A method for enabling a scalable public-key infrastructure (PKI) comprises invoking a process of receiving a message for a device, identifying an association ID for the device, retrieving encrypted association keys stored on the server for communicating with the device, the encrypted association keys encrypted using a wrapping key stored on a Hardware Security Module (HSM). The method further comprises sending the message and the encrypted association keys to the HSM, unwrapping, by the HSM, the encrypted association keys to create unwrapped association keys, cryptographically processing the message to generate a processed message, deleting the unwrapped association keys, sending the processed message to the device, and invoking, concurrently and by a second application, the process.

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward a system and apparatuses for calibrating metering circuitry. An example system includes a first adapter including a plurality of receptacles proximally arranged in a circular manner on a first surface of the first adapter, the plurality of receptacles configured and arranged to be connected to endpoint controlling circuitry configured and arranged to communicate over the power lines or by using a RF communication, characteristics related to power usage of an endpoint device in a PLC network. The system further includes a second adapter including a plurality of electrical contacts disposed on a first surface of the second adapter and a plurality of terminals disposed on a second surface of the second adapter opposite of the first surface. The plurality of terminals can be physically arranged so as to plug into corresponding inputs on meter calibration circuitry. Further, the system includes a housing fixedly securing the first adapter and the second adapter and enclosing circuitry configured, while in operation, to facilitate calibration of the endpoint controlling circuitry by the meter calibration circuitry.

In one embodiment, a device receives data indicative of a routing topology of a network. The network includes a root node and each node in the network has an associated network depth relative to the root node in the routing topology. The device assigns the nodes in the network to timeslots of a channel-hopping communication schedule in order of their associated network depths. The device assigns transmit and receive actions to the timeslots of the communication schedule for a particular time such that parent-to-child and child-to-parent communications alternate with network depth in the timeslots. The device sends the communication schedule with the node and action assignments to one or more of the nodes in the network.

A method for access to a shared communication medium, referred to as the medium, access to the medium being of the carrier sense multiple access type, wherein an electronic device, in order to be able to send a message over the medium, the message including information representing a message type, waits for a backoff time before checking whether the medium is available to send the message, the backoff time being determined randomly and lying between a minimum backoff time and a maximum backoff time, wherein the maximum backoff time is dependent on the type of message to be sent over the medium by the electronic device.

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward power outage assessment using customer-site communication devices which are powered by utility power lines and which communicate with a remotely-situated computer server over a broadband network according to certain schedules. The server can receive from the devices, communications indicative of an operating status of each respective communication device as expected according to the schedules. In response to receiving and/or not receiving the respective communications from the devices and taking into account other parameters, the server can assess a possible power outage within one or more regions by comparing the received communications and threshold criteria associated with the schedules. Based on such criteria, the server can detect and report on conditions suggestive of a power outage in regions associated with the communication devices.

A communication device in a network may receive a stream of frames from the network, in which each frame includes one or more beacon packets. A communication protocol being used by the network may be identified by tracking a preselected field within a sequence of beacon packets, in which the preselected field varies in a first known manner for a first protocol and in a second known manner for a second protocol. The communication device may then join to the network using the identified communication protocol to transmit and receive data.

A system and method for inferring schematic and topological properties of an electrical distribution grid is provided. The system may include Remote Hubs, Subordinate Remotes, a Substation Receiver, and an associated Computing Platform and Concentrator. At least one intelligent edge transmitter, called a Remote Hub Edge Transmitter, may transmit messages on the electrical distribution grid by injecting a modulated current into a power main that supplies an electric meter. The Subordinate Remotes, Remote Hubs, the Substation Receiver, and the associated Computing Platform and Concentrator may contain processing units which execute stored instructions allowing each node in the network to implement methods for organizing the on-grid network and transmitting and receiving messages on the network. The Substation Receiver, Computing Platform, and Concentrator may detect and infer schematic grid location attributes of the network and publish the detected and inferred attributes to other application systems including geospatial information systems.

Disclosed is a device for selectively receiving data broadcast in a network. The device includes first unit for receiving configuration data transmitted in point-to-point mode, second unit for receiving data broadcast by at least one transmitter, by radio and/or by power-line communication, a digital processing sub-assembly, at least one memory for storing at least one datum determining the selectivity of the broadcast, a low-voltage power supply sub-assembly supplied by an energy source and at least one program for determining whether data received by the second unit should be used or ignored by the device, as a function of previously stored data. Also disclosed is a system for allowing devices to selectively receive data broadcast in a network. Additionally disclosed is a method for allowing a device to selectively receive data broadcast in a network.

A receiving device for receiving PLC signals, including a filtering stage linked to an input of the receiving device and configurable in at least two modes including a default mode, wherein the filtering stage passes at least first PLC signals included in a first frequency band and second PLC signals included in a second frequency band separate from the first frequency band, and a first selection mode, in which the filtering stage passes the first PLC signals and stops the second PLC signals; and a processing circuit linked to the filtering stage and arranged to receive frames of PLC signals, and, for each received frame, to analyse a preamble of the frame, and to dynamically configure the filtering stage in the first selection mode if the frame is a frame of first PLC signals.

A device includes an interface and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) Medium Access Control (MAC) circuitry coupled to the interface. The TDMA MAC circuitry detects a beacon in a frame having a defined frame duration and determines a frame compensation value based on a start time of the frame, a reference start time of the frame, and a number of elapsed frames. A current frame duration value is determined based on the frame compensation value and the defined frame duration.