COORDINATING POWER DISTRIBUTION LINE COMMUNICATIONS

摘要

Aspects of the present disclosure are also directed towards a method that includes maintaining a transmission period which has a start time and an end time synchronized to metrological time. Further, this method, in response to the start time, begins transmission of a frame, which includes a plurality of symbols. This transmission occurs over power distribution lines that carry power using alternating current (AC). This method also includes synchronizing a transmission time for each symbol of the plurality of symbols according to a time-based parameter of the AC. In response to reaching an end of the frame, a synchronization symbol period is determined for a synchronization symbol, as a function of the transmission times, for the plurality of symbols and time from the end of the frame to the end time. The synchronization symbol is then transmitted on the power distribution lines.

主权项

1. A method useful for coordinating communications between multiple endpoint devices and multiple collector devices, the communications occurring over power distribution lines that carry power using alternating current (AC), the method comprising:
communicating data from the collector devices to the endpoint devices over the power distribution lines using a communication protocol that uses a first timing and a second timing, the first timing being a parameter that indicates when data frames are to be transmitted and the second timing being a parameter that indicates when symbols within the data frames are to be transmitted; at each collector device,
maintaining a collector network time using a locally generated time base;determining the first timing and the second timing based on a frequency of the AC; andproviding the collector network time to the endpoints devices.