Power line communication method and apparatus

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application disclose a power line communication method and apparatus. The method comprises: a first device generates a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) frame, wherein the PPDU frame comprises a frame control field, a training symbol field, and a load symbol field, the load symbol field is used for modulating a transmission load symbol, the training symbol field is used for bearing a training symbol, the training symbol field is used for channel estimation of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and of an 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 start of frame (SOF) comprised in the PPDU frame, and the frequency band field is used for indicating an available frequency band of the training symbol and of the load symbol; and the first device sends the PPDU frame to a second device. By using the embodiments of the present application, the power line communication supports the characteristics of MIMO, large bandwidth and the like by means of a redefined PPDU frame, thereby improving the overall network performance.

Description

Power line communication method and device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application with application number 202311424820.9 filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on October 30, 2023, and priority to the Chinese patent application with the invention name “A Power Line Communication Method and Device”, all contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a power line communication method and device. Background Art

[0003] Power line communication (PLC), also known as power line network, refers to the technology that uses existing power lines to transmit analog or digital signals via carrier waves. It is a communication method unique to power systems. PLC technology uses existing low-frequency (50 / 60 Hz) power lines to transmit broadband data. Compared to other wired communication technologies, such as digital subscriber line (DSL) technology that uses telephone lines and cable modem (CM) technology that uses cable television coaxial cable lines, PLC technology can utilize the existing power network, requiring no additional wiring. It can be deployed quickly and does not require separate wiring. Moreover, the power lines cover a much wider area than other communication carriers.

[0004] With the emergence of new power grid application scenarios (such as charging stations and home energy control), power line communication (PLC) is increasingly demanding greater capacity, wider coverage, and real-time communication. It is necessary to introduce advanced features into PLC technology, such as multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and high bandwidth, to increase PLC's applicability to diverse application scenarios. However, the existing PLC standard frame format cannot be expanded to support features such as MIMO and newly defined bandwidths, and cannot meet the high bandwidth and low latency requirements of emerging PLC application scenarios.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The embodiments of the present application provide a power line communication method and apparatus, which enable power line communication to support features such as MIMO and large bandwidth through a redefined PPDU frame, thereby improving overall network performance.

[0007] 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:

[0008] Generate a physical layer protocol data unit PPDU frame, the PPDU frame including 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 multiple-input multiple-output MIMO and extended bandwidth channel estimation, 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.

[0009] By redefining the PPDU frame to include a frame control field, a training symbol field, and a payload symbol field, the training symbol field enables channel estimation for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and extended bandwidth. The frame identifier field indicates the frame type of the start-of-frame (SOF) frame included in the PPDU frame, and the frequency band field indicates the available frequency band for the training and payload symbols. This enables power line communication to support features such as MIMO and large bandwidth, thereby improving overall network performance.

[0010] In one possible design, the frame control field 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. The standard version number field and the delimiter type field are used to extend the SOF frame type to support PPDU frame types such as MIMO frames, OFDMA frames, and MU-MIMO frames.

[0011] In one possible design, the variable area field includes a source device identification field and a destination device identification field, wherein 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 source device identification field and the destination device identification field can be used to determine the first device and the second device performing power line communication.

[0012] In one 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.

[0013] 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.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] 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.

[0017] For SOF frames using beamforming and bit loading, ToneMap grouping is supported, which divides the power frequency cycle 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.

[0018] 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:

[0019] Receive a physical layer protocol data unit PPDU frame sent by a first device, where the PPDU frame includes a frame control field, a training symbol field, and a payload symbol field, where 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, where the variable area field includes a frame identification field and a frequency band field, where 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.

[0020] By redefining the PPDU frame to include a frame control field, a training symbol field, and a payload symbol field, the training symbol field enables channel estimation for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and extended bandwidth. The frame identifier field indicates the frame type of the start-of-frame (SOF) frame included in the PPDU frame, and the frequency band field indicates the available frequency band for the training and payload symbols. This enables power line communication to support features such as MIMO and large bandwidth, thereby improving overall network performance.

[0021] In one possible design, the frame control field 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. The standard version number field and the delimiter type field are used to extend the SOF frame type to support PPDU frame types such as MIMO frames, OFDMA frames, and MU-MIMO frames.

[0022] In one possible design, the variable area field includes a source device identification field and a destination device identification field, wherein 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 source device identification field and the destination device identification field can be used to determine the first device and the second device performing power line communication.

[0023] In one 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] For SOF frames using beamforming and bit loading, ToneMap grouping is supported, which divides the power frequency cycle 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.

[0029] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a power line communication device, including:

[0030] a processing module, configured to generate a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) frame, the PPDU frame including a frame control field, a training symbol field, and a payload symbol field, the payload symbol field being used to modulate and transmit payload symbols, the training symbol field being used to carry training symbols, the training symbol field being used for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and extended bandwidth channel estimation, the frame control field including a variable area field, the variable area field including a frame identification field and a frequency band field, the frame identification field being used to indicate a frame type of a start of frame (SOF) frame included in the PPDU frame, and the frequency band field being used to indicate an available frequency band for the training symbols and the payload symbols;

[0031] A sending module is used to send the PPDU frame to the second device.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] In one 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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 be omitted.

[0039] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a power line communication device, including:

[0040] A receiving module is used to receive a physical layer protocol data unit PPDU frame sent by a first device, where 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, 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. 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] In one 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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 be omitted.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a power line communication device, which may be a power line communication device, a device in a power line communication device, or a device that can be used in conjunction with a power line communication device. The power line communication device may also be a chip system. The power line communication device may execute the method described in the first or 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 or second aspect above, and repetitive parts will not be repeated.

[0051] 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 and second aspects is implemented.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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 perform the steps in the above-mentioned first aspect or second aspect.

[0054] In the eleventh aspect, a chip is provided, which 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 methods of the above aspects.

[0055] In one possible design, the chip may further include a memory storing a computer program or instructions, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program or instructions stored in the memory, or other programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed, the processor is configured to implement the aforementioned various aspects of the method.

[0056] In one possible design, the chip can be integrated into a power line communication device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] 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.

[0058] FIG1 is a system architecture diagram of a power line communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a PPDU frame format;

[0060] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart of a power line communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a PPDU frame provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a power line communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of another power line communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a power line communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] As shown in FIG1 , FIG1 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. A power line communication modem refers to a modem for broadband Internet access via a power line. Each of the at least two power line communication modems can be connected via a power line. The power line includes three live wires (L) and a neutral wire (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.

[0066] China's State Grid Corporation's corporate standard adopts power line carrier communication technology, using orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation, primarily for automatic meter reading (AMR) services over power lines. Because power lines are not designed for communication, they experience harsh environments, including various pulse noise and clutter interference. Furthermore, the uncertainty of connected electrical appliances leads to impedance mismatch and multipath effects, severely impacting signal transmission.

[0067] As shown in Figure 2, Figure 2 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 the 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 a low frequency band for communication.

[0068] Table 1

[0069] Table 2

[0070] The Frame Control field of a PPDU frame is 16 bytes long and includes a general field, which includes a delimiter type field and a variable area field. The delimiter type field distinguishes different frame types (beacon frames, start of frame (SOF) frames, selection confirmation frames, and inter-network coordination frames). 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. The delimiter type field indicates that the PPDU frame type may include a beacon frame, an SOF frame, a selection confirmation frame, and an inter-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 flag field, a retransmission flag field, an encryption flag 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 physical block type 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.

[0071] Existing PLC protocols only support point-to-point communication between meters and single-input single-output (SISO) communication, resulting in low inter-device communication rates. High-frequency bands between distant devices in the power grid experience significant attenuation, while high-frequency bands are available between closer devices. However, to ensure full network coverage and reduce communication conflicts between devices, PLC communication is typically restricted to low-frequency bands such as 0.7-3 MHz or 2.5-5.7 MHz. This prevents the communication bandwidth from adapting to channel variations, limiting the network communication rate. With the emergence of new power grid application scenarios (such as charging stations and home energy control), power line communication (PLC) requires greater capacity, wider coverage, and real-time communication. It is necessary to introduce advanced features (such as MIMO and high bandwidth) into PLC technology to increase its applicability to diverse application scenarios. The existing PLC standard defines four fixed frame formats in the frame control field, leaving no reserved bits available. This makes it difficult to expand support for features such as MIMO, bit loading, and high bandwidth, impacting network performance.

[0072] In order to solve the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present application provide the following solutions.

[0073] As shown in FIG3 , FIG3 is a flow chart of a power line communication method provided in 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 may be power line communication modems. The method mainly includes the following steps:

[0074] S301: A first device generates 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 for 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 start of frame (SOF) frame included in the PPDU frame. The frequency band field is used to indicate an available frequency band for the training symbols and the payload symbols.

[0075] S302: The first device sends the PPDU frame to the second device.

[0076] As shown in Figure 4, Figure 4 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. Relative to the PPDU frame shown in Figure 2, the frame control field is extended and defined, and a training symbol (TF) field is added. The length of the extended FC field is 16 bytes, and the total number of bits of the variable area field remains unchanged, thereby maintaining protocol compatibility. The PPDU frame can also be called a PLC2.0 frame, and the PLC2.0 frame is transmitted through the PLC2.0 protocol. Compared with the PLC1.0 protocol, the PLC2.0 protocol can support features such as MIMO, bitloading, and large bandwidth.

[0077] 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 also being compatible with the use of the PLC1.0 protocol.

[0078] 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 frame type of the PPDU frame may include a beacon frame, an SOF frame, a selection confirmation frame, and an inter-network coordination frame. The power line carrier communication PLC versions supported by the PPDU frame may include PLC1.0, PLC2.0, and the 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 (OFDMA) frame, multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) frame, etc.

[0079] 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 (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, inter-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.

[0080] Table 3

[0081] 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 (UL) frame, and an OFDMA / MU downlink (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 0.781-11.96 MHZ, 0.781-2.930 MHZ, 1.758-11.96 MHZ, 1.758-2.930 MHZ, 2-11.96 MHZ, and 2.441-5.615 MHZ. 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: 0.781-11.96 MHZ, 32-490; 0.781-2.930 MHZ, 32-120; 1.758-11.96 MHZ, 72-490; 1.758-2.930 MHZ, 72-120; 2-11.96 MHZ, 80-490; 2.441-5.615 MHZ, 100-230.

[0082] Optionally, the variable area field includes a source device identification field and a destination device identification field, wherein 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 source device identification field and the destination device identification field can be used to determine the first device and the second device performing power line communication.

[0083] 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 enabling the coexistence of the PLC2.0 device and the PLC1.0 device.

[0084] 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. During 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 also no longer retains the Broadcast Flag field. If the SOF frame is a non-broadcast frame, either 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.

[0085] 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 the modulation mode of the SOF frame, and the code rate field is used to indicate the coding rate of the SOF frame.

[0086] Optionally, the variable area field includes a physical block size (PBSize) field and / or a physical block number (PBNum) 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.

[0087] 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.

[0088] 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.

[0089] Among them, beamforming produces a directional beam by adjusting the weighting coefficient of each element in the antenna array, thereby achieving 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 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 can be used to improve the transmission capacity of the entire system.

[0090] Optionally, the variable area field may include a reserved field, and the reserved field may be used to add other additional fields. For example, content for marking OFDMA frames and MU-MIMO data frames may be added to the reserved field.

[0091] The following uses an example in which the SOF frame type is a MIMO data frame or a MIMO training frame.

[0092] As shown in Table 4, if the SOF frame type is a MIMO data frame, the variable area fields may include the source TEI field, the destination TEI field, the frame identifier field, the number of physical blocks field, the number of training symbols field, the frame length, the bitloading or TMI field, the tonemap / txbf number field, the date txbf flag field, the mcs field, the code rate field, the number of streams field, the PBsize field, the number of hierarchical copies field, the frequency band field, and the reserved field. The number of bits in each field is shown in Table 4.

[0093] The Source TEI field indicates the source device identifier (TEI) of the SOF frame. The Destination TEI field indicates the destination device identifier (TEI) of the SOF frame. The Frame Identifier indicates that the SOF frame is a MIMO data frame. The Number of Physical Blocks field indicates the maximum number of physical blocks supported by the Payload Symbol field. The Number of Training Symbols field indicates the number of training symbols following the FC field. The Frame Length field indicates the duration of the channel occupied by the MIMO data frame transmission process and interframe interval. The Bitloading or TMI field indicates whether the MIMO data frame uses bitloading encoding or fixed TMI encoding. The ToneMap / TxBF Number field indicates the ToneMap table number if the MIMO data frame uses bitloading encoding. The Date TxBF Flag field indicates whether beamforming is used for the OFDM symbol. The MCS field indicates the modulation mode of the MIMO data frame. The Number of Streams field indicates the number of spatial streams, supporting a maximum of two streams. The PBsize field indicates the PB size. The Band field indicates the available frequency band and carrier number for training and payload symbols.

[0094] Table 4

[0095] As shown in Table 5, if the SOF frame type is a MIMO training frame, the variable area fields may include the source TEI field, the destination TEI field, the frame identifier field, the PL symbol number field, the frame length field, the MIMO training frame identifier field, the training symbol number field, the tone map group field, the tone map number field, the date TxBF flag field, the stream number field, the frequency band field, and the reserved field. Table 5 shows the bit count of each field.

[0096] 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, and the number of the window corresponding to 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 here one by one.

[0097] Table 5

[0098] In the embodiments of the present application, the PPDU frame is redefined to include a frame control field, a training symbol field, and a payload symbol field. The training symbol field is used to implement channel estimation for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and extended bandwidth. The frame identifier field indicates the frame type of the start-of-frame (SOF) frame included in the PPDU frame. The frequency band field indicates the available frequency band for the training and payload symbols. This enables power line communication to support features such as MIMO and large bandwidth, thereby improving overall network performance.

[0099] It is understandable that in the above-mentioned various method embodiments, the methods and operations implemented by the power line communication device may also be implemented by components (such as chips or circuits) that can be used in the power line communication device.

[0100] In the embodiment of the present application, the functional modules of the power line communication device can be divided 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 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.

[0101] The method provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail above in conjunction with FIG3 . Below, the power line communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail in conjunction with FIG5 and FIG6 . It should be understood that the description of the device embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment. Therefore, for matters not described in detail, reference can be made to the method embodiment above, and for the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0102] 5 , which 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 .

[0103] 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 of 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.

[0104] A processing module 501 is configured to generate a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) frame, where 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, and the training symbol field is used for channel estimation for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and extended bandwidth. The frame control field includes a variable area field, the variable area field includes a frame identifier field and a frequency band field. The frame identifier field is used to indicate the frame type of a start of frame (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.

[0105] The sending module 502 is configured to send the PPDU frame to the second device.

[0106] 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.

[0107] 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.

[0108] 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 the modulation mode of the SOF frame, and the code rate field is used to indicate the coding rate of the SOF frame.

[0109] 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.

[0110] 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.

[0111] 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.

[0112] It should be noted that the implementation of each module may also correspond to the corresponding description of the method embodiment shown in FIG3 , and execute the method and function executed by the first device in the above embodiment.

[0113] Please refer to Figure 6, which 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.

[0114] The power line communication device can implement the steps or processes corresponding to those 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.

[0115] The receiving module 601 is used to receive a physical layer protocol data unit PPDU frame sent by the first device, where 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, 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. 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.

[0116] 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.

[0117] 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.

[0118] 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 the modulation mode of the SOF frame, and the code rate field is used to indicate the coding rate of the SOF frame.

[0119] 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.

[0120] 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.

[0121] 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.

[0122] It should be noted that the implementation of each module may also correspond to the corresponding description of the method embodiment shown in FIG3 , and execute the method and function executed by the second device in the above embodiment.

[0123] Figure 7 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 can be applied to the system shown in Figure 1 to perform the functions of the power line communication device in the above method embodiment, or to implement the steps or processes performed by the power line communication device in the above method embodiment.

[0124] As shown in Figure 7, 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, transceiver 702, and memory 703 can communicate with each other via internal connection paths to transmit control and / or data signals. The memory 703 is used to store computer programs, and the processor 701 is used to call and execute the computer programs from the memory 703 to control the transceiver 702 to transmit and receive signals. Optionally, the power line communication device may also include an antenna for transmitting uplink data or uplink control signaling output by the transceiver 702 via wireless signals.

[0125] The processor 701 and the memory 703 may be combined into a processing device, and the processor 701 is configured to execute program codes stored in the memory 703 to implement the aforementioned functions. In a specific implementation, the memory 703 may also be integrated into the processor 701 or independent of the processor 701. The processor 701 may correspond to the processing module in FIG5 .

[0126] The transceiver 702 may correspond to the transmitting module in FIG5 or the receiving module in FIG6 , and may also be referred to as a transceiver unit or a transceiver module. 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.

[0127] It should be understood that the power line communication device shown in FIG7 is capable of implementing the various processes related to the power line communication device in the method embodiment shown in FIG3 . The operations and / or functions of the various modules in the power line communication device are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes in the above method embodiment. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiment; to avoid repetition, detailed description is omitted here.

[0128] The processor 701 can be used to execute the actions implemented within the power line communication device described in the previous method embodiments, while the transceiver 702 can be used to execute the actions of sending to or receiving from another power line communication device described in the previous method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of the previous method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0129] The processor 701 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor (GPOR), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device (PLD), a transistor logic device (TLD), a hardware component, or any combination thereof. It may implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor 701 may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, and so on. The communication bus 704 may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industrial Standard Architecture (EISA) bus. These buses may be categorized as address buses, data buses, control buses, and so on. For ease of illustration, FIG7 shows only one bold line, but this does not imply that there is only one bus or type of bus. The communication bus 704 is used to enable communication between these components. In the embodiment of this application, the transceiver 702 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. It may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory devices, such as NOR flash memory or NAND flash memory, semiconductor devices, such as solid state disks (SSDs), etc. The memory 703 may optionally be at least one storage device located away from the aforementioned processor 701. The memory 703 may optionally also store a set of computer program code or configuration information. Optionally, the processor 701 may also execute the program stored in the memory 703. The processor may cooperate with the memory and the transceiver to perform any of the methods and functions of the power line communication device in the above-mentioned application embodiments.

[0130] 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.

[0131] In one possible design, the chip system may also include a memory for storing computer programs and data necessary for the terminal device or network device. The chip system may consist of a single chip or may include a chip and other discrete components. The inputs and outputs of the chip system correspond to the receive and transmit operations of the terminal device or network device in the method embodiment, respectively.

[0132] According to the method provided in the embodiments of the present application, the present application also provides a computer program product, which includes: a computer program, which, when running on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method of any one of the embodiments shown in Figure 3.

[0133] According to the method provided in the embodiments of the present application, the present application also provides a computer-readable medium, which stores a computer program. When the computer program runs on a computer, the computer executes the method of any one of the embodiments shown in Figure 3.

[0134] 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 as mentioned above.

[0135] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented 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, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated. 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 one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. 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 therein. 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)).

[0136] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection 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.

Images