PLC device supporting MIMO operations

• US 8,750,392 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Bennett, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dsouza, Adolf
• Application Number:
  US13/434,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20130003877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 375/257
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/124 Sampling or signal conditioning arrangements specially adapted for A/D converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/02 Details ; arrangements for supplying electrical power along data transmission lines systems for transmitting signals via power distribution lines H04B3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/144 over a different radio air interface technology
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer

Abstract

A communications device includes a PLC interface operable to couple at least two differing communication signals to at least two differing pairs of at least three conductors of a powerline medium. A processing module of the device and the PLC interface interact with a remote PLC device to determine connectivity of the remote PLC device to the PLC device via the at least three conductors of the powerline medium, select at least two conductor pairs of the powerline medium that communicatively couple the PLC device to the remote PLC device for Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) signal servicing, and simultaneously transmit MIMO PLC signals to the remote PLC device via the at least two conductor pairs. The communications device may also include a non-PLC interface, with the communications device operable to divide MIMO communications between a powerline medium and a non-PLC medium, e.g., coaxial cable, cat-5 cable.

Claims

1. A powerline communications (PLC) device comprising:

a PLC interface operable to couple at least two differing communication signals to at least two differing pairs of at least three conductors of a powerline medium, including;

at least two two-wire interfaces, each two-wire interface for servicing a respective Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) PLC signal; and

coupling circuitry for coupling MIMO signals produced by the two-wire interfaces to respective conductor pairs of the powerline medium to support at least 2×

2 MIMO;

a processing module coupled the PLC interface, the processing module and the PLC interface operable to;

interact with a remote PLC device to determine connectivity of the remote PLC device to the PLC device via the at least three conductors of the powerline medium;

select at least two conductor pairs of the powerline medium that communicatively couple the PLC device to the remote PLC device for MIMO signal servicing; and

simultaneously transmit MIMO PLC signals to the remote PLC device via the at least two conductor pairs.

2. The PLC device of claim 1, wherein a conductor pair of the at least two conductor pairs shares a conductor of the powerline medium.

3. The PLC device of claim 1, wherein the processing module and the PLC interface are further operable to adapt the MIMO communication to a differing MIMO configuration based upon interaction with the remote PLC device.

4. The PLC device of claim 1, wherein MIMO communications between the PLC device and the remote PLC device are symmetrical.

5. The PLC device of claim 1, wherein the MIMO communications between the PLC device and the remote PLC device are asymmetrical.

6. A powerline communications (PLC) device comprising:

a PLC interface operable to couple at least two differing communication signals to at least two differing pairs of at least three conductors of a powerline medium;

a processing module coupled the PLC interface, the processing module and the PLC interface configured to;

interact with a remote PLC device to determine connectivity of the remote PLC device to the PLC device via the at least three conductors of the powerline medium by;

sending a plurality of queries to the remote PLC device via a respective plurality of conductor pairs of the powerline medium;

receiving at least some responses from the remote PLC device via the plurality of conductor pairs; and

based upon the responses, determining the connectivity of the remote PLC device to the PLC device via the at least three conductors of the powerline medium;

select at least two conductor pairs of the powerline medium that communicatively couple the PLC device to the remote PLC device for Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) signal servicing; and

simultaneously transmit MIMO PLC signals to the remote PLC device via the at least two conductor pairs.

7. The PLC device of claim 6, further comprising the processing module and PLC interface operable to:

determine PLC channel quality available via each conductor pair coupling the PLC device to the remote PLC device via interaction with the remote PLC device; and

based upon the PLC channel quality, select the at least two conductor pairs.

8. The PLC device of claim 7, wherein in determining PLC channel quality available via each conductor pair coupling the PLC device to the remote PLC device via interaction with the remote PLC device, the processing module and PLC interface are operable to, for each conductor pair coupling the PLC device to the remote PLC device:

transmit a channel quality packet to the remote PLC device; and

receive a channel quality response from the remote PLC device.

9. A method for operating a first PLC (Power Line Communications) device to support communication with a second PLC device via a plurality of powerline medium conductors, the method comprising:

identifying a number of available conductors from the plurality of powerline medium conductors, the available conductors being those of the plurality of powerline medium conductors that are attached to both the first PLC device and the second PLC device;

determining PLC channel quality available via each conductor pair coupling the first PLC device to the second PLC device via interaction with the second PLC device;

based upon the PLC channel quality, selecting at least two conductor pairs; and

establishing Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) communications via the at least two conductor pairs if the number of available conductors is sufficient to support MIMO.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the MIMO communication comprises at least 2×

2 MIMO.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising adapting the MIMO communication to a differing MIMO configuration based upon interaction between the first and second PLC devices.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein in determining PLC channel quality available via each conductor pair coupling the first PLC device to the second PLC device via interaction with the remote PLC device comprises:

transmitting a packet to the second PLC device; and

receiving a response from the second PLC device.

13. A method for operating a first PLC (Power Line Communications) device to support communication with a second PLC device via a plurality of powerline medium conductors, the method comprising:

identifying a number of available conductors from the plurality of powerline medium conductors, the available conductors being those of the plurality of powerline medium conductors that are attached to both the first PLC device and the second PLC device;

arranging the number of available conductors into conductor pairings; and

establishing Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) communications if the number of available conductors is sufficient to support MIMO.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the MIMO communication comprises at least 2×

2 MIMO.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising adapting the MIMO communication to a differing MIMO configuration based upon interaction between the first and second PLC devices.

16. A communications device that communicates via a coupled powerline medium, the communication device comprising:

a PLC (Power Line Communication) interface operable to couple a communication signal to at least a first conductor of the coupled powerline medium;

a non-PLC communication interface operable to support non-PLC communication; and

a processing module coupled the PLC interface and to the non-PLC communication interface, the processing module, the PLC interface, and the non-PLC communication interface operable to;

interact with a remote communications device to determine connectivity of the remote communications device to the communications device via the powerline medium and the non-PLC communication interface;

establish a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) configuration based at least in part on the connectivity determination such that a first portion of a MIMO communication is supported by the PLC interface and a second portion of the MIMO communication is supported by the non-PLC communication interface.

17. The communications device of claim 16, wherein the MIMO configuration comprises a first conductor pair from the powerline medium and a second conductor pair accessed via the non-PLC communication interface.

18. The communications device of claim 16, wherein the MIMO configuration comprises a first conductor from the powerline medium and a second conductor accessible via the non-PLC communication interface.

19. The communications device of claim 16, wherein the MIMO configuration adapts as a communication characteristics change.

20. The communications device of claim 16, wherein the MIMO configuration comprises at least 2×

2 MIMO.