Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a network device that accesses internet protocol addresses associated with a group of end point devices where the network device is a closest network device to the group of end point devices, and transmitting data to another network device responsive to a determination that an internet protocol address associated with the data from an end point device is one of the internet protocol addresses associated with the group of end point devices. Other embodiments are disclosed.

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.

A transmission method in a first node device of a power line communication network, the first node device being configured so as to apply a reception mode for receiving data transmitted by a second node device in one or more separate frequency bands in parallel or else in a frequency band called extended frequency band comprising at least two separate frequency bands, the method comprising steps of de-interleaving the data read from a buffer memory in a first de-interleaving mode specific to reception in an extended frequency band and detecting whether the de-interleaved data are coherent and, if the obtained data are coherent, recording the de-interleaved data and, if not, de-interleaving data, for each of the separate frequency bands, in a de-interleaving mode specific to the separate frequency band for which the de-interleaving is performed and, if the de-interleaved data are coherent, recording the de-interleaved data.

A new version of a software is broken down into successive blocks in order to be transferred block by block in two phases by a concentrator device: a first phase during which said concentrator device performs (S308) the transfer according to a sequencing independent of whether or not each block has been correctly received, and a second phase during which the concentrator device performs (S310) the transfer of each block that has not been correctly received. The new version of the software is thus transferred to electricity meters via a communication network. Each electricity meter stores in non-volatile memory a context including an indication of each block of the new version of the software that has not been correctly received and, when the transfer of the new version of the software to at least one electricity meter is interrupted, the subsequent resumption of the transfer of the new version of the software to said electricity meter or meters takes place according to the second phase by means of their respective contexts.

In one embodiment, a device receives data indicative of a routing topology of a network. The network comprises a root node and each node in the network has an associated network depth relative to the root node in the routing topology. The device assigns the nodes in the network to timeslots of a channel-hopping communication schedule in order of their associated network depths. The device assigns transmit and receive actions to the timeslots of the communication schedule for a particular time such that parent-to-child and child-to-parent communications alternate with network depth in the timeslots. The device sends the communication schedule with the node and action assignments to one or more of the nodes in the network.

The invention relates to a method for determining, by a scheduler, at least one transmission parameter for each of a plurality of smart meters which each transmit, via power line communication, a measurement report to a control entity. The at least one transmission parameter allows a reporting time for a corresponding smart meter to be determined. The method comprises the following steps: At least one status parameter is collected for each of the plurality of smart meters, the at least one status parameter influencing a success rate of the transmission of the corresponding measurement report to the control entity. For each of the plurality of smart meters, the at least one transmission parameter allowing the reporting time for the corresponding smart meter to be determined, is determined based on the collected at least one status parameter.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a network device that accesses internet protocol addresses associated with a group of end point devices where the network device is a closest network device to the group of end point devices, and transmitting data to another network device responsive to a determination that an internet protocol address associated with the data from an end point device is one of the internet protocol addresses associated with the group of end point devices. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A device includes an interface and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) Medium Access Control (MAC) circuitry coupled to the interface. The TDMA MAC circuitry detects a beacon in a frame having a defined frame duration and determines a frame compensation value based on a start time of the frame, a reference start time of the frame, and a number of elapsed frames. A current frame duration value is determined based on the frame compensation value and the defined frame duration.

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.

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward a system and apparatuses for calibrating metering circuitry. An example system includes a first adapter including a plurality of receptacles proximally arranged in a circular manner on a first surface of the first adapter, the plurality of receptacles configured and arranged to be connected to endpoint controlling circuitry configured and arranged to communicate over the power lines or by using a RF communication, characteristics related to power usage of an endpoint device in a PLC network. The system further includes a second adapter including a plurality of electrical contacts disposed on a first surface of the second adapter and a plurality of terminals disposed on a second surface of the second adapter opposite of the first surface. The plurality of terminals can be physically arranged so as to plug into corresponding inputs on meter calibration circuitry. Further, the system includes a housing fixedly securing the first adapter and the second adapter and enclosing circuitry configured, while in operation, to facilitate calibration of the endpoint controlling circuitry by the meter calibration circuitry.