Abstract: Systems and methods for connecting new stations to a secure network. New stations can send connection requests to a headend device. The headend device can retrieve a device access key associated with the new station and can provide a network membership key to the new station based upon authentication of the new station using the device access key.

Abstract: Systems and methods for communicating and authenticating end-to-end management keys to stations to facilitate communications between stations in the network. A nonce based upon a pseudo-random number generated by the station(s) can be included with the end-to-end management key (EMK). The station(s) can compare the nonce to the generated pseudo-random number to authenticate the EMK.

Abstract: Network signals are coupled to and from a first communication medium that is coupled to one or more nodes of a first network that exchange signals according to at least one scheduling constraint of the first communication medium. Network signals are coupled to and from a second communication medium that is coupled to one or more nodes of a second network that exchange signals according to a schedule compatible with scheduling information received from the first network. Information conveyed by the coupled network signals is communicated between a first network node and a second network node, according to the schedule compatible with the scheduling information received from the first network.

Abstract: A powerline communication diversity coupling mechanism may implement a transformer coupling unit. The transformer coupling unit can receive a communication signal to be coupled to a plurality of powerline communication channels for transmission in a powerline communication network. The transformer coupling unit can split the communication signal into a plurality of communication signals for transmission. The transformer coupling unit can couple each of the plurality of the communication signals to a corresponding one of a plurality of the powerline communication channels for transmission in the powerline communication network. Also, the transformer coupling unit can receive a plurality of communication signals on each of a plurality of powerline communication channels. The transformer coupling unit can combine the plurality of the communication signals into a communication signal.

Abstract: A powerline communication adapter may couple powerline communication signals between a network device and a powerline communication network. The powerline communication adapter may comprise of a first electrical connector including an electrical socket and a second electrical connector including an electrical plug. The powerline communication adapter may include a coupling unit coupled between the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector. The coupling unit may be configured to couple a powerline communication signal received via the first electrical connector to the second electrical connector to transmit the powerline communication signal via at least two powerline communication channels in the powerline communication network.

Abstract: Communicating between stations over a shared medium comprises: receiving, at a destination station, a first waveform that includes one or more segments of a payload that originated from an origin station with a sequence of multiple segments, the one or more segments included in the first waveform having been transmitted over the shared medium by the origin station and by each of one or more repeater stations, and the first waveform indicating which of the sequence of multiple segments were not correctly decoded by at least one of the repeater stations; generating, based on the first waveform, acknowledgement information that specifies which of the sequence of multiple segments have been correctly decoded by the destination station; and transmitting a second waveform from the destination station over the shared medium, the second waveform including the acknowledgement information.

Abstract: Communicating among stations in a network includes assigning transmission opportunities among a plurality of stations, sending information about transmission requirements in at least one message sent from a first station in the plurality of stations to a second station, and changing the transmission opportunities based on the information in the at least one message.

Abstract: Communicating between stations over a shared medium comprises: receiving a first waveform at a first station transmitted over the shared medium from a second station, the first waveform including a payload having multiple segments, and during reception of a first segment of the payload, initiating processing of one or more segments of the payload received before the first segment of the payload to generate acknowledgement information that specifies which of one or more segments of the payload including the one or more processed segments have been correctly decoded by the first station; transmitting a second waveform from the first station over the shared medium, the second waveform including the acknowledgement information; and transmitting a third waveform from the first station over the shared medium, after transmitting the second waveform, the third waveform including acknowledgement information that specifies which of one or more segments of the payload including the first segment of the payload have been

Abstract: Power save proxy functionality can be implemented to enable power save devices to switch to a power save mode and still receive communications from legacy communication devices. A first communication device determines that a second communication device is in a power save mode. The first communication device designates itself as a power save proxy for the second communication device that is in the power save mode. In response to detecting packets that are transmitted from a legacy communication device to the second communication device, the first communication device transmits a control message to the second communication device to request the second communication device to exit the power save mode, transmits a hold control message to the legacy communication device to request the legacy communication device to temporarily stop transmitting packets to the second communication device, or stores the packets intended for the second communication device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for authorizing a customer premise equipment (CPE) device to join a network through a network termination unit (NTU). The CPE device can send an encrypted connection request, and an authorization server can decrypt the connection request and provide a network membership key (NMK) associated with the CPE device to the NTU. The authorization server can encrypt the NMK associated with the CPE device using a device access key (DAK) associated with the NTU.

Abstract: Network devices of a particular device class can implement a distributed bandwidth control (DBC) protocol to utilize resources of a communication network in accordance with a threshold amount of resources allocated for DBC device communication. A DBC device of a plurality of DBC devices can determine a transmission cost associated with a pending transmission and a total transmission cost associated with previous transmissions within a predetermined time interval associated with the plurality of DBC devices. If a sum of the transmission cost associated with the pending transmission and the total transmission cost associated with the one or more previous transmissions does not exceed a threshold transmission cost allocated for DBC device communication, the DBC device can initiate the pending transmission. Otherwise, the DBC device can delay the pending transmission.

Abstract: Network devices of a particular device class can implement a distributed bandwidth control (DBC) protocol to utilize resources of a communication network in accordance with a threshold amount of resources allocated for DBC device communication. A DBC device of a plurality of DBC devices can determine a transmission cost associated with a pending DBC transmission. The pending DBC transmission is initiated. A delay time period associated with the initiated pending DBC transmission can be calculated based, at least in part, on the transmission cost associated with the initiated DBC pending transmission and a threshold transmission cost associated with DBC device communications. Subsequent transmissions of the DBC device and all other DBC devices in the communication network can be delayed by at least the delay time period associated with the initiated pending DBC transmission of the DBC device.

Abstract: A feature-capable device that supports channel reuse and is part of a local network can determine whether to reuse or share a communication channel with a neighbor network when the local network and/or the neighbor network include at least one legacy device that does not support adaptive channel reuse. The feature-capable device can determine channel performance measurements associated with each legacy device in the local network and/or in the neighbor network. The feature-capable device can compare the channel performance measurements against corresponding performance thresholds. The local network and the neighbor network can reuse the channel if the channel performance measurements associated with each of the legacy devices meet the corresponding performance thresholds. The local network and the neighbor network can share the channel if the channel performance measurements of at least one of the legacy devices does not meet the corresponding performance thresholds.

Abstract: Associating service agents in communication over a network to one or more respective clients coupled to the network at respective ports of the network is described. At a first service agent, a first signal is received from a first client coupled to the network at a first port. The first signal propagates over a first signal propagation path between the first service agent and the first port. An association between the first service agent and the first client is established based at least in part on a difference between: the first signal propagation path between the first service agent and the first port, and a second signal propagation path between the first service agent and a second port or between a second service agent and the first port.

Abstract: An electric vehicle can be configured to execute an association procedure with one or more charging stations in a charging facility to securely connect to and receive electric power from one of the charging stations. The electric vehicle can broadcast one or more service matching messages to the charging stations and, in response, can receive attenuation information from one or more of the charging stations. The electric vehicle can analyze the attenuation information received from the charging stations to identify with which charging station the electric vehicle should associate (e.g., to determine which charging station should provide electric power to the electric vehicle). The electric vehicle can then associate with (and receive electric power from) the identified charging station.

Abstract: A hybrid bridge can implement functionality for selectively populating its bridge tables based on preferred transmission routes to influence other network devices to transmit frames based on the preferred transmission routes. The hybrid bridge determines a preferred transmission route for communicating with each network device in the hybrid communication network. For each of the network devices, it is determined whether the hybrid bridge is part of the preferred transmission route associated with the network device. Depending on whether the hybrid bridge is part of the preferred transmission route to the network device and/or whether a network interface of the hybrid bridge is a transmit or a receive interface on the preferred transmission route, a local bridge table or a remote bridge table of the network interface can be populated with at least the address of a destination network device.

Abstract: Functionality for secure client authentication and service authorization in a shared communication network are disclosed. A managing network device of a communication network causes a securely connected client network device to perform an account authorization process with an accounting network device in parallel with a service matching process with the managing network device and one or more service providers of the communication network. The managing network device executes the service matching process and securely matches the client network device with one of the service providers. The accounting network device executes the account authorizing process with the client network device and provides a service voucher to the managing network device authorizing one or more of the service providers to service the client network device. The managing network device transmits the service voucher to the matched service provider to prompt the matched service provider to service the client network device.

Abstract: A hybrid device can execute hybrid ARP functionality to manage one-to-many associations between a single network layer address and multiple link layer addresses of other hybrid devices. In accordance with the hybrid ARP functionality, the hybrid device can determine a transmission route, a corresponding one of a plurality of network interfaces of a destination hybrid device, and a corresponding one of a plurality of link layer addresses of the destination hybrid device, based on address resolution store entries associated with the destination hybrid device. The identified link layer address can be populated in a frame for transmission to the destination hybrid device. Additionally, the hybrid ARP functionality can be configured to operate in conjunction with conventional ARP functionality implemented by upper protocol layers. The hybrid ARP functionality can serve as a “proxy” between the conventional ARP functionality and one or more hybrid devices of the hybrid communication network.

Abstract: Systems and methods for authenticating key rotation communications. Key rotation communications can include a key counter known to both a headend device and a station. Comparison between a local key counter and the key counter included in the key rotation communication can be used to authenticate the key rotation communication.

Abstract: A hybrid device can be configured to use WLAN communication links for bridging network traffic between any pair of network devices in a hybrid communication network, irrespective of whether the bridged network devices support WLAN communication. The hybrid device receives a first data frame in a first frame format for transmission to a destination device. The hybrid device accesses its hybrid forwarding tables and identifies a transmit interface from which to transmit the first data frame for transmission to the destination device. If the transmit interface is a WLAN interface, WLAN forwarding tables associated with the WLAN transmit interface are accessed to identify a receiving WLAN device to which the first data frame should be transmitted. The WLAN transmit interface converts the first data frame into a second data frame in a WLAN frame format and transmits the second data frame to the receiving WLAN device.