Abstract: A wired communications device configured to: receive a spread-spectrum timing-reference signal through a wired communications medium, from a second wired communications device; detect a code-phase of the received timing-reference signal; and transmit data to the second device through the wired communications medium, with a timing that is defined relative to the detected code-phase. Also provided is a master device configured to communicate with the wired communications device. The master device is configured to generate and transmit a spread-spectrum timing-reference signal to one or more first devices, through a wired communications medium and to receive, through the wired communications medium, data transmitted by the one or more first devices.

Abstract: A transceiver for full-duplex communication. The transceiver comprises: a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter has a first oscillator circuit, for generating a transmit-carrier signal; and a first mixer, for up-converting a data signal to be transmitted by mixing it with the transmit-carrier signal, said data signal comprising a plurality of data symbols. The receiver has: a second oscillator circuit, for generating a receive-carrier signal; and a second mixer for down-converting a received signal by mixing it with the receive-carrier signal. The first oscillator and second oscillator are controlled such that there is a predetermined phase relationship between the transmit-carrier and receive-carrier signals at the start of each transmitted data symbol.

Abstract: A method of detecting a transmission. The method includes: measuring, from a first portion of a received spread-spectrum signal, a first code-phase of a spreading-code; measuring, from a second portion of the signal, a second code-phase of the spreading-code; comparing the first and second code-phases; and detecting whether the transmission is present according to the result of the comparison. Also disclosed are corresponding methods and apparatus for transmission and reception of signals.

Abstract: A power-consumption monitoring device, for taking measurements of the power consumed by an appliance. The device is connectable to a mains electrical circuit and operable to transmit the measurements to a master device through the circuit. Also presented is a master device, for receiving over a mains electrical circuit power-measurements transmitted by one or more power-consumption monitoring devices. Also presented is a power-line communications network comprising: a master device; and one or more power-consumption monitoring devices.

Abstract: A method of detecting a transmission. The method comprises: measuring, from a first portion of a received spread-spectrum signal, a first code-phase of a spreading-code; measuring, from a second portion of the signal, a second code-phase of the spreading-code; comparing the first and second code-phases; and detecting whether the transmission is present according to the result of the comparison. Also disclosed are corresponding methods and apparatus for transmission and reception of signals.

Abstract: A power-consumption monitoring device, for taking measurements of the power consumed by an appliance. The device is connectable to a mains electrical circuit and operable to transmit the measurements to a master device through the circuit. Also presented is a master device, for receiving over a mains electrical circuit power-measurements transmitted by one or more power-consumption monitoring devices. Also presented is a power-line communications network comprising: a master device; and one or more power-consumption monitoring devices.

Abstract: A power-consumption monitoring device, for taking measurements of the power consumed by an appliance. The device is connectable to a mains electrical circuit and operable to transmit the measurements to a master device through the circuit. The device is adapted: to measure the energy consumed by the appliance in each of a series of time intervals, and maintain a first cumulative sum of the resulting energy measurements; to periodically transmit, to the master device, a first quantised value representing the cumulative sum; and to subtract the transmitted quantised value from the cumulative sum.