Abstract: Targeted parent selection for nodes within a network include, filtering, by a node in a mesh network using one or more first network optimization criteria, a set of potential parent nodes to generate a subset of potential parent nodes; selecting, by the node using one or more second network optimization criteria, a target parent node from the subset of potential parent nodes; and transmitting, by the node, a connection request to the target parent node.

Abstract: A dual-gas metering system and method is described herein, wherein percentages of two types of gas in a gas flow are determined. The system uses two speed of sound measurements, and calculates a percentage of hydrogen gas within a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen gas. In a further example, a first speed of sound within a single type of gas (e.g., natural gas) is obtained. This measurement may be obtained from a remote device operating in a region of the gas system upstream of a location wherein a second type of gas (e.g., hydrogen gas) is introduced. A second speed of sound within a dual-gas mixture is measured. A hydrogen concentration value is calculated based at least in part on the first speed of sound and the second speed of sound, such as by using a ratio of the two speeds of sound and a lookup table.

Abstract: Various embodiments set forth a method comprising determining, by a first computing device powered by a rechargeable battery and a non-rechargeable battery, whether to change operation of the first computing device from a first operating state to a second operating state based on one or more of a state of the rechargeable battery, a state of the non-rechargeable battery, or a state of a communication mode of the first computing device; and in response to determining that operation of the first computing device should change to the second operating state, increasing, by the first computing device, an interval between communications with one or more second computing devices using the communication mode.

Abstract: An electricity meter and electricity system or grid that is hardened against attack vectors is described, and provided in part by automated multiple-factor authentication over multiple communication networks. In an example, a utility company may control an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network to provide internal communications. Metering devices may utilize customer's Wi-Fi to gain access to the internet, allowing electricity consumption data to be transmitted over the internet. Multiple authentication factors are used to prevent a bad actor from impersonating the metering device or cloud server. In an example, each metering device determines a secret, and sends the secret over the AMI network to a utility company server, and which relays the secret to the cloud server. The cloud server uses the secret to establish trust with metering devices. Additionally, the metering devices and the cloud server have signed certificates, which are used in additional authentication processes.

Abstract: In the context of an electrical utility system, changing cloud conditions may cause a customer having solar panels to greatly increase or decrease electrical demand in a difficult-to-predict manner. Accordingly, a spinning reserve maintained by an electric utility company must be larger, and is therefore more expensive. In an example, the spinning reserve may be managed by: calculating a stable sequence of forecasts of smoothed real-time consumption, wherein the calculating is based at least in part on smoothed estimates of consumption data. A stable sequence of forecasts of real-time measured load may be calculated by subtracting forecasts of real-time distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) generation data from the stable sequence of forecasts of smoothed real-time consumption. The spinning reserve of the electricity system may be controlled based at least in part on the stable sequence of forecasts of real-time measured load.

Abstract: An energy efficiency data collection system architecture may be configured to enable efficient and accurate collection of energy efficiency data associated with users and/or sites associated with users and generation of profiles associated with the users based on the energy efficiency data. An energy efficiency data collection service may receive location information, image data, and user-input data from an application operating on a mobile device associated with a user. The energy efficiency data collection service may generate profiles based on the information received from the application and may provide incentives to the users in response to participating in an energy efficiency data collection survey.

Abstract: Techniques for determining network reliability using message success rates include receiving, by a first node and for a plurality of respective potential parent nodes, respective accumulated uplink message success rates, wherein a respective accumulated uplink message success rate for a respective potential parent node indicates a probability of successfully transmitting messages from that respective potential parent node to a target destination; determining, by the first node, respective local uplink message success rates for the plurality of respective potential parent nodes, wherein a respective local uplink message success rate indicates a probability of successfully transmitting messages from the first node to that respective potential parent node; and selecting, by the first node based on the respective accumulated uplink message success rates and the respective local uplink message success rates, a first respective potential parent node from the plurality of respective potential parent nodes as a paren

Abstract: Various embodiments disclose a method comprising determining, by a first node, a first link latency associated with a second node based on a time period between consecutive slots in a unicast listening schedule for the second node; in response to the first node detecting a failure in transmitting a first frame to the second node, determining, by the first node based on the first link latency, a first backoff time; and in response to determining that the first backoff time has elapsed, retransmitting, by the first node, the first frame to the second node.

Abstract: A system and a method for observable configuration delivery include, for each target tenants of a plurality of target tenants, determining a corresponding last unicast configuration change request (CCR) received; determining a number of previously unbooked unicast CCRs for the plurality of target tenants, a previously unbooked unicast CCR being a last unicast CCR received that has not been booked into a distribution to be submitted to a headend service (HES); booking the previously unbooked unicast CCRs into one or more distributions based on the number of the previously unbooked unicast CCRs and a configured capacity of each distribution of the one or more distributions; and sending the one or more distributions to the HES for sending the booked previously unbooked unicast CCRs to the plurality of target tenants.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclose a method including detecting, by a first node in a mesh network while the first node is operating in a normal power mode, an outage event; in response to detecting the outage event, switching to operating the first node and a first memory of the first node in a low power mode, wherein the first memory is capable of switching between operating in the normal power mode and in the low power mode where an amount of power used by the first memory is reduced; and while operating the first node and the first memory in the low power mode: generating, by the first node, a first message; securing, by the first node using a key retrieved from the first memory, the first message; and sending, by the first node, the first message to a second node in the mesh network.

Abstract: Techniques for detecting a high gas pressure situation within a gas delivery system (e.g., for natural gas delivery to homes and businesses) are described. In one example, a device measures gas pressure. If a pressure over a threshold value is detected, a nearby device is messaged. The nearby device either confirms the over-pressure condition or indicates it may be more localized. If the condition is present within an area of the gas delivery system and/or within a group of devices within the gas delivery system, protective measures may be taken, such as closing valves providing gas to a number of service sites.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed herein provide communication techniques for transferring datasets in a mesh network. In various embodiments, a method includes transmitting, by a server computing device controlling a mesh network, a dataset to a first node in the mesh network; transmitting, by the server computing device, first notifications to respective second nodes that are neighbors to the first node in the mesh network, the first notifications informing the respective second nodes that the dataset is available for download; and in response to determining that a third node from the respective second nodes has received the dataset, transmitting, by the server computing device, second notifications to respective fourth nodes that are neighbors to the first node in the mesh network or are neighbors to the third node in the mesh network, the second notifications informing the respective fourth nodes that the dataset is available for download.

Abstract: Techniques for obtaining and processing utility consumption data (e.g., gas, water, electricity, etc.) of a utility network to determine if a violation has occurred with respect to a restriction schedule associated with a service site. By way of example, a number of utility restriction schedules associated with a number of service sites may be generated that indicate, for example, a type of restricted activity and/or event (e.g., irrigation), seasons and/or which days activity is allowed or not allowed, duration activity is allowed, and/or mitigation to take place if a violation is detected. A device (e.g., a smart utility meter, a router, etc.) may monitor utility consumption and detect a particular usage activity (e.g., irrigation) via data disaggregation. The device may compare the activity to the restriction schedule for that particular service site and perform automatic mitigation if a violation is detected.

Abstract: A method of determining whether a received message at a communications device is from a legitimate second device may include building a message intended for a legitimate second device, generating a time delay using a secret key known to the device and the legitimate second device, sending the built message to the legitimate second device, starting a timer at the time of sending the built message, receiving a response to the sent message, determining a response time of the received response based on a time value of the timer, determining an acceptable receive window of time based on the generated time delay, determining whether the determined response time is within the determined acceptable receive window of time, and when the determined response time is within the determined acceptable receive window of time, recognizing the received response as a legitimate message from the legitimate second device.

Abstract: A method for detecting discrepancies in an electrical grid configuration includes receiving network-communicated telemetry data from a plurality of grid monitoring devices of an electrical grid over a computer network. The apparent grid configuration is estimated based at least in part on the network-communicated telemetry data, and compared to a digital documented configuration of the electrical grid stored in computer storage. Based on the comparison, an indication of a potential discrepancy between the apparent grid configuration and the digital documented grid configuration is output.

Abstract: A network system implements a network protocol for devices and nodes within a wireless network. A first node within a subtree of nodes in the wireless network performs a method including receiving a discovery request from a second node included in the wireless network, determining that an address associated with the second node is not included in a first address list that includes addresses of nodes along a node path between the first node and a root node of the subtree of nodes, and sending, in response to the determining, a response to the discovery request.

Abstract: A system and a method for observable configuration delivery include receiving one or more configuration change requests (CCRs); storing the one or more CCRs in a database; signaling configuration send channels of target tenants of a plurality of tenants associated with the one or more CCRs to awaken; sending the one or more CCRs from the database to the target tenants through a headend service (HES); receiving asynchronous status messages from the HES as a result of sending the one or more CCRs; signaling the configuration send channels for a next set of CCRs based on the asynchronous status messages; and sending the next set of CCRs to one or more tenants of the target tenants.

Abstract: Techniques for predicting solar power generation include a node measuring, using one or more sensors, a first time series of voltage readings for a first power line located at a first location, wherein a portion of power on the first power line is generated from solar irradiance on one or more first solar panels located at the first location; generating a first cross-correlation between the first time series of voltage readings and a second time series of voltage readings for a second power line located at a second location, wherein a portion of power on the second power line is generated from solar irradiance on one or more second solar panels located at the second location; and computing a wind vector based on the first location, the second location, and the first cross-correlation, wherein the wind vector is usable to forecast solar power generation at one or more other locations.

Abstract: Techniques for acknowledging communications from multiple devices are described herein. For example, a device may broadcast a group acknowledgement message indicating that communications from multiple devices have been received by the device. Each acknowledgement in the group acknowledgement message may include a device identifier for a device that sent a communication (e.g., a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of the device, a hash of the MAC address of the device, etc.) and a communication identifier for the communication (e.g., a sequence number of the communication, a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) code for the communication, etc.).

Abstract: Techniques for adjusting light direction and light intensity from streetlights in an environment. For example, a streetlight may include an adjustable light source that can be configured to cast light based on its specific installation environment, taking into account height (e.g., a height of a pole coupled with the streetlight relative to a surface of the environment), an angle in which the streetlight is coupled to the pole, a type of surface being lit (e.g., blacktop, concrete, grass, etc.), an amount of light present from surrounding fixtures (e.g., streetlights), and/or an intended area to illuminate (light only streets and sidewalks, light only parking lot, light only walking paths, etc.).