PATH CHARACTERISTIC BASED ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNICATION DEVICES

• US 20120131360A1
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atheros Communications Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zyren, James, Katar, Srinivas, Krishnam, Manjunath, Yonge, Lawrence W. III
• Granted Patent: US 9,026,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/310
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/71 Wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/18 TPC being performed according to specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Associating service agents in communication over a network to one or more respective clients coupled to the network at respective ports of the network is described. At a first service agent, a first signal is received from a first client coupled to the network at a first port. The first signal propagates over a first signal propagation path between the first service agent and the first port. An association between the first service agent and the first client is established based at least in part on a difference between: the first signal propagation path between the first service agent and the first port, and a second signal propagation path between the first service agent and a second port or between a second service agent and the first port.

Claims

1. A method for associating service agents in communication over a network to one or more respective clients coupled to the network at respective ports of the network, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first service agent, a first signal from a first client coupled to the network at a first port, the first signal propagating over a first signal propagation path between the first service agent and the first port; and

establishing an association between the first service agent and the first client based at least in part on a difference between

the first signal propagation path between the first service agent and the first port, and

a second signal propagation path between the first service agent and a second port or between a second service agent and the first port.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first service agent changes a communication channel characteristic to generate the difference during propagation of the first signal from the first client.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein changing the communication channel characteristic comprises attenuating at least a portion of a spectrum of a communication channel corresponding to one of the first or second signal propagation paths relative to a communication channel corresponding to the other of the first or second signal propagation paths, the attenuated portion of the spectrum of the communication channel overlapping with a spectrum of the first signal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the attenuating comprises applying a notch filter at a predetermined frequency location of the spectrum to only one of the first or second signal propagation paths.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first service agent changes the communication channel characteristic in response to receiving a message from the client after the client couples to the first port.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a localized event controlled by the first service agent that is detected by the first client; and

comparing a first timestamp corresponding to the initiation of the event by the first service agent to a second timestamp corresponding to the detection of the event by the first client.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second signal propagation path is between the second service agent and the first port.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

switching a power relay controlled by the first service agent to start the flow of power to the first client;

recording a timestamp for the switching event; and

comparing the timestamp for the switching event to a timestamp corresponding to the time at which the first client detected the start of power flow to the first client.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first service agent switches a relay to change the attenuation of the first signal propagation path during propagation of the first signal from the first client.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first service agent switches the relay to change the attenuation of the first signal propagation path in a sequence that is unique within the network to the first service agent.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the first service agent switches a relay to change the attenuation of the second signal propagation path without changing the first signal propagation path during propagation of the first signal from the first client.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the second signal propagation path is between the first service agent and the second port.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein there is a first notch filter in the first signal propagation path and a second notch filter in the second signal propagation path and the first and second notch filters have different frequency responses.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

switching a relay in the first propagation path to the open state while a relay in the second propagation path is closed; and

switching the relay in the second propagation path to the open state while the relay in the first propagation path is closed.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at a second service agent, the first signal from the first client, the first signal propagating over the second signal propagation path between the second service agent and the first port.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising exchanging messages between a group of multiple service agents including the first and second service agents to determine the difference between the first signal propagation path and the second signal propagation path, after propagation of the first signal from the first client, based at least in part on a difference between the attenuations of the first signal measured by the first service agent and the second service agent.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the association between the first service agent and the first client is also based at least in part on timing of an event associated with the first service agent.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the event comprises initiation of a signal providing power to a battery in the first client over at least a portion of the first signal propagation path.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing power to a battery in the first client over at least a portion of the first signal propagation path, after establishing the association between the first service agent and the first client.

20. A network, comprising:

a plurality of service agents in communication over the network; and

a plurality of ports of the network configured to couple a client;

with one or more of the service agents comprising circuitry configured to;

receive, at a first service agent, a first signal from a first client coupled to the network at a first port, the first signal propagating over a first signal propagation path between the first service agent and the first port; and

establish an association between the first service agent and the first client based at least in part on a difference between

the first signal propagation path between the first service agent and the first port, and

a second signal propagation path between the first service agent and a second port or between a second service agent and the first port.

21. The network of claim 20, further comprising at least one client coupled to a first port of network.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

a port configured to couple to a client to a power line segment;

first relay circuitry having a high conductivity state and a low conductivity state, configured to provide power from a power line network to the power line segment;

second relay circuitry having a high conductivity state and a low conductivity state, configured to couple signals in a first frequency spectrum on a bypass segment of the power line network that connects to the power line segment on both sides of the first relay circuitry; and

a communication interface configured to couple to the power line network through the bypass segment.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising circuitry configured to establish an association to the client based at least in part on a difference between a signal propagation path to the client that includes the first relay circuitry in the low conductivity state and a signal propagation path to the power line network that does not include the first relay circuitry.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising circuitry configured to measure an amount of power provided to the client over a propagation path that includes the second relay circuitry in the high conductivity state.