Abstract: A utility network communication device is provided to detect whether anomalous events occur with respect to at least one node in a utility network. The communication device has recorded therein threshold operating information and situational operating information. The threshold operating information includes data indicative of configured acceptable operating parameters of the nodes in the utility network based on respective locational information of the nodes. The situational information includes data indicative of configured operation data expected to be received from nodes in the utility network during a predetermined time period, based on a condition and/or event occurring during the predetermined time period.

Abstract: Systems and methods of optimizing packet flow in a network are disclosed. An internetwork includes plural networks, each network having plural non-router nodes and at least one router node. The non-router nodes of a first network can be configured to perform congestion control. The non-router node establishes a packet rate value for a packet queue associated with a second network of the internetwork. A total number of packets not greater than the packet rate value are removed from the packet queue. The removed packets are sent to a node in the second network.

Abstract: A method and system of operating a utility node to communicate in a wireless utility network are provided. A utility node in the wireless utility network discovers at least two access points each respectively constituting an interface between a wide area network and the wireless utility network. The node discovers at least two access points constituting an interface between the two networks, registers with the discovered access points, and obtains at least two unique network addresses each respectively associated with a corresponding one of the access points with which the node has registered. The node provides the at least two addresses to a back office server which is communication with the wide area network to provide the back office server with at least two routes to reach the node. The at least two routes are respectively associated with a corresponding one of the access points with which the node registered.

Abstract: The functionality of communications standards and protocols that are application-layer specific are overlaid on an IP-based infrastructure, by employing an IP DNS server as the registration host for IP and other communications standards based and protocol based communications. Communication can occur at either the IP layer or the communications standards or protocol application layer. At the IP layer, a host application can interrogate network nodes. To extend this service to other communications standards or protocol communications, device registration and resolve services are implemented on the DNS server. Similar to the manner in which an IP-based service uses a native, IP-based DNS resolve request, a host can utilize a resolution request against the communications standards and protocol-enabled DNS server for standards and protocol application-layer interrogation of endpoints.

Abstract: After power is restored to a node in a utility network, that node employs one or more of its neighboring nodes as proxies to route a message to a central control facility of the utility. The message contains information about the restored node, and possibly one or more of its neighbor nodes. This information may include reboot counters, the amount of time that the node was down, momentary outages or power fluctuations, and/or the time of power restoration. The node that creates and initially sends the message can be the restored node itself, or another node that recognizes when a restored node has recently come back online.

Abstract: A utility network interface device is provided for operation with a utility network. The utility network interface device includes a control unit configured to detect a tampering with a software component of a utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated. The utility network interface device also includes a notification unit configured to output, external to the utility meter, a visual indication constituting notification of the tampering detected by the control unit. The control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering. Also provided are a utility network including the utility network interface device, a method of operating a utility network interface device, and a computer-readable recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon for operating a utility network interface device.

Abstract: Systems and methods of optimizing packet flow in a network are disclosed. An internetwork has a first network and plural second networks. A respective packet-in-flight counter is established for each one of the plural second networks and a respective maximum packet-in-flight indication for each one of the plural second networks. The respective packet-in-flight counter for each one of the plural second networks when a request packet is sent from any node in the first network to any node in that one of the plural second networks, or a response packet is received from any node that one of the plural second networks. it is determined whether a second request packet can be sent from any node in the first network to any of the plurality of nodes in one of the plural second networks, based on processing a value of the respective packet-in-flight counter for that one of the plural second networks and a value of the respective maximum packet-in-flight indication for that one of the plural second networks.

Abstract: One example embodiment provides a method and system where a node in a utility network assigns an IP network address to an in-premise device which communicates to the utility node over an in-premise network which is not IP based. The utility node proxies the assigned IP address to the utility network, allowing other nodes on the utility network to address and communicate with the in-premise device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling for distributing power to electric vehicles. The system includes a vehicle charging key (“VCK”) that is operable to communicate with both a vehicle and a utility communications network. The VCK includes a processor, a memory, and one or more radios for communicating with the vehicle and the utility communications network. The VCK receives information from the vehicle, such as location information and vehicle battery state-of-charge (“SOC”) information, and transmits the information to a back office system (“BOS”), such as a utility provider or a credit card company. The BOS generates utility pricing or charging information based on, for example, time of day, and transmits the utility pricing information back to the VCK. A transaction module of the VCK receives payment information from a user that includes a payment selection. The payment selection includes a payment type (e.g., credit card, prepaid account, utility account, etc.).

Abstract: Meter nodes in a power line carrier (PLC) network may reliably communicate with an access point by alternate routes using additional media where available. A utility network may include one or more subnetworks. Each subnetwork may include one or more meter nodes and an access point configured to communicate with the meter nodes using PLC. Meter nodes operate as relays for other meter nodes to communicate with the access point. Some or all meter nodes may be configured to communicate using a power line carrier communications link and another communications link. The network may also include a node external to the subnetwork, e.g., a utility server. The access point may be configured to communicate with the node external to the subnetwork in addition to the meter nodes.

Abstract: The functionality of communications standards and protocols that are application-layer specific are overlaid on an IP-based infrastructure, by employing an IP DNS server as the registration host for IP and other communications standards based and protocol based communications. Communication can occur at either the IP layer or the communications standards or protocol application layer. At the IP layer, a host application can interrogate network nodes. To extend this service to other communications standards or protocol communications, device registration and resolve services are implemented on the DNS server. Similar to the manner in which an IP-based service uses a native, IP-based DNS resolve request, a host can utilize a resolution request against the communications standards and protocol-enabled DNS server for standards and protocol application-layer interrogation of endpoints.

Abstract: After power is restored to a node in a utility network, that node employs one or more of its neighboring nodes as proxies to route a message to a central control facility of the utility. The message contains information about the restored node, and possibly one or more of its neighbor nodes. This information may include reboot counters, the amount of time that the node was down, momentary outages or power fluctuations, and/or the time of power restoration. The node that creates and initially sends the message can be the restored node itself, or another node that recognizes when a restored node has recently come back online.

Abstract: Communications among multiple nodes via a shared power line medium are carried out by dividing the available frequency spectrum in the shared power line medium into plural non-overlapping channels. A first channel is assigned to a first group of nodes, and a second channel, different from the first channel, is assigned to a second group of nodes. Communications between the first group of nodes can occur simultaneously with communications between the second group of nodes via the shared power line medium. Time slots may be assigned for the communications between the first group of nodes that occurs simultaneously with the communications between the second group of nodes via the shared power line medium. The simultaneous communications between different groups of nodes via a shared power line medium may be implemented using a frequency-hopping spread spectrum technique.

Abstract: A utility network interface device is provided for operation with a utility network. The utility network interface device includes a detector configured to produce a state signal upon occurrence of a prescribed state that interferes with the ability of a utility meter, with which the utility network interface device is associated, to measure consumption of a commodity and/or report consumption of the commodity. The utility network interface device also includes a control unit configured to detect a tampering with the utility meter in accordance with the state signal produced by the detector. The control unit automatically controls a notification unit to output, external to the utility meter, notification of the tampering detected by the control unit, in response to the detection of the tampering.

Abstract: The functionality of communications standards and protocols that are application-layer specific are overlaid on an IP-based infrastructure, by employing an IP DNS server as the registration host for IP and other communications standards based and protocol based communications. Communication can occur at either the IP layer or the communications standards or protocol application layer. At the IP layer, a host application can interrogate network nodes. To extend this service to other communications standards or protocol communications, device registration and resolve services are implemented on the DNS server. Similar to the manner in which an IP-based service uses a native, IP-based DNS resolve request, a host can utilize a resolution request against the communications standards and protocol-enabled DNS server for standards and protocol application-layer interrogation of endpoints.

Abstract: A wireless utility network contains a plurality of utility nodes that communicate within a wireless utility network. A gateway to the wireless utility network communicates with the utility nodes in the wireless utility network, and connects the wireless utility network to at least one other network. A packet is transmitted from one utility node to another utility node according to a route included in the transmitted packet. The route included in the transmitted packet is updated with received network information to determine an updated path cost of the included route and compared to alternate routes to select a preferred route based upon path cost. The selected preferred route is included in the packet and the packet is transmitted to another node according to the selected preferred route.

Abstract: The service phase of the electrical connection to a customer endpoint device located within a power distribution system is determined by various techniques. At the feeder level, the system may be programmed to induce disturbances, thereby causing missed zero crossings at the customer endpoint devices. The pattern of these disturbances is a controlled one, designed specifically to avoid causing noticeable disruption even to sensitive devices, but to be unusual enough that it is statistically unlikely to be naturally occurring. The monitoring of the zero crossing information is used to determine the phase of the service line to the customer endpoint devices.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing a network and routing protocol for utility services are disclosed. A method includes discovering a utility network. Neighboring nodes are discovered and the node listens for advertised routes for networks from the neighbors. The node is then registered with one or more utility networks, receiving a unique address for each network registration. Each upstream node can independently make forwarding decisions on both upstream and downstream packets, i.e., choose the next hop according to the best information available to it. The node can sense transient link problems, outage problems and traffic characteristics. Information is used to find the best route out of and within each network. Each network node maintains multi-egress, multi-ingress network routing options both for itself and the node(s) associated with it. The node is capable of several route maintenance functions utilizing the basic routing protocol and algorithms.

Abstract: A method and system of operating a utility node to communicate in a wireless utility network are provided. A utility node in the wireless utility network discovers at least two access points each respectively constituting an interface between a wide area network and the wireless utility network. The node discovers at least two access points constituting an interface between the two networks, registers with the discovered access points, and obtains at least two unique network addresses each respectively associated with a corresponding one of the access points with which the node has registered. The node provides the at least two addresses to a back office server which is communication with the wide area network to provide the back office server with at least two routes to reach the node. The at least two routes are respectively associated with a corresponding one of the access points with which the node registered.

Abstract: A method of routing in a network includes dividing a time corresponding to a predetermined maximum registration age of a first node registered with a second node into a number of first time intervals and second time intervals. The first time intervals each have a predetermined duration and the second time intervals each have a duration greater than the predetermined duration of the first time intervals. Each of the first and second time intervals are assigned a metric designating a cost associated with a path between the first node and the second node. The metric increases in value for each of the first and second time intervals as registration age increases. The second node sends a message including the metric associated with the time interval during which it is transmitted.