US 12,445,845 B2
Ad-hoc authenticated group discovery
Benjamin N. Damm, Point Roberts, WA (US); Eric Donald White, Seneca, SC (US); and Tommi Petteri Parkkila, Cary, NC (US)
Assigned to Itron, Inc., Liberty Lake, WA (US)
Filed by Itron, Inc., Liberty Lake, WA (US)
Filed on Feb. 12, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/439,613.
Application 18/439,613 is a continuation of application No. 17/304,476, filed on Jun. 22, 2021, granted, now 11,902,782.
Prior Publication US 2024/0414533 A1, Dec. 12, 2024
Int. Cl. H04L 29/06 (2006.01); H04W 8/00 (2009.01); H04W 12/069 (2021.01); H04W 12/106 (2021.01); H04W 12/76 (2021.01); H04W 84/18 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 12/069 (2021.01) [H04W 8/005 (2013.01); H04W 12/106 (2021.01); H04W 12/76 (2021.01); H04W 84/18 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
with a bridge device:
receiving a first message from a first neighbor device attached to a transformer;
receiving a second message from a second neighbor device attached to the transformer;
determining, based at least in part on the first message and the second message, that the first neighbor device and the second neighbor device are within a group of devices that are attached to the transformer and not in direct wireless communication;
determining the first neighbor device and the second neighbor device are in direct wireless communication with the bridge device;
transmitting, from the bridge device and based at least in part on determining the first neighbor device and the second neighbor device are within the group and determining the first neighbor device and the second neighbor device are in direct wireless communication with the bridge device, a bridge notification message to the first neighbor device and the second neighbor device, the bridge notification message comprising information identifying the bridge device as a bridge between the first neighbor device and the second neighbor device; and
receiving, at the bridge device, a bridge response message requesting the bridge device to act as the bridge between the first neighbor device and the second neighbor device.