Method and system of providing IP-based packet communications in a utility network

• US 20080189436A1
• 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, Flammer, George, Ramasatry, Jay
• Granted Patent: US 8,429,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/242
• 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 a utility network registers with one or more access point devices associated with one or more local area utility networks. The utility node generates a unique network address using a network address prefix of a network address associated with the access point device. The utility node registers with a DNS server. Messages sent to the utility node are routed through the access point corresponding to the received prefix used to generate the unique network address for the utility node. The network address for the utility node and access point may be IPv6 addresses and the network address prefix may be an IPv6 prefix, or may be an IPv4 address.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising:

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

a plurality of access point devices connected to the utility network, the access point devices providing communication to at least one wide area network; and

wherein at least one of the utility nodes registers with a plurality of access point devices, and wherein a message from a utility node sent to an intended network destination accessible though a given wide area network is sent through a access point device associated with the wide area network which the intended network destination is accessible though.

2. The wireless network system of claim 1, wherein the intended network destination is associated with a global network address, and wherein the global network address associated with the intended network destination is used by the utility node to send the message.

3. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein utility nodes registered with multiple access point devices receive multiple a unique network address associated with the utility node registered with multiple access point devices.

4. The wireless network of claim 3, wherein at least one of the multiple unique network addresses corresponds to one of the access point devices the utility node is registered with.

5. The wireless network of claim 4, wherein the at least one of the multiple a unique network addresses corresponding to one of the access point devices that it is registered with includes an address prefix associated with the access point devices the utility node is registered with.

6. The wireless network of claim 5, wherein the address prefix is an IPv6 address prefix.

7. A method of communicating in a network, comprising:

sending registration message to at lest one access point device associated with at least one wireless local area utility network;

receiving a network address prefix from at least one access point device corresponding to the sent registration;

generating a unique network address for a utility node capable of communicating with the at least one access point device associated with at least one wireless local area utility network; and

registering the unique network address with a dynamic domain name server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the unique network address includes the received network address prefix received from the access point device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the unique network address is an IPv6 address, and wherein the received network address prefix is an IPv6 prefix of a network address corresponding to the access point device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the unique network address is an IPv4 address, and wherein the received network address prefix is an IPv4 prefix of a network address corresponding to the access point device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the unique network address is an IPv6 address, and wherein the received network address prefix is an IPv6 prefix of a network address corresponding to the access point device.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

routing messages to the utility node according to the unique network address including the received network address prefix received from the access point device, wherein the routed messages are routed through the access point device corresponding to the IPv6 prefix.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a network address prefixes from a plurality of access point devices corresponding to the sent registrations;

generating multiple unique network addresses for a utility node capable of communicating with the lest one access point device associated with at least one wireless local area utility network, at least two of the multiple unique network address including an IPv6 prefix of a network address corresponding to access point device corresponding to a received network address prefix; and

registering the unique network address with a dynamic domain name server.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein one of the multiple unique network addresses for a utility node is chosen according to a network address preference indicator.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the network address preference indicator is stored in a DNS server associated with the at least one wireless local area utility network.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the received network address prefix is received as a network address from at least one of the plurality of access point devices.

17. A method of communicating in a network, comprising:

receiving a network address for a utility node;

providing a unique network address corresponding to a utility node, the unique network address corresponding to the utility node associated with an access point device, wherein messages sent using the provided unique network address corresponding to a utility node are routed through an access point.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein providing a unique network address is selected from a plurality of unique network addresses corresponding to the same utility node.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein providing a unique network address is selected according to a preference indicator.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the preference indicator corresponds to a configurable cost metric of packet delivery performance of a connection to the corresponding utility node.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the preference indicator is based on at least one of:

reliability, speed, priority, or link quality.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the preference indicator corresponds to a configurable policy.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

modifying the preference indicator corresponding to the unique network address used to send a message to the utility node in response to a failed attempt to deliver a message to the utility node.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

selecting an alternate route upon failure of initial packet delivery attempt.