Payment reconciliation in mixed-ownership low-power mesh networks
First Claim
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1. A network device for communicating data in a mixed-ownership low-power mesh network, comprising:
- a battery;
a wireless interface; and
a processing unit coupled with the battery and the wireless interface, configured to cause the network device to;
track packet traffic routed by the network device to other network devices at least temporarily connected to the mesh network, wherein the packet traffic comprises a plurality of packets that each includes a routing record;
identify an identifier associated with at least one of the other network devices;
append accounting information to a particular routing record each time a packet travels through a particular network device, wherein appending accounting information comprises creating a new entry for a particular one of the other network devices and associating a particular number of units of data with the new entry;
detect a trigger;
aggregate, in response to the detected trigger, data that specifies the network device served as a router for data for at least some of the other network devices that are associated with a particular entity other than an entity associated with the network device;
alter the accounting information;
transfer the altered accounting information over the mesh network at least one of the other network devices that is at least temporarily connected to the mesh network that represents a total number of units of data routed by the network device for each originator network device address, wherein the at least one of the other network devices routes the altered accounting information to a reconciliation server; and
purge the accounting information from the network device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods that enable scalable, cost-effective payment reconciliation between owners of devices at least temporarily connected in or to a particular low-power, ad hoc mesh network.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A network device for communicating data in a mixed-ownership low-power mesh network, comprising:
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a battery; a wireless interface; and a processing unit coupled with the battery and the wireless interface, configured to cause the network device to; track packet traffic routed by the network device to other network devices at least temporarily connected to the mesh network, wherein the packet traffic comprises a plurality of packets that each includes a routing record; identify an identifier associated with at least one of the other network devices; append accounting information to a particular routing record each time a packet travels through a particular network device, wherein appending accounting information comprises creating a new entry for a particular one of the other network devices and associating a particular number of units of data with the new entry; detect a trigger; aggregate, in response to the detected trigger, data that specifies the network device served as a router for data for at least some of the other network devices that are associated with a particular entity other than an entity associated with the network device; alter the accounting information; transfer the altered accounting information over the mesh network at least one of the other network devices that is at least temporarily connected to the mesh network that represents a total number of units of data routed by the network device for each originator network device address, wherein the at least one of the other network devices routes the altered accounting information to a reconciliation server; and purge the accounting information from the network device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for communicating data in a mixed-ownership low-power mesh network, comprising:
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tracking packet traffic routed by a network device to other network devices at least temporarily connected to the mesh network, wherein the packet traffic comprises a plurality of packets that each includes a routing record; identifying an identifier associated with at least one of the other network devices; appending accounting information to a particular routing record each time a packet travels through a particular network device, wherein appending accounting information comprises creating a new entry for a particular one of the other network devices and associating a particular number of units of data with the new entry; detecting a trigger; aggregating, in response to the detected trigger, data that specifies the network device served as a router for data for at least some of the other network devices that are associated with a particular entity other than an entity associated with the network device; altering the accounting information; transferring the altered accounting information over the mesh network to at least one of the other network devices that is at least temporarily connected to the mesh network that represents a total number of units of data routed by the network device for each originator network device address, wherein the at least one of the other network devices routes the altered accounting information to a reconciliation server; and purging the accounting information from the network device. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification