Automatic configuration switch for a node joined to a wireless network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11800437-B2
Application number	US-202117159963-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2021
Priority date	Jan 27, 2021
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

A deployed node may automatically switch from one configuration to another configuration. The node includes a first firmware image that corresponds to a first configuration and a second firmware image that corresponds to a second configuration. The node executes the first firmware image to run the first configuration. At some point, the node determines that a switch to the second configuration is appropriate and switches to the second configuration by activating the second firmware image. The switch does not require intervention by a central system or any manual intervention. In some instances, the configurations are associated with different communication protocols.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A node, comprising:
a processor;
a wireless transceiver communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to receive wireless communications; and
a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing a first firmware image which corresponds to a time synchronized channel hopping (TSCH) protocol and a second firmware image which corresponds to a wireless smart utility network field area network (Wi-SUN FAN) protocol, and comprising instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
execute the first firmware image;
communicate on a TSCH network;
while joined to the TSCH network, scan for personal area network (PAN) advertisement messages;
receive a first PAN advertisement message;
process the first PAN advertisement message to determine whether the first PAN advertisement message is a Wi-SUN FAN PAN advertisement message;
when the first PAN advertisement message is a Wi-SUN FAN PAN advertisement message, determine whether the first PAN advertisement message is from an authorized WI-SUN FAN network;
when the first PAN advertisement message is from the authorized WI-SUN FAN network, activate the second firmware image;
initiate a reboot of the node, wherein the node executes the second firmware image after the reboot; and
initiate a joining process to join the authorized Wi-SUN FAN network identified in the first PAN advertisement message.

2. The node of claim 1 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions that are executable by the processor to determine whether the first PAN advertisement message is from an authorized WI-SUN FAN network by evaluating a network identifier in the first PAN advertisement message to determine whether the network identifier is associated with the authorized Wi-SUN FAN network.

3. The node of claim 2 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions that are executable by the processor to further compare at least one of signal strength or link quality associated with the first PAN advertisement message to a predetermined range when determining whether the first PAN advertisement message is from an authorized WI-SUN FAN network.

4. The node of claim 1 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions that are executable by the processor to continue executing the first firmware image and to remain on the TSCH network when the first PAN advertisement message is from an unknown network.

5. The node of claim 1 , wherein the memory comprises an execution flash memory bank and a secondary flash memory bank, and when the node communicates on the TSCH network, the execution flash memory bank stores the first firmware image and the secondary flash memory bank stores the second firmware image, and wherein the memory further comprises instructions that are executable by the processor to load the second firmware image into the execution flash memory bank to activate the second firmware image.

6. The node of claim 5 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions that are executable by the processor to maintain keys for the TSCH network when the second firmware image is loaded in the execution flash memory bank.

7. The node of claim 1 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions to:
join the authorized Wi-SUN FAN network;
authenticate the node on the authorized WI-SUN FAN network;
evaluate reversion criteria associated with operation of the node on the authorized Wi-SUN FAN network for a predetermined period of time after joining the authorized WI-SUN FAN network; and
when the reversion criteria is outside a predetermined range, revert back to the TSCH network.

8. A method for switching communication protocols, the method comprising:
executing, by a processor of a node, a first firmware image corresponding to a first wireless communication protocol;
communicating on a first wireless network using the first wireless communication protocol;
while joined to the first wireless network, scanning for personal area network (PAN) advertisement messages;
receiving a first PAN advertisement message;
processing the first PAN advertisement message to determine whether the first PAN advertisement message is a PAN advertisement message for a network using a second wireless communication protocol;
when the first PAN advertisement message is the PAN advertisement message for the network using the second wireless communication protocol, evaluating a network identifier associated with the first PAN advertisement message to determine if the first PAN advertisement message is from an authorized network;
when the first PAN advertisement message is from the authorized network, activating a second firmware image, the second firmware image corresponding to a second wireless communication protocol;
rebooting the node;
executing, by the processor of a node, the second firmware image; and
joining the authorized network identified in the first PAN advertisement message.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein activating a second firmware image comprises loading the second firmware image into an execution flash memory bank.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
after determining that the first PAN advertisement message is from an authorized network, evaluating network criteria associated with the authorized network to determine whether to activate the second firmware image.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first wireless communication protocol is one of a time synchronized channel hopping (TSCH) protocol or a wireless smart utility network field area network (Wi-SUN FAN) protocol and the second wireless communication protocol is the other of TSCH or WI-SUN FAN.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
after joining the authorized network, evaluating reversion criteria associated with operation of the node on the authorized network during a predetermined period of time; and
when the reversion criteria is outside a predetermined range, determining to revert back to the first wireless network.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein keys for the first wireless network are stored prior to rebooting the node, further comprising:
reverting to the first wireless network by:
activating the first firmware image;
rebooting the node;
executing, by the processor of a node, the first firmware image; and
using the keys to join the first wireless network.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein when the first PAN advertisement message is from an unknown network, continuing to execute the first firmware image and remaining on the first wireless network.

15. A method, comprising:
operating a first node on a first wireless network using a first communication protocol, wherein the first node executes a first firmware image to communicate on the first wireless network;
operating a border router for a second wireless network using a second communication protocol; and
switching the first node from the first wireless network to the second wireless network, wherein the first node operates by:
scanning for personal area network (PAN) advertisement messages while operating on the first wireless network;
receiving a first PAN advertisement message from the second wireless network;

processing the first PAN advertisement message to determine a network associated with the first PAN advertisement message and at least one operational characteristic of the second wireless network;
when the first PAN advertisement message is from the second wireless network and the operational characteristic of the second wireless network is within a predetermined range, then activating a second firmware image;
initiating

Assignees

• Landis & Gyr Innovations Inc
• Landis & Gyr Technology Inc

Inventors

• Hett Christopher
• Hanley James Patrick
• Calvert Chris

Classifications

• H04W48/16 Primary

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title

• G06F3/0607

  by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device · CPC title

• G06F3/0659

  Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling · CPC title

• G06F3/0679

  Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP] · CPC title

• G06F9/4401

  Bootstrapping (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title