Abstract: Methods for building, transmitting, and receiving frame structures in power line communications (PLC) are described. Various techniques described herein provide a preamble design using one or more symbols. One or more preamble symbols may be interspersed within a header portion of a PLC frame to facilitate estimation of a frame boundary and/or sampling frequency offset, for example, in the presence of impulsive noise.

Abstract: Methods for building, transmitting, and receiving frame structures in power line communications (PLC) are described. Various techniques described herein provide a preamble design using one or more symbols. One or more preamble symbols may be interspersed within a header portion of a PLC frame to facilitate estimation of a frame boundary and/or sampling frequency offset, for example, in the presence of impulsive noise.

Abstract: Methods for building, transmitting, and receiving frame structures in power line communications (PLC) are described. Various techniques described herein provide a preamble design using one or more symbols. One or more preamble symbols may be interspersed within a header portion of a PLC frame to facilitate estimation of a frame boundary and/or sampling frequency offset, for example, in the presence of impulsive noise.

Abstract: Methods for building, transmitting, and receiving frame structures in power line communications (PLC) are described. Various techniques described herein provide a preamble design using one or more symbols. One or more preamble symbols may be interspersed within a header portion of a PLC frame to facilitate estimation of a frame boundary and/or sampling frequency offset, for example, in the presence of impulsive noise.

Abstract: A transducer system. The system comprises a transducer and circuitry for applying an excitation waveform to excite the transducer during an excitation period. The circuitry for applying has: (i) circuitry for applying a first waveform at a first frequency; and (ii) circuitry for applying a second waveform at a second frequency differing from the first frequency.

Abstract: Systems and methods for designing, using, and/or implementing beacon-enabled communications for variable payload transfers are described. In various embodiments, these systems and methods may be applicable to power line communications (PLC). For example, a method may include implementing a superframe having a plurality of beacon slots, a plurality of intermediate slots following the beacon slots, and a poll-based Contention Free Period (CFP) slot following the intermediate slots. Each of the beacon slots and each of the intermediate slots may correspond to a respective one of a plurality of frequency subbands, and the poll-based CFP slot may correspond to a combination of the plurality of frequency subbands. The method may also include receiving a poll request over a first of the plurality of frequency subbands during the poll-based CFP slot, and then transmitting a data packet over a second of the plurality of frequency subbands during the poll-based CFP slot.

Abstract: Systems and methods for designing, using, and/or implementing beacon-enabled communications for variable payload transfers are described. In various embodiments, these systems and methods may be applicable to power line communications (PLC). For example, a method may include implementing a superframe having a plurality of beacon slots, a plurality of intermediate slots following the beacon slots, and a poll-based Contention Free Period (CFP) slot following the intermediate slots. Each of the beacon slots and each of the intermediate slots may correspond to a respective one of a plurality of frequency subbands, and the poll-based CFP slot may correspond to a combination of the plurality of frequency subbands. The method may also include receiving a poll request over a first of the plurality of frequency subbands during the poll-based CFP slot, and then transmitting a data packet over a second of the plurality of frequency subbands during the poll-based CFP slot.

Abstract: In a powerline communications (PLC) network having a first node and at least a second node on a PLC channel utilizing a band including a plurality of tones, based on at least one channel quality indicator (CQI), the first node allocates for a tone map response payload only a single (1) power control bit for each of a plurality of subbands having two or more tones. The power control bit indicates a first power state or a second power state. The first node transmits a frame including the tone map response payload to the second node. The second node transmits a frame having boosted signal power for the tones in the subbands which have the first power state compared to a lower signal power for the tones in the subbands which have the second power state.

Abstract: A transducer system with a transducer and circuitry for applying a waveform to excite the transducer during an excitation period. The applying circuitry also comprises circuitry for changing a frequency of the waveform during the excitation period.

Abstract: In a powerline communications (PLC) network having a first node and at least a second node on a PLC channel utilizing a band including a plurality of tones, based on at least one channel quality indicator (CQI), the first node allocates for a tone map response payload only a single (1) power control bit for each of a plurality of subbands having two or more tones. The power control bit indicates a first power state or a second power state. The first node transmits a frame including the tone map response payload to the second node. The second node transmits a frame having boosted signal power for the tones in the subbands which have the first power state compared to a lower signal power for the tones in the subbands which have the second power state.

Abstract: A transducer system with a transducer and circuitry for applying a waveform to excite the transducer during an excitation period. The applying circuitry also comprises circuitry for changing a frequency of the waveform during the excitation period.

Abstract: Methods for building, transmitting, and receiving frame structures in power line communications (PLC) are described. Various techniques described herein provide a preamble design using one or more symbols. One or more preamble symbols may be interspersed within a header portion of a PLC frame to facilitate estimation of a frame boundary and/or sampling frequency offset, for example, in the presence of impulsive noise.

Abstract: Methods for building, transmitting, and receiving frame structures in power line communications (PLC) are described. Various techniques described herein provide a preamble design using one or more symbols. One or more preamble symbols may be interspersed within a header portion of a PLC frame to facilitate estimation of a frame boundary and/or sampling frequency offset, for example, in the presence of impulsive noise.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a system for measuring material flow in a pipe is disclosed. A first transducer is operable to transmit a first signal having a first frequency at a first time and receive a second signal at a second time, and a second transducer spaced apart from the first transducer and is operable to receive the first signal and transmit the second signal having the first frequency. A signal processing circuit communicatively coupled to the first transducer and the second transducer, the signal processing circuit is operable to determine a first envelope of the first signal and a second envelope of the second signal and calculate a flow rate based on the first envelope of the first signal and the second envelope of the second signal.

Abstract: A transducer system. The system comprises a transducer and circuitry for applying an excitation waveform to excite the transducer during an excitation period. The circuitry for applying has: (i) circuitry for applying a first waveform at a first frequency; and (ii) circuitry for applying a second waveform at a second frequency differing from the first frequency.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a system for measuring material flow in a pipe is disclosed. A first transducer is operable to transmit a first signal having a first frequency at a first time and receive a second signal at a second time, and a second transducer spaced apart from the first transducer and is operable to receive the first signal and transmit the second signal having the first frequency. A signal processing circuit communicatively coupled to the first transducer and the second transducer, the signal processing circuit is operable to determine a first envelope of the first signal and a second envelope of the second signal and calculate a flow rate based on the first envelope of the first signal and the second envelope of the second signal.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide multiple cyclic prefix lengths for either both the data-payload and frame control header or only the data payload. Frame control header (FCH) and data symbols have an associated cyclic prefix. A table is transmitted in the FCH symbols, which includes a cyclic prefix field to identify the cyclic prefix length used in the data payload. A receiver may know the cyclic prefix length used in the FCH symbols in one embodiment. In other embodiments, the receiver does not know the FCH cyclic prefix length and, therefore, attempts to decode the FCH symbols using different possible cyclic prefix lengths until the FCH symbols are successfully decoded.

Abstract: A transducer system. The system comprises a transducer and circuitry for applying an excitation waveform to excite the transducer during an excitation period. The circuitry for applying has: (i) circuitry for applying a first waveform at a first frequency; and (ii) circuitry for applying a second waveform at a second frequency differing from the first frequency.

Abstract: In a powerline communications (PLC) network having a first node and at least a second node on a PLC channel utilizing a band including a plurality of tones, based on at least one channel quality indicator (CQI), the first node allocates for a tone map response payload only a single (1) power control bit for each of a plurality of subbands having two or more tones. The power control bit indicates a first power state or a second power state. The first node transmits a frame including the tone map response payload to the second node. The second node transmits a frame having boosted signal power for the tones in the subbands which have the first power state compared to a lower signal power for the tones in the subbands which have the second power state.

Abstract: In a powerline communications (PLC) network having a first node and at least a second node on a PLC channel utilizing a band including a plurality of tones, based on at least one channel quality indicator (CQI), the first node allocates for a tone map response payload only a single (1) power control bit for each of a plurality of subbands having two or more tones. The power control bit indicates a first power state or a second power state. The first node transmits a frame including the tone map response payload to the second node. The second node transmits a frame having boosted signal power for the tones in the subbands which have the first power state compared to a lower signal power for the tones in the subbands which have the second power state.