Abstract: The present disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods for synchronizing nodes in a mesh network. A system in some embodiments may comprise a node having a counter that is incremented using a non-linear counting function. The node may be incremented using the function at intervals as measured by an internal oscillator of the node. The counter may also be incremented by a fixed amount when receiving a sync-packet from neighboring nodes. The non-linear counting function effectively smooths out the variability of the internal oscillator while the synchronization packet acts to keep the value of the counter synchronized with the value of the counters of neighboring nodes. This allows nodes in a mesh network to be synchronized for certain events while avoiding the issues of other synchronization techniques.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods for verifying operation and configuration of a lighting network. In some embodiments, a site controller is configured to receive sensor data from a plurality of sensors and to transmit commands to nodes of a lighting network for controlling light sources based on the sensor data. The site controller is also configured to store a site plan including a listing of the nodes and, for each of the nodes, indicating a number of sensors to be coupled to the respective node. The site controller is further configured to detect the sensors coupled to the nodes based on the sensor data and to compare the detected sensors to the site plan for determining whether the detect sensors is consistent with the site plan. If not, the site controller is configured to provide an alert.

Abstract: A backend network controller, such as a gateway, pushes “hint” instructions to nodes with instructions on planned reactions to asynchronous events so that the nodes are capable of reacting to hinted events before being instructed by the network controller to do so. Thereafter, when a sensor node senses and reports an event to the network controller or otherwise, one or more nodes having received a hint corresponding to the event may recognize the occurrence of the event in response to the reporting message and then react to the event before receiving a command from the network controller to do so. Thus, the nodes are capable of reacting to events faster than would otherwise be possible relying only on commands from the network controller.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for reducing network traffic in a mesh network by reducing the number of status messages communicated over the network. The nodes of the network can provide status information to a gateway based on each node's distance from the gateway. The closer nodes respond to the request from the gateway first and then the farther nodes respond to the request. When a node is ready to transmit a status message with status information to the gateway, the node sends the message to the nodes in communication with the transmitting node. One of the closer nodes that receives the message then forwards the message to additional nodes in communication with the forwarding node, while the other nodes that received the message do not forward the message. The process of forwarding messages by a single closer node is repeated until the status information is received by the gateway.

Abstract: To speed up a firmware update process, a gateway performs an expedited topological discovery of networked nodes. The gateway maintains a list of unlinked network nodes that are not known to share good edges with other nodes. The gateway transmits a topology query to a selected unlinked node, which the node retransmits to its neighboring nodes. Each neighboring node responds to the gateway with a link status of the edge between the queried node and the neighbor. The queried node and each neighboring node with an edge of sufficient link quality are removed from the list of unlinked nodes. The process is repeated until no networked nodes remain in the list of unlinked nodes. The gateway then sends a firmware update to nodes that will in turn retransmit the update over identified good edges.

Abstract: An indoor air quality control system may be implemented to control a plurality of air handling units within an industrial facility in a concerted effort to effect an overall air quality goal. A remote server analyzes sensor data, historical data, and other environmental data (e.g., predicted weather data), and uses one or more machine learning algorithms to model the behavior of air within the facility. The sensed air quality data is considered holistically to understand the overall condition of the facility and the gradient of air flows and/or contaminant flows within the 3-dimensional space. Air handling models are applied to current sensor data to generate instructions to selectively turn on/off or otherwise control components of various air handling equipment to reach an optimized air quality result. Decisions on how to control the facility are based on environmental health and safety considerations.

Abstract: An indoor air quality control system may be implemented to control a plurality of air handling units within an industrial facility in a concerted effort to effect an overall air quality goal. A remote server analyzes sensor data, historical data, and other environmental data (e.g., predicted weather data), and uses one or more machine learning algorithms to model the behavior of air within the facility. The sensed air quality data is considered holistically to understand the overall condition of the facility and the gradient of air flows and/or contaminant flows within the 3-dimensional space. Air handling models are applied to current sensor data to generate instructions to selectively turn on/off or otherwise control components of various air handling equipment to reach an optimized air quality result. Decisions on how to control the facility are based on environmental health and safety considerations.

Abstract: A system for a tag includes a network controller that, when it has information to send to a tag, is configured to communicate with the tag's neighbors, such as anchors that may be used for communication between the tag and the network controller. In this regard, the network controller may instruct the tag's neighbors to stun the tag upon hearing from the tag. Thus, when the tag transitions out of a sleep state and transmits a status message or other type of message to the network controller or other resource of the network, at least one neighbor of the tag hears the message and, in response, stuns the tag so that it remains awake for a longer period of time, thereby giving the network controller sufficient time to send control information or other information to the tag. Since the neighbors are responsible for stunning the tag, the amount of time required to stun the tag after it awakens from the sleep state is decreased.

Abstract: Nodes of a wireless network are automatically commissioned for communication. In this regard, the nodes of a wireless network are configured to recognize a primary network identifier and a default network identifier. A first node to be commissioned transmits a join request that includes the default network identifier. Neighboring nodes that receive the join request transmit a reply that includes network parameters, such as the primary network identifier, for enabling the first node to communicate on the wireless network. Thereafter, the first node uses such network parameters to communicate on the network.

Abstract: A wireless mesh network has a coordinator that is configured to determine a topology of the network and define, based on the topology, a plurality of routes through the network. For each route, the coordinator is configured to assign a plurality of nodes to the route. Each of the nodes assigned to the route is configured to receive messages and wirelessly retransmit messages that include a route identifier that identifies the route. Since messages are forwarded through the network based on route identifiers, it is unnecessary for the nodes to maintain conventional routing tables and to broadcast route discovery messages in order to learn routes for populating the routing tables with route data, thereby reducing network traffic and congestion.

Abstract: Lights sources may be installed in a facility without regard to their unique identifiers, which are necessary for a lighting control system to exercise control over the light sources. After installation, a mobile device can identify the identifier of a particular light source through use of a mobile device with a photodetector that detects visible light signals emitted by a light source. The user of the mobile device may locate themselves within range of a light source. The light source transmits a visible light signal to convey information includes an identifier of the light source, such as a MAC address. The mobile device can then determine a correspondence between the light source's identifier and its location in the facility. Accordingly, a mapping of a plurality of light sources can be created while minimizing the possibility for human error during commissioning of a lighting system.

Abstract: A wireless network may include a server, a network, a network access device and a plurality of nodes configured to communicate wirelessly. Messages may be communicated through the network wirelessly in an uncoordinated manner. Some nodes may be assigned a first priority indicating that the node has a higher priority than other nodes assigned a second priority. During a certain time period or window, referred to as a “quality of service window,” nodes assigned the first priority may continue transmitting in the uncoordinated manner, while nodes associated with the second priority may wait to transmit their messages until after the expiration of the quality of service window. Thus, during the quality of service window, there should be less congestion since nodes assigned the second priority remain quiet, thereby increasing the likelihood that messages transmitted by the nodes assigned the first priority will be successfully communicated.

Abstract: A monitoring system for a facility can automatically determine the presence of leaks in a compressed gas system at the facility. The monitoring system can use information from sensors in the compressed gas system to determine if there is a constant flow of gas in the system that can be indicative of a leak in the system. The monitoring system can process flow measurements from the sensors to determine minimum gas flow amounts for a series of time windows. The minimum gas flow amounts are then averaged to generate an average minimum gas flow amount. If the average minimum gas flow amount is greater than an average threshold, a variance of the minimum gas flow amounts can be determined. If the determined variance is less than a variance threshold, the average minimum gas flow amount is determined to correspond to a leak in the compressed gas system.

Abstract: Lights sources may be installed in a facility without regard to their unique identifiers, which are necessary for a lighting control system to exercise control over the light sources. After installation, a graphical user interface (GUI) executed on a user's mobile device can facilitate the user's identification of the identifier of a particular light source located at a particular position. The GUI displays to the user a map of the facility, onto which the user can delineate the boundaries of a lighting area in which he intends to identify the location of light sources. The user then inputs into the GUI row and column dimensions for the lights positioned within the delineated lighting area. The GUI automatically generates and displays a plurality of selectable lighting positions arranged within the delineated area according to the selected dimensions, without the need for individual placement by the user.

Abstract: A mobile device connected to a wireless sensor network may receive a script update in a series of transmissions from a network management device, the transmissions being broken up over an extended period of time. The transmissions may be as small as one or several packets that make up a portion of the script. Each transmission is sent and received in coordination with a predetermined active cycle of the mobile device, i.e., during the normal mode of operation for the mobile device. A device may transition from a low-power (sleep) state to an active (awake) state to perform its routine functions. During this active time, a network management device sends a message to the mobile device indicating the availability of a script update. The mobile device, in response, transmits to the network management device a requested amount of update data it wishes to receive during this period of activity.

Abstract: A system for a tag includes a network controller that, when it has information to send to a tag, is configured to communicate with the tag's neighbors, such as anchors that may be used for communication between the tag and the network controller. In this regard, the network controller may instruct the tag's neighbors to stun the tag upon hearing from the tag. Thus, when the tag transitions out of a sleep state and transmits a status message or other type of message to the network controller or other resource of the network, at least one neighbor of the tag hears the message and, in response, stuns the tag so that it remains awake for a longer period of time, thereby giving the network controller sufficient time to send control information or other information to the tag. Since the neighbors are responsible for stunning the tag, the amount of time required to stun the tag after it awakens from the sleep state is decreased.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing node maintenance on network nodes in a communication network are provided. The network nodes can be in communication with a node management device that can control when each network node is in a sleep state and in an awake state as part of a check-in cycle where the network nodes report to the node management device. When maintenance is required on the network nodes, the node management device can increase the amount of time used during the check-in cycle to account for the time needed to perform maintenance on one of the network nodes. The node management device can then use this additional time to perform the required maintenance on one of the network nodes. The remaining network nodes that are not receiving the required maintenance are provided with an extended sleep time to permit the one network node to receive maintenance.

Abstract: A wireless network has a transmitting node that can send a multicast message over the wireless network to a plurality of receiving nodes. Each of the receiving nodes, on receipt of the multicast message, can estimate, based on the receipt of the multicast message, a distance between the transmitting node and the receiving node. If the distance is within a certain distance range from the transmitting node, the receiving node implements a delay of a predetermined amount of time before retransmitting the message to its neighboring nodes. If the distance is beyond that range, the message is retransmitted without delay. All nodes within the distance range implement the same delay before retransmission, however, they may also implement an additional, randomized delay to allow nodes to transmit in several discrete time slots, thereby avoiding or minimizing data collisions with other nodes' transmissions of the message.

Abstract: Lights may be misconfigured during installation or after they are installed in a facility, such that these lights, also known as orphaned nodes, cannot receive control messages sent by a lighting control system. After installation, a mobile device can be used to identify the network a particular light source is communicating on, by use of a photodetector that detects, in the visible light signal emitted by a light source, data representing the network ID used by the light source. The mobile device can determine from that data whether or not the light source is communicating over the wrong network. If it is determined that a light source is on the wrong network, and therefore orphaned, the mobile device can switch its own configuration so as to be able to communicate to the orphaned light source, and provide instructions to reconfigure the light source to use a corrected network ID.

Abstract: An asset tracking system has a plurality of anchors. A tag communicates with the anchors as it is moved by a user being tracked by the system, and data based on communication between the tag and at least one of the anchors is transmitted to a server. The server determines a location of the tag based on the data and detects an occurrence of an event based on the location. The server also transmits to each of the anchors a tag alert message having a tag identifier identifying the tag and an event indicator associated with the occurrence of the event. At least one of the anchors transmits the tag identifier and the event indicator to the tag, which issues a warning to the user in response to tag alert message.