Method and system for transit between two IPV6 nodes of a utility network connected VIA an IPV4 network using encapsulation technique

• US 20080187001A1
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Silver Spring Networks, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pace, James, Vaswani, Raj, Ramasatry, Jay
• Granted Patent: US 8,953,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17306 Intercommunication techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/659 Internet protocol version 6 [IPv6] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/741 Routing in networks with a plurality of addressing schemes, e.g. with both IPv4 and IPv6
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/251 between different IP versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5061 Pools of addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/167 Adaptation for transition between two IP versions, e.g. between IPv4 and IPv6 translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses H04L61/2503
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 : Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 : using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 : Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/005 : Data network PoA devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 : Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 : in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 : Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 : Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

One example embodiment provides a method and system where a node in an IPv6 utility network communicates with an IPv6 destination node through and IPv4 network. IPv6 utility nodes are reachable through at least one access point. IPv6 packets to be transmitted between an IPv6 access point an and an IPv6 destination node through a IPv4 communications network are encapsulated in IPv4 packets for transmission through the IPv4 communications network. Packets received after transmission through the IPv4 communications network at the destination node are extracted to retrieve the IPv6 packet.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising:

a plurality of utility nodes capable of receiving commodity meter information, the utility nodes connected in an IPv6 utility network;

at least one access point connected to the IPv6 utility network, the access point providing communication to at least one IPv4 wide area network;

at least one destination node capable of communicating using IPv6, the at least one destination node in communication with the access point through the IPv4 wide area network; and

wherein IPv6 packets intended for the at least one destination node are encapsulated in IPv4 packets by the access point and transmitted to the at least one destination node through the IPv4 wide area network.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the IPv4 wide area network is one of the Internet, Intranet, private wireless communications network.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one destination node is a back office system.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 1, further comprising:

at the at least one destination node, receiving the encapsulated packets transmitted by the access point; and

extracting the payload of the received encapsulated packets to retrieve the IPv6 packet.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving IPv6 packets from a utility node at the access point, the received IPv6 packets intended for the back office system.

6. The wireless network system of claim 1, wherein the at least one destination node is a second access point associated with a second IPv6 utility network.

7. The wireless communication system of claims 1 or 5, wherein the access point has an IPv4 address that enables it to act as an IPv6 encapsulation host.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein the access point is may prepare a packet address header by prepending Protocol 41 header to the IPv4 header portion of the IPv6 destination address.

9. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein the access point extracts the IPv4 address of the destination node from the IPv6 source packet that it received from the utility node.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the destination node may send IPv6 packets to the said access point and one of a plurality of utility nodes in the utility network.

11. The wireless communication system of claim 10, wherein the destination node has an IPv4 address for use as an IPv6 encapsulation host.

12. The wireless communication system of claims 10, wherein the said destination node may prepare a packet address header by prepending Protocol 41 header to the IPv4 header of the IPv6 address of destination utility node.

13. The wireless communication system of claims 10 or 12, wherein the destination utility node may be one of access point and one of a plurality of utility nodes.

14. The wireless communication system of claim 12, wherein the said destination node extracts the IPv4 address of the said destination utility network node from the IPv6 packet header of the intended packet for delivery.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 9, wherein the access point encapsulates the payload portion of the IPv6 packet that it received from one of a plurality of utility nodes, in the payload portion of the IPv4 packet with Protocol 41 prefix.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 10, wherein the destination node encapsulates the payload portion of an IPv6 packet that it is sending in the payload portion of the said IPv4 packet with Protocol 41 prefix.

17. The wireless communication system claims 1 or 9, wherein the access point is capable of retrieving the IPv6 packet from the IPv4 packet with prepended Protocol 41 header that is receives over an IPv4 network from a IPv6 node of the Utility network that is connected to the IPv4 network.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein said IPv6 utility network node connected to the IPv4 network may be a utility back office system.

19. The wireless communication system of claims 1 or 9, wherein the access point may forward the said retrieved IPv6 packet to the destination utility network node located in the utility LAN.

20. A method of communicating, comprising:

receiving the IPv6 packet sent from a utility node at an access point associated with the IPv6 LAN, the access point in communication with a IPv4 network, wherein the sent IPv6 packet is received from a utility node in the IPv6 LAN and intended for an IPv6 node outside the utility LAN, and reachable via the said IPv4 network; and

encapsulating the received IPv6 packets intended for the IPv6 node in the IPv4 network in IPv4 packets, and

transmitting the encapsulated packets through the IPv4 wide area network to the intended IPv6 node.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the IPv6 node reachable via the said IPv4 network is a second access point associated with a second IPv6 utility network.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the IPv4 wide area network is one of the Internet, Intranet, private wireless communication network.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the IPv6 node reachable via the IPv4 network is a utility back office system.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

at the at least one node, receiving the encapsulated packets transmitted by the access point; and

extracting the payload of the received encapsulated packets to retrieve the IPv6 packet.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein an IPv4 address associated with the access point is included in the encapsulated packet.

26. The method of claims 20 or 25, wherein the access point has an IPv4 address for use as an IPv6 encapsulation host.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the access point may prepare a packet address header by prepending Protocol 41 header to the IPv4 header of the IPv6 destination address.

28. The method of claims 25 or 27, wherein the access point extracts the IPv4 address of the destination node from the IPv6 source packet that it received from the utility node.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein the destination node may send IPv6 packets to the said access point and one of a plurality of utility nodes in the utility network.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein the destination node has an IPv4 address for use as an IPv6 encapsulation host.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein the said destination node prepares a packet address header by prepending Protocol 41 header to the IPv4 header of the IPv6 address of destination utility node.

32. The method of claim 20, wherein the destination utility node may be a utility node on a second IPv6 LAN.

33. The method of claim 20, wherein the said destination node extracts the IPv4 address of the said destination utility network node from the IPv6 packet header of the intended packet for delivery.

34. The method of claims 20 or 25, wherein the access point encapsulates the payload portion of the IPv6 packet that it received from one of a plurality of utility nodes in the payload portion of the IPv4 packet with a Protocol 41 prefix.

35. The method of claim 20, wherein the destination node encapsulates the payload portion of an IPv6 packet that it is sending in the payload portion of the said IPv4 packet with Protocol 41 prefix.

36. The method of claims 20, wherein the access point is capable of retrieving the IPv6 packet from the IPv4 packet with prepended Protocol 41 header that is receives over an IPv4 network from a IPv6 node of the Utility network that is connected to the IPv4 network.

37. The method of claim 20, wherein the IPv6 network node connected via the IPv4 network to the access point and the utility LAN may be a utility back office system.

38. The method of claims 20 or 36, wherein the access point may forward the said retrieved IPv6 packet to the destination utility network node located in the utility LAN.