A message-transmission method for transmitting a message from a first node device to a second node device belonging to a network neighbourhood of said first node device is described. The first and second node devices belong to an electrical supply network using powerline and/or radio-frequency communications. The first node device transmits said message to said second node device on a first frequency band and at least one second frequency band of a set of frequency bands comprising at least two frequency bands. The message being on each occasion modulated according to a robust mode, a modulation according to said robust mode comprising successively a Reed-Solomon coding, a convolutional coding, a code repetition coding and a BPSK modulation.

A method for transmitting data in a power line communication network, the method being executed in a network node device configured so as to communicate in a plurality of separate frequency bands with a second network node device, the method comprising steps for selecting a transmission mode for transmitting in a frequency band called “extended frequency band” comprising at least two separate frequency bands chosen from among the plurality of separate frequency bands; distributing data to be transmitted in the extended frequency band into a plurality of groups of data, each group being assigned to just one of the at least two separate frequency bands; and transmitting the data in each of the plurality of groups of data in the separate frequency band to which the group is assigned, the step for distributing the data being carried out by a data interleaver.

Embodiments of methods and systems for supporting coexistence of multiple technologies in a Power Line Communication (PLC) network are disclosed. A long coexistence preamble sequence may be transmitted by a device that has been forced to back off the PLC channel multiple times. The long coexistence sequence provides a way for the device to request channel access from devices on the channel using other technology. The device may transmit a data packet after transmitting the long coexistence preamble sequence. A network duty cycle time may also be defined as a maximum allowed duration for nodes of the same network to access the channel. When the network duty cycle time occurs, all nodes will back off the channel for a duty cycle extended inter frame space before transmitting again. The long coexistence preamble sequence and the network duty cycle time may be used together.

Systems and methods for setting a carrier-sensing mechanism in a PLC node are disclosed. In a PLC standard, coexistence is achieved by having the nodes detect a common preamble and backing off by a Coexistence InterFrame Space (cEIFS) time period to help the node to avoid interfering with the other technologies. In one embodiment, a PHY primitive is sent from the PHY to the MAC know that there has been a preamble detection. A two-level indication may be used—one indication after receiving the preamble and other indication after decoding the entire frame. The MAC sets the carrier-sensing mechanism based on the preamble detection.

In a powerline communications (PLC) network having a first node and at least a second node on a PLC channel utilizing a band including a plurality of tones, based on at least one channel quality indicator (CQI), the first node allocates for a tone map response payload only a single (1) power control bit for each of a plurality of subbands having two or more tones. The power control bit indicates a first power state or a second power state. The first node transmits a frame including the tone map response payload to the second node. The second node transmits a frame having boosted signal power for the tones in the subbands which have the first power state compared to a lower signal power for the tones in the subbands which have the second power state.

Representative implementations of devices and techniques provide communication between networked nodes operating on a communication network medium. In an implementation, a node generates a broadcast frame that includes at least a preamble and a payload. The preamble of the broadcast frame may include auxiliary information. The auxiliary information may be associated with one or more symbols of the preamble. The auxiliary information may contain power boost information.

Systems and methods for efficiently allocating beacon slot among multiple nodes on multiple levels within a power line communication network are described. In various implementations, these systems and methods may be applicable to Power Line Communications (PLC). For example, a method may include performing, by a communications device, assigning beacon transmission times to nodes within the communication device's network. The assigned beacon transmission times comprise a beacon slot and frame pattern. The beacon slot and frame pattern ensure that each node does not transmit a beacon in a beacon slot that is adjacent to a beacon slot assigned to a parent or child node. A beacon transmission slot is reserved for a base node in every frame. The frames may be organized into thirty-two-frame superframes, wherein each frame comprises a base node beacon slot and four switch node beacon slots.

To provide a circuit module, a bicycle electric component, and a communication system that are easily matched to a communication system that uses power line communication, a circuit module is configured to be mounted on a bicycle electric component. The circuit module includes a first circuit board, a communication converter configured to convert between information appropriate to power line communication and information appropriate to communication other than the power line communication and mounted on the first circuit board, and a plurality of first terminals formed on the first circuit board. The plurality of first terminals is connected to a second circuit board included in the electric component.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, supplying an alternating voltage waveform to a winding coupled to a magnetic core of an inductive power supply to regulate an alternating magnetic flux in the magnetic core. The alternating voltage waveform can be generated by selectively enabling one or more switches coupled to a storage device. The subject disclosure may further include configuring the one or more switches according to a configuration during a portion of a period of the alternating voltage waveform, and measuring a characteristic of an alternating current flowing in a conductor coupled to the magnetic core during the portion of the period of the alternating voltage waveform. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Embodiments of methods and systems for supporting coexistence of multiple technologies in a Power Line Communication (PLC) network are disclosed. A long coexistence preamble sequence may be transmitted by a device that has been forced to back off the PLC channel multiple times. The long coexistence sequence provides a way for the device to request channel access from devices on the channel using other technology. The device may transmit a data packet after transmitting the long coexistence preamble sequence. A network duty cycle time may also be defined as a maximum allowed duration for nodes of the same network to access the channel. When the network duty cycle time occurs, all nodes will back off the channel for a duty cycle extended inter frame space before transmitting again. The long coexistence preamble sequence and the network duty cycle time may be used together.