Abstract: A method for transmitting data from and to an electronic device configured to implement at least transmissions of metering data on consumption of a physical quantity, said transmissions being implemented by said electronic device according to at least one data communication protocol (for example DLMS/COSEM) referring to data defined according to an object oriented data model, said data model defining a plurality of classes of communication interface objects, making it possible to access elements of the electronic device, said method being such that said object oriented data model comprises at least one class of communication interface objects comprising attributes and methods for implementing communications via a communication port of the serial port type included in said electronic device or connected thereto. The invention also relates to an electronic device implementing the method.

Abstract: A method is described for transmission in push mode, implemented by a transmitting device comprising a memory comprising software code and a processor which, when executing the software code, causes the device to implement the method comprising: (a) triggering a transmission, to a receiving device, of values of an attribute adapted to contain ordered data, whose values constitute all or a subset, a transmission containing at most the values of a single selection interval of the ordered data; (b) verifying that the attribute has no value to be transmitted for all among the N adjacent data selection intervals from a selection starting point in the order of the data to the end of the interval preceding the interval comprising a current data collection period, with N being an integer; (c) if the verification is positive, transmitting a single message indicative of the absence of values for the N intervals.

Abstract: Selecting a communication route between a first and a second node device of a mesh electrical supply network using powerline and/or radio-frequency communications is described. A route cost is obtained for each possible communication route. A communication route of the lowest route cost is selected. For a given route, the route cost is the sum of the link costs between successive node devices on the route, the link cost between two successive node devices is a weighted sum between a maximum value from a link cost in a forward direction and a link cost in a backward direction and a ratio between a number of active routes and a maximum number of active routes. A link cost in a given direction depends on the cost of the link, in the given direction, calculated for each frequency band of frequency bands used by the two successive node devices for communicating.

Abstract: A method for transmitting metrological data from a measuring device and to a collecting server, implemented in the measuring device configured for converting a physical quantity into metrological data, includes: detecting a modification of the configuration of the measuring device, in relation to metrological data to be transmitted; determining a series of information representing a transmission format of said metrological data to be transmitted; determining a hash code of the information representing the transmission format; sending, to the collecting device, the hash code and then the metrological data to be transmitted.

Abstract: For relaying a route-discovery request in order to discover at least one route from a source node device to a destination node device in a communication network comprising other node devices able to act as relays between the source node device and the destination node device, at least one node device among said other node devices dynamically defines a waiting delay value to be applied before relaying the route-discovery request. More precisely, said at least one node device defines the waiting delay value according to a quality level of a link via which the route-discovery request was received.

Abstract: A modem of a smart electricity meter obtains, following a registration in the powerline communication network of the ad hoc type, routing information and encryption information, by exchanges of messages in the powerline communication network. The smart electricity meter saves in non-volatile memory the routing information and the encryption information, the routing information being saved in association with information representing an instant at which the backup is made. At the time of a subsequent re-registration of the smart electricity meter following a disconnection of the powerline communication network, the smart electricity meter retrieves the routing and encryption information previously saved in the non-volatile memory, updates it by deleting any route information that is no longer valid, and uses it to communicate in the powerline communication network.

Abstract: Selecting a communication route between a first and a second node device of a mesh electrical supply network using powerline and/or radio-frequency communications is described. A route cost is obtained for each possible communication route. A communication route of the lowest route cost is selected. For a given route, the route cost is the sum of the link costs between successive node devices on the route, the link cost between two successive node devices is a weighted sum between a maximum value from a link cost in a forward direction and a link cost in a backward direction and a ratio between a number of active routes and a maximum number of active routes. A link cost in a given direction depends on the cost of the link, in the given direction, calculated for each frequency band of frequency bands used by the two successive node devices for communicating.

Abstract: A method for transmitting data, in the form of messages, in a power line communication network, the method being executed in a first node device of said network configured so as to communicate in a plurality of separate frequency bands with a second node device of said network, the method comprising transmitting a message in a transmission mode using at least two separate frequency bands from among said plurality of separate frequency bands in parallel. It is thus possible to have a wider bandwidth by using various separate frequency bands in parallel. The invention also relates to a communication node device configured so as to execute the abovementioned method.

Abstract: A modem of a smart electricity meter obtains, following a registration in the powerline communication network of the ad hoc type, routing information and encryption information, by exchanges of messages in the powerline communication network. The smart electricity meter saves in non-volatile memory the routing information and the encryption information, the routing information being saved in association with information representing an instant at which the backup is made. At the time of a subsequent re-registration of the smart electricity meter following a disconnection of the powerline communication network, the smart electricity meter retrieves the routing and encryption information previously saved in the non-volatile memory, updates it by deleting any route information that is no longer valid, and uses it to communicate in the powerline communication network.

Abstract: The invention relates in particular to a method executed by a control device, for a mesh communication network, allowing selection of an optimum frequency band, the method comprising the steps of determining network quality information, if the quality information is below a first threshold, then: sending, to each device in the network, a message comprising an instruction to perform a frequency band quality test, collecting, at the end of the quality test, for each device, quality data for each frequency band, determining, for each frequency band, a quality indicator, and selecting a so-called optimum frequency band as being the frequency band associated with the best indicator, when the so-called optimum frequency band is different from the frequency band used, then sending, to each device, an instruction to use the so-called optimum frequency band.

Abstract: Electric meters are connected by an electricity supply network to a data concentrator with which the meters communicate by powerline. A method for reading information from meters is based on a classification of the meters in a plurality of classes. A first class, read first, groups together meters that haven't been read in a last execution of the method. The other classes group together the meters according to a rate of response to requests for information coming from the concentrator. The classes grouping together the meters that have the lowest response rates are read last. In each class, each meter is classified according to information representing a topology of the network having an influence on the failure risk of the transmissions of information by the meter. The concentrator accounts for the classification of the meters when the meters in the network are read to reduce occurrences of periods of contention.

Abstract: For relaying a route-discovery request in order to discover at least one route from a source node device to a destination node device in a communication network comprising other node devices able to act as relays between the source node device and the destination node device, at least one node device among said other node devices dynamically defines a waiting delay value to be applied before relaying the route-discovery request. More precisely, said at least one node device defines the waiting delay value according to a quality level of a link via which the route-discovery request was received.

Abstract: A system that includes a powerline communication network with a reactive routing protocol and at least one gateway comprising a powerline communication interface and one radio-frequency communication interface. A smart electricity meter also includes a powerline communication interface and at least one radio-frequency communication interface: broadcasts an announcement request message on each of its communication interfaces; after reception of one or more announcement messages, selects a relay agent having the lowest route cost for joining a centralised management device; and making a registration request, using the selected relay agent as a proxy. After registration, the routing of messages coming from or going to said smart electricity meter takes place at the data link layer of the OSI model.

Abstract: Electric meters are connected by an electricity supply network to a data concentrator with which the meters communicate by powerline. A method for reading information from meters is based on a classification of the meters in a plurality of classes. A first class, read first, groups together meters that haven't been read in a last execution of the method. The other classes group together the meters according to a rate of response to requests for information coming from the concentrator. The classes grouping together the meters that have the lowest response rates are read last. In each class, each meter is classified according to information representing a topology of the network having an influence on the failure risk of the transmissions of information by the meter. The concentrator accounts for the classification of the meters when the meters in the network are read to reduce occurrences of periods of contention.

Abstract: The invention relates in particular to a method executed by a control device, for a mesh communication network, allowing selection of an optimum frequency band, the method comprising the steps of determining network quality information, if the quality information is below a first threshold, then: sending, to each device in the network, a message comprising an instruction to perform a frequency band quality test, collecting, at the end of the quality test, for each device, quality data for each frequency band, determining, for each frequency band, a quality indicator, and selecting a so-called optimum frequency band as being the frequency band associated with the best indicator, when the so-called optimum frequency band is different from the frequency band used, then sending, to each device, an instruction to use the so-called optimum frequency band.

Abstract: A new version of a software is broken down into successive blocks in order to be transferred block by block in two phases by a concentrator device: a first phase during which said concentrator device performs (S308) the transfer according to a sequencing independent of whether or not each block has been correctly received, and a second phase during which the concentrator device performs (S310) the transfer of each block that has not been correctly received. The new version of the software is thus transferred to electricity meters via a communication network.

Abstract: A system that includes a powerline communication network with a reactive routing protocol and at least one gateway comprising a powerline communication interface and one radio-frequency communication interface. A smart electricity meter also includes a powerline communication interface and at least one radio-frequency communication interface: broadcasts an announcement request message on each of its communication interfaces; after reception of one or more announcement messages, selects a relay agent having the lowest route cost for joining a centralised management device; and making a registration request, using the selected relay agent as a proxy. After registration, the routing of messages coming from or going to said smart electricity meter takes place at the data link layer of the OSI model.

Abstract: Method for obtaining an initial communication route between a node device and a data concentrator device in a network using powerline communications based on a communication protocol including a method for seeking an initial communication route, the method including the following steps: obtaining information representing a risk of overloading of said network; applying the method for seeking an initial communication route in order to determine the initial communication route when the information representing the risk of overloading of the network indicates that the network does not risk being overloaded.

Abstract: Method for obtaining an initial communication route between a node device and a data concentrator device in a network using powerline communications based on a communication protocol including a method for seeking an initial communication route, the method including the following steps: obtaining information representing a risk of overloading of said network; applying the method for seeking an initial communication route in order to determine the initial communication route when the information representing the risk of overloading of the network indicates that the network does not risk being overloaded.

Abstract: A new version of a software is broken down into successive blocks in order to be transferred block by block in two phases by a concentrator device: a first phase during which said concentrator device performs (S308) the transfer according to a sequencing independent of whether or not each block has been correctly received, and a second phase during which the concentrator device performs (S310) the transfer of each block that has not been correctly received. The new version of the software is thus transferred to electricity meters via a communication network.