Slotted message access protocol for powerline communication networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9762496-B2
Application number	US-201514629485-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2015
Priority date	Feb 25, 2014
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A slotted message access protocol can be implemented for transmitting short packets. Each beacon period may be divided into multiple time slots. At least one time slot may be assigned to a network device per beacon period based, at least in part, on latency specifications of packets that the network device is configured to transmit. In one example, some of the unassigned time slots may be designated as contention-based time slots. Network devices may contend with each other to gain control of and transmit packets during a contention-based time slot based on the priority level of the packets to be transmitted. Network devices may also use an encryption key and an initialization vector for securely exchanging short packets. Furthermore, a repeater network device may be designated to retransmit a packet, received from an original transmitting network device, during a communication time slot assigned to the original transmitting network device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for packet transmissions in a communication network, the method comprising:
determining, by a first network device, that a second network device will transmit a first packet associated with a first traffic class in the communication network;
allocating a first communication time slot of a beacon period to the second network device based, at least in part, on the first traffic class;
indicating to the second network device the first communication time slot during which the second network device can transmit the first packet;
designating a third network device as a repeater network device for the second network device for retransmitting the first packet during a second communication time slot allocated to the second network device; and
providing a retransmission schedule to network devices of the communication network including the second network device and the third network device, the retransmission schedule indicating an allocation of the second communication time slot to the second network device for retransmission of the first packet.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein allocating the first communication time slot comprises determining the first communication time slot is one of a plurality of communication time slots assigned to the first traffic class.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that a fourth network device will transmit a second packet associated with a second traffic class in the communication network;
allocating a third communication time slot of the beacon period to the second network device based, at least in part, on the second traffic class; and
indicating to the fourth network device the second communication time slot during which the fourth network device can transmit the second packet.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first communication time slot and the third communication time slot are contention-free communication time slots.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the second communication time slot of the beacon period that is assigned to the first traffic class; and
allocating the second communication time slot to the second network device for retransmission of the first packet.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to allocating the first communication time slot to the second network device,
determining that the first communication time slot is allocated to a fourth network device for transmitting a second packet of a second traffic class, wherein the second traffic class is associated with a lower priority level as compared to the first traffic class; and
allocating a third communication time slot of the beacon period to the fourth network device for transmitting the second packet based, at least in part, on the second traffic class being associated with the lower priority level,
wherein said allocating the first communication time slot to the second network device comprises re-allocating the first communication time slot from the fourth network device to the second network device after allocating the third communication time slot to the fourth network device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
allocating a third communication time slot of the beacon period to the first network device for transmitting a second packet associated with a second traffic class.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining a length of application data associated with the second packet does not exceed a threshold length; and
transmitting the application data in a frame control field of the second packet in response to determining the length of the application data does not exceed the threshold length, wherein the second packet does not include a payload field.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining a number of times to retransmit the second packet based, at least in part, on the second traffic class.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a slot allocation table from the first network device to the second network device, wherein the slot allocation table indicates a plurality of communication time slots that are allocated to a plurality of network devices of the communication network, wherein the slot allocation table further indicates a traffic class assigned to each of the plurality of communication time slots, wherein the plurality of communication time slots include the first communication time slot and the second communication time slot, and the plurality of network devices include the first network device, the second network device, and the third network device.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining to transmit a second packet from the first network device during one of a plurality of contention-based time slots in the communication network;
determining that a third communication time slot is one of the plurality of contention-based time slots; and
executing contention operations with at least the second network device to determine whether to transmit the second packet during the third communication time slot based, at least in part, on a priority level associated with the second packet.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a second packet from a fourth network device during a third communication time slot;
determining that the fourth network device will retransmit the second packet during a fourth communication time slot allocated to the fourth network device;
determining that the first network device is a repeater network device for the fourth network device; and
determining to retransmit the second packet from the first network device during the fourth communication time slot.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing an encryption key and initialization vector information to the second network device in a beacon message for transmission of the first packet.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining to transmit a second packet during a third communication time slot; and
encrypting a combination of an application data portion of the second packet and an error check portion of the second packet to generate an encrypted second packet for transmission.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining initialization vector information included in a beacon message;
determining an initialization vector based, at least in part, on a combination of the initialization vector information and communication time slot information; and
decrypting the first packet based, at least in part, on the initialization vector.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining to configure the first network device in a power save operating mode during a third communication time slot in response to at least one member of the group consisting of:
determining that the third communication time slot is not assigned to any network device of the communication network, and
determining that the first network device should not listen for packets that are scheduled to be transmitted in the third communication time slot.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first network device and the second network device are included in the communication network of a vehicle.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication network is a powerline communication network and each of the first network device and the second network device, and the third network device implements a powerline communication protocol.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the firs

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Katar Srinivas
• Yonge Iii Lawrence Winston
• Schrum Jr Sidney Brower

Classifications

• H04B2203/5408

  using protocols · CPC title

• H04B3/542

  the information being in digital form · CPC title

• H04L12/2838

  Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths (adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24) · CPC title

• H04B3/544

  Setting up communications; Call and signalling arrangements · CPC title

• H04L47/24

  Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS · CPC title