POINT-TO-POINT COMMUNICATION WITHIN A MESH NETWORK

1 . A method, comprising:

responsive to receiving a packet, parsing a packet header;

computing a response to the packet;

responsive to determining the packet includes a short address addressee, transmitting the response via a mesh network; and

responsive to determining the packet includes a long address addressee, transmitting the response via a point-to-point protocol.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

associating with a mesh network within radio range.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the packet is a maintenance request transmitted by an off-network device.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the maintenance request is used during at least one of: an installation of a mesh device, a maintenance of the mesh device, a testing of the mesh device, and a walk-by or drive-by reading of the mesh device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the packet is a local communication not received via the mesh network.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

responsive to receiving a broadcasted query, replying with a mesh device identifier and a mesh device long address.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

verifying a filter criteria is satisfied before replying, wherein the filter criteria is received with the broadcasted query.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the packet has a short address addressee by examining a size of the header.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

processing the packet on a mesh network stack if the packet has a short address addressee; and

processing the packet on a local communication stack if the packet has a long address addressee.

10 . A method, comprising:

broadcasting a query to a set of mesh devices;

receiving at least one response from the set of mesh devices, wherein the response includes a mesh device long address associated with each mesh device;

selecting a mesh device from a set of mesh devices; and

transmitting a packet to the selected mesh device using the associated mesh device long address.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the packet is a maintenance request.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the maintenance request is used during at least one of: an installation of a mesh device, a maintenance of the mesh device, a testing of the mesh device, and a walk-by or drive-by reading of the mesh device.

13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving a mesh device identifier associated with each mesh device responsive to the broadcasted query.

14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

broadcasting a filter criteria indicating desired mesh devices along with the broadcasted query.

15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving a response responsive to the transmitted packet.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:

the broadcasting of a query to a set of mesh devices is to mesh devices within radio range;

the receiving of at least one response from the set of mesh devices is a receiving of at least one response from the set of mesh devices within radio range;

and the selecting of a mesh device from a set of mesh devices is the selecting of a mesh device from a set of mesh devices within radio range.

17 . A mesh device, comprising:

a radio configured to communicate with a mesh network and an off-network device;

a short address network stack configured to communicate over the mesh network; and

a long address network stack configured to communicate directly with the off-network device.

18 . The mesh device of claim 17 , the mesh device configured to associate with a mesh network within radio range.

19 . The mesh device of claim 17 , wherein the radio is further configured to receive a packet and the mesh device is configured to:

responsive to determining the packet includes a short address addressee, transmitting the response via the short address network stack; and

responsive to determining the packet includes a long address addressee, transmitting the response via a long address network stack.

20 . The mesh device of claim 19 , wherein the packet is a maintenance request transmitted by an off-network device.

21 . The mesh device of 20 , wherein the maintenance request is used during at least one of: an installation of the mesh device, a maintenance of the mesh device, a testing of the mesh device, and a walk-by reading of the mesh device.

22 . An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver receiving a packet that includes a packet header;

a packet parser unit that parses the packet header in response to receiving the packet and packet header;

a processing logic for computing a response to the packet;

an address type identification unit that identifies the packet as including a short address addressee or a long address addressee;

at least one transmitter unit that transmits the computed packet response: (i) via a mesh network in response to determining the packet includes a short address addressee, and (ii) via a point-to-point protocol in response to determining the packet includes a long address addressee.

23 . The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising:

means for associating with a mesh network within radio range.

24 . The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising:

means for determining the packet is a maintenance request transmitted by an off-network device.

25 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the maintenance request is used during at least one of: an installation of a mesh device, a maintenance of the mesh device, a testing of the mesh device, and a walk-by or drive-by reading of the mesh device.

26 . The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising:

means for determining the packet is a local communication not received via the mesh network.

27 . The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising:

means for replying with a mesh device identifier and a mesh device long address in response to receiving a broadcasted query.

28 . The apparatus of claim 27 , further comprising:

means for verifying a filter criteria is satisfied before replying, wherein the filter criteria is received with the broadcasted query.

29 . The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising:

means for determining the packet has a short address addressee by examining a size of the header.

30 . The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising:

processing logic configured to:

process the packet on a mesh network stack if the packet has a short address addressee; and

process the packet on a local communication stack if the packet has a long address addressee.

31 . An apparatus, comprising:

a broadcast transmitter broadcasting a query to a set of mesh devices;

a receiver receiving at least one response from the set of mesh devices, wherein the response includes a mesh device long address associated with each mesh device;

a selection logic unit selecting a mesh device from a set of mesh devices; and

a packet transmitter transmitting a packet to the selected mesh device using the associated mesh device long address.

32 . The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the broadcast transmitter and the packet transmitter are the same transmitter.

33 . The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the broadcast transmitter and the packet transmitter are different transmitters.

34 . The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the packet comprises a maintenance request.

35 . The apparatus of claim 34 , wherein the maintenance request is used during at least one of: an installation of a mesh device, a maintenance of the mesh device, a testing of the mesh device, and a walk-by or drive-by reading of the mesh device.

36 . The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein:

the receiver is adapted for receiving a mesh device identifier associated with each mesh device responsive to the broadcasted query.

37 . The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein:

the broadcast transmitter is adapted for broadcasting a filter criteria indicating desired mesh devices along with the broadcasted query.

38 . The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein:

the receiver is adapted for receiving a response responsive to the transmitted packet.

39 . The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein:

the broadcasting of a query to a set of mesh devices is to mesh devices within the broadcast transmitter radio range;

the receiving of at least one response from the set of mesh devices is a receiving of at least one response from the set of mesh devices within the receiver radio range;

and the selecting of a mesh device from a set of mesh devices is the selecting of a mesh device from a set of mesh devices within radio range.

40 . A method for providing point-to-point communications between an off-network device and a selected mesh device, comprising:

broadcasting a query to a set of mesh devices within radio range by the off-network device;

receiving at least one response from the set of mesh devices within radio range, wherein the response includes a mesh device long address associated with each mesh device;

selecting the selected mesh device from the set of mesh devices within radio range;

transmitting a packet to the selected mesh device using the associated mesh device long address;

responsive to receiving a packet at the selected mesh device, parsing a packet header;

computing a response to the packet by the selected mesh device; and responsive to determining the packet includes a long address addressee, transmitting the response to the off-network device via a point-to-point protocol.

41 . A system for providing point-to-point communications between an off-network device and a selected mesh device, comprising:

a broadcast transmitter broadcasting a query to a set of mesh devices within radio range by the off-network device;

a first receiver receiving at least one response from the set of mesh devices within radio range, wherein the response includes a mesh device long address associated with each mesh device;

a selection logic unit selecting the selected mesh device from the set of mesh devices within radio range;

a packet transmitter transmitting a packet to the selected mesh device using the associated mesh device long address;

a second receiver receiving a packet that includes a packet header;

a packet parser unit that parses the packet header in response to receiving the packet and packet header;

a processing logic for computing a response to the packet;

an address type identification unit that identifies the packet as including a short address addressee or a long address addressee;

at least one packet response transmitter unit that transmits the computed packet response: (i) via a mesh network in response to determining the packet includes a short address addressee, and (ii) via a point-to-point protocol in response to determining the packet includes a long address addressee.

42 . A computer program product stored in a computer readable media for execution in a processor and memory coupled to the processor for performing a method comprising:

responsive to receiving a packet, parsing a packet header;

computing a response to the packet;

responsive to determining the packet includes a short address addressee, transmitting the response via a mesh network; and

responsive to determining the packet includes a long address addressee, transmitting the response via a point-to-point protocol.

43 . A computer program product stored in a computer readable media for execution in a processor and memory coupled to the processor for performing a method comprising:

broadcasting a query to a set of mesh devices;

receiving at least one response from the set of mesh devices, wherein the response includes a mesh device long address associated with each mesh device;

selecting a mesh device from a set of mesh devices; and

transmitting a packet to the selected mesh device using the associated mesh device long address.

44 . A computer program product stored in a computer readable media for execution in a processor and memory coupled to the processor for performing a method for providing point-to-point communications between an off-network device and a selected mesh device, comprising:

broadcasting a query to a set of mesh devices within radio range by the off-network device;

receiving at least one response from the set of mesh devices within radio range, wherein the response includes a mesh device long address associated with each mesh device;

selecting the selected mesh device from the set of mesh devices within radio range;

transmitting a packet to the selected mesh device using the associated mesh device long address;

responsive to receiving a packet at the selected mesh device, parsing a packet header;

computing a response to the packet by the selected mesh device; and responsive to determining the packet includes a long address addressee, transmitting the response to the off-network device via a point-to-point protocol.