Patents Assigned to ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.
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Patent number: 11539240Abstract: A power system within a battery-powered node includes a primary cell, a secondary cell, and a battery controller. The battery controller includes a constant current source that draws power from the primary cell to charge the secondary cell. The battery-powered node draws power from the secondary cell across a wide range of current levels. When the voltage of the secondary cell drops beneath a minimum voltage level, the constant current source charges the secondary cell and a charging signal is sent to the battery-powered node. When the voltage of the second cell exceeds a maximum voltage level, the constant current source stops charging the secondary cell and the charging signal is terminated. The battery-powered node records the amount of time the charging signal is active and then determines a battery depletion level based on that amount of time. Battery replacement may then be efficiently scheduled based on the depletion level.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2020Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventor: Bruce Edwards
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Patent number: 11528343Abstract: Systems and methods for charging vehicles. In some embodiments, a system includes at least one mobile device and a utility network management center (“NMC”). The at least one mobile device is configured as an electronic utility device and includes a network interface card (“NIC”). The at least one mobile device is also associated with a utility billing account and at least one utility commodity meter. The utility NMC is configured to communicate with the at least one mobile device and the at least one utility commodity meter over a network, locate the at least one mobile device, and monitor a state of the at least one utility commodity meter. The utility NMC is also configured to determine a usage of a commodity based on the state of the at least one utility commodity meter, and bill the utility billing account associated with the mobile device for the usage of the commodity.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2011Date of Patent: December 13, 2022Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Raj Vaswani, George Flammer, James Pace, Jay Ramasastry, Donald L. Reeves, III, Brian Matsuo
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Patent number: 11451445Abstract: A central controller is configured to obtain a scan of a quick response (QR) code affixed to an internet-of-things (IoT) device. The central controller decodes the QR code to extract various operating parameters associated with the IoT device. The central controller then provisions a device controller for coordinating operation of the IoT device. The central controller configures the device controller based on the operating parameters, thereby allowing the device controller to coordinate operations of the IoT device in a device-specific manner. The central controller may then install the device controller on the IoT device, or cause the device controller to coordinate IoT device operations across a network. With this approach, a technician is no longer required to manually obtain IoT device operating parameters or input those parameters to a central controller, thereby streamlining the IoT device installation process.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2018Date of Patent: September 20, 2022Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventor: Brandon Davito
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Patent number: 11153819Abstract: A battery controller buffers a higher voltage provided by a primary cell in order to charge a secondary cell that operates at a lower voltage. The battery controller includes a storage device that is charged by the primary cell. When the voltage of the storage device reaches a threshold, the battery controller conducts the stored charge into the secondary cell while isolating the secondary cell from the primary cell. The secondary cell, when charged, powers a node that operates with a low voltage.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2018Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventor: Bruce Edwards
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Patent number: 11146966Abstract: Nodes within a network are configured to communicate with one another on one or more television white space (TVWS) frequencies that may be subject to interference caused by nearby TV towers. In order to mitigate that interference, the nodes may be configured to communicate according to specific operating parameters. The operating parameters may be generated based on expected interference levels caused by the nearby TV towers or QOS metrics associated with available channels. The nodes may also update a private database to reflect the expected interference levels or measured QOS metrics for different channels.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2013Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Cristina Seibert, John Notor, George H. Flammer, III
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Patent number: 11086746Abstract: A node in network is configured to buffer data received from other nodes across multiple channels. The node process a portion of the buffered data associated with a subset of those channels. When the node receives data on that subset of channels that includes a notification, the node then processes a larger portion of the buffered data associated with a larger number of channels. In doing so, the node may identify additional notifications include within data that was buffered but not previously processed. The node may also coordinate with other nodes in order to process buffered data upon identification of a notification.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2020Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventor: Elad Gottlib
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Patent number: 10962578Abstract: Nodes within a wireless mesh network are configured to monitor time series data associated with a utility network, including voltage fluctuations, current levels, temperature data, humidity measurements, and other observable physical quantities. The nodes execute stream functions to process the recorded time series data and generate data streams. The node is configured to transmit generated data streams to neighboring nodes. A neighboring node may execute other stream functions to process the received data stream(s), thereby generating additional data streams. A server coupled to the wireless mesh network collects and processes the data streams to identify events occurring within the network.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2015Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Charles P. Sum, George H. Flammer, III
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Patent number: 10917889Abstract: A wireless mesh network includes heterogeneous types of nodes, including continuously-powered nodes and battery-powered nodes. The battery-powered nodes may reside in a sleeping state most of the time to conserve power. The various nodes in the network may communicate with one another by transmitting and receiving at scheduled times and on scheduled frequencies. The battery-powered nodes may become active during the scheduled transmit and receive times. Network management nodes may facilitate network formation by transmitting information that reflects the scheduled transmit and receive times across the network. Based on this data, the continuously-powered nodes and battery-powered nodes may establish communication links with one another.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2016Date of Patent: February 9, 2021Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventor: George H. Flammer, III
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Patent number: 10897763Abstract: A wireless mesh network includes heterogeneous types of nodes, including continuously-powered nodes and battery-powered nodes. The battery-powered nodes may reside in a sleeping state most of the time to conserve power. The various nodes in the network may communicate with one another by transmitting and receiving at scheduled times and on scheduled frequencies. The battery-powered nodes may become active during the scheduled transmit and receive times. Network management nodes may facilitate network formation by transmitting information that reflects the scheduled transmit and receive times across the network. Based on this data, the continuously-powered nodes and battery-powered nodes may establish communication links with one another.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2016Date of Patent: January 19, 2021Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventor: George H. Flammer, III
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Patent number: 10863581Abstract: A network node (MR/BR node) is configured as a mesh router node in a first wireless network comprised of a plurality of first nodes and as a border router node in a second wireless network comprised of a plurality of second nodes, the second wireless network distinct from the first wireless network. The MR/BR node has a unique first address in the first wireless network and a unique second address in the second wireless network. In this way, the MR/BR node can receive a first communication in the first wireless network via the first address, and transmit the received first communication to at least one of the second nodes in the second wireless network. The MR/BR node can also receive a second communication in the second wireless network via the second address, and transmit the received second communication to at least one of the first nodes in the first wireless network.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2019Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventor: Donald Eugene Sturek
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Patent number: 10853522Abstract: A communications device has a first communications port via which secure messages are received, and a second communications port via which non-secure messages are received. In response to detecting that a secure message has been received, the device determines whether the second communications port is in a state that enables non-secure messages to be received. If the second communications port is in the enabled state, the device autonomously disables the second communications port to preclude non-secure messages received at that port from being processed.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2018Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Thomas Luecke, Nelson Bolyard, Winston Lew
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Patent number: 10855605Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling thermal properties of a node. The method steps include calculating, using a temperature reading, a transmission duty cycle of the node, calculating a data amount capable of being transmitted with the transmission duty cycle, and transmitting, from a network interface of the node, a plurality of available data at a rate less than the data amount based on a priority of the plurality of available data.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2014Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Peter Hunt, Jana van Greunen, Will E. San Filippo, III
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Patent number: 10849086Abstract: A battery powered node within a wireless mesh network maintains a mapping between temperature and oscillator drift and compensates for oscillator drift based on this mapping. When the mapping includes insufficient data points to map the current temperature to an oscillator drift value, the battery powered node requests calibration packets from an adjacent upstream node in the network. The adjacent node transmits two calibration packets with a transmit time delta and also indicates this time delta in the first calibration packet. The battery powered node receives the two calibration packets and measures the receive time delta. The battery powered node compares the transmit time delta to the receive time delta to determine oscillator drift compared to an oscillator in the adjacent node. The battery powered node then updates the mapping based on the current temperature and determined oscillator drift.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2017Date of Patent: November 24, 2020Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Kamal Poorrezaei, Brandon Inberg
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Patent number: 10809288Abstract: Nodes within a wireless mesh network are configured to monitor time series data associated with a utility network, including voltage fluctuations, current levels, temperature data, humidity measurements, and other observable physical quantities. The nodes execute stream functions to process the recorded time series data and generate data streams. The node is configured to transmit generated data streams to neighboring nodes. A neighboring node may execute other stream functions to process the received data stream(s), thereby generating additional data streams. A server coupled to the wireless mesh network collects and processes the data streams to identify events occurring within the network.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2015Date of Patent: October 20, 2020Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Charles P. Sum, George H. Flammer, III
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Patent number: 10777854Abstract: A power system within a battery-powered node includes a primary cell, a secondary cell, and a battery controller. The battery controller includes a constant current source that draws power from the primary cell to charge the secondary cell. The battery-powered node draws power from the secondary cell across a wide range of current levels. When the voltage of the secondary cell drops beneath a minimum voltage level, the constant current source charges the secondary cell and a charging signal is sent to the battery-powered node. When the voltage of the second cell exceeds a maximum voltage level, the constant current source stops charging the secondary cell and the charging signal is terminated. The battery-powered node records the amount of time the charging signal is active and then determines a battery depletion level based on that amount of time. Battery replacement may then be efficiently scheduled based on the depletion level.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2018Date of Patent: September 15, 2020Assignee: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc.Inventor: Bruce Edwards
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Patent number: 10743242Abstract: An access point coupled to a node within a network is configured to combine channel maps provided by other access points to which the node is coupled, thereby reconciling any discrepancies between those channel maps. The access point may also combine channel maps associated with different regions that the node may occupy, thereby reducing the number of channel maps that must be transmitted to the node when the node travel between regions.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2013Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Benjamin A. Rolfe, Kunal Pankaj Shah, Jay Ramasastry, Cristina Seibert
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Patent number: 10708172Abstract: A battery-powered node within a wireless mesh network performs energy-aware packet routing based on multiple factors. The battery powered node computes, for a given link to an adjacent node, the energy needed to transmit a packet to the adjacent node. The battery-powered node also determines the amount of battery energy remaining in the adjacent node. Based on these two factors, the battery powered node computes a link cost associated with the link to the adjacent node. The battery-powered node performs a similar computation for all adjacent nodes and then forwards packets via these adjacent nodes based on the associated link costs. The battery-powered node also maintains a table of routes through adjacent nodes, and reroutes packets through different adjacent nodes in response to link failures.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2017Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Kamal Poorrezaei, Paul Dietrich
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Patent number: 10608962Abstract: A node in network is configured to buffer data received from other nodes across multiple channels. The node process a portion of the buffered data associated with a subset of those channels. When the node receives data on that subset of channels that includes a notification, the node then processes a larger portion of the buffered data associated with a larger number of channels. In doing so, the node may identify additional notifications include within data that was buffered but not previously processed. The node may also coordinate with other nodes in order to process buffered data upon identification of a notification.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2017Date of Patent: March 31, 2020Assignee: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc.Inventor: Bruce Edwards
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Patent number: 10609562Abstract: To provide overall security to a utility management system, critical command and control messages that are issued to components of the system are explicitly approved by a secure authority. The explicit approval authenticates the requested action and authorizes the performance of the specific action indicated in a message. Key components of the utility management and control system that are associated with access control are placed in a physical bunker. With this approach, it only becomes necessary to bunker those subsystems that are responsible for approving network actions. Other management modules can remain outside the bunker, thereby avoiding the need to partition them into bunkered and non-bunkered components. Access to critical components of each of the non-bunkered subsystems is controlled through the bunkered approval system.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2018Date of Patent: March 31, 2020Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Raj Vaswani, Wilson Chuen Yew Yeung, Cristina Seibert, Nelson Bruce Bolyard, Benjamin N. Damm, Michael C. Stjohns
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Patent number: 10598709Abstract: Nodes within a wireless mesh network are configured to monitor time series data associated with a utility network (or any other device network). One or more servers coupled to the wireless mesh network configures a data ingestion cloud to receive and process the time series data from the nodes to generate data streams. The server(s) also configure a distributed processing cloud to perform historical analysis on data streams, and a real-time processing cloud to perform real-time analysis on data streams. The distributed processing cloud and the real-time processing cloud may interoperate with one another in response to processing the data streams. Specifically, the real-time processing cloud may trigger a historical analysis on the distributed processing cloud, and the distributed processing cloud may trigger real-time processing on the real-time processing cloud. Any of the processing clouds may encompass edge nodes configured to perform real-time processing and generate data streams.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2015Date of Patent: March 24, 2020Assignee: ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Charles P. Sum, George H. Flammer, III