Abstract: Estimating energy generated by a solar system in a predetermined geographic area comprises, at each predetermined time instant: retrieving measured values of at least one weather parameter and of solar irradiance in the geographic area, the values related to a time slot before the predetermined time instant; performing auto-regression analysis of the measured values; estimating, based on the auto-regression analysis, a relationship between the at least one weather parameter and the solar irradiance; retrieving forecasted values of the at least one weather parameter in the geographic area, the forecasted values being forecasted for a second time slot after the predetermined time instant; performing regression analysis of the relationship between the at least one weather parameter and the solar irradiance of the forecasted values; forecasting solar irradiance in the second time slot based on the regression analysis, and estimating energy generated by the solar system in the second time slot.

Abstract: A method for controlling a heating/cooling system located at a home of a user. For a population of users, occurrences of occupancy-related events occurring in the users' homes are detected. Then, occurrences of such occupancy-related events in different timeslots are counted separately for each user of the population. The counts of the various users are then merged and a topic model is applied thereto, to provide probabilities that latent habits give raise to certain sequences of occupancy-related events and proportions of each habit in the home occupancy routine of each user of the population. Thereby, a reliable forecast of the home occupancy routine of each user of the population may be provided. That allows setting the heating/cooling system of each user of the population to fit such reliable forecast, minimizing energy waste and/or maximizing user's comfort.

Abstract: A method for sharing network resources made accessible by plural access gateways (AG). An AG requester sends a resource request to neighbouring AGs as potential helpers. Each potential helper decides whether to cooperate with the requester based on a reputation score calculated by the potential helper for the requester. The reputation score calculated by each potential helper for the requester is indicative of the requester's behaviour in response to past resource requests received from that potential helper. If the potential helper decides to cooperate, it sends a resource offer to the requester. The requester then selects its helper as the potential helper which sent the best offer, and sets up a resource sharing session with the helper. The requester then updates the reputations scores of a helper and potential helpers based on the disposition to cooperate and reliability they exhibited.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a wireless communication network for a smart device are provided, the device including wireless communication circuitry, the method including: analyzing information regarding a plurality of hotspots in a geographic area in which the device is deployed, each hotspot being configured to establish a wireless communication within a predetermined range; estimating, based on the analyzing, an extent of coverage provided by the plurality; checking, based on the estimating, whether at least one hotspot is able to provide the communication to the device, and if so, configuring the hotspot to provide the communication, otherwise modifying an operating behavior of a selected hotspot in order to provide the communication, the modifying including selecting the hotspot from the plurality, sending a request for modifying an operating behavior of the selected hotspot to provide the communication, and verifying that the operating behavior has been modified.

Abstract: Estimating energy generated by a solar system in a predetermined geographic area comprises, at each predetermined time instant: retrieving measured values of at least one weather parameter and of solar irradiance in the geographic area, the values related to a time slot before the predetermined time instant; performing auto-regression analysis of the measured values; estimating, based on the auto-regression analysis, a relationship between the at least one weather parameter and the solar irradiance; retrieving forecasted values of the at least one weather parameter in the geographic area, the forecasted values being forecasted for a second time slot after the predetermined time instant; performing regression analysis of the relationship between the at least one weather parameter and the solar irradiance of the forecasted values; forecasting solar irradiance in the second time slot based on the regression analysis, and estimating energy generated by the solar system in the second time slot.

Abstract: A system for managing devices supplied through a power grid is proposed. Each device is configured to consume over time electric power according to at least one respective power profile when operating. The system comprises at least one unit interfaced with the devices for exchanging data. The at least one unit collects power profile data indicative of the power profiles of the devices, and generates a time schedule of the device operations by distributing over time start times of the power profiles in such a way that at any time the total power consumption of the devices is kept under a maximum power threshold of the power grid.

Abstract: A method for sharing network resources made accessible by plural access gateways (AG). An AG requester sends a resource request to neighbouring AGs as potential helpers. Each potential helper decides whether to cooperate with the requester based on a reputation score calculated by the potential helper for the requester. The reputation score calculated by each potential helper for the requester is indicative of the requester's behaviour in response to past resource requests received from that potential helper. If the potential helper decides to cooperate, it sends a resource offer to the requester. The requester then selects its helper as the potential helper which sent the best offer, and sets up a resource sharing session with the helper. The requester then updates the reputations scores of a helper and potential helpers based on the disposition to cooperate and reliability they exhibited.

Abstract: A method for controlling a heating/cooling system located at a home of a user. For a population of users, occurrences of occupancy-related events occurring in the users' homes are detected. Then, occurrences of such occupancy-related events in different timeslots are counted separately for each user of the population. The counts of the various users are then merged and a topic model is applied thereto, to provide probabilities that latent habits give raise to certain sequences of occupancy-related events and proportions of each habit in the home occupancy routine of each user of the population. Thereby, a reliable forecast of the home occupancy routine of each user of the population may be provided. That allows setting the heating/cooling system of each user of the population to fit such reliable forecast, minimizing energy waste and/or maximizing user's comfort.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a wireless communication network for a smart device are provided, the device including wireless communication circuitry, the method including: analyzing information regarding a plurality of hotspots in a geographic area in which the device is deployed, each hotspot being configured to establish a wireless communication within a predetermined range; estimating, based on the analyzing, an extent of coverage provided by the plurality; checking, based on the estimating, whether at least one hotspot is able to provide the communication to the device, and if so, configuring the hotspot to provide the communication, otherwise modifying an operating behavior of a selected hotspot in order to provide the communication, the modifying including selecting the hotspot from the plurality, sending a request for modifying an operating behavior of the selected hotspot to provide the communication, and verifying that the operating behavior has been modified.

Abstract: A system for managing devices supplied through a power grid is proposed. Each device is configured to consume over time electric power according to at least one respective power profile when operating. The system comprises at least one unit interfaced with the devices for exchanging data. The at least one unit collects power profile data indicative of the power profiles of the devices, and generates a time schedule of the device operations by distributing over time start times of the power profiles in such a way that at any time the total power consumption of the devices is kept under a maximum power threshold of the power grid.

Abstract: A system for managing house appliances supplied through a power grid is provided. Each house appliance operates according to at least one corresponding operative mode. Each operative mode comprises a sequence of operative phases. The system comprises at least one control unit interfaced with the house appliances for exchanging data. The at least one control unit collects power profile data comprising timing and electric power consumption data of each operative phase of each operative mode of the house appliances; generates a time schedule of the house appliances operations by distributing in time the execution of the operative phases thereof such that total power consumption of house appliances is kept under a maximum power threshold of the power grid; and controls the operation of the appliances based on the time schedule. The at least one control unit is configured to generate the time schedule by exploiting a Particle Swarm Optimization approach.

Abstract: A method is proposed for arranging, in a ride sharing system (100) providing a ride sharing service, ride sharing proposals (RSP) to users of the ride sharing service.

Abstract: A system for automatic identification of a device or appliance includes: at least one sensor associatable with the device or appliance to be identified, and able to monitor an evolution in time of an electrical quantity indicative of device or appliance energy consumption; an analyzer communicating with the at least one sensor including receiving reports of the monitored electrical quantity, and automatically identifying the device or appliance by analyzing the evolution in time of the monitored electric quantity. The analyzing calculates a cross-correlation between the evolution in time of the monitored electric quantity and at least one reference pattern representative of at least one sample device or appliance; and when more than one sample device or appliance is included in a candidate list, identifies the device or appliance by performing a selection among the candidates based on characteristic parameters related to the respective calculated cross-correlations.

Abstract: It is disclosed a method for associating a new node with a wireless personal area communication network, said communication network comprising a number of nodes. The method comprises: providing, among the nodes of the communication network, a configuration node; operating the configuration node to allow association of the new node with the network; operating the other nodes to disallow association of the new node with the network; and at the configuration node, upon reception of a request from the new node to join the network, sending to the new node a network key at a reduced transmit power.

Abstract: A system for managing house appliances supplied through a power grid is provided. Each house appliance operates according to at least one corresponding operative mode. Each operative mode comprises a sequence of operative phases. The system comprises at least one control unit interfaced with the house appliances for exchanging data. The at least one control unit collects power profile data comprising timing and electric power consumption data of each operative phase of each operative mode of the house appliances; generates a time schedule of the house appliances operations by distributing in time the execution of the operative phases thereof such that total power consumption of house appliances is kept under a maximum power threshold of the power grid; and controls the operation of the appliances based on the time schedule. The at least one control unit is configured to generate the time schedule by exploiting a Particle Swarm Optimization approach.

Abstract: A wireless network includes permanently powered routing nodes and intermittently operating routing nodes. A polling procedure is used for transferring routing and data information packets from a permanently powered routing node to an intermittently operating routing node. In particular, when the permanently powered routing node has to transmit an information packet to the intermittently operating routing node, it stores the information packet in a memory; it waits until the intermittently operating routing node is able to receive information packets; and then it transmits the information packet to the intermittently operating routing node, and when the intermittently operating routing node has to transmit an information packet to the permanently powered routing node, it transmits immediately the information packet to the permanently powered routing node.

Abstract: An integrated circuit card for a mobile terminal incorporates a radio transceiver module intended for communications that do not pass through the mobile network. To allow using, for the chip of the IC card and the radio transceiver module, the same chips as would be used for conventional IC cards and transceivers not integrated together, the IC card further includes a finite state machine chip interconnecting the IC card chip and the chip(s) of the transceiver module so that they have access to the card contacts establishing connection between the card and the terminal.

Abstract: A system for automatic identification of a device or appliance includes: at least one sensor associatable with the device or appliance to be identified, and able to monitor an evolution in time of an electrical quantity indicative of device or appliance energy consumption; an analyzer communicating with the at least one sensor including receiving reports of the monitored electrical quantity, and automatically identifying the device or appliance by analyzing the evolution in time of the monitored electric quantity. The analyzing calculates a cross-correlation between the evolution in time of the monitored electric quantity and at least one reference pattern representative of at least one sample device or appliance; and when more than one sample device or appliance is included in a candidate list, identifies the device or appliance by performing a selection among the candidates based on characteristic parameters related to the respective calculated cross-correlations.

Abstract: A radio coverage extender is provided for extending the radio range of a wireless network node embedded in a user terminal, for example a ZigBee node integrated on the SIM card of a mobile phone. The radio coverage extender may include: a radio signal repeater operable to receive radio signals from the wireless network node and to retransmit the received signals externally to the user terminal, and a power supply module operable to scavenge electrical energy from electromagnetic fields in which it happens to be immersed and to store the scavenged electrical energy for supplying the stored power to the radio signal repeater. The radio coverage extender is adapted to be included in a user terminal, for example it can be a flexible, pliable film attachable to a user terminal battery.

Abstract: A system includes a plurality of networked nodes spatially distributed within a monitored area and adapted to interact with a mobile entity entering and moving through the area, the plurality of nodes including at least one area entrance node adapted to detect the mobile entity upon entering the monitored area, and a transaction node for accomplishing a transaction with the mobile entity; a transaction processing center in communication relationship with the nodes for processing data required for the transaction and for providing the data to the transaction node. A node selection unit is adapted to dynamically select the transaction node among the plurality of nodes based on an estimation of the speed of movement of the mobile entity.