Power line communication method and device

Abstract

Disclosed are a power line communication method and apparatus, comprising: a first device generating a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) frame, the PPDU frame comprising a frame control field, a training symbol field, and a load symbol field, the load symbol field being used for modulating and transmitting a load symbol, the training symbol field being used for bearing a training symbol, and the load symbol field being used for receiving the training symbol; the training symbol field is used for channel estimation of multiple input multiple output (MIMO) and extended bandwidth, the frame control field comprises a variable region field, the variable region field comprises a frame identification field and a frequency band field, the frame identification field is used for indicating a frame type of a frame start (SOF) frame included in the PPDU frame, and the frequency band field is used for indicating an available frequency band of a training symbol and a load symbol; and the first device sends the PPDU frame to the second device. According to the embodiment of the invention, through the redefined PPDU frame, the power line communication supports the characteristics of MIMO, large bandwidth and the like, so that the overall network performance is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a power line communication method and device. Background Art

[0002] Power line communication (PLC), also known as power line network, refers to the technology of using existing power lines to transmit analog or digital signals through carrier waves. It is a communication method unique to power systems. PLC technology uses existing low-frequency (50 / 60 Hz) power lines to send broadband data. Compared with other wired communication technologies, such as digital subscriber line technology (DSL) using telephone lines and cable modems (CM) using coaxial cable lines of cable TV, power line communication technology can use the existing power network, does not require additional wiring, can be deployed quickly, does not require additional separate wiring, and the power lines cover a wider range of areas than other communication carriers.

[0003] With the emergence of new power grid application scenarios (for example, charging piles, household energy control, etc.), there are requirements for larger capacity, wider coverage and real-time communication for power line communication. It is necessary to introduce advanced features in power line communication technology, such as multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and large bandwidth, to increase the applicability of power line communication to different application scenarios. However, the existing standard frame format of power line communication cannot be extended to support features such as MIMO and newly defined bandwidth, and cannot meet the requirements of large bandwidth and low latency for new power line application scenarios. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a power line communication method and device, which enable the power line communication to support features such as MIMO and large bandwidth through a redefined PPDU frame, thereby improving the overall network performance.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a power line communication method, which is applied to a first device, or a chip or circuit configured in the first device, including:

[0006] Generate a physical layer protocol data unit PPDU frame, the PPDU frame includes a frame control field, a training symbol field and a payload symbol field, the payload symbol field is used to modulate and transmit payload symbols, the training symbol field is used to carry training symbols, the training symbol field is used for channel estimation of multiple-input multiple-output MIMO and extended bandwidth, the frame control field includes a variable area field, the variable area field includes a frame identification field and a frequency band field, the frame identification field is used to indicate the frame type of the frame start SOF frame included in the PPDU frame, and the frequency band field is used to indicate the available frequency band of the training symbols and the payload symbols; send the PPDU frame to the second device.

[0007] By redefining the PPDU frame, the redefined PPDU frame includes a frame control field, a training symbol field, and a payload symbol field. The training symbol field is used to implement multi-input multi-output MIMO and extended bandwidth channel estimation. The frame identification field indicates the frame type of the frame start SOF frame included in the PPDU frame. The frequency band field indicates the available frequency band of the training symbol and payload symbol. This enables power line communication to support MIMO, large bandwidth and other features, thereby improving overall network performance.

[0008] In one possible design, the frame control field includes a general field, the general field includes a delimiter type field and a standard version number field, the delimiter type field is used to indicate the frame type of the PPDU frame, and the standard version number field is used to indicate the power line carrier communication PLC version supported by the PPDU frame. The type of the SOF frame is extended by the standard version number field and the delimiter type field to support the frame type of the PPDU frame, such as MIMO frame, OFDMA frame, MU-MIMO frame, etc.

[0009] In one possible design, the variable area field includes a source device identification field and a destination device identification field, the source device identification field is used to indicate the identification of the first device, and the destination device identification field is used to indicate the identification of the second device. The first device and the second device performing power line communication can be determined by the source device identification field and the destination device identification field.

[0010] In a possible design, the variable area field includes a modulation and coding strategy MCS field and / or a code rate field, the MCS field is used to indicate the modulation mode of the SOF frame, and the code rate field is used to indicate the coding rate of the SOF frame.

[0011] In one possible design, the variable area field includes a physical block size field and / or a physical block number field, wherein the physical block size field is used to indicate the size of the physical block carried by the payload symbol field, and the physical block number field is used to indicate the maximum number of physical blocks supported by the payload symbol field.

[0012] For the redefined PPDU frame, the frame control field no longer retains the OFDM symbol number field. After the second device receives the PPDU frame, it can calculate the number of OFDM symbols carried by the payload symbol field through MCS, code rate, physical block size and number of physical blocks.

[0013] In one possible design, the variable area field includes a data beamforming flag field, and the data beamforming flag field is used to indicate whether the SOF frame adopts beamforming.

[0014] In one possible design, the variable area field includes a bit loading field, and the bit loading field is used to indicate whether the SOF frame adopts bit loading.

[0015] For SOF frames using beamforming and bit loading, ToneMap grouping can be supported, that is, the power frequency cycle can be divided into multiple windows. Based on the different signal-to-noise ratios corresponding to the interference changes, different numbers of subcarriers are transmitted in each of the multiple windows.

[0016] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a power line communication method, which is applied to a second device, or a chip or circuit configured in the second device, including:

[0017] A physical layer protocol data unit PPDU frame sent by a first device is received, wherein the PPDU frame includes a frame control field, a training symbol field and a payload symbol field, wherein the payload symbol field is used to modulate and transmit payload symbols, the training symbol field is used to carry training symbols, and the training symbol field is used for channel estimation of multiple-input multiple-output MIMO and extended bandwidth, the frame control field includes a variable area field, the variable area field includes a frame identification field and a frequency band field, the frame identification field is used to indicate the frame type of a frame start SOF frame included in the PPDU frame, and the frequency band field is used to indicate an available frequency band for the training symbols and the payload symbols.

[0018] By redefining the PPDU frame, the redefined PPDU frame includes a frame control field, a training symbol field, and a payload symbol field. The training symbol field is used to implement multi-input multi-output MIMO and extended bandwidth channel estimation. The frame identification field indicates the frame type of the frame start SOF frame included in the PPDU frame. The frequency band field indicates the available frequency band of the training symbol and payload symbol. This enables power line communication to support MIMO, large bandwidth and other features, thereby improving overall network performance.

[0019] In one possible design, the frame control field includes a general field, the general field includes a delimiter type field and a standard version number field, the delimiter type field is used to indicate the frame type of the PPDU frame, and the standard version number field is used to indicate the power line carrier communication PLC version supported by the PPDU frame. The type of the SOF frame is extended by the standard version number field and the delimiter type field to support the frame type of the PPDU frame, such as MIMO frame, OFDMA frame, MU-MIMO frame, etc.

[0020] In one possible design, the variable area field includes a source device identification field and a destination device identification field, the source device identification field is used to indicate the identification of the first device, and the destination device identification field is used to indicate the identification of the second device. The first device and the second device performing power line communication can be determined by the source device identification field and the destination device identification field.

[0021] In a possible design, the variable area field includes a modulation and coding strategy MCS field and / or a code rate field, the MCS field is used to indicate the modulation mode of the SOF frame, and the code rate field is used to indicate the coding rate of the SOF frame.

[0022] In one possible design, the variable area field includes a physical block size field and / or a physical block number field, wherein the physical block size field is used to indicate the size of the physical block carried by the payload symbol field, and the physical block number field is used to indicate the maximum number of physical blocks supported by the payload symbol field.

[0023] For the redefined PPDU frame, the frame control field no longer retains the OFDM symbol number field. After the second device receives the PPDU frame, it can calculate the number of OFDM symbols carried by the payload symbol field through MCS, code rate, physical block size and number of physical blocks.

[0024] In one possible design, the variable area field includes a data beamforming flag field, and the data beamforming flag field is used to indicate whether the SOF frame adopts beamforming.

[0025] In one possible design, the variable area field includes a bit loading field, and the bit loading field is used to indicate whether the SOF frame adopts bit loading.

[0026] For SOF frames using beamforming and bit loading, ToneMap grouping can be supported, that is, the power frequency cycle can be divided into multiple windows. Based on the different signal-to-noise ratios corresponding to the interference changes, different numbers of subcarriers are transmitted in each of the multiple windows.

[0027] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a power line communication device, including:

[0028] A processing module, configured to generate a physical layer protocol data unit PPDU frame, wherein the PPDU frame includes a frame control field, a training symbol field, and a payload symbol field, wherein the payload symbol field is used to modulate and transmit payload symbols, wherein the training symbol field is used to carry training symbols, wherein the training symbol field is used for channel estimation of multiple-input multiple-output MIMO and extended bandwidth, wherein the frame control field includes a variable area field, wherein the variable area field includes a frame identification field and a frequency band field, wherein the frame identification field is used to indicate a frame type of a frame start SOF frame included in the PPDU frame, and wherein the frequency band field is used to indicate an available frequency band of the training symbol and the payload symbol;

[0029] A sending module is used to send the PPDU frame to the second device.

[0030] In one possible design, the frame control field includes a general field, and the general field includes a delimiter type field and a standard version number field. The delimiter type field is used to indicate the frame type of the PPDU frame, and the standard version number field is used to indicate the power line carrier communication PLC version supported by the PPDU frame.

[0031] In a possible design, the variable area field includes a source device identification field and a destination device identification field, the source device identification field is used to indicate the identification of the first device, and the destination device identification field is used to indicate the identification of the second device.

[0032] In a possible design, the variable area field includes a modulation and coding strategy MCS field and / or a code rate field, the MCS field is used to indicate the modulation mode of the SOF frame, and the code rate field is used to indicate the coding rate of the SOF frame.

[0033] In one possible design, the variable area field includes a physical block size field and / or a physical block number field, wherein the physical block size field is used to indicate the size of the physical block carried by the payload symbol field, and the physical block number field is used to indicate the maximum number of physical blocks supported by the payload symbol field.

[0034] In one possible design, the variable area field includes a data beamforming flag field, and the data beamforming flag field is used to indicate whether the SOF frame adopts beamforming.

[0035] In one possible design, the variable area field includes a bit loading field, and the bit loading field is used to indicate whether the SOF frame adopts bit loading.

[0036] The operations and beneficial effects performed by the communication device can refer to the method and beneficial effects described in the first aspect above, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0037] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a power line communication device, including:

[0038] A receiving module is used to receive a physical layer protocol data unit PPDU frame sent by a first device, wherein the PPDU frame includes a frame control field, a training symbol field and a payload symbol field, wherein the payload symbol field is used to modulate and transmit payload symbols, the training symbol field is used to carry training symbols, and the training symbol field is used for channel estimation of multiple-input multiple-output MIMO and extended bandwidth, the frame control field includes a variable area field, the variable area field includes a frame identification field and a frequency band field, the frame identification field is used to indicate the frame type of a frame start SOF frame included in the PPDU frame, and the frequency band field is used to indicate an available frequency band for the training symbols and the payload symbols.

[0039] In one possible design, the frame control field also includes a general field, which includes a delimiter type field and a standard version number field. The delimiter type field is used to indicate the frame type of the PPDU frame, and the standard version number field is used to indicate the power line carrier communication PLC version supported by the PPDU frame.

[0040] In a possible design, the variable area field includes a source device identification field and a destination device identification field, the source device identification field is used to indicate the identification of the first device, and the destination device identification field is used to indicate the identification of the second device.

[0041] In a possible design, the variable area field includes a modulation and coding strategy MCS field and / or a code rate field, the MCS field is used to indicate the modulation mode of the SOF frame, and the code rate field is used to indicate the coding rate of the SOF frame.

[0042] In one possible design, the variable area field includes a physical block size field and / or a physical block number field, wherein the physical block size field is used to indicate the size of the physical block carried by the payload symbol field, and the physical block number field is used to indicate the maximum number of physical blocks supported by the payload symbol field.

[0043] In one possible design, the variable area field includes a data beamforming flag field, and the data beamforming flag field is used to indicate whether the SOF frame adopts beamforming.

[0044] In one possible design, the variable area field includes a bit loading field, and the bit loading field is used to indicate whether the SOF frame adopts bit loading.

[0045] The operations and beneficial effects performed by the communication device can refer to the method and beneficial effects described in the second aspect above, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0046] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a power line communication device, which includes a processor and a memory, the memory being used to store a computer program; the processor being used to execute the computer program stored in the memory so that the power line communication device performs a method as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0047] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a power line communication device, which includes a processor and a memory, the memory being used to store a computer program; the processor being used to execute the computer program stored in the memory so that the power line communication device performs a method as described in any one of the second aspects.

[0048] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a power line communication device, which may be a power line communication device, or a device in a power line communication device, or a device that can be used in combination with a power line communication device. Among them, the power line communication device may also be a chip system. The power line communication device may execute the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect. The functions of the power line communication device may be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions. The module may be software and / or hardware. The operations and beneficial effects performed by the communication device may refer to the methods and beneficial effects described in the first aspect or the second aspect above, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0049] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed, the method described in any one of the first aspect and the second aspect is implemented.

[0050] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product comprising a computer program, which, when executed, enables the method described in any one of the first and second aspects to be implemented.

[0051] In a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which includes at least one power line communication device, and the power line communication device is used to execute the steps in the first aspect or the second aspect above.

[0052] In an eleventh aspect, a chip is provided, comprising a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to communicate with an external device or an internal device, and the processor is used to implement the methods of the above aspects.

[0053] In one possible design, the chip may further include a memory, in which a computer program or instruction is stored, and the processor is used to execute the computer program or instruction stored in the memory, or other programs or instructions. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the processor is used to implement the above-mentioned various aspects of the method.

[0054] In one possible design, the chip can be integrated on a power line communication device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the background technology, the accompanying drawings required in the embodiments of the present application or the background technology will be described below.

[0056] Figure 1 is a system architecture diagram of a power line communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a PPDU frame format;

[0058] Figure 3 It is a flowchart of a power line communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a PPDU frame provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a power line communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of another power line communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] Figure 7It is a structural schematic diagram of a power line communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] like Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 : This is a system architecture diagram of a power line communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application. The power line communication system includes at least two power line communication modems, for example, a power line communication modem 100 and a power line communication modem 200. Among them, the power line communication modem refers to a modem (Modem) for broadband Internet access through a power line. Each of the at least two power line communication modems can be connected through a power line. The power line includes three live wires (live, L) and a neutral wire (neutral, N) of three-phase electricity, and the three live wires include live wire L1, live wire L2 and live wire L3. Live wire L1, live wire L2 and live wire L3 can form three differential channels with the neutral wire N respectively. The power line communication modem 100 and the power line communication modem 200 can communicate using differential channels.

[0064] China State Grid Corporation's corporate standard adopts power line carrier communication technology, using orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation technology, mainly for power line automatic meter reading (AMR) business. Since power lines are not dedicated lines designed for communication, the communication line environment is harsh, with various pulse noises and clutter interferences, and the uncertainty of the connected electrical appliances also leads to impedance mismatch and multipath effects, which seriously affect the transmission of signals.

[0065] like Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2It is a schematic diagram of the physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) frame format. In the existing power line communication standard, the PPDU frame includes a preamble field, a frame control (FC) field and a payload symbol (PL) field, wherein the preamble field is used for gain control, frame synchronization and channel estimation, the frame control field is used to define information such as frame type, device address and modulation, and the payload symbol field is used to modulate and transmit payload data. The PPDU frame can also be called a PLC1.0 frame. Devices that only support the PLC1.0 protocol can be called PLC1.0 devices. The PLC1.0 protocol can be considered a point-to-point communication protocol for power line devices, but only supports single input single output (SISO) and uses low frequency bands for communication.

[0066] Table 1

[0067]

[0068]

[0069] Table 2

[0070]

[0071] The length of the frame control field of the PPDU frame is 16 bytes. The frame control field includes a general field, and the general field includes a delimiter type field and a variable area field. Different frame types (beacon frames, start of frame (SOF) frames, selection confirmation frames, and network coordination frames) are distinguished by the delimiter type field, and different frame types correspond to different variable area fields. For example, as shown in Table 1, the general field includes a delimiter type field, a network type field, a network identification field, a variable area field, a standard version number field, and a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) field. Among them, the delimiter type field indicates that the type of the PPDU frame may include a beacon frame, a SOF frame, a selection confirmation frame, and an network coordination frame. As shown in Table 2, if the delimiter type field indicates that the type of the PPDU frame is a SOF frame, the variable area field of the SOF frame may include a source terminal equipment identifier (TEI) field, a destination TEI field, a link identifier field, a frame length field, a physical block number field, a symbol number field, a broadcast identification bit field, a retransmission flag bit field, an encryption flag bit field, a diversity copy basic mode (tone map index, TMI) field, and a diversity copy extended mode field. Among them, the SOF frame is mainly used to transmit data between devices. The diversity copy basic mode indicates the coding rate, modulation mode, number of diversity copies, number of physical blocks, and type of physical blocks of the frame payload. The physical layer rate in the FC field can be represented by information such as the modulation and coding scheme (MCS), code rate, and number of copies identified by the TMI.

[0072] The existing PLC protocol only supports point-to-point communication between meters and only supports single input single output (SISO), resulting in a low communication rate between devices. The high-frequency band between devices far apart in the power grid has a large attenuation, while the high-frequency band between devices close to each other is available. However, in order to ensure full network coverage and reduce communication conflicts between devices, PLC communication can usually only use low-frequency bands such as 0.7-3MHz or 2.5-5.7MHz, which makes the communication bandwidth unable to adapt to channel changes and limits the rate of network communication. With the emergence of new power grid application scenarios (charging piles, household energy control, etc.), there are requirements for power line communication with larger capacity, wider coverage and real-time communication. It is necessary to introduce high-order features (such as MIMO, large bandwidth, etc.) into power line communication technology to increase the applicability of power line communication to different application scenarios. The frame control field of the existing power line communication standard defines four fixed frame formats, and there are no spare reserved bits available. It is not easy to expand to support MIMO, bit loading, large bandwidth and other features, which affects network performance.

[0073] In order to solve the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present application provide, for example, the following solutions.

[0074] like Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 1 is a flow chart of a power line communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The first device and the second device are power line communication devices, for example, the first device and the second device can be power line communication modems. The method mainly includes the following steps:

[0075] S301, a first device generates a physical layer protocol data unit PPDU frame, wherein the PPDU frame includes a frame control field, a training symbol field, and a payload symbol field, wherein the payload symbol field is used to modulate and transmit payload symbols, wherein the training symbol field is used to carry training symbols, and wherein the training symbol field is used for channel estimation of multiple-input multiple-output MIMO and extended bandwidth. The frame control field includes a variable area field, wherein the variable area field includes a frame identification field and a frequency band field, wherein the frame identification field is used to indicate a frame type of a frame start SOF frame included in the PPDU frame, and wherein the frequency band field is used to indicate an available frequency band of the training symbol and the payload symbol.

[0076] S302: The first device sends the PPDU frame to the second device.

[0077] like Figure 4 As shown, Figure 41 is a schematic diagram of a PPDU frame provided by an embodiment of the present application. The PPDU frame may include a preamble field, a frame control field, a training symbol field, and a payload symbol field. Figure 2 The PPDU frame shown in the figure has an extended definition of the frame control field and an added training symbol (TF) field. The length of the extended FC field is 16 bytes, and the total number of bits in the variable area field remains unchanged, thereby maintaining protocol compatibility. The PPDU frame can also be called a PLC2.0 frame, which is transmitted via the PLC2.0 protocol. Compared with the PLC1.0 protocol, the PLC2.0 protocol can support features such as MIMO, Bitloading, and large bandwidth.

[0078] The first device and the second device may also be referred to as PLC2.0 devices, supporting the use of the PLC2.0 protocol and being compatible with the use of the PLC1.0 protocol.

[0079] Among them, the frame control field includes a general field, and the general field includes a delimiter type field and a standard version number field. The delimiter type field is used to indicate the frame type of the PPDU frame, and the standard version number field is used to indicate the power line carrier communication PLC version supported by the PPDU frame. Among them, the frame type of the PPDU frame may include a beacon frame, a SOF frame, a selection confirmation frame, and an inter-network coordination frame. The power line carrier communication PLC version supported by the PPDU frame may include PLC1.0, PLC2.0 and China Southern Power Grid. The type of the SOF frame is extended by the standard version number field and the delimiter type field to support the frame type of the PPDU frame, such as MIMO frame, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (orthogonal frequency division multiple access, OFDMA) frame, multi user-multiple input multiple output (multi user-multiple input multiple output, MU-MIMO) frame, etc.

[0080] For example, as shown in Table 3, the general field includes a delimiter type field and a standard version number field, and the general field may also include a network type field, a network identification field, a variable area field and a CRC field. Among them, the network type field can be used to indicate the network type of the device sending the PPDU. The network identification field is used to distinguish different high-speed carrier communication networks, and each high-speed carrier communication network must have a unique network identification (network identification, NID). The CRC field is used for cyclic redundancy check. The number of bits of each field is shown in Table 3. The type of PPDU frame (beacon frame, SOF frame, selection confirmation frame, network coordination frame) is different, and the variable area field is also different. The embodiment of the present application mainly introduces the different extensions of the variable area field when the PPDU frame is a SOF frame. The variable area field of the SOF frame is specifically introduced below.

[0081] Table 3

[0082]

[0083] Among them, the variable area field includes a frame identification field and a frequency band field, and the frame identification field is used to indicate the frame type of the frame start SOF frame included in the PPDU frame. The frame type of the SOF frame may include a MIMO data frame, a MIMO training frame, an OFDMA / MU uplink (up link, UL) frame, and an OFDMA / MU downlink (down link, DL) frame. The frequency band field is used to indicate the available frequency band of the training symbol and the payload symbol. The available frequency band may include 0.781-11.96MHZ, 0.781-2.930MHZ, 1.758-11.96MHZ, 1.758-2.930MHZ, 2-11.96MHZ, and 2.441-5.615MHZ. Optionally, the frequency band field is used to indicate the available frequency band and carrier sequence number of the training symbol and the payload symbol. Available frequency bands and carrier numbers may include: 0.781-11.96MHZ, 32-490; 0.781-2.930MHZ, 32-120; 1.758-11.96MHZ, 72-490; 1.758-2.930MHZ, 72-120; 2-11.96MHZ, 80-490; 2.441-5.615MHZ, 100-230.

[0084] Optionally, the variable area field includes a source device identification field and a destination device identification field, the source device identification field is used to indicate the identification of the first device, and the destination device identification field is used to indicate the identification of the second device. The first device and the second device performing power line communication can be determined by the source device identification field and the destination device identification field.

[0085] Optionally, the variable area field includes a frame length (FL) field. The PLC1.0 device can parse the FL field in the FC field to perform channel backoff, thereby achieving coexistence of the PLC2.0 device and the PLC1.0 device.

[0086] It should be noted that for the redefined PPDU frame, the frame control field no longer retains the link identifier field, encryption flag field and retransmission flag field. When performing data transmission, the link identifier field, encryption flag field and retransmission flag field can be moved into the MAC frame header. For the redefined PPDU frame, the frame control field may no longer retain the broadcast flag field. If the SOF frame is a non-broadcast frame, the PLC2.0 protocol or the PLC1.0 protocol can be used. If the SOF frame is a broadcast frame, the PLC1.0 protocol can be used.

[0087] Optionally, the variable area field includes a modulation and coding strategy MCS field and / or a code rate field, the MCS field is used to indicate a modulation mode of the SOF frame, and the code rate field is used to indicate a coding rate of the SOF frame.

[0088] Optionally, the variable area field includes a physical block size (PBSize) field and / or a physical block number (PBNum) field, the physical block size field is used to indicate the size of the physical block carried by the payload symbol field, and the physical block number field is used to indicate the maximum number of physical blocks supported by the payload symbol field.

[0089] It should be noted that for the redefined PPDU frame, the frame control field no longer retains the OFDM symbol number field. After the second device receives the PPDU frame, it can calculate the number of OFDM symbols carried by the payload symbol field through MCS, code rate, physical block size and number of physical blocks.

[0090] Optionally, the variable area field includes a data beamforming flag field, and the data beamforming flag field is used to indicate whether the SOF frame adopts beamforming. Optionally, the variable area field includes a bit loading field, and the bit loading field is used to indicate whether the SOF frame adopts bit loading. For SOF frames that adopt beamforming and bit loading, ToneMap grouping can be supported, that is, the power frequency cycle can be divided into multiple windows. Based on the different signal-to-noise ratios corresponding to the interference changes, it is determined that each of the multiple windows transmits a different number of subcarriers.

[0091] Among them, beamforming generates a directional beam by adjusting the weighting coefficient of each element in the antenna array, so as to obtain a significant array gain. Bit loading is a commonly used adaptive resource allocation technology that supports different modulation parameters for each subcarrier, including the number of loaded bits, constellation mapping, and transmit power, to improve the transmission rate and robustness of the system. At the transmitting end, based on the channel quality of each subcarrier, the modulation parameters of the carrier are adaptively matched. For subcarriers with better channel quality, more transmit power can be obtained, and a high-order constellation mapping diagram can be used to provide a higher transmission rate; for subcarriers with poor channel quality, the transmit power can be reduced and a low-order constellation mapping diagram can be used to improve the transmission capacity of the entire system.

[0092] Optionally, the variable area field may include a reserved field, and other additional fields may be added using the reserved field. For example, content for marking OFDMA frames and MU-MIMO data frames may be added to the reserved field.

[0093] The following uses an example in which the frame type of the SOF frame is a MIMO data frame or a MIMO training frame.

[0094] As shown in Table 4, the frame type of the SOF frame is a MIMO data frame, and the variable area fields may include a source TEI field, a destination TEI field, a frame identifier field, a physical block number field, a training symbol number field, a frame length, a Bitloading or TMI field, a ToneMap / TxBF number field, a Date TxBF flag field, an MCS field, a CodeRate field, a stream number field, a PBsize field, a hierarchical copy number field, a frequency band field, and a Reserved field. The number of bits of each field is shown in Table 4.

[0095] Among them, the source TEI field is used to indicate the source device identifier TEI of the SOF frame. The destination TEI field is used to indicate the destination device identifier TEI of the SOF frame. The frame identifier is used to indicate that the type of the SOF frame is a MIMO data frame. The number of physical blocks field is used to indicate the maximum number of physical blocks supported by the payload symbol field. The number of training symbols field is used to indicate the number of training symbols after the FC field. The frame length field is used to indicate the duration of the channel occupied by the transmission process and frame interval of the MIMO data frame. The Bitloading or TMI field is used to indicate whether the MIMO data frame uses Bitloading encoding or fixed TMI encoding. The ToneMap / TxBF number field is used to indicate the number of the ToneMap table if the MIMO data frame is Bitloading encoding. The Date TxBF flag field is used to indicate whether the OFDM symbol uses beamforming. The MCS field is used to indicate the modulation mode of the MIMO data frame. The number of streams field is used to indicate the number of spatial streams, which supports a maximum of 2 streams. The PBsize field is used to indicate the PB specification. The frequency band field is used to indicate the available frequency band and carrier number of the training symbol and payload symbol.

[0096] Table 4

[0097]

[0098] As shown in Table 5, the frame type of the SOF frame is a MIMO training frame, and the variable area field may include a source TEI field, a destination TEI field, a frame identification field, a PL symbol number field, a frame length field, a MIMO training frame identification field, a training symbol number field, a ToneMap grouping field, a ToneMap number field, a Date TxBF flag field, a stream number field, a frequency band field, and a reserved field. The number of bits of each field is shown in Table 5.

[0099] Among them, the MIMO training frame identifier is used to indicate whether the current MIMO training frame is a TxBF training frame or a Bitloading training frame. If the second device receives a TxBF training frame, it feeds back the beamforming matrix V; if it receives a Bitloading training frame, it feeds back the Bitloading mapping table. The ToneMap group field is used to indicate the number of carriers in the group of the fed-back beamforming matrix V or the Bitloading mapping table. The ToneMap number is used to indicate the number of the Bitloading group and the TxBF group to be trained, corresponding to the number of the window of the divided power frequency cycle. The power frequency cycle (20ms) window can be numbered from 0 to 7, and the duration of each window can be 2.5ms. For other fields, please refer to Table 4 above, and they will not be described one by one here.

[0100] Table 5

[0101]

[0102] In the embodiment of the present application, by redefining the PPDU frame, the redefined PPDU frame includes a frame control field, a training symbol field and a payload symbol field, and the channel estimation of multiple-input multiple-output MIMO and extended bandwidth is realized through the training symbol field, the frame type of the frame start SOF frame included in the PPDU frame is indicated through the frame identification field, and the available frequency band of the training symbol and the payload symbol is indicated through the frequency band field. The power line communication supports the characteristics of MIMO, large bandwidth, etc., thereby improving the overall network performance.

[0103] It can be understood that, in the above-mentioned various method embodiments, the methods and operations implemented by the power line communication device can also be implemented by components (such as chips or circuits) that can be used in the power line communication device.

[0104] The embodiment of the present application can divide the functional modules of the power line communication device according to the above method example. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. The following is an example of dividing each functional module according to each function.

[0105] Above, combined Figure 3 The method provided by the embodiment of the present application is described in detail. Figures 5 and 6 The power line communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail. It should be understood that the description of the device embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment, so the contents not described in detail can be referred to the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0106] See also Figure 5 , Figure 5 50 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a power line communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The power line communication device may include a processing module 501 and a sending module 502.

[0107] The power line communication device can implement the steps or processes corresponding to those performed by the first device in the above method embodiment, for example, it can be the first device, or a chip or circuit configured in the first device. The sending module 502 is used to perform the sending and receiving related operations on the first device side in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 501 is used to perform the processing related operations of the first device in the above method embodiment.

[0108] The processing module 501 is used to generate a physical layer protocol data unit PPDU frame, wherein the PPDU frame includes a frame control field, a training symbol field and a payload symbol field, wherein the payload symbol field is used to modulate and transmit payload symbols, the training symbol field is used to carry training symbols, and the training symbol field is used for channel estimation of multiple-input multiple-output MIMO and extended bandwidth, the frame control field includes a variable area field, the variable area field includes a frame identification field and a frequency band field, the frame identification field is used to indicate the frame type of the frame start SOF frame included in the PPDU frame, and the frequency band field is used to indicate the available frequency band of the training symbol and the payload symbol;

[0109] The sending module 502 is used to send the PPDU frame to the second device.

[0110] Optionally, the frame control field includes a general field, the general field includes a delimiter type field and a standard version number field, the delimiter type field is used to indicate the frame type of the PPDU frame, and the standard version number field is used to indicate the power line carrier communication PLC version supported by the PPDU frame.

[0111] Optionally, the variable area field includes a source device identification field and a destination device identification field, the source device identification field is used to indicate an identification of the first device, and the destination device identification field is used to indicate an identification of the second device.

[0112] Optionally, the variable area field includes a modulation and coding strategy MCS field and / or a code rate field, the MCS field is used to indicate a modulation mode of the SOF frame, and the code rate field is used to indicate a coding rate of the SOF frame.

[0113] Optionally, the variable area field includes a physical block size field and / or a physical block number field, the physical block size field is used to indicate the size of the physical block carried by the payload symbol field, and the physical block number field is used to indicate the maximum number of physical blocks supported by the payload symbol field.

[0114] Optionally, the variable area field includes a data beamforming flag field, and the data beamforming flag field is used to indicate whether the SOF frame adopts beamforming.

[0115] Optionally, the variable area field includes a bit loading field, and the bit loading field is used to indicate whether the SOF frame adopts bit loading.

[0116] It should be noted that the implementation of each module can also refer to Figure 3 The corresponding description of the method embodiment shown executes the method and functions performed by the first device in the above embodiment.

[0117] See also Figure 6 , Figure 6 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another power line communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The power line communication device may include a receiving module 601.

[0118] The power line communication device can implement the steps or processes performed by the second device in the above method embodiment, for example, it can be the second device, or a chip or circuit configured in the second device. The receiving module 601 is used to perform the sending and receiving related operations on the second device side in the above method embodiment.

[0119] The receiving module 601 is used to receive a physical layer protocol data unit PPDU frame sent by the first device, wherein the PPDU frame includes a frame control field, a training symbol field and a payload symbol field, wherein the payload symbol field is used to modulate and transmit payload symbols, and the training symbol field is used to carry training symbols. The training symbol field is used for channel estimation of multiple-input multiple-output MIMO and extended bandwidth, and the frame control field includes a variable area field, and the variable area field includes a frame identification field and a frequency band field. The frame identification field is used to indicate the frame type of the frame start SOF frame included in the PPDU frame, and the frequency band field is used to indicate the available frequency band of the training symbols and the payload symbols.

[0120] Optionally, the frame control field also includes a general field, which includes a delimiter type field and a standard version number field, the delimiter type field is used to indicate the frame type of the PPDU frame, and the standard version number field is used to indicate the power line carrier communication PLC version supported by the PPDU frame.

[0121] Optionally, the variable area field includes a source device identification field and a destination device identification field, the source device identification field is used to indicate an identification of the first device, and the destination device identification field is used to indicate an identification of the second device.

[0122] Optionally, the variable area field includes a modulation and coding strategy MCS field and / or a code rate field, the MCS field is used to indicate a modulation mode of the SOF frame, and the code rate field is used to indicate a coding rate of the SOF frame.

[0123] Optionally, the variable area field includes a physical block size field and / or a physical block number field, the physical block size field is used to indicate the size of the physical block carried by the payload symbol field, and the physical block number field is used to indicate the maximum number of physical blocks supported by the payload symbol field.

[0124] Optionally, the variable area field includes a data beamforming flag field, and the data beamforming flag field is used to indicate whether the SOF frame adopts beamforming.

[0125] Optionally, the variable area field includes a bit loading field, and the bit loading field is used to indicate whether the SOF frame adopts bit loading.

[0126] It should be noted that the implementation of each module can also refer to Figure 3 The corresponding description of the method embodiment shown executes the method and functions performed by the second device in the above embodiment.

[0127] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of a power line communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The power line communication device can be applied to Figure 1 In the system shown, the functions of the power line communication device in the above method embodiment are executed, or the steps or processes executed by the power line communication device in the above method embodiment are realized.

[0128] like Figure 7 As shown, the power line communication device includes a processor 701 and a transceiver 702. Optionally, the power line communication device also includes a memory 703. The processor 701, the transceiver 702 and the memory 703 can communicate with each other through an internal connection path to transmit control and / or data signals. The memory 703 is used to store a computer program, and the processor 701 is used to call and run the computer program from the memory 703 to control the transceiver 702 to send and receive signals. Optionally, the power line communication device may also include an antenna for sending the uplink data or uplink control signaling output by the transceiver 702 through a wireless signal.

[0129] The processor 701 and the memory 703 may be combined into a processing device, and the processor 701 is used to execute the program code stored in the memory 703 to implement the above functions. In specific implementation, the memory 703 may also be integrated into the processor 701, or independent of the processor 701. Figure 5 Corresponding to the processing module in.

[0130] The transceiver 702 can be used with Figure 5 The sending module in Figure 6 The transceiver 702 may include a receiver (or receiver, receiving circuit) and a transmitter (or transmitter, transmitting circuit). The receiver is used to receive signals, and the transmitter is used to transmit signals.

[0131] It should be understood that Figure 7The power line communication device shown can realize Figure 3 The method embodiment shown involves various processes of the power line communication device. The operations and / or functions of each module in the power line communication device are respectively to implement the corresponding processes in the above method embodiment. For details, please refer to the description in the above method embodiment. To avoid repetition, the detailed description is appropriately omitted here.

[0132] The processor 701 can be used to execute the actions implemented by the power line communication device described in the previous method embodiment, and the transceiver 702 can be used to execute the actions of sending to another power line communication device or receiving from another power line communication device described in the previous method embodiment. Please refer to the description in the previous method embodiment for details, which will not be repeated here.

[0133] Among them, the processor 701 can be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules and circuits described in conjunction with the contents disclosed in this application. The processor 701 can also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, and so on. The communication bus 704 can be a peripheral component interconnect standard PCI bus or an extended industrial standard structure EISA bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 7Only one thick line is used to represent it, but it does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus. The communication bus 704 is used to realize the connection communication between these components. Among them, the transceiver 702 in the embodiment of the present application is used to communicate signaling or data with other node devices. The memory 703 may include volatile memory, such as nonvolatile dynamic random access memory (NVRAM), phase change random access memory (PRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), etc., and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory devices, such as NOR flash memory or NAND flash memory, semiconductor devices, such as solid state disk (SSD), etc. The memory 703 may also be at least one storage device located away from the aforementioned processor 701. The memory 703 may also optionally store a set of computer program codes or configuration information. Optionally, the processor 701 may also execute a program stored in the memory 703. The processor may cooperate with the memory and the transceiver to execute any one of the methods and functions of the power line communication device in the above-mentioned application embodiments.

[0134] An embodiment of the present application also provides a chip system, which includes a processor for supporting a power line communication device to implement the functions involved in any of the above embodiments, such as generating or processing the PPDU frame involved in the above method.

[0135] In one possible design, the chip system may also include a memory, which is used for computer programs and data necessary for the terminal device or network device. The chip system may be composed of a chip, or may include a chip and other discrete devices. The input and output of the chip system correspond to the receiving and sending operations of the terminal device or network device in the method embodiment, respectively.

[0136] According to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the present application also provides a computer program product, the computer program product comprising: a computer program, when the computer program is run on a computer, causes the computer to execute Figure 3 A method according to any one of the embodiments shown.

[0137] According to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the present application also provides a computer-readable medium, which stores a computer program, and when the computer program is run on a computer, the computer executes Figure 3 A method according to any one of the embodiments shown.

[0138] According to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the present application also provides a communication system, which includes one or more power line communication devices mentioned above.

[0139] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from a website site, computer, server or data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (digital subscriber line, DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode to another website site, computer, server or data center. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a high-density digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disc (SSD)).

[0140] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the present technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A power line communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The first device generates a physical layer protocol data unit PPDU frame, wherein the PPDU frame includes a frame control field, a training symbol field, and a payload symbol field, wherein the payload symbol field is used to modulate and transmit payload symbols, the training symbol field is used to carry training symbols, and the training symbol field is used for channel estimation of multiple-input multiple-output MIMO and extended bandwidth, the frame control field includes a variable area field, the variable area field includes a frame identification field and a frequency band field, the frame identification field is used to indicate a frame type of a frame start SOF frame included in the PPDU frame, and the frequency band field is used to indicate an available frequency band of the training symbol and the payload symbol; The first device sends the PPDU frame to the second device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The frame control field includes a general field, and the general field includes a delimiter type field and a standard version number field. The delimiter type field is used to indicate the frame type of the PPDU frame, and the standard version number field is used to indicate the power line carrier communication PLC version supported by the PPDU frame.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The variable area field includes a source device identification field and a destination device identification field, the source device identification field is used to indicate the identification of the first device, and the destination device identification field is used to indicate the identification of the second device.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The variable area field includes a modulation and coding strategy MCS field and / or a code rate field, the MCS field is used to indicate the modulation mode of the SOF frame, and the code rate field is used to indicate the coding rate of the SOF frame.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The variable area field includes a physical block size field and / or a physical block number field, wherein the physical block size field is used to indicate the size of the physical block carried by the payload symbol field, and the physical block number field is used to indicate the maximum number of physical blocks supported by the payload symbol field.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The variable area field includes a data beamforming flag field, and the data beamforming flag field is used to indicate whether the SOF frame adopts beamforming.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The variable area field includes a bit loading field, and the bit loading field is used to indicate whether the SOF frame adopts bit loading.

8. A power line communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The second device receives a physical layer protocol data unit PPDU frame sent by the first device, wherein the PPDU frame includes a frame control field, a training symbol field and a payload symbol field, wherein the payload symbol field is used to modulate and transmit payload symbols, the training symbol field is used to carry training symbols, and the training symbol field is used for channel estimation of multiple-input multiple-output MIMO and extended bandwidth, the frame control field includes a variable area field, the variable area field includes a frame identification field and a frequency band field, the frame identification field is used to indicate a frame type of a frame start SOF frame included in the PPDU frame, and the frequency band field is used to indicate an available frequency band for the training symbols and the payload symbols.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The frame control field also includes a general field, which includes a delimiter type field and a standard version number field. The delimiter type field is used to indicate the frame type of the PPDU frame, and the standard version number field is used to indicate the power line carrier communication PLC version supported by the PPDU frame.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that The variable area field includes a source device identification field and a destination device identification field, the source device identification field is used to indicate the identification of the first device, and the destination device identification field is used to indicate the identification of the second device.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that: The variable area field includes a modulation and coding strategy MCS field and / or a code rate field, the MCS field is used to indicate the modulation mode of the SOF frame, and the code rate field is used to indicate the coding rate of the SOF frame.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that: The variable area field includes a physical block size field and / or a physical block number field, wherein the physical block size field is used to indicate the size of the physical block carried by the payload symbol field, and the physical block number field is used to indicate the maximum number of physical blocks supported by the payload symbol field.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that: The variable area field includes a data beamforming flag field, and the data beamforming flag field is used to indicate whether the SOF frame adopts beamforming.

14. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that: The variable area field includes a bit loading field, and the bit loading field is used to indicate whether the SOF frame adopts bit loading.

15. A power line communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor runs the computer program to enable the communication device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

16. A power line communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor runs the computer program to enable the communication device to perform the method according to any one of claims 8 to 14.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium comprises a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 is implemented.

18. A chip, characterized in that: The chip includes a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to communicate with an external device or an internal device, and the processor is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1-14.

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