Dynamic medium switch in co-located PLC and RF networks

• US 10,644,750 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2015
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Sun, Yanjun, Xu, Gang, Choi, Soon-Hyeok, Sandeep, Bhadra, Lu, Xiaolin, Xhafa, Ariton E., Fu, Minghua, Liang, Robert W., Yim, Susan
• Primary Examiner(s): Payne, David C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hassan, Sarah
• Application Number:
  US14/878,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20160028438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,671 Days
• Field of Search: 375260
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/123 using adaptive balancing or compensation means adaptive filter circuits and algorithms H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5495 having measurements and testing channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/30 Reducing interference caused by unbalanced currents in a normally balanced line
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/36 Repeater circuits H04B3/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines

Abstract

A method for implementing a convergence layer. Data is received on a first communication medium by a first transceiver. Data is transmitted on the first communication medium by the first transceiver. A signal is received. Causing, through the convergence layer, by a control logic in response to the signal, the data received and transmitted on the first communication medium as part of a communication session to be received and transmitted instead by a second transceiver on a second communication medium, wherein the convergence layer is configured to conceal from a routing layer at least one of: information related to the first signal, and information related to the data being received and transmitted on the second communication medium.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data by a communication device;

receiving, by the communication device, a first signal quality information related to a first communication medium of a power line communication (PLC) transceiver;

receiving, by the communication device, a second signal quality information related to a second communication medium of a wireless transceiver;

selecting, by a convergence layer of the communication device, the PLC transceiver or the wireless transceiver, to generate a selected transceiver, in response to the first signal quality information and the second signal quality information; and

causing, through a control logic operating the convergence layer of the communication device, the selected transceiver to transmit the data over the respective medium.

2. A method comprising:

receiving data by a communication device;

receiving, by the communication device, a first signal quality information related to a first communication medium of a power line communication (PLC) transceiver;

receiving, by the communication device, a second signal quality information related to a second communication medium of a wireless transceiver;

selecting, by a convergence layer of the communication device, the PLC transceiver or the wireless transceiver, to generate a selected transceiver, in response to the first signal quality information and the second signal quality information;

causing, through a control logic operating the convergence layer of the communication device, the selected transceiver to transmit the data over the respective medium; and

causing, by the control, in response to the first signal quality information and the second signal quality information, data intended to be received and transmitted by the wireless transceiver on the second communication medium to be received and transmitted by the PLC transceiver on the first communication medium.

3. A method comprising:

receiving data by a communication device;

receiving, by the communication device, a first signal quality information related to a first communication medium of a power line communication (PLC) transceiver;

receiving, by the communication device, a second signal quality information related to a second communication medium of a wireless transceiver;

selecting, by a convergence layer of the communication device, the PLC transceiver or the wireless transceiver, to generate a selected transceiver, in response to the first signal quality information and the second signal quality information; and

causing, through a control logic operating the convergence layer of the communication device, the selected transceiver to transmit the data over the respective medium, wherein the control logic is configured to cause, through the convergence layer, data intended to be received and transmitted by the wireless transceiver on the second communication medium to be received and transmitted instead by the PLC transceiver on the first communication medium.

4. A method comprising:

receiving data by a communication device;

receiving, by the communication device, a received first signal strength indication (RSSI) related to a first communication medium of a power line communication (PLC) transceiver;

receiving, by the communication device, a second received signal strength indication (RSSI) related to a second communication medium of a wireless transceiver;

selecting, by a convergence layer of the communication device, the PLC transceiver or the wireless transceiver, to generate a selected transceiver, in response to the first RSSI and the second RSSI; and

causing, through a control logic operating the convergence layer of the communication device, the selected transceiver to transmit the data over the respective medium.

5. A method comprising:

receiving data by a communication device;

receiving, by the communication device, first statistics on packet error rates of a first communication medium of a power line communication (PLC) transceiver;

receiving, by the communication device, second statistics on packet error rates of a second communication medium of a wireless transceiver;

selecting, by a convergence layer of the communication device, the PLC transceiver or the wireless transceiver, to generate a selected transceiver, in response to the first statistics on packet error rates and the second statistics on packet error rates; and

causing, through a control logic operating the convergence layer of the communication device, the selected transceiver to transmit the data over the respective medium.

6. A method comprising:

receiving data by a communication device;

receiving, by the communication device, a first signal quality information related to a first communication medium of a power line communication (PLC) transceiver;

receiving, by the communication device, a second signal quality information related to a second communication medium of a wireless transceiver;

selecting, by a convergence layer of the communication device, the PLC transceiver or the wireless transceiver, to generate a selected transceiver, in response to the first signal quality information and the second signal quality information; and

causing, through a control logic operating the convergence layer of the communication device, the selected transceiver to transmit the data over the respective medium, wherein the first communication medium and the second communication medium are accessed by a single device.

7. A method comprising:

receiving data by a communication device;

receiving, by the communication device, a first medium occupation ratio of a first communication medium of a power line communication (PLC) transceiver;

receiving, by the communication device, a second medium occupation ratio of a second communication medium of a wireless transceiver;

selecting, by a convergence layer of the communication device, the PLC transceiver or the wireless transceiver, to generate a selected transceiver, in response to the first medium occupation ratio and the second medium occupation ratio; and

causing, through a control logic operating the convergence layer of the communication device, the selected transceiver to transmit the data over the respective medium.

8. A method comprising:

receiving data by a communication device;

receiving, by the communication device, a first signal quality information related to a first communication medium of a power line communication (PLC) transceiver;

receiving, by the communication device, a second signal quality information related to a second communication medium of a wireless transceiver;

selecting, by a convergence layer of the communication device, the PLC transceiver or the wireless transceiver, to generate a selected transceiver, in response to the first signal quality information and the second signal quality information, wherein the convergence layer is configured to operate between a media access control layer and a routing layer; and

causing, through a control logic operating the convergence layer of the communication device, the selected transceiver to transmit the data over the respective medium.

9. A method comprising:

receiving data on a power line communication (PLC) communication medium by a PLC transceiver;

receiving data on a second communication medium by a second transceiver;

monitoring, by a control module, a first quality of the PLC communication medium and a second quality of the second communication medium,

wherein the first quality of the PLC communication medium and the second quality of the second communication medium are each related to at least one of;

a received signal strength indication,

a noise level,

a medium occupation ratio,

a plurality of statistics on packet error rates with different modulation schemes, or which packets have a valid preamble but an invalid payload cyclic redundancy check (CRC); and

causing, in response to the first quality of the PLC communication medium and the second quality of the second communication medium, data intended to be received and transmitted on the PLC communication medium as part of a communication session to be received and transmitted by the second transceiver on the second communication medium.

10. A method comprising:

receiving data on a power line communication (PLC) communication medium by a PLC transceiver;

receiving data on a second communication medium by a second transceiver;

monitoring, by a control module, a first quality of the PLC communication medium and a second quality of the second communication medium,

wherein the first quality of the PLC communication medium and the second quality of the second communication medium are each related to at least one of;

a received signal strength indication,

a noise level,

a medium occupation ratio,

a plurality of statistics on packet error rates with different modulation schemes, or which packets have a valid preamble but an invalid payload cyclic redundancy check (CRC); and

causing, in response to the first quality of the PLC communication medium and the second quality of the second communication medium, data intended to be received and transmitted on the PLC communication medium as part of a communication session to be received and transmitted by the second transceiver on the second communication medium, wherein control logic is configured to broadcast the first quality of the PLC communication medium and the second quality of the second communication medium.

11. A method of operating a smart meter, the method comprising:

receiving smart meter data;

receiving a first signal quality information from a power line communication (PLC) transceiver regarding a PLC link;

receiving a second signal quality information from a wireless transceiver regarding a wireless link;

selecting, in response to the first signal quality information and the second signal quality information, the PLC transceiver or the wireless transceiver, to generate a selected transceiver, by a control module; and

transmitting the smart meter data via the selected transceiver on the respective link.

12. A method of operating a smart meter, the comprising:

receiving smart meter data;

receiving a first signal quality information from a power line communication (PLC) transceiver regarding a PLC link;

receiving a second signal quality information from a wireless transceiver regarding a wireless link;

selecting, by a control module, in response to the first signal quality information and the second signal quality information, the PLC transceiver or the wireless transceiver, to generate a selected transceiver, wherein the control module operates a convergence layer between a media access control (MAC) layer and a routing layer; and

transmitting the smart meter data via the selected transceiver on the respective link.

13. A method of operating a smart meter, the method comprising:

receiving smart meter data;

receiving, from a power line communication (PLC) transceiver, a first received signal strength indication (RSSI) of a PLC link;

receiving, from a wireless transceiver, a second RSSI of a wireless link;

selecting, by a control module, the PLC transceiver or the wireless transceiver, to generate a selected transceiver, in response to the first RSSI and the second RSSI; and

transmitting the smart meter data via the selected transceiver on the respective link.

14. A method of operating a smart meter, the method comprising:

receiving smart meter data;

receiving, from a power line communication (PLC) transceiver, first statistics on packet error rates of a PLC link;

receiving, from a wireless transceiver, second statistics on packet error rates of a wireless link;

selecting, by a control module, the PLC transceiver or the wireless transceiver, to generate a selected transceiver, in response to the first statistics on packet error rates and the second statistics on packet error rates; and

transmitting the smart meter data via the selected transceiver on the respective link.

15. A method of operating a smart meter, the method comprising:

receiving smart meter data;

receiving, from a power line communication (PLC) transceiver, a first medium occupation ratio of a PLC link;

receiving, from a wireless transceiver, a second medium occupation ratio of a wireless link;

selecting, by a control module, the PLC transceiver or the wireless transceiver, to generate a selected transceiver, in response to the first medium occupation ratio and the second medium occupation ratio; and

transmitting the smart meter data via the selected transceiver on the respective link.

16. A method of operating a smart meter, the method comprising:

receiving smart meter data;

receiving, from a power line communication (PLC) transceiver, a first noise level of a PLC link;

receiving, from a wireless transceiver, a second noise level of a wireless link;

selecting, by a control module, the PLC transceiver or the wireless transceiver, to generate a selected transceiver, in response to the first noise level and the second noise level; and

transmitting the smart meter data via the selected transceiver on the respective link.

17. A method of operating a smart meter, the method comprising:

receiving smart meter data;

receiving a first signal quality information from a power line communication (PLC) transceiver regarding a PLC link;

receiving a second signal quality information from a wireless transceiver regarding a wireless link;

selecting, by a control module, the PLC transceiver or the wireless transceiver, to generate a selected transceiver in response to the first and second signal quality information;

transmitting the smart meter data via the selected transceiver on the respective link;

failing to receive an acknowledgement from a remote transceiver in response to a transmission over the PLC link; and

transmitting a query to the remote transceiver over the wireless link in response to failing to receive the acknowledgement.

18. A method of operating a smart meter, the method comprising:

receiving smart meter data;

receiving a first signal quality information from a power line communication (PLC) transceiver regarding a PLC link;

receiving a second signal quality information from a wireless transceiver regarding a wireless link;

selecting, by a control module, the PLC transceiver or the wireless transceiver, to generate a selected transceiver, in response to the first signal quality information and the second signal quality information;

transmitting the smart meter data via the selected transceiver on the respective link;

failing to receive an acknowledgement from a remote transceiver in response to a transmission over the wireless link; and

transmitting a query to the remote transceiver over the PLC link in response to failing to receive the acknowledgment.

19. A method of operating a smart meter, the method comprising:

receiving smart meter data;

receiving a first signal quality information from a power line communication (PLC) transceiver regarding a PLC link;

receiving a second signal quality information from a wireless transceiver regarding a wireless link;

selecting, by a control module, the PLC transceiver or the wireless transceiver, to generate a selected transceiver, in response to the first signal quality information and the second signal quality information; and

transmitting the smart meter data via the selected transceiver on the respective link;

initiating a transition in a communication session from one link to another link in response to the first signal quality information and the second signal quality information;

informing a remote transceiver of the transition; and

receiving an acknowledgement from the remote transceiver.

20. A method of operating a smart meter, the method comprising:

receiving smart meter data;

receiving a first signal quality information from a power line communication (PLC) transceiver regarding a PLC link;

receiving a second signal quality information from a wireless transceiver regarding a wireless link;

selecting a modulation scheme for the PLC transceiver in response to the first signal quality information, or selecting a modulation scheme for the wireless transceiver in response to the second signal quality information;

selecting, by a control module, the PLC transceiver or the wireless transceiver, to generate a selected transceiver, in response to the first signal quality information and the second signal quality information; and

transmitting the smart meter data via the selected transceiver on the respective link.