Low latency hybrid network for battery powered endpoint communications

Abstract

Techniques for a low latency hybrid network include storing, at a first node, metrology data received from a second node via a communication link of a first type; establishing, by the first node at a scheduled time, a connection to a server via a communication link of a second type, wherein the second type is different from the first type; and transmitting, by the first node, the metrology data to the server via the communication link of the second type.

What is claims is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 storing, at a first node, metrology data received from a second node via a communication link of a first type;   establishing, by the first node at a scheduled time, a connection to a server via a communication link of a second type, wherein the second type is different from the first type; and   transmitting, by the first node, the metrology data to the server via the communication link of the second type.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first type of communication link is a mesh network link; and   the second type of communication link is a cellular communication link.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, determining, by the first node, the scheduled time based on a schedule received from the server. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the schedule indicates when a plurality of nodes is scheduled to connect to the server via a respective communication link of the second type; and   individual nodes of the plurality of nodes are scheduled to connect to the server at different staggered intervals.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the schedule indicates:
 the first node is scheduled to connect to the server via a communication link of the second type from the scheduled time to a second scheduled time; and   a third node is scheduled to connect to the server via a communication link of the second type from the second scheduled time to a third scheduled time.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 based on determining that the first node was unable to establish the communication link of the second type at the scheduled time, transmitting, by the first node via a communication link of the first type, the metrology data to a third node scheduled to connect to the server at a second scheduled time after the scheduled time.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a first amount of power over a given time interval to maintain the communication link of the first type is less than a second amount of power over the given time interval to maintain the communication link of the second type. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first node is selected from a group consisting of a low power node, a battery powered node, and a solar powered node. 
     
     
         9 . A network device comprising:
 one or more processors; and   a memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors causes the network device to perform operations comprising:
 storing metrology data received from a second network device via a first communication link, wherein the first communication link is a first type of communication link; 
 connecting, according to a schedule, to a server via a second communication link, wherein the second communication link is a second type of communication link different from the first type of communication link; and 
 transmitting the metrology data to the server via the second communication link. 
   
     
     
         10 . The network device of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first type of communication link is a mesh network link; and   the second type of communication link is a cellular communication link.   
     
     
         11 . The network device of  claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving the schedule from the server. 
     
     
         12 . The network device of  claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise based on determining that the network device is unable to establish the second communication link according to the schedule, forwarding, via the first type of communication link, the metrology data to a third node scheduled to connect to the server, via the second type of communication link, at a later time. 
     
     
         13 . The network device of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the network device consumes a first amount of power over a given time interval to generate the first communication link;   the network device consumes a second amount of power over the given time interval to generate the second communication link; and   the second amount of power is greater than the first amount of power.   
     
     
         14 . The network device of  claim 9 , wherein the network device is a utility meter. 
     
     
         15 . The network device of  claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving a read request for the second network device from the server via the second communication link; and   forwarding the read request to the second network device via the first communication link.   
     
     
         16 . The network device of  claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise securing data transferred over the second communication link based on authentication information received from the server. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that, when executed by a network device, cause the network device to perform operations comprising:
 accumulating metrology data received from one or more second network devices via one or more wireless mesh communication links;   establishing a cellular link to a centralized facility at a scheduled time; and   forwarding the accumulated metrology data to the centralized facility via the cellular link.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 in response to being unable to establish the cellular link at the scheduled time, forwarding, via a wireless mesh communication link, the accumulated metrology data to a third network device scheduled to connect, via a cellular link, to the centralized facility at a time later than the scheduled time.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving the scheduled time from the centralized facility. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving a read request for one of the one or more second network devices from the centralized facility via the cellular link; and   transmitting the read request to one of the one or more second network devices via one of the one or more wireless communication links.