Adaptive network routing for power line communications
First Claim
1. A method of routing communications between a central control unit (CCU) and a plurality of remote units distributed on an electrical power line, said CCU and remote units being capable both of receiving and transmitting electrical signals, comprising the steps of(a) by said CCU, transmitting on the power line a first interrogation signal to be received by said plurality of remote units on said line;
- (b) by each of said remote units that have received said first interrogation signal, transmitting on the power line a first acknowledgement signal that is capable of being discriminated from first acknowledgement signals of the other remote units;
(c) by said CCU, receiving said first acknowledgement signals transmitted by said remote units that have received said first interrogation signal, associating said transmitted first acknowledgement signals with corresponding remote units and determining from which of said remote units, designated as being "mute", a first acknowledgement signal has not been received;
(d) by said CCU, selecting a remote unit to operate as a first relay and controlling the first relay to transmit a second interrogation signal to the remote units designated as being mute;
(e) by said remote units designated as being mute, upon receipt of said second interrogation signal, transmitting on the power line a second acknowledgement signal to be relayed by said first relay to said CCU; and
(f) repeating steps (d) and (e) in sequence until one of said remote units are designated as being mute.
13 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Optimum routing for communications between a central control unit (CCU) and remote units (nodes), such as electricity meters, distributed on an electrical power line is established by broadcasting from the CCU an interrogation signal to be received by the remote units. In response to a receipt of the interrogation signal, each remote unit returns an acknowledgement signal, time multiplexed with the acknowledgement signals of the other remote units, to the CCU which determines which units, if any, are "mute", i.e., have not acknowledged. The CCU then selects remote units in proximity to the mute remote units if it has already a good knowledge of the network or at random otherwise, to function as relays and repeats interrogation of the remote units via the relays. This process is repeated, if necessary, until communication paths between the CCU and all remote units are established directly or via delay units, to form maps. Numerous maps developed for the nodes during various time periods having different power line interference characteristics are stored in a data base to be accessed by the CCU to quickly establish an optimum route during subsequent periods having similar line interference characteristics.
180 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method of routing communications between a central control unit (CCU) and a plurality of remote units distributed on an electrical power line, said CCU and remote units being capable both of receiving and transmitting electrical signals, comprising the steps of
(a) by said CCU, transmitting on the power line a first interrogation signal to be received by said plurality of remote units on said line; -
(b) by each of said remote units that have received said first interrogation signal, transmitting on the power line a first acknowledgement signal that is capable of being discriminated from first acknowledgement signals of the other remote units; (c) by said CCU, receiving said first acknowledgement signals transmitted by said remote units that have received said first interrogation signal, associating said transmitted first acknowledgement signals with corresponding remote units and determining from which of said remote units, designated as being "mute", a first acknowledgement signal has not been received; (d) by said CCU, selecting a remote unit to operate as a first relay and controlling the first relay to transmit a second interrogation signal to the remote units designated as being mute; (e) by said remote units designated as being mute, upon receipt of said second interrogation signal, transmitting on the power line a second acknowledgement signal to be relayed by said first relay to said CCU; and (f) repeating steps (d) and (e) in sequence until one of said remote units are designated as being mute. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A power line communication system for communications between a central control unit (CCU) and a plurality of remote units distributed on a power line, comprising:
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means controlled by said CCU for applying on said power line inquiry signals to be received by said plurality of remote units; means controlled by said remote units and responsive to a receipt of said inquiry signals for applying on said power line corresponding acknowledgement signals; at least some of said remote units each further including means for relaying on the power line said inquiry signals from said central unit and said acknowledgement signals from the other ones of said remote units; and said CCU including routing control means for establishing a communication path for said inquiry signals between said central unit and all of said plurality of remote units, said routing control means including means for (a) controlling said CCU to apply on said power line a first inquiry signal to be received by said plurality of remote units; (b) controlling each one of said plurality of remote units that has received said first inquiry signal to transmit a first acknowledgement signal on said power line to said CCU; (c) determining whether said first acknowledgement signal from each of said remote units has been received by said CCU, wherein each remote unit from which said first acknowledgement signal has not been received is designated as "mute"; (d) controlling said CCU to select one of said remote units which is near a mute remote unit and is not "mute" to operate as a relay remote unit; (e) controlling said relay remote unit to transmit a second inquiry signal to be received by the other ones of said remote units; (f) controlling said remote units that have received said second inquiry signal to transmit second acknowledgement signals on said power line to be received by said relay remote unit; (g) controlling said relay remote unit to relay said second acknowledgement signals to said CCU; (h) determining whether said second acknowledgement signal from each of said "mute" remote units has been received by said CCU, wherein each remote unit from which said second acknowledgment signal has not been received is designated again as being "mute"; (i) repeating (e)-(h) while controlling other ones of said remote units that are not "mute" to transmit said second acknowledgement signal to said CCU until none of said plurality of remote units are "mute"; and (j) establishing, directly or through said relay remote units, a set of power line communication paths between said CCU and each of said remote units. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A system for routing communications between a central control unit (CCU) and a plurality of remote units distributed on an electrical power line, said CCU and remote units being capable both of receiving and transmitting electrical signals, comprising:
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first means connected with said CCU for transmitting on the power line a first interrogation signal to be received by said plurality of remote units on said line; second means connected with each of said remote units and responsive to a receipt of said first interrogation signal for transmitting an acknowledgement reply signal that is capable of being discriminated from acknowledgement signals of the other remote units; third means connected with said CCU and responsive to a receipt of said first acknowledgement signals transmitted by said remote units that have received said first interrogation signal for associating said transmitted first acknowledgement signals with corresponding remote units and determining from which of said remote units, designated as being "mute", a first acknowledgement signal has not been received; fourth means connected with said CCU for selecting a remote unit in proximity to at least one of said mute remote units to operate as a first relay; fifth means for transmitting, via the first relay, a second interrogation signal to the remote units designated as being mute; and sixth means connected with said remote units designated as being mute and responsive to a receipt of said second interrogation signal for transmitting on the power line a second acknowledgement signal to be relayed by said first relay to said CCU. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification