Patents by Inventor Thomas Uhling
Thomas Uhling has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11166088Abstract: Techniques for discovering a device in a wireless network are described herein. For example, a first device may send a network discovery solicitation message to a second device to solicit a communication relationship (e.g., request connection to a parent). The network discovery solicitation may include one or more information elements that indicate a channel function associated with the first device and a listening window during which the first device will be listening for communications. The second device may use the channel function to frequency hop and send a network discovery message to the first device during the listening window. The network discovery message may include one or more information elements to establish a sampled schedule for the first device moving forward.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2019Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: Itron, Inc.Inventors: Jerome Bartier, Keith Barnes, James Laurence Taylor, Thomas Uhling, Fabrice Monier
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Patent number: 11071049Abstract: Disclosed are techniques to minimize the electricity consumption of battery powered devices during network discovery and other phases of network operation. Example techniques include efficiently listening for other mains powered and battery powered devices within communication range of the battery powered device by, for example, shortening its listening window depending on how close the time reference maintained by the battery powered device is estimated to be to the time reference used by the other mains powered and battery powered devices within communication range. Other techniques include slowing the rate of listening by the battery powered device when the battery powered device is unlikely to be able to receive discovery messages or is already connected to the network. Other techniques include using knowledge of the network to listen for discovery messages on a channel or channels on which other devices are likely to be transmitting.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2019Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: Itron, Inc.Inventors: Fabrice Monier, Thomas Uhling, Imad Jamil, Keith Barnes
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Publication number: 20210136692Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2019Publication date: May 6, 2021Inventors: Thomas Uhling, Keith Barnes
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Publication number: 20210136686Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2019Publication date: May 6, 2021Inventors: Jerome Bartier, Keith Barnes, Thomas Uhling, Yacine Khaled, Khalid Maallem
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Publication number: 20210067942Abstract: Disclosed are techniques to minimize the electricity consumption of battery powered devices during network discovery and other phases of network operation. Example techniques include efficiently listening for other mains powered and battery powered devices within communication range of the battery powered device by, for example, shortening its listening window depending on how close the time reference maintained by the battery powered device is estimated to be to the time reference used by the other mains powered and battery powered devices within communication range. Other techniques include slowing the rate of listening by the battery powered device when the battery powered device is unlikely to be able to receive discovery messages or is already connected to the network. Other techniques include using knowledge of the network to listen for discovery messages on a channel or channels on which other devices are likely to be transmitting.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2019Publication date: March 4, 2021Inventors: Fabrice Monier, Thomas Uhling, Imad Jamil, Keith Barnes
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Publication number: 20210067943Abstract: Disclosed are techniques to minimize the electricity consumption of battery powered devices during network discovery and other phases of network operation. Example techniques include efficiently listening for other mains powered and battery powered devices within communication range of the battery powered device by, for example, shortening its listening window depending on how close the time reference maintained by the battery powered device is estimated to be to the time reference used by the other mains powered and battery powered devices within communication range. Other techniques include slowing the rate of listening by the battery powered device when the battery powered device is unlikely to be able to receive discovery messages or is already connected to the network. Other techniques include using knowledge of the network to listen for discovery messages on a channel or channels on which other devices are likely to be transmitting.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2019Publication date: March 4, 2021Inventors: Fabrice Monier, Thomas Uhling, Imad Jamil, Keith Barnes
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Publication number: 20210068039Abstract: Disclosed are techniques to minimize the electricity consumption of battery powered devices during network discovery and other phases of network operation. Example techniques include efficiently listening for other mains powered and battery powered devices within communication range of the battery powered device by, for example, shortening its listening window depending on how close the time reference maintained by the battery powered device is estimated to be to the time reference used by the other mains powered and battery powered devices within communication range. Other techniques include slowing the rate of listening by the battery powered device when the battery powered device is unlikely to be able to receive discovery messages or is already connected to the network. Other techniques include using knowledge of the network to listen for discovery messages on a channel or channels on which other devices are likely to be transmitting.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2019Publication date: March 4, 2021Inventors: Fabrice Monier, Thomas Uhling, Imad Jamil, Keith Barnes
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Patent number: 10911929Abstract: A wireless network includes a plurality of nodes configured to implement an improved discovery process to efficiently and reliably pair with one another with low power consumption. A given node divides time into slots and then performs discovery operations during designated discovery windows. The discovery windows occur periodically but at different times of day. During a given discovery window, nodes attempt discovery using a reduced set of channels that varies from one window to the next, thereby increasing the likelihood that nodes operate on the same channel. Nodes also implement a pairing protocol to coordinate pairing, potentially avoiding situations where all nodes attempt to pair simultaneously. The discovery process may be completed expeditiously, thereby conserving power and extending the operational lifetime of nodes which rely on battery power.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2018Date of Patent: February 2, 2021Assignee: ITRON, INC.Inventors: Thomas Uhling, Imad Jamil, Fabrice Monier, Keith Wayne Barnes
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Patent number: 10763992Abstract: A wireless mesh network includes a plurality of nodes coupled together in parent-child relationships. A child node is configured to cascade listening rate changes upstream to a parent node to perform low-latency communications. The child node transmits an authentication message to the parent node indicating the listening rate change. The child node sets a timer and waits for an acknowledgement from the parent node. If the child node receives the acknowledgement, then the child node and the parent node change listening rate to permit low-latency communications. In addition, if the parent node loses network access, the parent node sets a timer and then waits to abandon the child node until after the timer elapses.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2018Date of Patent: September 1, 2020Assignee: ITRON, INC.Inventors: Thomas Uhling, Imad Jamil, Fabrice Monier, Keith Wayne Barnes
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Patent number: 10757648Abstract: A wireless mesh network includes a child node coupled to a parent node. The parent node transmits time sync beacons that indicate a time slot number and a start time for a current time slot. The child node receives the time sync beacons and determines a delta between the current time slot number of the child node and the current time slot number of the parent node. The child node also computes an offset between a start time of the current slot of the child node and the start time of the current slot of the parent node. The child node reports the delta and the offset to the parent node. Based on the delta and the offset, the parent node determines when, and on what channel, the child node is predicted to be receiving transmissions, and then schedules transmissions to the child node accordingly.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2018Date of Patent: August 25, 2020Assignee: ITRON, INC.Inventors: Thomas Uhling, Imad Jamil, Fabrice Monier, Keith Wayne Barnes
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Patent number: 10716057Abstract: Disclosed are techniques to minimize the electricity consumption of battery powered devices during network discovery and other phases of network operation. Example techniques include efficiently listening for other mains powered and battery powered devices within communication range of the battery powered device by, for example, shortening its listening window depending on how close the time reference maintained by the battery powered device is estimated to be to the time reference used by the other mains powered and battery powered devices within communication range. Other techniques include slowing the rate of listening by the battery powered device when the battery powered device is unlikely to be able to receive discovery messages or is already connected to the network. Other techniques include using knowledge of the network to listen for discovery messages on a channel or channels on which other devices are likely to be transmitting.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2019Date of Patent: July 14, 2020Assignee: Itron, Inc.Inventors: Fabrice Monier, Thomas Uhling, Imad Jamil, Keith Barnes
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Publication number: 20200177350Abstract: Techniques for acknowledging communications from multiple devices are described herein. For example, a device may broadcast a group acknowledgement message indicating that communications from multiple devices have been received by the device. Each acknowledgement in the group acknowledgement message may include a device identifier for a device that sent a communication (e.g., a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of the device, a hash of the MAC address of the device, etc.) and a communication identifier for the communication (e.g., a sequence number of the communication, a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) code for the communication, etc.).Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2020Publication date: June 4, 2020Inventors: Thomas Uhling, Keith Barnes
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Patent number: 10554369Abstract: Techniques for acknowledging communications from multiple devices are described herein. For example, a device may broadcast a group acknowledgement message indicating that communications from multiple devices have been received by the device. Each acknowledgement in the group acknowledgement message may include a device identifier for a device that sent a communication (e.g., a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of the device, a hash of the MAC address of the device, etc.) and a communication identifier for the communication (e.g., a sequence number of the communication, a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) code for the communication, etc.).Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2016Date of Patent: February 4, 2020Assignee: Itron, Inc.Inventors: Thomas Uhling, Keith Barnes
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Publication number: 20200021968Abstract: A wireless network includes a plurality of nodes configured to implement an improved discovery process to efficiently and reliably pair with one another with low power consumption. A given node divides time into slots and then performs discovery operations during designated discovery windows. The discovery windows occur periodically but at different times of day. During a given discovery window, nodes attempt discovery using a reduced set of channels that varies from one window to the next, thereby increasing the likelihood that nodes operate on the same channel. Nodes also implement a pairing protocol to coordinate pairing, potentially avoiding situations where all nodes attempt to pair simultaneously. The discovery process may be completed expeditiously, thereby conserving power and extending the operational lifetime of nodes which rely on battery power.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2018Publication date: January 16, 2020Inventors: Thomas UHLING, Imad JAMIL, Fabrice MONIER, Keith Wayne BARNES
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Publication number: 20200021969Abstract: A wireless network includes a plurality of nodes configured to implement an improved discovery process to efficiently and reliably pair with one another with low power consumption. A given node divides time into slots and then performs discovery operations during designated discovery windows. The discovery windows occur periodically but at different times of day. During a given discovery window, nodes attempt discovery using a reduced set of channels that varies from one window to the next, thereby increasing the likelihood that nodes operate on the same channel. Nodes also implement a pairing protocol to coordinate pairing, potentially avoiding situations where all nodes attempt to pair simultaneously. The discovery process may be completed expeditiously, thereby conserving power and extending the operational lifetime of nodes which rely on battery power.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2018Publication date: January 16, 2020Inventors: Thomas UHLING, Imad JAMIL, Fabrice MONIER, Keith Wayne BARNES
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Publication number: 20200007269Abstract: A wireless mesh network includes a plurality of nodes coupled together in parent-child relationships. A child node is configured to cascade listening rate changes upstream to a parent node to perform low-latency communications. The child node transmits an authentication message to the parent node indicating the listening rate change. The child node sets a timer and waits for an acknowledgement from the parent node. If the child node receives the acknowledgement, then the child node and the parent node change listening rate to permit low-latency communications. In addition, if the parent node loses network access, the parent node sets a timer and then waits to abandon the child node until after the timer elapses.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2018Publication date: January 2, 2020Inventors: Thomas UHLING, Imad JAMIL, Fabrice MONIER, Keith Wayne BARNES
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Publication number: 20200008146Abstract: A wireless mesh network includes a child node coupled to a parent node. The parent node transmits time sync beacons that indicate a time slot number and a start time for a current time slot. The child node receives the time sync beacons and determines a delta between the current time slot number of the child node and the current time slot number of the parent node. The child node also computes an offset between a start time of the current slot of the child node and the start time of the current slot of the parent node. The child node reports the delta and the offset to the parent node. Based on the delta and the offset, the parent node determines when, and on what channel, the child node is predicted to be receiving transmissions, and then schedules transmissions to the child node accordingly.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2018Publication date: January 2, 2020Inventors: Thomas UHLING, Imad JAMIL, Fabrice MONIER, Keith Wayne BARNES
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Publication number: 20190342640Abstract: Techniques for discovering a device in a wireless network are described herein. For example, a first device may send a network discovery solicitation message to a second device to solicit a communication relationship (e.g., request connection to a parent). The network discovery solicitation may include one or more information elements that indicate a channel function associated with the first device and a listening window during which the first device will be listening for communications. The second device may use the channel function to frequency hop and send a network discovery message to the first device during the listening window. The network discovery message may include one or more information elements to establish a sampled schedule for the first device moving forward.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2019Publication date: November 7, 2019Inventors: Jerome Bartier, Keith Barnes, James Laurence Taylor, Thomas Uhling, Fabrice Monier
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Patent number: 10362374Abstract: Techniques for discovering a device in a wireless network are described herein. For example, a first device may send a network discovery solicitation message to a second device to solicit a communication relationship (e.g., request connection to a parent). The network discovery solicitation may include one or more information elements that indicate a channel function associated with the first device and a listening window during which the first device will be listening for communications. The second device may use the channel function to frequency hop and send a network discovery message to the first device during the listening window. The network discovery message may include one or more information elements to establish a sampled schedule for the first device moving forward.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2016Date of Patent: July 23, 2019Assignee: Itron, Inc.Inventors: Jerome Bartier, James Laurence Taylor, Keith Barnes, Thomas Uhling, Fabrice Monier
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Patent number: 10244532Abstract: Techniques for communicating channel data regarding a channel plan are described herein. For example, a device may communicate a channel information element that includes a tag indicating a first operating context to which to apply channel data regarding a channel plan. The channel information element may also include a reference tag to indicate whether the channel data is contained in the channel information element or has been previously received and/or to identify a second operating context associated with previously received channel data. If the reference tag indicates that the channel data is contained in the channel information element, the channel data may be extracted from the channel information element and applied to the first operating context. If the reference tag indicates that the channel data has been previously received, the previously received channel data may be accessed and applied to the first operating context.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2016Date of Patent: March 26, 2019Assignee: Itron, Inc.Inventors: James Laurence Taylor, Jerome Bartier, Keith Barnes, Thomas Uhling