Hybrid communication networks

摘要

Systems and methods for designing, using, and/or implementing hybrid communication networks are described. In various embodiments, these systems and methods may be applicable to power line communications (PLC). For example, one or more of the techniques disclosed herein may include methods to coordinate medium-to-low voltage (MV-LV) and low-to-low voltage (LV-LV) PLC networks when the MV-LV network operates in a frequency subband mode and the LV-LV network operates in wideband mode (i.e., hybrid communications). In some cases, MV routers and LV routers may have different profiles. For instance, MV-LV communications may be performed using MAC superframe structures, and first-level LV to lower-level LV communications may take place using a beacon mode. Lower layer LV nodes may communicate using non-beacon modes. Also, initial scanning procedures may encourage first-to-second-level LV device communications rather than MV-to-first-level LV connections.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
performing, via a first communication device,
sequentially scanning a plurality of frequency subbands for one or more beacons transmitted by a second communication device following a superframe structure, the superframe structure having a plurality of beacon slots, a plurality of Contention Access Period (CAP) slots following the plurality of beacon slots, and a Contention Free Period (CFP) slot following the plurality of CAP slots, each of the plurality of beacon slots and each of the plurality of CAP slots corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of frequency subbands, and the CFP slot corresponding to a combination of the plurality of frequency subbands;in response to having received the one or more beacons, communicating with the second communication device following the superframe structure, said communicating comprising:
in response to having received the one or more beacons, creating a downlink subband report;transmitting the downlink subband report over each of the plurality of frequency subbands during respective ones of the plurality of CAP slots to the second communication device; andreceiving a subband allocation message from the second communication device, the subband allocation message identifying a first of the plurality of frequency subbands as suitable for subsequent downlink communications and identifying a second of the plurality of frequency subbands as suitable for subsequent uplink communications.