Systems, methods, and apparatus for identifying invalid nodes within a mesh network

• US 8,743,716 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2011
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Ree, Bradley Richard, Boot, John Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Elpenord, Candal
• Application Number:
  US13/021,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20120201145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 370/245, 370/246, 370/252, 370254-255, 709223-224
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus for identifying, invalid nodes within a mesh network are provided. A routing table may be maintained by a utility meter. The routing table may include information associated with one or more devices in communication with the utility meter via a mesh network. A change in the routing table may be identified by the utility meter, and an alert message associated with the identified change may be generated by the utility meter. The generated alert may then be output by the utility meter for communication to a central controller configured to process the alert message to identify an invalid node within the mesh network.

Claims

1. A utility meter, comprising:

at least one network interface device configured to facilitate communication over a mesh network;

at least one memory configured to store a routing table comprising information associated with one or more devices in communication with the utility meter via the mesh network; and

at least one processor configured to (i) identify a change in the routing table, (ii) generate an alert message associated with the identified change, and (iii) direct communication of the alert message to a central controller, wherein the central controller is configured to process the alert message to identify an invalid node within the mesh network, and wherein the alert message is communicated, by the utility meter to a mesh network controller configured to (i) determine whether the change in the routing table matches an expected change, and (ii) direct the communication of the alert message to the central controller based upon a determination that the change in the routing table does not match the expected change.

2. The utility meter of claim 1, wherein the identified change in the routing table comprises one of (i) an addition of a node to the routing table or (ii) a removal of a node from the routing table.

3. The utility meter of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to direct communication of location information to the central controller.

4. The utility meter of claim 3, wherein the at least one network interface device is further configured to receive a request for the location information, and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to direct the communication of the location information in response to receiving the request.

5. The utility meter of claim 3, wherein the location information comprises at least one of (i) a current position of the utility meter or (ii) information associated with the location of the invalid node.

6. The utility meter of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to identify, prior to identifying a change in the routing table, a steady state condition associated with the routing table.

7. A method comprising:

generating, by a utility meter, a routing table comprising information associated with one or more devices in communication with the utility meter via a mesh network;

identifying, by the utility meter, a change in the routing table;

generating, by the utility meter, an alert message associated with the identified change; and

outputting, by the utility meter for communication to a central controller, the generated alert message, wherein the central controller is configured to process the alert message to identify an invalid node within the mesh network, and wherein outputting the generated alert message comprises outputting the alert message for communication to a mesh network controller configured to (i) determine whether the change in the routing table matches an expected change, and (ii) direct the communication of the alert message to the central controller based upon a determination that the change in the routing table does not match the expected change.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein identifying a change in the routing table comprises identifying one of (i) an addition of a node to the routing table or (ii) a removal of a node from the routing table.

9. The method claim 7, further comprising:

outputting, by the utility meter for communication to the central controller, location information.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the utility meter, a request for the location information,

wherein outputting the location information comprises outputting the location information in response to receiving the request.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein outputting location information comprises outputting at least one of (i) a current position of the utility meter or (ii) information associated with the location of the invalid node.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

identifying, by the utility meter prior to identifying a change in the routing table, a steady state condition associated with the routing table.

13. A system, comprising:

a plurality of utility meters in communication with one another via a mesh network, each utility meter comprising a routing table configured to store information associated with other utility meters in the plurality of utility meters; and

a central controller configured to (i) receive, from a first utility meter of the plurality of utility meters, an alert message associated with an identified change in the routing table of the first utility meter, and (ii) identify, based upon an analysis of the alert message, an invalid node associated with the mesh network, and

wherein the central controller is further configured to (i) receive, from a second utility meter included in the plurality of meters, a second alert message associated with an identified change in the routing table of the second utility meter and (ii) identify the invalid node based upon an analysis of the first alert message and the second alert message.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the central controller is further configured to (i) identify information associated with one or more expected changes within the mesh network, (ii) compare at least a portion of expected change information to the identified change associated with the alert message, and (iii) identify the invalid node based at least in part upon the comparison.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the central controller is further configured to (i) receive, from the utility meter, location information and (ii) identify, based at least in part upon the received location information, a location of the invalid node.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the central controller is further configured to identify a location of the invalid node based upon an analysis of the first alert message and the second alert message.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a mesh network controller configured to facilitate communication between the plurality of utility meters and the central controller.