Smart Grid Mesh Network Power Outage Reporting via Aggregated Status Windows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current smart grid systems face challenges in efficiently and accurately reporting power outages and restorations across neighborhood area networks (NANs) to back-end systems in a timely manner.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of location-based reporting period selection and status change report aggregation, where mesh devices determine reporting windows based on their distance from a NAN access point, aggregate child status change reports, and transmit them to parent devices during designated reporting periods, with access points randomly selecting transmission times and retry periods based on the number of affected devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If mesh devices transmit status change reports continuously or frequently, then reporting timeliness is improved, but network collision probability increases and transmission reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic reporting windows where mesh devices transmit status change reports only during designated time intervals. The access point divides the reporting period into multiple reporting windows, and devices transmit only within these windows rather than continuously, reducing collisions while maintaining timely reporting through frequent periodic opportunities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the number of reporting windows and their duration based on the number of affected mesh devices. When more devices experience status changes, the system increases the number of reporting windows or extends their duration, optimizing the balance between reporting timeliness and collision avoidance for different network conditions.
2Speed
If mesh devices transmit status change reports immediately upon detection, then reporting speed is improved, but network congestion and collisions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent schedules status change report transmissions within periodic reporting windows rather than allowing immediate unscheduled transmissions. This structures the reporting process to occur at predictable intervals, preventing random congestion while maintaining fast reporting through frequent window opportunities.
Solution Approach 2:
The access point acts as an intermediary that coordinates transmission timing for all mesh devices. It manages the reporting windows and schedules transmissions, mediating between the need for immediate reporting and the need to avoid network congestion by controlling when devices can transmit.
3Loss of time
If the reporting period is shortened to improve timeliness, then reporting frequency increases, but the number of reporting windows required increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple status change reports from different mesh devices into aggregated reports transmitted during shared reporting windows. This merging approach allows shorter reporting periods with multiple devices reporting simultaneously rather than requiring separate windows for each device, reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the number and duration of reporting windows based on the actual number of affected devices. When fewer devices report status changes, fewer windows are used, simplifying management. The flexibility to adapt window configuration to actual needs reduces the fixed complexity that would result from always using the maximum number of short windows.
4Area of stationary object
If mesh devices are located farther from the access point, then network coverage area is improved, but reporting accuracy and timeliness decrease due to more hops
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the mesh network into hierarchical levels based on hop distance from the access point. Devices at different hops are assigned to different reporting windows or groups, allowing the system to manage reporting from distant devices systematically. This segmentation maintains accuracy by organizing transmissions to account for propagation delays and potential data loss over multiple hops.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for the reporting of status changes, such as but not limited to power outages and/or power restorations, throughout a smart grid system. Through the use of location-based reporting period selection and/or status change report aggregation, embodiments may provide efficient reporting processes that timely and accurately report status change information from the point(s) of the change to a back-end system via an access point.