Abstract: A method for communicating in a network is presented. The method includes encapsulating content from a plurality of high level data units from a high level layer to generate a stream; dividing the stream into a plurality of segments; individually encrypting at least some of the segments, wherein an encrypted segment includes a plurality of encrypted blocks, and at least some of the encrypted blocks are encrypted based on at least one other encrypted block within the encrypted segment; and supplying low level data units to a physical layer that handles physical communication over the network, at least some of the low level data units each including a plurality of encrypted segments.

Abstract: Information is modulated onto frequency components of a signal. The resulting modulated signal includes at least some redundancy in frequency enabling a portion of the information modulated onto selected frequency components to be recovered from fewer than all of the selected frequency components. Controlling the spectrum of the modulated signal includes enabling the amplitude of at least some frequency components of the modulated signal to be set below a predetermined amplitude used for modulating the information.

Abstract: There is provided a powerline network that includes a number of stations including a central coordinator for coordinating transmissions of each of the stations. The central coordinator is configurable to transmit a beacon at an interval based on a phase of a powerline cycle. The interval of the beacon can be substantially equal to two periods of the powerline cycle. The interval of the beacon includes a reserved region including a persistent allocation region and a non-persistent allocation region. The beacon also includes a broadcast message including a persistent schedule and a non-persistent schedule. The persistent schedule is valid for a current beacon period and a number of subsequent beacon periods as indicated by the beacon, while the non-persistent schedule is valid for a single beacon period. The persistent allocation region and the non-persistent allocation region are determined based on the persistent schedule and the non-persistent schedule, respectively.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and devices that coordinate access to a common medium between two networks. Typically, a gateway is employed that requests resources from a home central coordinator and/or access coordinator. If resources are not available from the home central coordinator and the access coordinator, a neighbor network protocol is performed to obtain additional resources.

Abstract: The embodiments of the present invention provide a mechanism to synchronize centralized networks. Each centralized network includes a central coordinator controlling and managing network activities. The embodiments provide a way of allocating beacon slots, such that one of the beacon slots is synchronized to the alternating current line cycle and thus functions as a master timing sequence. In some embodiments, methods, devices, and systems are provided for detecting transmissions of non-coordinating networks.

Abstract: A method and corresponding system for operating in a network in which stations communicate over a shared medium are presented. The shared medium has at least one varying channel characteristic that varies approximately periodically. The method includes providing repeated beacon transmissions from a coordinator station for coordinating transmissions among a plurality of the stations, wherein at least some beacon transmissions are synchronized to the varying channel characteristic; and transmitting from a first station to at least one receiving station during a time slot determined based on at least one of the beacon transmissions received by the first station from the coordinator station.

Abstract: There is provided a powerline network that includes a number of stations including a central coordinator for coordinating transmissions of each of the stations. Each of the stations is configurable to generate one or more tone maps for communicating with each of the other stations in the powerline network. Each tone map includes a set of tones to be used on a communication link between two of the stations. Each tone map further includes a unique set of modulation methods for each tone. Each of the stations is further configurable to generate a default tone map for communicating with each of the other stations, where the default tone map is valid for all portions of a powerline cycle. Each of the stations is further configurable to monitor its bandwidth needs and to request additional bandwidth from the central coordinator.

Abstract: There is provided a powerline network that includes a number of stations including a central coordinator for coordinating transmissions of each of the stations. The central coordinator includes a system clock and a network timer and is configurable to transmit a number of network timer values. Each of the network timer values can be transmitted by the central coordinator in one of a number of beacons. Each of the other stations is configurable to utilize the network timer values and a corresponding number of local timer values to estimate a frequency error between the system clock and a local clock and an offset between the network timer and a local timer. Each of the other stations is further configurable to utilize the frequency error and the offset to synchronize the local timer to the network timer.

Abstract: A method and corresponding system for communicating between stations in a network is presented. The method includes providing repeated beacon transmissions from a coordinator station for coordinating transmissions among the stations; transmitting a signal from a first station and receiving the signal at a second station; and performing one or both of: generating the signal based on a local clock at the first station and time adjustment information in a beacon transmission received by the first station, and sampling the signal at sample times based on a local clock at the second station and time adjustment information in a beacon transmission received by the second station.

Abstract: A method and system for transmitting signals between communication nodes is presented. The method includes generating a first waveform that includes a shaped portion; generating a second waveform that includes a shaped portion; and combining the first and second waveforms including overlapping the shaped portion of the first waveform with the shaped portion of the second waveform and adding the overlapped portions of the waveforms. The method includes generating a signal including the combined first and second waveforms. At least one of the first and second waveforms includes a characteristic signature configured for synchronizing with the signal.

Abstract: A method for generating a signal is presented. The method includes selecting a first set of carrier frequencies that are integral multiples of a first frequency interval, and selecting a second set of carrier frequencies that are integral multiples of a second frequency interval. The second frequency interval is an integral multiple of the first frequency interval and the second set is a subset of the first set. The method includes, for each of one or more signal carrier frequencies in the second set, selecting a plurality of associated carrier frequencies in the first set including a peak carrier frequency having substantially the same value as the signal carrier frequency, and modulating waveform frequency components at each of the selected plurality of associated carrier frequencies according to the same data value.

Abstract: Methods of operating in a network in which a plurality of stations communicate over a shared medium and contend for access during a priority resolution period. At least some of the stations use a first CSMA network protocol having certain characteristics (e.g., some transmissions have a format that includes a start of frame delimiter (SOF), a payload, and an end of frame delimiter (EOF), wherein the SOF and EOF each contain sufficient information to permit a station receiving only one of the SOF and EOF to determine the start of a priority resolution period). And at least some stations use a second network protocol capable of coexisting with the first protocol, so that stations may communicate using either the first or second protocol. The second protocol may have various characteristics configured to achieve coexistence with the first protocol (e.g., transmissions that have a format that includes an SOF but not an EOF).

Abstract: A method of operating in a network (e.g., a power line communication network) in which a plurality of stations communicate over a shared medium (e.g., an AC power line) having a periodically varying channel. The method includes determining a plurality of channel adaptations (e.g., tone maps) for communication between a pair of stations, and assigning a different one of the plurality of channel adaptations to each of a plurality of phase regions of the periodically varying channel.

Abstract: A method of operating in a network in which a plurality of stations communicate over a shared medium (e.g., using a carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) service). The stations contend for access to the shared medium using a contention procedure that relies on a priority level, wherein transmissions with a lower priority level have a reduced chance of gaining access to the shared medium during a contention process. Selected stations are given the capability of temporarily promoting the priority level of transmissions they are attempting to make. The priority level is increased during an interval to reduce the chance that other stations gain access to the shared medium during that interval, and the priority level is restored to its normal level following the interval.

Abstract: A method of operating in a network in which a plurality of stations communicate over a shared medium. The method comprises transmitting a group of bits from a transmitting station to a receiving station, wherein the group of bits comprises information bits and error checking bits, and communicating additional bits from the transmitting station to the receiving station without transmitting the additional bits. Communicating the additional bits comprises, at the transmitting station, deriving the error checking bits from the additional bits using an error checking process; and at the receiving station, using the same or a related error checking process to process candidate bits known to the receiving station, and comparing the output of the error checking process to the error checking bits received from the transmitting station to determine if the candidate bits correspond to the additional bits.

Abstract: A method of operating in a network in which a plurality of stations communicate over a shared medium, comprising providing a physical layer (e.g., PHY) for handling physical communication over the shared medium; providing a high level layer (e.g., PAL) that receives data from the station and supplies high level data units (e.g., MSDUs) for transmission over the medium; providing a MAC layer that receives the high level data units from the high level layer and supplies low level data units (e.g., MPDUs) to the physical layer; at the MAC layer, encapsulating content from a plurality of the high level data units; dividing the encapsulated content into a plurality of pieces (e.g., segments) with each piece capable of being independently retransmitted; and supplying low level data units containing one or more of the plurality of pieces.