Powerline communication device

• US 8,750,394 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• 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: Abad Molina, Jose, Hurwitz, Jonathan Ephraim David
• Primary Examiner(s): Washburn, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Guarino, Rahel
• Application Number:
  US14/040,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20140029679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• Field of Search: 340/12.32, 340/13.23, 340/538, 340/310.01, 375/260, 375/267, 375/257
• US Class Current: 375/257
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5416 by adding signals to the wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/545 Audio/video application, e.g. interphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5454 Adapter and plugs
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/544 Setting up communications; Call and signalling arrangements

Abstract

A Powerline Communications (PLC) device includes processing circuitry, memory coupled to the processing circuitry, and a PLC interface coupled to the processing circuitry. The PLC device transmits a plurality of PLC queries, two of the plurality of PLC queries complying with differing PLC communication standards, receives a plurality of responses from a plurality of other PLC devices, responses received from two PLC devices complying with differing PLC communication standards, directs the two PLC devices to transmit communications according to respective differing PLC communication standards in an attempt to avoid PLC communication conflicts. The differing PLC communication standards may include a HomePlug communication standard and an ITU home networking (G.hn) communication standard. The PLC device may convert communications between the differing PLC communication standards.

Claims

1. A Powerline Communications (PLC) device comprising:

processing circuitry;

memory coupled to the processing circuitry;

a PLC interface coupled to the processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry, the PLC interface, and the memory are configured to;

transmit a plurality of PLC queries, two of the plurality of PLC queries complying with differing PLC communication standards;

receive a plurality of responses from a plurality of other PLC devices, responses received from two PLC devices complying with differing PLC communication standards; and

direct the two PLC devices to transmit communications according to respective differing PLC communication standards in an attempt to avoid PLC communication conflicts.

2. The PLC device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry, the PLC interface, and the memory are further configured to:

receive PLC communications from a first PLC device in a first PLC communication standard format;

convert the PLC communications from the first PLC communication standard format to a second PLC communication standard format to produce converted PLC communications; and

transmit the converted PLC communications to a second PLC device.

3. The PLC device of claim 1, wherein:

a first one of the differing PLC communication standards comprises a HomePlug communication standard; and

a second one of the differing PLC communication standards comprises an ITU home networking (G.hn) communication standard.

4. The PLC device of claim 1, wherein in directing the two PLC devices to transmit communications according to respective differing PLC communication standards in an attempt to avoid PLC communication conflicts, the processing circuitry, the PLC interface, and the memory are configured to:

allocate first time slots for a first one of the differing PLC communication standards; and

allocate second time slots for a second one of the differing PLC communication standards, wherein the first time slots differ from the second time slots.

5. The PLC device of claim 4, wherein the first time slots and second time slots are selected based upon at least one of:

link quality with one or more of the other PLC devices;

throughput availability with one or more of the other PLC devices;

data security requirements of the one or more of the other PLC devices;

Quality of Service requirements of the one or more of the other PLC devices; and

data type for transmission to one or more of the other PLC devices.

6. The PLC device of claim 1, wherein in directing the two PLC devices to transmit communications according to respective differing PLC communication standards in an attempt to avoid PLC communication conflicts, the processing circuitry, the PLC interface, and the memory are configured to:

allocate a first frequency band for a first one of the differing PLC communication standards; and

allocate a second frequency band for a second one of the differing PLC communication standards, wherein the first frequency band differs from the second frequency band.

7. The PLC device of claim 6, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are selected based upon at least one of:

link quality with one or more of the other PLC devices;

throughput availability with one or more of the other PLC devices;

data security requirements of the one or more of the other PLC devices;

Quality of Service requirements of the one or more of the other PLC devices; and

data type for transmission to one or more of the other PLC devices.

8. The PLC device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry, the PLC interface, and the memory are further configured to divide communications with a remote PLC device between a first PLC communication standard and a second PLC communication standard.

9. The PLC device of claim 1, wherein the differing PLC communication standards are selected from the group consisting of the Homeplug 1.0/1.1 standards, the Homeplug AV standards, the CEPCA standards, the Digital Home Standards, the IEEE 1901 standards, and the ITU-T G.9960 standards.

10. A method for operating a Powerline Communications (PLC) device comprising:

transmitting a plurality of PLC queries, two of the plurality of PLC queries complying with differing PLC communication standards;

receiving a plurality of responses from a plurality of other PLC devices, responses received from two PLC devices complying with differing PLC communication standards; and

directing the two PLC devices to transmit communications according to respective differing PLC communication standards in an attempt to avoid PLC communication conflicts.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving PLC communications from a first PLC device in a first PLC communication standard format;

converting the PLC communications from the first PLC communication standard format to a second PLC communication standard format to produce converted PLC communications; and

transmitting the converted PLC communications to a second PLC device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

a first one of the differing PLC communication standards comprises a HomePlug communication standard; and

a second one of the differing PLC communication standards comprises an ITU home networking (G.hn) communication standard.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein directing the two PLC devices to transmit communications according to respective differing PLC communication standards in an attempt to avoid PLC communication conflicts comprises:

allocating first time slots for a first one of the differing PLC communication standards; and

allocating second time slots for a second one of the differing PLC communication standards, wherein the first time slots differ from the second time slots.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first time slots and second time slots are selected based upon at least one of:

link quality with one or more of the other PLC devices;

throughput availability with one or more of the other PLC devices;

data security requirements of the one or more of the other PLC devices;

Quality of Service requirements of the one or more of the other PLC devices; and

data type for transmission to one or more of the other PLC devices.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein directing the two PLC devices to transmit communications according to respective differing PLC communication standards in an attempt to avoid PLC communication conflicts comprises:

allocating a first frequency band for a first one of the differing PLC communication standards; and

allocating a second frequency band for a second one of the differing PLC communication standards, wherein the first frequency band differs from the second frequency band.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are selected based upon at least one of:

link quality with one or more of the other PLC devices;

throughput availability with one or more of the other PLC devices;

data security requirements of the one or more of the other PLC devices;

Quality of Service requirements of the one or more of the other PLC devices; and

data type for transmission to one or more of the other PLC devices.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising dividing communications with a remote PLC device between a first PLC communication standard and a second PLC communication standard.

18. A Powerline Communications (PLC) device comprising:

processing circuitry;

memory coupled to the processing circuitry;

a wireless interface coupled to the processing circuitry; and

a PLC interface coupled to the processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry, the PLC interface, and the memory are configured to;

transmit a plurality of PLC queries, two of the plurality of PLC queries complying with differing PLC communication standards;

receive a plurality of responses from a plurality of other PLC devices, responses received from two PLC devices complying with differing PLC communication standards; and

direct the two PLC devices to transmit communications according to respective differing PLC communication standards in an attempt to avoid PLC communication conflicts.

19. The PLC device of claim 18, wherein the processing circuitry, the PLC interface, and the memory are further configured to:

receive PLC communications from a first PLC device in a first PLC communication standard format;

convert the PLC communications from the first PLC communication standard format to a second PLC communication standard format to produce converted PLC communications; and

transmit the converted PLC communications to a second PLC device.

20. The PLC device of claim 18, wherein:

a first one of the differing PLC communication standards comprises a HomePlug communication standard; and

a second one of the differing PLC communication standards comprises an ITU home networking (G.hn) communication standard.