Abstract: Techniques for detecting hot socket conditions in utility electricity meters include acquiring, by an electricity meter, first signal readings of one or more first signals associated with a first type of communications between the electricity meter and one or more first devices; acquiring, by the electricity meter, second signal readings for one or more second signals associated with a second type of communications between the electricity meter and one or more second devices, the second type of communications being different from the first type of communications; performing, by the electricity meter, one or more operations on the first signal readings and the second signal readings to determine whether a hot socket condition is present; and performing, by the electricity meter, a remedial operation in response to determining that the one or more operations indicate that the hot socket condition is present.

Abstract: A method of traffic shaping on an adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) data link may include, with a traffic shaping configuration agent, fetching from a neighbor routing table stored on a network interface card (NIC) data defining a first modulation of a data link and a first physical layer data transmission rate associated with a first media access control (MAC) address. The traffic shaping configuration agent may further identify a first maximum achievable goodput for the first modulation and the first physical layer data transmission rate and reconfigure an operating system (OS) traffic shaping implementation based on the first maximum achievable goodput.

Abstract: Various embodiments set forth a method comprising receiving, at a server node from a client node, a client compression dictionary that includes one or more first mappings between one or more first index values and one or more data entries included in a certificate cache of the client node; identifying, in response to receiving the client compression dictionary and based on the client compression dictionary, one or more certificates that should be transmitted to the client node; and transmitting, from the server node to the client node, the one or more identified certificates.

Abstract: Techniques for detecting and remediating a low gas pressure situation within a gas delivery system are described. In one example, a smart gas metering device measures gas pressure. The first device determines that the gas pressure value is less than a first threshold value, indicating a low gas pressure condition. The first smart metering device reports this condition to a second smart metering device, which may be nearby. In response, the first smart metering device receives gas pressure information from the second smart gas metering device. The first smart gas metering device then reports one of two conditions to a headend device, such as a main office server. In a first possibility, the report indicates a low gas pressure event confined to the first device. Alternatively, the report indicates a low gas pressure event within a distribution area comprising the first device and the second device.

Abstract: Various embodiments set forth a method comprising validating, by a first computing system in a secured computing environment, a demand event generated by an operator, where the operator is authenticated to generate demand events within the secured computing environment and the demand event corresponds to a set of endpoints operating outside the secured computing environment, generating, by the first computing system, an authorization permit associated with the demand event, and sending, from the first computing system to a second computing system outside of the secured computing environment, (i) an indicator of the demand event, and (ii) the authorization permit, where the demand event is usable by the second computing system to generate a demand event command for the set of endpoints, and the authorization permit is usable by the set of endpoints to validate the demand event command.

Abstract: Techniques for transmitting data include a network device receiving a message, the message comprising data to be transmitted from the network device; storing the message in a buffer of the network device. During an open data session window, the network device: extracts the message from the buffer; and transmits, using a transmitter of the network device, at least data included in the message to a transceiver of the network device. The transceiver is configured to transmit the data outside of the network device. In response to determining that a header of the message includes a last message indicator, the network device: delays for a period of time; and after the period of time, instructs the transceiver to end the data session window early and transition to a lower power state.

Abstract: Techniques for performing time synchronization within a network include a method comprising: determining, by a first node, a receive time at which a periodic beacon from a second node is expected to be received based on timing information associated with the second node; determining, by the first node, a first listening window for the periodic beacon based on the receive time and one or more of a drift uncertainty associated with an anticipated drift in a correction of a timing error between the first node and the second node or a jitter uncertainty associated with timing jitter in the first node or the second node; and listening, by the first node, for the periodic beacon during the first listening window.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for ad-hoc authenticated group discovery and data sharing in a mesh network. A group of devices is created without leaving a security gap due to the open communication needed to establish the discovery of the devices forming the group. The group can be authenticated autonomously following network discovery of the devices. Instead of requiring global pre-assigned keys for authentication, the devices in the group are authenticated with signatures and certificate passing thereby providing strong security. The efficiency of data sharing between the devices of the network, such as a mesh network, can also be increased. One or more devices may act as a bridge device between devices of a same group that are not in direct wireless communication with each other to reduce re-broadcasts within the mesh network.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclose a method for transmitting data between node devices in a mesh network. The method includes a first node device a channel mask that specifies a set of channels that are available for a channel plan within an operating region associated with the mesh network. The first node device supports a set of channel plans. Based on the channel mask, the first node device determines a set of available channels supported by the first node device. The first node device selects from the set of available channels, at least one channel as a first preferred channel for data transmissions between the first node and a second node included in the mesh network. The first node device configures, based on the first preferred channel, a communication link between the first node device and the second node device.

Abstract: A load-side voltage detection module for a metrology device includes a plurality of first resistors electrically coupled to a first load-side terminal, the first resistors being in series, a plurality of second resistors electrically coupled to a second load-side terminal, the second resistors being in series, a voltage divider electrically coupled between a first line-side terminal and a second line-side terminal, the voltage divider creating a reference voltage for the load-side voltage detection module, and a pulse generator to generate a pulse based on detection of voltage, the pulse indicating a voltage on at least one of the first load-side terminal or the second load-side terminal, above at least one threshold.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Techniques for determining network reliability using message success rates include a first node in a mesh network computing a transmitted message success rate associated with a connection from the first node to a second node, wherein the second node is a neighbor node to the first node; computing, based on a first accumulated transmitted message success rate and the transmitted message success rate, a second accumulated transmitted message success rate for a route from the first node to a target destination using the second node, wherein the first accumulated transmitted message success rate is received from the second node and is associated with intermediary connections between the second node and the target destination; selecting, based on the second accumulated transmitted message success rate, the second node from a plurality of neighbor nodes; and transmitting a message to the target destination via the second node.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed herein provide techniques for detecting electrical arcing in an electrical system. The techniques include a network device receiving first voltage or current readings associated with a first power cycle, receiving second voltage or current readings associated with a second power cycle, determining that an electrical arcing condition is present by comparing the first voltage or current readings with the second voltage or current readings, and performing a remedial operation in response to determining that the electrical arcing condition is present.

Abstract: A high-voltage protection module for a metrology device includes a metal-oxide varistor (MOV) coupled across a mains power line, a resistor electrically coupled to the MOV in series with the MOV, and a fuse electrically coupled to the MOV and the resistor in series, the resistor being located between the fuse and the MOV. The fuse opens upon an overvoltage event disengaging alternating current (AC) power from the mains power line to the metrology device.

Abstract: Techniques for transmitting data include one or more processors of a computing device included in a network device identifying data to be transmitted, wherein the computing device includes the one or more processors, a queue, and a transmitter, and wherein the network device includes the computing device and a transceiver that is configured to transmit data outside of the network device; adding the data to the queue; and during an open data session window: transmitting, via the transmitter and to the transceiver, data extracted from the queue; and in response to determining that an amount of data in the queue is below a threshold, (a) delaying for a period of time, and (b) after the period of time, instructing the transceiver to end the open data session window early and transition to a lower power state.

Abstract: Techniques for transmitting data include one or more processors of a computing device included in a network device identifying data to be transmitted; and while a data session window is open: transmitting, using a transmitter of the network device, the data to a transceiver that is included in the network device and is separate from the one or more processors, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the data outside of the network device; and in response to determining that there is no additional data to be transmitted, (a) delaying for a period of time, and (b) after the period of time, instructing the transceiver to end the data session window early and transition to a lower power state.

Abstract: Techniques for forecasting solar power generation include a computing device determining a clear-sky solar power generation level for a photovoltaic installation; receiving, from a first measurement device, measurement data indicating an amount of cloud cover at a first location of the first measurement device, wherein the first measurement device and the photovoltaic installation are located in a same geographical area; and generating a solar power generation forecast for the photovoltaic installation based on the clear-sky solar power generation level and the measurement data.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for disconnecting loads from the electrical grid based on a power line frequency are disclosed. An electricity meter may monitor a power line frequency of a source power line connected to the electricity meter, and in response to determining that the power line frequency is lower than a disconnect threshold frequency, may open an internal switch and disconnect a load side output of the electricity meter from the source power line.

Abstract: In an electrical grid, several electricity meters may be associated with the same transformer, and may measure electricity sold to respective customers. In an example, one electricity meter executes manager software, while the other electricity meters execute agent software. One or more applications operated on each electricity meter, and control metrology devices, data processing, operation of radio(s) and/or a powerline communications modem, aspects of electrical phase determination, etc. The agent software operating on each electricity meter may relay messages from applications operating on that electricity meter to other (possibly similar) applications operating on other electricity meters. Each message sent by each instantiation of agent software may include a networking score of that electricity meter. The manager software may additionally communicate with a data collector and/or main office server(s).

Abstract: A data collection device and method for determining an alternative event condition is presented. The method includes receiving a first data communication including a first data value from a first sensor and determining a first event condition based on the first data value being beyond a predetermined threshold. The method further includes receiving additional data communications including additional data values from one or more second sensors, aggregating the first data value and the additional data values, and determining that the determination of the first event condition is incorrect based on the aggregated data values and a known relationship between the first sensor and the one or more second sensors. The method additionally includes determining a second event condition based on the first data value and the additional data values being beyond the predetermined threshold. An action may then be performed in response to the determination of the second event condition.