A method for transmitting data from a management entity in a communication system further comprising at least one data concentrator device to which smart electricity meters are attached via a first powerline communication network, each data concentrator device being connected to the management entity via a second communication network. Said smart electricity meter receives, coming from the management entity, via the first powerline communication network, a message indicating that a transfer of data is pending with the management entity. Said smart electricity meter comprising a wireless communication interface adapted to communicate via a third wireless local communication network with a residential gateway connected to the management entity via a fourth communication network, said smart electricity meter obtains said data from the management entity via the third wireless local communication network.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a mesh network having nodes connected via both wired and wireless connections, at differing data rates. Each node of the invention also has a plurality of interfaces and a backhaul network. The invention provides a method of managing the mesh network such that at least one node is capable of being in communication with a plurality of other nodes within the network and send and receive packets to other nodes without being hampered by differing protocols, standards, or data rates.

Systems, methods and devices for a coaxial cable transmission system. A power supply receives a primary power signal from a power source. The power supply generates a switched direct current power signal from the primary power signal. A power gateway receives the switched direct current power signal over a coaxial cable from the power supply. The power gateway generates a secondary power signal from the switched direct current power signal. A load device receives the secondary power signal from the power gateway. In some implementations, the power supply generates the switched direct current power signal at a positive direct current voltage level for a first part of a time period and at a negative direct current voltage level for a second part of the time period.

Power line communication (PLC) has significant benefits and advantages in comparison to wireless communication. By exploiting the power line infrastructure, PLC signals can cover a larger area and provide high speed data service without installation of new infrastructure, especially in remote rural areas where Ethernet is not available. A MIMO-based (multiple-input-multiple-output-based) power line communication structure (MU-MIMO-PLC) is described herein and exploits power line infrastructure to achieve MIMO communication and/or high data service. MU-MIMO-PLC exploits the spatiality of power line infrastructure and the multipath property of power line channel. MU-MIMO-PLC leverages these properties to achieve high data rates with MIMO technology. In one embodiment, a system for multi-user (MU) power line communication comprises a power line infrastructure; an access point connected to the power line infrastructure; and clients connected to the power line infrastructure, wherein the clients can communicate with the access point through the power line infrastructure simultaneously.

In one embodiment, a first device (e.g., a host device or power distribution unit) stores identification information of the first device, and determines, over a power connection, when the first device is in powered connectivity with a second device (e.g., a power distribution unit or host device, respectively). The first device may then communicate, with the second device over the power connection, identification information of at least one of either the first or second device, where the communicated identification information is accessible to a third device (e.g., a server) via a data network due to the communicating over the power connection. In another embodiment, a server may determine, based on the identification information, a physical location of a power distribution unit, and may deduce, based on the physical location of the power distribution unit, that a host device is physically located at the physical location of the power distribution unit.

A power line communication device includes a DC power source device, a power line, and a master station that modulates a supply voltage VBUS supplied to the power line according to transmission data to be transmitted. The master station includes a modulation capacitor that is precharged with a modulation amplitude voltage, a polarity switch unit that determines a polarity of the modulation capacitor connected to the power line according to transmission data, and an inductor connected between the DC power source device and the power line.

A grounds maintenance system comprising: a robot tractor comprising; a robot body; a drive system including one or more motorized drive wheels to propel the robot body; a control system coupled to the drive system, the control system configurable to store a mow plan that specifies a set of paths to be traversed for a grounds maintenance operation and control the drive system to autonomously traverse the set of paths to implement the mow plan; a battery system comprising one or more batteries housed in the robot body; and a low-profile mowing deck coupled to the robot body, the mowing deck adapted to tilt and lift relative to the robot body, wherein the control system is configured to control tilting and lifting of the mowing deck and cutting by the mowing deck.

A communication device and a communication signal generation method that perform, adaptively, a wired power line communication that is given desired communication characteristics being in such a level as to satisfy user demands is provided. The communication device includes a selection unit a selection unit which selects a mode that prescribes a number of one or more channels prepared in a prescribed frequency band used for a communication to be performed with another communication device via a wired medium and a channel to be used for the communication in the mode; and a signal processing unit which generates communication frames to be used for the communication by performing signal processing on input data according to the selected mode and channel.

Systems and methods for carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) protocols for power line communications (PLC) are described. In some embodiments, a method may include performing a virtual carrier sensing operation and, in response to the virtual carrier sensing operation indicating that a communication channel is idle, calculating a contention window. The method may also include performing a physical carrier sensing operation subsequent to the virtual carrier sensing operation, the physical carrier sensing operation based, at least in part, upon the contention window. In response to the physical carrier sensing operation indicating that the communication channel is idle, the method may then include transmitting data over the channel. In other embodiments, another method may include determining that a data transmission is a unicast transmission and that an acknowledgement message has not been received. The method may further include incrementing a backoff parameter and repeating one or more carrier sense operations.

A welding system includes a welding power supply that provides a welding power for a welding application through the weld cable. Additionally, the welding system includes weld cable communications circuitry. The weld cable communications circuitry includes a receiver to receive data from the weld cable and to monitor the weld cable for frequency spurs or interfering signals, and to monitor network capacity. Additionally, and the weld cable communications circuitry includes a transmitter to transmit the data across the weld cable. Furthermore, the transmitter transmits the data via a physical layer transmission scheme selected based on the frequency spurs or interfering signals and the network capacity.