, the new node is admitted to the network.