Patent · US Active

Routing protocols for power line communications (PLC)

US8958356B2 · kind B2 · utility

127Cited by
2References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 21, 2011
Grant dateFeb 17, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 31, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W40/28
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Systems and methods for routing protocols for power line communications (PLC) are described. In some embodiments, a method may include transmitting a one-hop broadcast request message to a plurality of PLC devices in a mesh network and receiving a response from each of the devices. The method may also include selecting one of the devices as a bootstrapping agent, sending a join request to a bootstrapping server through the bootstrapping agent, and, in response to successfully joining the network, setting the bootstrapping agent as a next hop toward a bootstrapping server. In another embodiment, a method may include maintaining a routing table for a plurality of PLC devices in a mesh network, receiving a join request from a PLC device, accepting the request, and updating the table to add a record corresponding to the PLC device; the record setting the bootstrapping agent as a penultimate hop toward the PLC device.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.