Peer-to-peer communications in ami with source-tree routing
AssigneeItron, Inc.
InventorsHartman Van Wyk, Daniel Popa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methodologies are provided for establishing peer-to-peer communications between nodes in a tree structured network having plural nodes including a root node. A source node seeking to send a message to a destination node will first request a most advantageous available path from the source to the destination node, and then the root node (or possibly another node within the network that has additional storage resources) will provide a routing path to one or both of the source and destination nodes. Messages may then be sent between the source and destination nodes that may or may not include addressing information in the packet headers without having to request routing information again for additional messages between the same nodes.
Claims30
A method for establishing peer-to-peer communications in a tree structured network having a plurality of nodes including a root node, comprising:
- sending a message from a source node to one of a root node or a router node, either one of which has functionality capable of storing routes within the tree structured network, requesting path routing to a destination node;
- determining at the root node or router node at least one of the shortest or most direct path between the source node and the destination node;
- sending the determined path information to the source node;
- and
- transmitting a message from the source node to the destination node using the path information.
A method for establishing peer-to-peer communications in an advanced metering infrastructure, comprising:
- providing a plurality of nodes including a root node configured as a tree structured network;
- initiating peer-to-peer communications from a first node of the plurality of nodes with a second of the plurality of nodes by requesting from the root node a path routing to the second of the plurality of nodes;
- determining at the root node at least one of the shortest or most direct path between the first node and the second node;
- and
- transmitting a message packet from the first node to the second node using the determined path.
(canceled)
A method for communications in an advanced metering infrastructure associated with a plurality of nodes at least selected of which are associated with metering device endpoints configured as a tree structured network utilizing wireless communications, comprising:
- initiating peer-to-peer communications from a selected source node of the plurality of nodes with a selected destination node of the plurality of nodes by requesting from a root node a path routing to such destination node using such tree structured network;
- determining at the root node at least one of the shortest or most direct path between such source node and such destination node using such tree structured network;
- and
- transmitting a message packet from such source node to such destination node utilizing such determined path.
(canceled)
A method for establishing peer-to-peer communications in an advanced metering infrastructure, comprising:
- providing a plurality of nodes including at least one full functionality node configured as a tree structured network;
- initiating peer-to-peer communications from a first node of the plurality of nodes with a second of the plurality of nodes by requesting from the at least one full functionality node a path routing to the second of the plurality of nodes;
- determining at the at least one full functionality node at least one of the shortest and most direct path between the first node and the second node;
- and
- transmitting a message packet from the first node to the second node using the determined path.
A method for establishing peer-to-peer communications in an advanced metering infrastructure, comprising:
- providing a plurality of nodes including at least one full functionality node and a plurality of reduced functionality nodes, configured as a tree structured network;
- initiating peer-to-peer communications from a first node of the plurality of reduced functionality nodes with a second node of the plurality of reduced functionality nodes by requesting from the at least one full functionality nodes a path routing to the second node;
- determining at the at least one full functionality node at least one of the shortest or most direct path between the first node and the second nodes;
- and
- transmitting a message packet from the first node to the second node using the determined path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.