A communication device in a network may receive a stream of frames from the network, in which each frame includes one or more beacon packets. A communication protocol being used by the network may be identified by tracking a preselected field within a sequence of beacon packets, in which the preselected field varies in a first known manner for a first protocol and in a second known manner for a second protocol. The communication device may then join to the network using the identified communication protocol to transmit and receive data.

A method and system for providing a secure communication network using an electrical distribution grid is disclosed. A device connected to the electrical distribution grid initiates a request for a secured key token by signaling an intelligent communicating device residing at or near an edge of the grid. The intelligent communicating device forwards the request to a receiver at a distribution substation on the electrical grid. This receiver enhances the properties of the request such that a grid location for the request can be inferred. The enhanced request is forwarded to a server at the distribution substation, which compares the request grid location to a Grid Map and Policies of known secure grid locations. Any inconsistencies between the grid location inferred from the enhanced request and the Grid Map and Policies locations are considered evidence of tampering, and the server rejects the request.

A network communication device, such as an electricity meter, is configured to communicate with devices on a circuit internal to a site via power line communication (PLC), even when electricity service to the site is disconnected. The network communication device is configured to monitor one or more circuits internal to the site and to receive power line communications from the device(s) coupled to the circuit internal to the site when the site is disconnected from electricity service. A PLC module of the network communication device may include a switch-based or capacitor-based monitor that maintains a PLC coupler electrically connected with the circuit internal to the site even when electricity service to the site is disconnected.

A system and method are provided for assessing whether a power outage has occurred at a meter location. The method comprises: maintaining, in a memory of a head-end system, information regarding the communication performance of a meter; receiving, by the head-end system, an indication of a power status of the meter; and determining a likelihood that a power outage has occurred at the meter location based on the information regarding the communication performance and the indication of the power status.

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward apparatuses and methods for time synchronizing between communication nodes of a communications network. In specific embodiments, the apparatus includes nodes having respective clocks circuit and communication circuitry for communicating with other nodes in the network, and the nodes convey or operate on power-related data indicative of power consumption within a power distribution system by communicating the power-related data between communication nodes of the network or system. Each node can provide a time synchronization request to another of the nodes within an interval after being permitted to join into the communications network, and which then results in the node setting the clock circuit to a parameter conveyed from the second node via timing information provided in a uniquely-recognizable data frame as communicated via one of the upper-level layers. The node maintains on-going time synchronization by communicating additional time synchronization requests within predetermined time ranges.

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 include methods of powerline communications using a preamble with band extension is provided. A method may include receiving a packet data unit PDU. Bit-level repetition is applied to at least a portion of the PDU to create a repeated portion. Interleaving is performed per a subchannel. Pilot tones are inserted in the interleaved portion. Each data tone is modulated with respect to a nearest one of the inserted pilot tones. The PDU is transmitted over a power line.

Monitoring and controlling modules of a system includes obtaining, with a portable piece of equipment associated with an installation operator, an identifier that encodes a physical network address of a communicating module, and obtaining, with the portable piece of equipment, an installation geolocation information item. The physical network address and the installation geolocation are transmitted to a central server by the portable piece of equipment, and the central server verifies prior storage of said physical network address. If the physical network address cannot be verified, the server stores the physical network address in association with the identifier.

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.

Embodiments include methods of powerline communications using a preamble with band extension is provided. A method may include receiving a packet data unit PDU. Bit-level repetition is applied to at least a portion of the PDU to create a repeated portion. Interleaving is performed per a subchannel. Pilot tones are inserted in the interleaved portion. Each data tone is modulated with respect to a nearest one of the inserted pilot tones. The PDU is transmitted over a power line.