In a disclosed embodiment, a power line communication (PLC) device sends an active channel scan request from a host layer to an adaptation layer. In response to the adaptation layer receiving the request, a MAC layer is instructed to broadcast a beacon request frame. The PLC device receives from each of one or more neighboring devices that respond to the beacon request frame a beacon frame including an address and a personal area network (PAN) identifier. A listing of PAN identifiers indicated by the beacon frames is provided to the host layer. The host layer selects a target network corresponding to a selected PAN identifier and selects one of the one or more neighboring devices associated with the selected PAN identifier as a target bootstrapping agent. The host layer instructs the adaptation layer to join the target network using the target bootstrapping agent.

A home network topology identification method, wherein the home network (10; 11) has a plurality of network devices (27, 28, 29) with a residential gateway (23) among them, the method comprises the following steps: (1a) obtain at least one home network parameter from at least one of the network devices (27, 28, 29); (1b) obtain a network channel gain function (CGF) of the home network (10; 11) from one of the network devices (27, 28, 29); (1c) transform the channel gain function (CGF) into the time domain to obtain an equivalent estimated channel delay spread function (CDS); (1d) obtain an estimated blind network topology from the estimated channel delay spread function (CDS) and a propagation speed of the network; and (1e) correlate the estimated blind network topology with the at least one home network parameter to obtain at least one structural network topology parameter; and
a management center device (25) that is remote from a home network (10; 11) having a plurality of network devices (27, 28, 29) with a residential gateway (23) among them, wherein the management center device (25) is provided to carry out steps (1a) to (1e) of the method.

Disconnected from the powerline, a battery-powered receiver is configured to conserve power. The receiver communicates information between a local controller and a communication network that uses the powerline and a radio frequency (RF) band to propagate messages. An antenna wirelessly detects the presence of the powerline carrier signal that radiates into free space, which indicates a first message encoded onto the powerline. A computer processor wakes up from an inactive state based on the presence of the carrier signal and receives a second message via a second RF signal having a different frequency than the powerline carrier signal, and determines whether the device address in the second message is the assigned address of the receiver. If the message is not addressed to the receiver, the receiver returns to an inactive state.

A power conversion apparatus, a photovoltaic module, and a communication device and a photovoltaic system including the same are discussed. The power conversion apparatus includes an inverter unit to perform alternating current (AC) voltage conversion based on direct current (DC) voltage from a solar cell module, a controller to control the inverter unit, and a communication unit to add a carrier frequency signal containing predetermined information to the converted AC voltage and output the AC voltage containing the predetermined information to a grid and, when a level of the converted AC voltage is equal to or less than a predetermined level, to add the carrier frequency signal containing the predetermined information to DC voltage and output the DC voltage containing the predetermined information to the grid. Consequently, it is possible to stably transmit information.

A slave control device receives a communication signal from a master control device, and controls loads according to the received communication signal. A modulator superimposes the communication signal from the master control device on power source lines, and a demodulator demodulates the communication signal superimposed on the power source lines and supplies the demodulated communication signal to the slave control device. The modulator is provided on power source lines on a battery side, and the demodulator is provided on the power source lines on a load side. The modulator superimposes the communication signal on the power source lines which are on a side closer to the loads with respect to the modulator among the power source lines.

A system for transmission of data and electrical power comprising: a plurality of independent power sources, each one of the plurality of independent power sources being connected to a respective one of a plurality of electrical power lines; and a modulator configured to modulate a carrier signal with a data signal received at an input of the modulator so as to generate a modulated carrier signal at an output thereof, wherein the output of the modulator is coupled to each of the plurality of electrical power lines, to permit transmission of the modulated carrier signal over the plurality of electrical power lines, such that the plurality of electrical power lines form a data network while maintaining electrical isolation between each of the plurality of electrical power lines.

In a disclosed embodiment, a power line communication (PLC) device sends an active channel scan request from a host layer to an adaptation layer. In response to the adaptation layer receiving the request, a MAC layer is instructed to broadcast a beacon request frame. The PLC device receives from each of one or more neighboring devices that respond to the beacon request frame a beacon frame including an address and a personal area network (PAN) identifier. A listing of PAN identifiers indicated by the beacon frames is provided to the host layer. The host layer selects a target network corresponding to a selected PAN identifier and selects one of the one or more neighboring devices associated with the selected PAN identifier as a target bootstrapping agent. The host layer instructs the adaptation layer to join the target network using the target bootstrapping agent.

The present technique relates to a power supply device and method as well as a program which can surely perform a billing process when a device is charged. When a vehicle ID registered in advance in an external storage matches a vehicle ID acquired by a reader/writer, a control unit makes a request to input, by operating a display unit formed of a touch panel, information which determines the amount of electric power to be charged. Once the information determining the amount of electric power to be charged has been input, the control unit controls a billing part to calculate the amount of electric power, so that a billing server performs a billing process on the amount of money corresponding to the amount of electric power. The control unit then controls a communication unit and turns on a selector switch.

A gateway module for an electrical power grid, the gateway module configured to receive a power signal including a modulated component for conveying information from an electrical module producing electricity, and to process the power signal to provide a compatible signal to the electrical power grid. The gateway module includes a main unit including a control circuit controlling an interface to manage information from the modulated component of the power signal and a filtering circuit for filtering the modulated component.

Systems and methods for routing protocols for power line communications (PLC) are described. In some embodiments, a method performed by a PLC device, such as a PLC meter, may include selecting one or more transmit sub-bands on which to transmit frames, where the transmit sub-bands comprise groups of carrier frequencies. The PLC device then generates a frame comprising a tone map that indicates which transmit sub-bands are used to carry data for the frame. The tone map using two bits per transmit sub-band to indicate a status of each transmit sub-band. The PLC device then transmits the frame on the selected transmit sub-bands. A resolution bit and a mode bit may be used to provide additional information about the transmit sub-bands, such as an amount of power adjustment that has been applied to carrier frequencies and whether dummy bits are transmitted on unused carrier frequencies.