Abstract: Various embodiments disclose techniques for time-multiplexing multiple listening schedules and physical layer modes that include a first node listening, using a first physical layer mode, for a first network discovery signal; in response to not detecting the first network discovery signal, listening, using a second physical layer mode, for a second network discovery signal; and in response to detecting the second network discovery signal transmitted by a second node using the second physical layer mode, establishing a connection with the second node using the second physical layer mode.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclose a method performed by a first node device in a mesh network that includes receiving respective messages from respective neighbor node devices that have one or more blocks of a dataset, determining a quality score for a second node device of the respective neighbor node devices, and based on the quality score, sending a request to receive the one or more blocks from the second node device.

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: Various embodiments disclose a method performed by a first node device in a mesh network that includes receiving respective messages from respective neighbor node devices that have one or more blocks of a dataset, determining a quality score for a second node device of the respective neighbor node devices, and based on the quality score, sending a request to receive the one or more blocks from the second node device.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclose a method performed by a first node device in a mesh network that includes identifying a plurality of neighbor node devices that have one or more blocks of a dataset; determining quality scores for respective node devices of the plurality of neighbor node devices; selecting, based on the quality scores, a second node device from the plurality of neighbor node devices; and sending, to the second node device, a first request to receive at least one block of the one or more blocks.

Abstract: Techniques are directed to using communication metric data associated with multiple modulation schemes to achieve a link quality metric that is representative of the link as a whole, across the multiple modulation schemes that may be employed on the link. A calculation of a link quality metric may be triggered by a network layer transmission attempt, with communication metrics accumulated at the link layer of the link. A filter used to calculate the link quality metric may be updated based on network layer transmission attempts, based on successful and/or unsuccessful transmissions at a Media Access Control (MAC) layer of the link. More generally, a calculation of link quality may be triggered by a higher layer transmission attempt while being calculated based on transmission attempts at a lower layer of the link.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclose a method comprising determining, by a first node, a first link latency associated with a second node based on a time period between consecutive slots in a unicast listening schedule for the second node; in response to the first node detecting a failure in transmitting a first frame to the second node, determining, by the first node based on the first link latency, a first backoff time; and in response to determining that the first backoff time has elapsed, retransmitting, by the first node, the first frame to the second node.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclose techniques for time-multiplexing multiple listening schedules and physical layer modes that include a first node listening, using a first physical layer mode, for a first network discovery signal; in response to not detecting the first network discovery signal, listening, using a second physical layer mode, for a second network discovery signal; and in response to detecting the second network discovery signal transmitted by a second node using the second physical layer mode, establishing a connection with the second node using the second physical layer mode.

Abstract: Techniques are directed to using communication metric data associated with multiple modulation schemes to achieve a link quality metric that is representative of the link as a whole, across the multiple modulation schemes that may be employed on the link. A calculation of a link quality metric may be triggered by a network layer transmission attempt, with communication metrics accumulated at the link layer of the link. A filter used to calculate the link quality metric may be updated based on network layer transmission attempts, based on successful and/or unsuccessful transmissions at a Media Access Control (MAC) layer of the link. More generally, a calculation of link quality may be triggered by a higher layer transmission attempt while being calculated based on transmission attempts at a lower layer of the link.

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 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: Various embodiments disclose a method comprising receiving, at a first node, a listening schedule associated with a second node; determining, by the first node, a link latency associated with the second node based on the listening schedule; in response to the first node detecting a frame transmission failure for a frame being transmitted by the first node to the second node, determining, by the first node based on the link latency, a backoff time; and in response to the first node determining that the backoff time has elapsed, the first node retransmitting the frame from the first node to the second node. In some embodiments, the method also includes determining a frame lifetime value associated with the second node based on the link latency; and in response to determining that a time period corresponding to the frame lifetime value has elapsed, dropping the frame.

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: Various embodiments disclose a method that includes: attempting to detect, with a first transceiver associated with a first node, a network discovery signal, wherein the attempting is performed according to (a) a first listening schedule associated with a first physical layer mode and (b) a second listening schedule associated with a second physical layer mode; detecting, with the first transceiver, the network discovery signal during a slot associated with the first listening schedule; and in response to detecting the network discovery signal, establishing, with the first node, a connection between the first node and the second node using the first physical layer mode.

Abstract: Techniques are directed to using communication metric data associated with multiple modulation schemes to achieve a link quality metric that is representative of the link as a whole, across the multiple modulation schemes that may be employed on the link. A calculation of a link quality metric may be triggered by a network layer transmission attempt, with communication metrics accumulated at the link layer of the link. A filter used to calculate the link quality metric may be updated based on network layer transmission attempts, based on successful and/or unsuccessful transmissions at a Media Access Control (MAC) layer of the link. More generally, a calculation of link quality may be triggered by a higher layer transmission attempt while being calculated based on transmission attempts at a lower layer of the link.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclose a method comprising receiving, at a first node, a listening schedule associated with a second node; determining, by the first node, a link latency associated with the second node based on the listening schedule; in response to the first node detecting a frame transmission failure for a frame being transmitted by the first node to the second node, determining, by the first node based on the link latency, a backoff time; and in response to the first node determining that the backoff time has elapsed, the first node retransmitting the frame from the first node to the second node. In some embodiments, the method also includes determining a frame lifetime value associated with the second node based on the link latency; and in response to determining that a time period corresponding to the frame lifetime value has elapsed, dropping the frame.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclose a method performed by a first node device in a mesh network that includes identifying a plurality of neighbor node devices that have one or more blocks of a dataset; determining quality scores for respective node devices of the plurality of neighbor node devices; selecting, based on the quality scores, a second node device from the plurality of neighbor node devices; and sending, to the second node device, a first request to receive at least one block of the one or more blocks.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclose a method that includes: attempting to detect, with a first transceiver associated with a first node, a network discovery signal, wherein the attempting is performed according to (a) a first listening schedule associated with a first physical layer mode and (b) a second listening schedule associated with a second physical layer mode; detecting, with the first transceiver, the network discovery signal during a slot associated with the first listening schedule; and in response to detecting the network discovery signal, establishing, with the first node, a connection between the first node and the second node using the first physical layer mode.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclose a method that includes sending, by a first node to a plurality of neighbor nodes, a query associated with a dataset, wherein the dataset includes multiple blocks; receiving, at the first node from a set of the plurality of neighbor nodes, one or more responses to the query; based on a first quality ranking of individual nodes in the set, selecting, by the first node, a second node from the set; and sending, by the first node, a first request to the second node for at least one block of the multiple blocks.

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.