Qualcomm Incorporated

Purva Rameshchandra Rajkotia

Hassan Kaywan Afkhami

Manjunath Anandarama Krishnam

Deniz Rende

Lawrence W Yonge, Iii

Srinivas Katar

Richard E Newman

Todd Daniel Antes

Syed Adil Hussain

Anand Krishnamachari

Phuoc Nhu Tang

Francisco Javier Moreno

A network device may be configured for communication over multiple communication networks. In one example, a method for using a network device to communicate over multiple networks is disclosed. The method includes receiving a packet from a combined communication interface and determining that the packet is formatted according to a first communication protocol. In response to determining that the packet is formatted according to the first communication protocol, the method includes enabling a first component in a first digital signal processor (DSP) block of the network device to process the packet according to the first communication protocol, and disabling a second component of the first DSP block, wherein the second component is configured to process the packet according to a second communication protocol.

Network device with shared hardware for multiple communication networks

This disclosure provides several mechanisms for adapting transmit power spectral density (PSD). A communications device may adapt the power spectrum utilized at the transmitter based, at least in part, on the channel conditions or PSD constraints associated with the communications medium between the transmitter and a receiver device. Additionally, the transmit PSD may be adapted based, at least in part, on a total power capability associated with a transmitter. Power is allocated to improve throughput and utilization of the communications channel. A transmission profile may be selected based, at least in part, on the notch depth. The transmission profile may be associated with symbol timing parameters. The communications device may maintain a plurality of selectable pulse shapes that are optimized for different notch depths.

Dynamic transmit power and signal shaping

An advanced gateway for multiple broadband access can include a plurality of broadband network interfaces. The advanced gateway can route data from a local network interface to a broadband network interface when a performance attribute of the broadband network meets or exceeds a data characteristic of data conveyed through the local network interface. In another embodiment, a first advanced gateway can send a portion of data received through the local network interface to a second advanced gateway when performance attributes associated with the first advanced gateway cannot meet or exceed a data characteristic of data received through a local network interface of the first advanced gateway. In yet another embodiment, an advanced gateway can receive commands from service providers, determine a recipient device for the command and forward the command to the recipient device through a device interface coupled to the recipient device.

Advanced gateway for multiple broadband access

A network device may include a plug that couples with a socket to couple the network device to a PLC network. A position of the plug may be interchanged when the plug is coupled with the socket. In one example, the network device may determine a coupling orientation of the plug that indicates the position of the plug with respect to the socket. The plug includes a first plug terminal, a second plug terminal, a first ground plug terminal, and a second ground plug terminal. The network device may select a signal polarity for the plug based, at least in part, on the coupling orientation. The signal polarity indicates over which of the plug terminals data is to be transmitted for communication over the PLC network.

Switching signal polarity of a network device plug for use in a powerline communication network

Methods, systems, and devices are described for minimizing mutual interference between networks that implement different protocols. In one embodiment, a first network device of a first network may exchange coexistence information with a second network device of a second network to determine whether to share resources or reduce transmit power based, at least in part, on the interference detected at the first network device from a transmission of the second network device. In one embodiment, both the first and the second network devices may independently and iteratively reduce their respective transmit power to minimize interference between the interfering networks. The first network device may reduce its transmit power based on an interference of the second network device and vice versa. In another embodiment, the network device with a lower priority may minimize its transmit power to reduce interference with the network device with a higher priority.

Minimizing interference between communication networks

A first device and a second device may coordinate to determine a power level or frequency in a first frequency band that is associated with causing intermodulation (IM) interference at a second frequency band (e.g., a protected frequency band). An IM interference detection test may include at least a first test signal transmitted from the first device to the second device via a communications medium. The second device may detect for the presence of IM interference associated with the first test signal. A series of test signals may be used to identify power levels and/or frequencies that cause IM interference in the second frequency band. A transmitting device may improve performance by increasing power for particular frequencies up to a power level that maintains IM interference below a threshold level.

Detecting and avoiding intermodulation interference

Powerline communication (PLC) networks allow devices within a home, automobile, or other systems to communicate over existing wired powerline infrastructure. Active PLC networks can affect devices sharing the powerline infrastructure as well as wireless devices through radiated noise emissions. Provided in the present disclosure are exemplary techniques for reducing noise emissions and promoting coexistence of multiple PLC systems and/or non-PLC (e.g., wireless) systems.

Power back-off for limiting emissions and power consumption

A method includes receiving, at a first connectivity device, a first wake-up signal from an electronic device associated with a first class of devices. The first connectivity device is coupled to provide communications between the electronic device and a gateway device that provides access to an external network. The method includes determining a length of time that the first connectivity device is to remain in an active power mode based on a usage pattern defined for the first class of devices. The method includes updating the first connectivity device to be in the active power mode for at least the length of time.

Power management of devices in a network

Protocol data units (PDUs) associated with a packet stream are transmitted with sequence numbers to support reordering and selective acknowledgement. A selective acknowledgement (SACK) message may be used to indicate at least one sequence number of a lost or corrupted PDU which was not properly received by the receiving device. Responsive to the SACK message, the lost or corrupted PDU is retransmitted via a different path of the network, different from the path used to transmit the original PDU. Lost or corrupted PDUs may not be retransmitted if the estimated retransmission delay is greater than a delay tolerance associated with the quality of service requirements of the application. Instead, a control message (i.e. 'cut losses' message) may be transmitted to indicate that PDUs earlier than a particular sequence number will not be transmitted.

Enhanced acknowledgement and retransmission mechanism

A powerline communication (PLC) network analyzer can join a PLC network by authenticating and associating with a central coordinator of the PLC network. The network analyzer can receive an encryption key from the central coordinator and dissociate from the PLC network. The network analyzer can capture and decrypt network traffic from the PLC network while remaining dissociated. The network analyzer can also create one or more virtual stations for the PLC network. The virtual stations can join the PLC network through the central coordinator and generate network traffic for the PLC network.

Powerline communication network analyzer

A method for transmitting data from within a wired communication system is disclosed. A first network-enabled device can select one of a plurality of communication mediums for transmitting the data stream to the second device and transmit the data stream to the second device using the selected communication medium. The first device determines that the transmission of the data stream using the selected communication medium is being interfered with by transmission of other data from the first device to a third device on another of the plurality of communication mediums. In response to determining that the transmission of the data stream to the second device on the selected communication medium is being interfered with by the transmission of the other data to the third device using the other communication medium, the first device turns off the transmission of the other data to the third device on the other communication medium.

Selecting a communication medium for data transmission

In some embodiments, a method includes receiving, at a first device via a channel of a communication medium, multiple data transmissions, wherein a code rate of multiple code rates is associated with each data transmission of the multiple data transmissions. The method includes determining, based on signal characteristics of the multiple data transmissions, the data transmission from among the multiple data transmissions having a preferred physical data rate. The method also includes setting a code rate for the channel for communication from a second device to the first device via the communication medium, to the code rate of the data transmission having the preferred physical data rate.

Rate adaptation for data communication

In some embodiments, a method includes receiving, at a receiver of a first device via a channel of a communication medium, multiple data transmissions. Each data transmission of the multiple data transmissions has a guard interval of multiple guard intervals, wherein the multiple guard intervals have different lengths. The method includes determining, based on signal characteristics of the multiple data transmissions, the data transmission from among the multiple data transmissions having a preferred physical data rate. The method includes setting a length of an adjusted guard interval for the channel for data communication from a transmitter of a second device to the receiver of the first device via the communication medium, to a length of the guard interval for the data transmission having the preferred physical data rate.

Line cycle adaptation periods may have variable duration. A powerline cycle may be segmented into a plurality of line cycle adaptation periods having variable duration based upon signal-to-noise (SNR) characteristics measured at various times throughout the powerline cycle. The line cycle adaptation periods may include at least two periods with unequal durations. Each line cycle adaptation period may be associated with one or more tone maps defining physical layer transmission properties to be used by a second device for transmissions occurring during the line cycle adaptation period.

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Orlando, FL, United States of America

Purva Rameshchandra Rajkotia