The present invention presents a method providing an additional service during electric vehicle charging by (a) the electric vehicle charger (200) detecting connection with an electric vehicle (100) via a charging cable; (b) the electric vehicle charger (200) exchanging charging messages through a charging port in a PLC modem, when the connection is detected in step (a); and (c) the electric vehicle charger (200) providing an additional service for the electric vehicle once the charging begins, and therefore, providing additional services such as software updates, vehicle contents updates requested by a driver during the charging of the electric vehicle, and thus providing convenience for the car owners without visiting car diagnostic service center.

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.

A decoding circuit and a chip are disclosed. The decoding circuit includes, connected in a sequence, a charge/discharge unit, a capacitor and a conversion unit. The charge/discharge unit is able to charge and discharge the capacitor, and a ratio of a total time required to transfer any amount of charge into the capacitor to a total time required to transfer the same amount of charge from the capacitor is a predetermined value. The conversion unit is configured to output a third level when a voltage on the capacitor exceeds a predetermined voltage and to otherwise output a fourth level. This arrangement alleviates the computational burden of an MCU, eliminates any adverse effect of noise in a transmitted signal, allows an extended effective transmission distance when using an HBS protocol and is self-adaptive to signals transmitted at different clock rates, thus solving the problems with the prior art including heavy MCU computational burden, a tradeoff between error correction and transmission distance and insufficient adaptiveness to signals transmitted at different clock rates.

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.

A decoding circuit and a chip are disclosed. The decoding circuit includes, connected in a sequence, a charge/discharge unit, a capacitor and a conversion unit. The charge/discharge unit is able to charge and discharge the capacitor, and a ratio of a total time required to transfer any amount of charge into the capacitor to a total time required to transfer the same amount of charge from the capacitor is a predetermined value. The conversion unit is configured to output a third level when a voltage on the capacitor exceeds a predetermined voltage and to otherwise output a fourth level. This arrangement alleviates the computational burden of an MCU, eliminates any adverse effect of noise in a transmitted signal, allows an extended effective transmission distance when using an HBS protocol and is self-adaptive to signals transmitted at different clock rates, thus solving the problems with the prior art including heavy MCU computational burden, a tradeoff between error correction and transmission distance and insufficient adaptiveness to signals transmitted at different clock rates.

A system with which any abnormality can be easily found is provided. A system includes: a first modulator that generates a control signal and modulates an input signal in accordance with the generated control signal, to control luminance of a first light source that emits light according to the modulated input signal, the first modulator outputting the control signal; a second modulator that acquires the control signal output from the first modulator and modulates an input signal in accordance with the control signal, to control luminance of a second light source that emits light according to the modulated input signal, the second modulator outputting the control signal. The first modulator generates, as a light ID signal, a control signal for transmitting a visible light signal by luminance variations of the first light source, and acquires a light information signal being the control signal output from the second modulator.

Systems and methods for application profiles and device classes in power line communications (PLCs) are described. In some embodiments, a PLC device has the device class defined by a PHY layer and may include a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory may be configured to store program instructions, which may be executable by the processor to cause the PLC device to communicate with a higher-level PLC apparatus over a power line using a frequency band. The frequency band may be selected based upon an application profile and/or a device class associated with the PLC device. In some implementations, the higher-level PLC apparatus may include a PLC gateway or a data concentrator, and the PLC device may include a PLC modem or the like. Examples of application profiles include access communications, in-premises connectivity, AC charging, and/or DC charging. Device classes may represent a minimum communication data rate and/or an operating frequency band restriction of the PLC device.

A transmitter for transmitting data signals to at least one communications device over a wired network on a plurality of carriers is provided, wherein the carriers are located in frequencies being allocated by one or more radio services, wherein each of the radio services is allocated to one or a plurality of frequency bands, the transmitter comprising a symbol generator configured to generate symbols based on the data signals; a processor configured to generate copies of the symbols and to determine an allocation of the copies onto the plurality of carriers, wherein a first copy and a second copy of each symbol are allocated to carriers located in frequency bands that are allocated to different radio services; and a modulator configured to modulate the copies of the symbols on the carriers in accordance with the determined allocation.

Embodiments of the invention provide multiple cyclic prefix lengths for either both the data-payload and frame control header or only the data payload. Frame control header (FCH) and data symbols have an associated cyclic prefix. A table is transmitted in the FCH symbols, which includes a cyclic prefix field to identify the cyclic prefix length used in the data payload. A receiver may know the cyclic prefix length used in the FCH symbols in one embodiment. In other embodiments, the receiver does not know the FCH cyclic prefix length and, therefore, attempts to decode the FCH symbols using different possible cyclic prefix lengths until the FCH symbols are successfully decoded.

An electrical activity monitoring device based on a sensor device attachable to a power cable of an electrical device for monitoring the electrical status of the electrical device. The device comprises an antenna element which performs the dual functions of magnetically coupling with an electrical pulse generated in the power cable in response to a change of electrical power state of the electrical device and to transmit data to a reader via the power cable. An electrical activity monitoring apparatus is also provided for monitoring the electrical status of at least one electrical device connected to a power supply network by a respective power cable provided with a sensor device. The electrical activity monitoring apparatus comprises a reader and a reader-power line interface device.