Qualcomm Incorporated

Intellon Corporation

Creative Digital, Inc.

Qualcomm Atheros Inc.

Microdyne Corporation

Gregory Allen Magin

Celestino Anastasio Corral

Ehab Tahir

Brian James Langlais

Syed Adil Hussain

Lawrence W Yonge, Iii

John Fraser Chappel

Joubin Karimi

William E Earnshaw

Richard David Roze

Son Binh Cam

John W McMullen

Manjunath Anandarama Krishnam

Stanley Joseph Kostoff, Ii

Niranjan Anand Talwalkar

James Philip Patella

Bart W Blanchard

Faisal Mahmood Shad

Wayne Daniel

Sanjay Kasturia

Donald J Woodworth

Keith Riley

Kianian-Fard Nozar

James E VanderMey

Described herein are apparatuses and methods for providing communication in multiple frequencies in a multiband Ethernet over Coax (EoC) system. An exemplary apparatus comprises a transceiver for transmitting or receiving a first data packet on a first channel associated with a first frequency, and a transmitter for transmitting a second data packet on at least one second channel associated with at least one second frequency.

Multiband Ethernet over Coax system

A powerline communication (PLC) device can be configured to execute functionality for zero cross sampling and detection. When the PLC device is directly coupled to a high-voltage PLC network, the PLC device can comprise printed safety capacitors in series with a high-voltage input AC powerline signal to safely couple the high-voltage AC powerline signal to the low-voltage processing circuit. The PLC device can also comprise an ADC to sample a scaled AC powerline signal and to obtain zero cross information. When the PLC device is part of an embedded PLC application, dynamic loading can affect the integrity of a low voltage zero cross signal that is used to extract zero cross information. After digitizing the zero cross signal, the PLC device can execute functionality to minimize/eliminate voltage drops caused by dynamic loading and obtain the zero cross information.

Extracting zero cross information in a powerline communication device

A first network device determines whether a first reference code included in at least a first transmission on a communication channel is associated with a code configured in the first network device. The communication channel is shared among a plurality of communication networks and the first reference code is associated with a first communication network of the plurality of communication networks. The first network device joins the first communication network associated with the first reference code in response to determining the first reference code is associated with the code configured in the first network device. The first network device communicates with a second network device in the first communication network using the code configured in the first network device.

Channel reuse among communication networks sharing a communication channel

A powerline communication diversity coupling mechanism may implement a transformer coupling unit. The transformer coupling unit can receive a communication signal to be coupled to a plurality of powerline communication channels for transmission in a powerline communication network. The transformer coupling unit can split the communication signal into a plurality of communication signals for transmission. The transformer coupling unit can couple each of the plurality of the communication signals to a corresponding one of a plurality of the powerline communication channels for transmission in the powerline communication network. Also, the transformer coupling unit can receive a plurality of communication signals on each of a plurality of powerline communication channels. The transformer coupling unit can combine the plurality of the communication signals into a communication signal. The transformer coupling unit may then couple the communication signal to an analog front end and other processing units for processing the communication signal.

Powerline communication diversity coupling technique

A powerline communication (PLC) power supply and modem interface can be implemented using a power supply processing unit coupled with a PLC modem unit. The power supply processing unit generates a composite PLC signal comprising a PLC signal and a DC power signal modulated with a zero cross signal (all determined from an AC powerline signal). High-powered components of the PLC modem unit can cause signal distortion in the zero cross signal component of the composite PLC signal making it difficult to extract zero cross information. An error correction unit can be implemented at the PLC modem unit to minimize the signal distortion and generate a zero cross signal with little or no error. The PLC modem unit also extracts the PLC signal and the DC power signal from the composite PLC signal, and processes the PLC signal using the zero cross information extracted from the corrected zero cross signal.

Error correction for powerline communication modem interface

A tone map includes physical layer transmission properties for a multi-carrier communications channel. The physical layer transmission properties indicate modulation mode and transmission power to be used on one or more frequencies (i.e. 'tones'). The transmission power may be reduced on a first frequency having a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) so that performance will improve for a second frequency having a lower SNR. Transmission power may be reduced on a first frequency having an unusably low SNR so that performance will improve on a second frequency. A tone map message is used to efficiently communicate modulation and transmission power adjustments on a per-carrier basis.

Adjusting multi-carrier modulation and transmission power properties

A transmitting device may control digital-to-analog converter (DAC) illumination to optimize signal to noise ratio of a transmission signal. DAC illumination may be adjusted based, at least in part, on analog gain and estimated total transmit power of a particular transmission signal. For each destination, total transmit power may be estimated based on tone map, amplitude map, back-off settings, or other characteristics. The estimated total transmit power is used to determine an appropriate analog gain. Once analog gain and total transmit power are known, fine control of SNR may be achieved by adjusting power level in the digital domain. A digital power control setting is used to scale the amplitude of the digital baseband signal prior to DAC operation. The DAC illumination of the digital baseband signal allows the DAC to operate at an optimized power level within the digital range of the DAC.

Dynamic gain for DAC illumination control

Functionality of a powerline communication (PLC) power supply and modem interface can be implemented using a power supply processing unit and a PLC modem unit that can be coupled together using standard, two-wire cabling. The power supply processing unit can generate a DC power signal and a zero cross signal based on an AC powerline signal received via a PLC network. The power supply processing unit can modulate the zero cross signal onto the DC power signal. The power supply processing unit can then generate a composite PLC signal comprising a PLC signal (extracted from the AC powerline signal) and the DC power signal modulated with the zero cross signal. The PLC modem unit can extract the PLC signal, the DC power signal, and the zero cross signal from the composite PLC signal, and then can process the PLC signal based on information associated with the zero cross signal.

Powerline communication power supply and modem interface mechanism

Powerline communication networks can be subject to burst interference resulting in loss of throughput and data corruption. A transmitting network device and a receiving network device of a powerline communication network can be configured to select a best performing powerline terminal coupling configuration for powerline communications. The transmitting network device can determine performance measurements associated with each of a plurality of powerline communication channels. The transmitting network device can select a best performing powerline communication channel based on the performance measurements, and can provide an indication of the best performing powerline communication channel to the receiving network device. The transmitting and the receiving network devices can each configure their respective terminal connections to switch to the best performing powerline communication channel. Subsequent communications between the transmitting and the receiving network devices can be initiated via the best performing powerline communication channel.

Terminal selection diversity for powerline communications

Disclosed are systems and methods for configuring a station coupled to a communication medium. Received signal powers at the station of signals transmitted from a plurality of other stations coupled to the communication medium are measured. A transmit power level of the station, used for determining powers of signals transmitted from the station, is determined based at least in part upon the received signal powers. A detection threshold of the station, used for determining which received signals to accept for further processing and which received signals to ignore, is determined based at least in part upon the received signal powers.

Mitigation of inter-network interference to enable channel reuse

A method for communicating over a coaxial cable network is described. The method includes identifying at least one port in the coaxial cable network that provides high mutual isolation among nodes of the coaxial cable network when the port is terminated with an impedance that matches a characteristic impedance of coaxial cable in the coaxial cable network. The method also includes terminating the identified port with an impedance that is substantially mismatched with the characteristic impedance of the coaxial cable, and transmitting a signal from a first node in the network to a second node in the network.

Communicating over coaxial cable networks

An apparatus and methods are provided for network radio frequency ('RF') data communications. The apparatus preferably has an extended channel radio transmitter for selectively transmitting data communication radio signals across a plurality of different carrier frequencies which respectively define a plurality of extended data communication channels. The transmitter preferably includes a channel scanner for scanning the extended data communication channels for availability prior to transmitting across a selected one of the plurality of extended data communication channels. An extended channel radio receiver is responsive to the extended channel radio transmitter for receiving the data communication signals from the selected one of the extended data communication channels. The extended channel radio receiver preferably includes an extended channel data detection synchronizer responsive to the data communications signals being received by the receiver for synchronizing the transmitting and receiving of the data communication signals across the extended data communications channels. Any and all extended channel contending transmitters and receivers or transceivers within a network preferably sense and synchronize to the extended channel being transmitted within a predetermined period of time, i.e., within one bit time of Unit Symbol Time. This assures that normal carrier sense access control protocols operate correctly across the virtual channel which includes the plurality of possible extended channels.

Spread spectrum apparatus and method for network RF data communications

A system for tracking and correcting drift and dispersion of carrier frequencies in a transmitted signal which includes one or more carrier frequencies and a pilot frequency. The system includes one or more carrier tuners, each for receiving the transmitted signal and for deriving from the received signal and IF carrier signal representing a respective carrier frequency, a mixer for mixing the IF carrier signal and a local oscillator signal to produce a resultant IF information signal, and a demodulator for demodulating the resultant IF information signal to recover the transmitted information. The system also includes a pilot tuner for receiving a transmitted signal, the pilot tuner deriving from the received signal an IF pilot signal representing the pilot frequency, a pilot mixer for mixing the IF pilot signal and the local oscillator signal to produce a resultant pilot signal, a local oscillator responsive to a control signal level for developing a local oscillator signal having a frequency corresponding to the control signal level and for supplying the local oscillator signal to the carrier mixers and pilot mixer to compensate for any drift or dispersion of frequency of the IF carrier signals and IF pilot signal, and a frequency discriminator for detecting frequency drift and dispersion of the IF pilot signal from a predetermined center frequency and for supplying to the local oscillator a control signal whose level identifies the drift and/or dispersion.

System for tracking and correcting drift and dispersion in satellite

A satellite locating system for use in a satellite communication system having a transmitting station in which radio signals with signal identification data is transmitted via a satellite to a receiving station. The receiving station includes an antenna for receiving radio signals relayed by the satellite, a detector circuit located near the antenna for detecting the received signals, a signal processing circuit located remotely from the antenna for processing signals received from the detector circuit, a power supply for producing electrical power, a cable for carrying the power from the power supply to the detector circuit, a power supply for producing electrical power, a cable for carrying the power from the supply to the detector circuit and for carrying received radio signals from the detector circuit to the signal processing circuit, a modulator for causing the voltage level of the output power from the power supply to fluctuate in response to a first control signal and to increase or decrease in response to the level of a second control signal, and an energy level detector couplable to the processing circuit for producing a signal which indicates the energy level of the received radio signals. Also included is a microprocessor coupled to the signal processing circuit and the energy level detector for processing received radio signals and the signal identification data, and for supplying the first control signal to the modulator when the correct signal identification data is received and for supplying the second control signal to the modulator at a level corresponding to the energy level of the received radio signals.

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Ocala, FL, United States of America

Gregory Allen Magin