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: A service provider device of a local communication network communicates a first frame with an electric vehicle via a first communication medium to associate with the electric vehicle, establish a communication link with the electric vehicle, and to add the electric vehicle to the local communication network. After an association process between the electric vehicle and the service provider device is successfully completed, the electric vehicle and/or the service provider device can execute operations that extend the utility of their respective communication devices by switching to a new communication medium. By switching to the new communication medium, the electric vehicle and/or the service provider device can connect to a remote communication network. The service provider device communicates a second frame with at least a network device of the remote communication network via the new communication medium.

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.

Abstract: A feature-capable device that supports channel reuse can execute operations for determining whether to reuse or share a communication channel with a neighbor network when a local network (that comprises the feature-capable device) and/or the neighbor network comprise legacy devices that do not support adaptive channel reuse feature. The feature-capable device can determine channel performance measurements associated with each legacy device in the local network and/or the neighbor network and 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 all the legacy devices are in accordance with 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 is not in accordance with the corresponding performance thresholds.

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: A waveform communicated from a first station to a second station over a shared medium may include at least the first symbol comprising a first set of frequency components at predetermined carrier frequencies modulated with preamble information and a second set of frequency components at predetermined carrier frequencies modulated with frame control information. The first symbol may comprise a single symbol delimiter.

Abstract: Communicating among stations in a network includes providing repeated beacon transmissions from at least some of the stations including a first station. The first station is assigned to a first level. Any stations that can reliably receive transmissions from the first station are assigned to a second level. Any stations not assigned to any of the preceding levels that can reliably receive transmissions from the preceding level are assigned to each of one or more higher levels. Timing information at each station in a given level is synchronized according to transmissions received from at least one station in the preceding level.

Abstract: Transmitting information between stations in a network includes: modulating first main information and auxiliary information onto a first portion of a signal according to a predetermined constellation having multiple regions and the same sub-constellation within each region having multiple points, with the first main information being modulated using a first selected region of the constellation, and the auxiliary information being modulated using a first selected point of the sub-constellation within the first selected region; modulating second main information and a copy of the auxiliary information onto a second portion of the signal according to the constellation, with the second main information being modulated using a second selected region of the constellation, and the copy of the auxiliary information being modulated using a second selected point of the sub-constellation within the second selected region, where the second selected point occurs at a different portion of the sub-constellation than the fi

Abstract: A powerline network may comprise powerline communication (PLC) devices of a first class of PLC devices that are incompatible with PLC devices of a second class of PLC devices. This can result in interference between communications of the first and the second classes of PLC devices. A dual mode PLC device that is compatible with the first and the second classes of PLC devices can be implemented for coexistence with both classes of PLC devices. The dual mode PLC device can determine whether the powerline network comprises a combination of PLC devices of the first and the second classes of PLC devices. One of a plurality of packet headers that is compatible with both the classes of PLC devices can be selected for transmission in response to determining that the powerline network comprises a combination of PLC devices of the first and the second classes of PLC devices.

Abstract: A waveform communicated from a first station to a second station over the shared medium may be communicated at a time that is based on a shared time reference shared by the first and second stations. The waveform may include at least a first symbol, having a predetermined symbol length, comprising a first set of frequency components at predetermined carrier frequencies modulated with preamble information and a second set of frequency components at predetermined carrier frequencies modulated with frame control information. The carrier frequencies of the first and second sets of frequency components may be integral multiples of a frequency interval determined by the inverse of the symbol length. The first symbol of the waveform may be demodulated in response to detecting a series of values sampled based on the shared time reference.

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.

Abstract: A receiving station receives an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol via a shared medium, the OFDM symbol comprising a first set of frequency components modulated with preamble information and a second set of frequency components modulated with information. The receiving station processes sampled values of the received OFDM symbol based on channel characteristics estimated from the first set of frequency components to decode information encoded on a first subset of the second set of frequency components. The receiving station processes sampled values from the first symbol based on channel characteristics estimated from the first set of frequency components and the first subset of the second set of frequency components to decode information encoded on a second subset of the second set of frequency components.

Abstract: In one aspect, in general, the present application features a method for communicating among stations in a network. The method includes modulating a payload to be included in a transmission over the network. In some implementations, the transmission is transmitted by a transmitting station and received by one or more receiving stations. The method further includes determining overhead information to be included in the transmission and determining whether at least some of the overhead information is intended for stations other than the one or more receiving stations. In some implementations, the overhead information is associated with encoding or modulation of information in the payload or with a communication protocol used by the stations in the network. The method also includes modulating the overhead information based on whether at least some of the overhead information is intended for stations other than the one or more receiving stations.

Abstract: Systems and methods for allocating network bandwidth between a plurality of networks. Requests for bandwidth allocation from other networks can be received. A coexistence frame requesting an allocation of bandwidth for a local network can be generated based upon the bandwidth allocation requests received from other networks. The coexistence frame can be transmitted, and utilization of the requested allocation can be delayed by a reservation period.

Abstract: A method includes determining that a first station has been allocated a first time period to transmit over a shared medium in a network. The method includes transmitting, from the first station to a second station over the shared medium during the first time period, wherein stations other than the first station and the second station refrain from transmitting over the shared medium during the first time period. The method includes receiving, from the second station, a request message to allow the second station to transmit during the first time period and a requested amount of time to transmit. The method includes, in response to allowing the second station to transmit during the first time period, determining an authorized amount of time for the second station to transmit during the first time period, and transmitting an authorization message for the second station to transmit and the authorized amount of time.

Abstract: A method is provided for managing transmissions among nodes communicating over a shared communication medium. The method includes: transmitting a frame from a sender node to a plurality of receiver nodes, the frame including at least a portion of a data packet and control information associated with accessing the communication medium; transmitting over the communication medium information indicating an end of a time window allocated for transmission of acknowledgement signals to the sender node from at least some of the plurality of receiver nodes; assigning each of a plurality of time slots in the time window to different subsets of the plurality of receiver nodes; and for a given receiver node, transmitting an acknowledgement signal from the given receiver node to the sender node during a time slot assigned to the given receiver node, the acknowledgement signal responsive to at least the frame.

Abstract: A method includes determining a signal strength value for a first received signal received from a first station in a first network. The first received signal is received in the first network through a shared communication medium that is shared with a second network. The method includes receiving an indicator of a signal strength value determined for a second received signal from a second station in the second network. Based on the signal strength value for the first received signal and based on the indicator of the signal strength value determined for the second received signal, a detection threshold is selected such that, in response to a third received signal having a signal strength in excess of the detection threshold, the third received signal is processed according to a protocol of the first network and is not processed according to a protocol of the second network.

Abstract: Communicating among stations in a network includes, from each of multiple stations in the network, transmitting information indicating which other stations from which that station is able to reliably receive transmissions. A schedule for communicating among the stations is determined based on the information from the stations and transmitting the schedule over the network. The schedule includes a plurality of time slots during which respective contention groups of stations are assigned to communicate using a contention-based protocol.

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: A method for communicating among nodes in a network includes determining, by a transmitter, a first frequency band and at least a second frequency band to be used for communicating data packets, wherein a maximum allowable power spectral density in the first frequency band is greater than a maximum allowable power spectral density in the second frequency band. The method also includes adjusting power spectral density for a first group of frequencies in the first frequency band such that the adjusted power spectral density of the first group does not exceed the maximum allowable power spectral density of the first frequency band and a quantization noise introduced by the transmitter is less than a threshold value for a signal transmitted in the second frequency band. The method further includes modulating at least a portion of a data packet transmitted by the transmitter to at least a first receiver in accordance with the adjusted power spectral density.