Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, relating to the technical field of communications. On the basis of channel quality between a leaf node and a proxy node, a central coordinator indicates energy of signals transmitted between the nodes, so as to reduce the influence on surrounding nodes and improve the efficiency of a communication network. The method comprises: a central coordinator receives channel quality information between nodes in each node group among a plurality of node groups of proxy nodes and / or leaf nodes; the central coordinator determines the signal strength of each node group among the plurality of node groups on the basis of the channel quality information, wherein each node group may comprise a leaf node and a proxy node; and the central coordinator transmits first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used for indicating signal strength. A proxy node and a leaf node receive the first indication information, and transmit signals on the basis of the signal strength allocated by the central coordinator for the proxy node and the leaf node. The central coordinator can also indicate time slots, and the proxy nodes and the leaf nodes transmit signals within respective corresponding time slots.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] This application claims priority from the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on November 30, 2023, with application number 202311637289.3 and application name “Communication Method and Device,” the entire 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 communication method and device. Background Art

[0003] A power line communication (PLC) network consists of multiple nodes, such as a central coordinator (CCO) and electricity meters, that can communicate over power lines. The PLC network can be structured as a tree, with the concentrator serving as the root node and the electricity meters serving as intermediate and leaf nodes.

[0004] Data communication between nodes at all levels in a PLC network uses the Carrier Sense Multiple Access / Collision Avoidance (CSMA / CA) mechanism, with all nodes sharing a common channel. When a node is using a channel to send a data frame, other nodes must remain silent and are unable to use the channel. Once the channel becomes idle, nodes compete for it again. This means that nodes can only transmit data using the channel in a time-sharing manner. This results in low data transmission efficiency, and consequently, low PLC network communication efficiency.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus, which can improve the communication efficiency of a communication network.

[0007] In order to achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present application provide the following technical solutions:

[0008] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, comprising: receiving channel quality information between nodes in each node group in a plurality of node groups; determining the signal strength of each node group in the plurality of node groups based on the channel quality information, wherein each node group includes two nodes, and the signal strength of the node group is the signal strength of the signals sent and received between the two nodes in the node group; and sending a first indication message, wherein the first indication message is used to indicate the signal strength.

[0009] This solution allows the concentrator to assign the same or different signal strengths to different node groups, eliminating the need for nodes to transmit signals at a uniform signal strength. For example, if nodes in a group are close together, the signal strength of the node's transmitted signal can be reduced, thereby minimizing interference from surrounding nodes. This allows surrounding nodes to transmit signals simultaneously with the node's transmission, improving the transmission efficiency of the communication network. Furthermore, reducing signal transmission power can save energy.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible design, the two nodes of the node group are a first node and a second node, the second node is a proxy node of the first node, and the first node is a non-proxy node.

[0011] This solution allows a concentrator to collect statistics on the channel quality information between a first node (e.g., a leaf node) and its proxy node, and allocate signal strengths for signals transmitted between the leaf node and its proxy node. In a communication system (e.g., a power line network, or simply a communication system), where there are many links between leaf nodes and proxy nodes, statistics on these links can be used to allocate signal strengths for these links, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of the communication system.

[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, the first node is a leaf node or a proxy node. The concentrator can collect statistics on channel quality information between all nodes in the communication system and indicate the signal strength of the node group based on the statistical results. Because there are fewer links between proxy nodes in the communication system, the impact on the links between proxy nodes and leaf nodes is relatively small. Therefore, the statistical results can also be used to determine the signal strength of the node group.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, in one possible design, determining the signal strength of each node group in multiple node groups based on channel quality information includes: determining the channel quality information between nodes in the node group based on one or more of the following information: the received power of the signal between two nodes in the node group, the attenuation value of the signal between two nodes in the node group, and the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal between two nodes in the node group.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible design, the values ​​of the channel quality information are divided into multiple intervals, and receiving the channel quality information between nodes in each node group in multiple node groups includes: receiving the number of node groups whose channel quality information between nodes in multiple node groups is located in each interval in the multiple intervals.

[0015] Through this solution, the concentrator can allocate the signal strength of the transmitted signal and / or the time slot length of the time slot occupied by the transmitted signal to the node group in each interval according to the number of node groups in each interval in multiple intervals, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of the communication system.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible design, the signal strength of each node group in multiple node groups is indicated, including: indicating the attenuation power of the first type of node group or the power of the signal sent by the first type of node group, the first type of node group is a node group whose channel quality information value is in the first interval, and the multiple intervals include the first interval.

[0017] This solution allows the concentrator to assign different signal strengths to node groups whose channel quality information values ​​fall within different intervals, ensuring that nodes in the node groups within those intervals transmit signals using the signal strength assigned by the concentrator. For example, a node transmits signals using the power calculated by subtracting the attenuation power from its original transmit power, or using the power specified by the concentrator. This allows node groups in different intervals to transmit signals at different powers, thereby minimizing the impact on surrounding nodes.

[0018] In combination with the first aspect, in one possible design, the number of first intervals is one or more, the ratio of the number of node groups whose channel quality information values ​​are located in one or more first intervals to the multiple node groups is a first ratio, and the first ratio is greater than or equal to a first threshold; or, the first ratio is less than or equal to a second threshold; or, the first ratio is greater than or equal to the first threshold and the first ratio is less than or equal to the second threshold, wherein the first threshold is less than or equal to the second threshold.

[0019] With this solution, the concentrator can determine which channel quality information intervals to use as the first interval, that is, which channel quality information intervals to reduce the transmit signal strength. This instructs the nodes in the node group in the first interval to transmit signal strength, thereby improving the communication efficiency of the communication network.

[0020] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible design, when the channel quality information is the receiving power of the signal between two nodes in the node group, the value of the channel quality information is divided into multiple intervals, including: the value of the channel quality information is divided into multiple intervals according to the value of the receiving power, and the difference between the receiving power and the attenuation power in the first interval is greater than or equal to a third threshold, and the third threshold is the minimum receiving power; when the channel quality information is the attenuation value of the signal between two nodes in the node group, the value of the channel quality information is divided into multiple intervals, including: the value of the channel quality information is divided into multiple intervals according to the value of the attenuation value, and the sum of the attenuation value and the attenuation power in the first interval is less than or equal to a fourth threshold, and the fourth threshold is the maximum attenuation value of the signal.

[0021] Through this solution, the concentrator determines the attenuation value of the transmitted signal power or determines the transmission power of the signal, so that the nodes in the node group in the first interval can send signals according to the above attenuation value or transmission power, thereby improving the communication efficiency of the communication network.

[0022] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible design, the method also includes: sending second indication information, the second indication information is used to indicate the time slots of multiple node groups, and the time slots of each node group in the multiple node groups are determined based on the channel quality information between the nodes in the multiple node groups.

[0023] Through this solution, the concentrator can allocate time slots to the node group so that nodes with different channel quality information send signals in different time slots, reducing signal collisions and improving the efficiency of the communication system.

[0024] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible design, the time slots indicating multiple node groups include: the time slot indicating the first type of node group is the first time slot, the time slot indicating the second type of node group is the second time slot, the second type of node group is a node group whose channel quality information value is outside the first interval, and the first time slot is different from the second time slot.

[0025] Through this solution, nodes with different channel quality intervals can send in different time slots, thereby reducing the collision of frames with different energies and improving the communication efficiency of the communication system.

[0026] In combination with the first aspect, in one possible design, the time slots indicating multiple node groups include: the time slot indicating the third type of node group is the third time slot, the third time slot is different from the first time slot and the second time slot, and both nodes in the third type of node group are proxy nodes, or a node group in which one is a proxy node and the other is a root node.

[0027] Through this solution, signals transmitted between proxy nodes have a separate time slot (the third time slot), which reduces the collision between signals transmitted by proxy nodes and signals transmitted by surrounding leaf nodes.

[0028] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, including: receiving first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate the signal strength of each node group in a plurality of node groups; the signal strength of each node group in the plurality of node groups is determined based on channel quality information between the nodes in the plurality of node groups, each node group includes two nodes, and the signal strength of the node group is the strength of the signals sent and received between the two nodes in the node group; and sending a signal based on the first indication information.

[0029] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the node group includes a first node and a second node, the second node is a proxy node of the first node, and the first node is a non-proxy node.

[0030] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the first node is a leaf node or a proxy node.

[0031] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the channel quality information between nodes in a node group is determined based on one or more of the following information: the received power of the signal between two nodes in the node group, the attenuation value of the signal between two nodes in the node group, and the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal between two nodes in the node group.

[0032] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the value of the channel quality information is divided into multiple intervals, indicating the signal strength of each node group among multiple nodes, including: indicating the attenuation power of the first type of node group or the power of the signal sent by the first type of node group, the first type of node group is a node group whose channel quality information value is in the first interval, and the multiple intervals include the first interval.

[0033] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible design, when the channel quality information is the receiving power of the signal between two nodes in the node group, the value of the channel quality information is divided into multiple intervals, including: the value of the channel quality information is divided into multiple intervals according to the value of the receiving power, and the difference between the receiving power and the attenuation power in the first interval is greater than or equal to a third threshold, and the third threshold is the minimum receiving power; when the channel quality information is the attenuation value of the signal between two nodes in the node group, the value of the channel quality information is divided into multiple intervals, including: the value of the channel quality information is divided into multiple intervals according to the value of the attenuation value, and the sum of the attenuation value and the attenuation power in the first interval is less than or equal to a fourth threshold, and the fourth threshold is the maximum attenuation value of the signal.

[0034] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible design, the method also includes: receiving second indication information, the second indication information is used to indicate the time slots of multiple node groups, and the time slots of each node group in the multiple node groups are determined based on the channel quality information between the nodes in the multiple node groups.

[0035] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible design, the time slots indicating multiple node groups include: the time slot indicating the first type of node group is the first time slot, the time slot indicating the second type of node group is the second time slot, the second type of node group is a node group whose channel quality information value is outside the first interval, and the first time slot is different from the second time slot.

[0036] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible design, before receiving the first indication information, the further step includes: transmitting channel quality information between nodes in the node group. Through this solution, the leaf node can send the channel quality information to a superior node (such as a proxy node or concentrator), so that the concentrator can obtain channel quality information for multiple node groups.

[0037] In combination with the second aspect, in one possible design, the method also includes: sending a signal according to the time slot indicated by the second indication information.

[0038] According to a third aspect, a communication method is provided, comprising: sending channel quality information between nodes in each node group in a plurality of node groups; receiving first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate the signal strength of each node group in the plurality of node groups; the signal strength of each node group in the plurality of node groups being determined based on the channel quality information between nodes in the plurality of node groups, the signal strength of the node group being the strength of signals sent to each other by the nodes in the node group.

[0039] In combination with the third aspect, in one possible design, the node group includes a first node and a second node, the second node is a proxy node of the first node, and the first node is a non-proxy node.

[0040] In combination with the third aspect, in one possible design, the first node is a leaf node or a proxy node.

[0041] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible design, the channel quality information value is divided into multiple intervals, and the sending of the channel quality information between nodes in each node group in the multiple node groups includes:

[0042] The number of node groups that transmit channel quality information between nodes in the plurality of node groups is located in each interval of the plurality of intervals.

[0043] In combination with the third aspect, in a possible design, the method also includes: receiving second indication information, the second indication information is used to indicate the time slots of multiple node groups, and the time slots of each node group in the multiple node groups are determined based on the channel quality information between the nodes in the multiple node groups.

[0044] In combination with the third aspect, in one possible design, the time slots indicating multiple node groups include: the time slot indicating the third type of node group is the third time slot, both nodes in the third type of node group are proxy nodes, or a node group in which one is a proxy node and the other is a root node.

[0045] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible design, before receiving the first indication information, the method further includes: receiving channel quality information between nodes in multiple node groups. With this solution, the proxy node can receive channel quality information sent by the subordinate node and report the channel quality information, thereby enabling the concentrator to obtain channel quality information for multiple node groups.

[0046] In a fourth aspect, a communication method is provided, including: a second node sends channel quality information between nodes in each node group in a plurality of node groups; a concentrator receives channel quality information between nodes in each node group in a plurality of node groups; the concentrator determines the signal strength of each node group in the plurality of node groups based on the channel quality information, each of the node groups includes a first node and a second node, and the signal strength of the node group is the signal strength of the signal received and sent between the first node and the second node; the concentrator sends first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the signal strength of each node group in the plurality of node groups; the second node receives the first indication information; the first node receives the first indication information; and the first node sends a signal based on the first indication information.

[0047] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in a possible implementation, the second node is a proxy node of the first node.

[0048] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a receiving module, a sending module and a processing module; the receiving module is used to receive channel quality information between nodes in each node group in a plurality of node groups; the processing module is used to determine the signal strength of each node group in the plurality of node groups based on the channel quality information, each of the node groups includes two nodes, and the signal strength of the node group is the signal strength of the signals sent and received between the two nodes in the node group; the sending module is used to send a first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the signal strength.

[0049] In the sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a receiving module, a sending module and a processing module; the receiving module is used to receive first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups; the signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups is determined based on the channel quality information between the nodes in the multiple node groups, each of the node groups includes two nodes, and the signal strength of the node group is the strength of the received and sent signals between the two nodes in the node group; the processing module is used to determine the signal based on the first indication information; and the sending module is used to send the signal.

[0050] In the seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a receiving module, a sending module and a processing module; the sending module is used to send channel quality information between nodes in each node group in a plurality of node groups; the receiving module is used to receive first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the signal strength of each node group in the plurality of node groups; the signal strength of each node group in the plurality of node groups is determined based on the channel quality information between the nodes in the plurality of node groups, and the signal strength of the node group is the strength of the signals sent to each other by the nodes in the node group.

[0051] In an eighth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device is used to implement the various communication methods described above. The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the communication methods described above. The modules, units, or means can be implemented through hardware, software, or hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions described above.

[0052] In a ninth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store computer instructions, and when the processor executes the instructions, the communication device executes the communication method according to any of the above aspects.

[0053] In a tenth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor coupled to a memory, the processor being configured to read and execute instructions in the memory so as to enable the communication device to perform the communication method according to any of the above aspects.

[0054] In the eleventh aspect, a chip system is provided, which includes a processor and an input / output port, the processor is used to implement the processing functions involved in the communication method of any aspect of the above aspects, and the input / output port is used to implement the transceiver functions involved in the communication method of any aspect of the above aspects.

[0055] In one possible design, the chip system also includes a memory, which is used to store program instructions and data for implementing the functions involved in the communication method of any of the above aspects.

[0056] The chip system may be composed of chips, or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0057] In a twelfth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to execute any communication method as designed in any of the above aspects.

[0058] In a thirteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes a first communication device and a second communication device, wherein the first communication device executes the communication method of the first aspect, and the second communication device executes the communication method of the second aspect.

[0059] In combination with the thirteenth aspect, in a possible design, it also includes a third communication device, which executes the communication method of the above-mentioned third aspect.

[0060] In a fourteenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes a computer program or instructions, and when the computer program or instructions are run on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the communication method as designed in any of the above aspects.

[0061] It can be understood that the beneficial effects that can be achieved by the methods, chip systems, communication systems, communication devices, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products provided in the second to fourteenth aspects above can refer to the beneficial effects of the first aspect provided above and any possible implementation method, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of time slots in a beacon period;

[0064] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of nodes being hidden nodes to each other;

[0065] FIG4 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] FIG5 is another schematic diagram of the structure of the communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of time slots in a beacon period according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0070] Nodes in a PLC network (also known as a power line network) can communicate with each other over power lines. For example, the CCO in a PLC network uses power lines to obtain meter reading data from devices such as electricity meters. These PLC networks typically employ centralized network management, with the CCO managing media access allocation for devices within the PLC network that need to communicate. However, when the PLC network is large, the distance between the CCO and some nodes can be long, and various interfering signals can exist in the channel, leading to significant signal attenuation or interference, making it impossible for the CCO to reach all nodes within the PLC network. In other words, some nodes cannot directly access the CCO. Therefore, intermediate nodes can be deployed in the PLC network to forward CCO signals to these nodes. In other words, the PLC network can have a tree structure, as shown in Figure 1. The CCO can communicate with all nodes in the PLC network through intermediate nodes. Device 1, represented by the box in Figure 1, represents the root node, which can be the CCO. Devices 2 and 3, represented by circles, represent intermediate nodes (also called proxy coordinators (PCOs) or intermediate proxy nodes). Devices 4 through 8, represented by triangles, represent leaf nodes. Intermediate and leaf nodes are collectively referred to as subnodes in a PLC network. Subnodes can be devices such as electricity meters. Alternatively, devices such as electricity meters acting as intermediate nodes can also be called repeaters.

[0071] The above-mentioned PLC network can be networked through the sending and feedback of beacon frames. For example, device 1a (root node) sends beacon frame 1. Device 1b that receives beacon frame 1 sends feedback information 1 to device 1a to notify device 1a that device 1b has received beacon frame 1. Device 1a regards 1b that sends feedback information 1 as a leaf node. Device 1a sends beacon frame 2 based on feedback information 1, and instructs some or all devices 1b to send beacon frame 3. If device 1c receives beacon frame 3, device 1c sends feedback information 2 to device 1b, and device 1b sends feedback information 2 to device 1a. After device 1a receives feedback information 2, it indicates that device 1c has received beacon frame 3 sent by device 1b, then device 1a can update device 1b to an intermediate node, device 1b is the upper node of device 1c, and device 1c is the child node of device 1b (also known as a lower-level node, subordinate node, etc.). If device 1b does not send feedback information 2 to device 1a, device 1b still serves as a leaf node.

[0072] For example, device 1a is device 1 in Figure 1 above, device 1b is devices 2, 3, 6, and 7 in Figure 1 above, and device 1c is device 4 in Figure 1 above, wherein some or all of device 1b includes devices 2, 6, and 7. For another example, device 1a is device 1 in Figure 1 above, device 1b is devices 2, 3, 6, and 7 in Figure 1 above, and device 1c is devices 5 and 8 in Figure 1 above, wherein some or all of device 1b includes devices 3 and 7.

[0073] Optionally, the beacon frames sent by the above devices (such as device 1a and device 1b) may be sent by broadcasting.

[0074] Optionally, the aforementioned devices (e.g., device 1a, device 1b, and device 1c) transmit beacon frames and / or feedback information at maximum transmit power. By transmitting beacon frames and feedback information at maximum transmit power, subnodes in the PLC network can communicate with the CCO via fewer intermediate nodes, reducing the number of communication levels required between nodes farther from the CCO and the CCO. Furthermore, this improves the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of messages transmitted between nodes.

[0075] The beacon frames can not only be used to form a network, but also to determine and transmit attenuation values.

[0076] The PLC network will specify the maximum transmission power (also known as the maximum transmission power) of the signals sent by the nodes in the PLC network. When the nodes join the network, they usually obtain the maximum transmission power requirements of the network and send signals at the maximum transmission power, that is, the signal transmission power of each node in the PLC network is the maximum transmission power. During the networking process of the PLC network, each node can determine the attenuation value from the surrounding nodes to the local node based on the received power of the beacon frames of the surrounding nodes, and form a discovery list with the attenuation values ​​from one or more surrounding nodes to the local node. Each node can perform routing evaluation based on its own discovery list, for example, select a node with a smaller attenuation value as the node to access the PLC network. In addition, each node broadcasts the discovery list of the node so that the surrounding nodes receive the discovery list of the above node. In this way, each node can obtain the attenuation value from the node to the surrounding nodes through the discovery list of the surrounding nodes. Thus, the node obtains comprehensive topology information of the surrounding network, which is conducive to the node finding a more suitable route. After the PLC network is established, the nodes in the PLC network (including CCO and terminals) periodically send their own node discovery list messages. The discovery list messages carry information such as the discovery list of the node, which can update the routing of the nodes in the PLC network.

[0077] Referring to Figure 2, the PLC communication system uses a beacon frame-based channel access mechanism to control nodes in the PLC network to send messages on the same channel. This mechanism enables subnodes within the PLC network to communicate with the CCO. This channel access mechanism is implemented as follows: the CCO periodically transmits beacon frames, which include information about the time slots allocated by the CCO, including beacon slots, TDMA slots, CSMA slots, and bound CSMA slots, within the beacon period. Subnodes in the PLC network follow the CCO's assigned slots and perform channel access within their corresponding slots. Generally, beacon slots and TDMA slots are allocated to the CCO or designated nodes, collectively referred to as non-contention slots. Designated nodes can be designated by the CCO or pre-defined nodes. CSMA slots and bound CSMA slots are unspecified time slots, which nodes in the PLC network can compete for when needed. These slots are collectively referred to as contention slots. During time slot planning, the CCO can allocate bound CSMA slots based on service needs. For example, a certain service is allocated to occupy a bound CSMA time slot alone, and all nodes involved in the service can compete to send messages of the service in the bound CSMA time slot.

[0078] Nodes at all levels in a PLC network can use the CSMA / CA mechanism to transmit data frames. Data frames can refer to frames used to transmit control signaling or data, such as beacon frames. Data frames can also be referred to as signals, and will be described as signals below. Before sending data, a node first listens to the channel. When it detects that the channel is idle, it transmits a signal. When it detects that the channel is busy (that is, when another node is transmitting a signal), it waits a random idle period before transmitting again (in other words, using a random backoff mechanism). Specifically, in the CSMA / CA mechanism, when a node transmits a signal, the remaining nodes must remain silent and compete for the channel again when the channel is idle. Using a random backoff mechanism, signals are transmitted after the backoff period ends. Communication between nodes can only use the same channel for data transmission using time-division multiplexing. This prevents multiple transmissions from occurring simultaneously on the same medium, thereby reducing interference between data transmitted between nodes. However, since only one node can transmit data on a channel at a time in a PLC network, large-scale PLC networks require extended wait times for child nodes to transmit data. In addition, when the PLC network node scale is large, some nodes cannot communicate directly with the CCO and need to forward signals through intermediate nodes, which increases the number of data transmissions and further deteriorates the communication efficiency.

[0079] Furthermore, when the number of PLC network nodes is large, many nodes cannot directly listen to each other, becoming hidden nodes. For example, referring to Figure 3, Figure 3 shows that nodes 4 and 5 are mutually hidden nodes. The dotted circle around node 4 represents the coverage range of node 4's signal, and the dotted circle around node 5 represents the coverage range of node 5's signal. Nodes 2 and 3 are both within the coverage range of the signals of nodes 4 and 5. Node 4 is a child of node 2, and node 5 is a child of node 3. When node 4 sends a signal to node 2, node 5 is unable to hear it, causing node 5 to mistakenly determine that the channel is idle, causing node 5 to send a signal to node 3. Nodes 4 and 5 both send signals at the same time, causing the two signals to collide, resulting in transmission failure for both signals. In actual PLC networks, the probability of signal collisions between nodes can reach over 30%, resulting in low data transmission efficiency between nodes and low communication efficiency of the PLC network.

[0080] Based on this, the present invention provides a communication method for a network that uses the same channel for communication. This method enables multiple nodes in the network to transmit data in the same time period, thereby improving the node's utilization of the channel and improving communication efficiency. Taking the networked PLC network as an example, referring to Figure 4, the present invention includes the following steps.

[0081] S401: A first node sends channel quality information between nodes in a node group.

[0082] In some embodiments, the first node is a leaf node in a PLC network. For example, referring to FIG5 , the box corresponding to node a in FIG5 may represent a root node, and node a may be a concentrator. The circles corresponding to nodes b through e may represent intermediate nodes, and the triangles corresponding to nodes f through p may represent leaf nodes, with nodes f through p being the first nodes. The intermediate nodes and leaf nodes may be electricity meters. The nodes at both ends of the straight line in FIG5 may represent a node group, and the serial numbers next to the line are used to distinguish the node groups.

[0083] In some embodiments, a node group includes a first node and a second node. The second node is a proxy node of the first node. The proxy node of the first node refers to a node connected to the first node, through which the first node accesses the PLC network. In other words, the first node is a child node of the second node. For example, node c (an example of the second node) and node p (an example of the first node) constitute node group 1, node 1 and node e constitute node group 2, and so on.

[0084] The first node may be all or part of the leaf nodes in the PLC network. The second node may be all or part of the proxy nodes in the PLC network. For example, the second node may be a proxy node outside the concentrator connected to the leaf nodes.

[0085] The channel quality information between nodes in a node group may be referred to as the channel quality information of the node group.

[0086] In some embodiments, the channel quality information between nodes in the node group is channel quality information of a signal sent from a first node to a second node.

[0087] In some embodiments, the channel quality information between nodes in the node group is channel quality information of a signal sent by the second node to the first node.

[0088] In some embodiments, the channel quality information between nodes in the node group is an average or weighted average of channel quality information of a signal sent from a first node to a second node and channel quality information of a signal sent from the second node to the first node.

[0089] In some embodiments, the channel quality information between nodes in the node group is the larger or smaller value of the channel quality information of the signal sent from the first node to the second node and the channel quality information of the signal sent from the second node to the first node.

[0090] Taking a node group including nodes m and e as an example, when node e sends signal 1 to node m, node m can obtain channel quality information for the signal sent from node e to node m based on the received signal 1. Alternatively, when node m sends signal 2 to node e, node e can obtain channel quality information for the signal sent from node m to node e based on the received signal 2. Alternatively, after obtaining channel quality information for the signal sent from node e to node m, node m sends the channel quality information to node e (e.g., via a discovery list message). Node e can take the average or weighted average of the received channel quality information for the signal sent from node e to node m and the channel quality information for the signal sent from node m to node e to obtain channel quality information between nodes m and e in the node group. Alternatively, taking the channel quality information as an attenuation value as an example, if the attenuation value for the signal sent from node e to node m is 20 dB and the attenuation value for the signal sent from node m to node e is 18 dB, the larger attenuation value of 20 dB is used as the channel quality information for the signal sent from node e to node m, while the smaller attenuation value of 18 dB is used as the channel quality information for the signal sent from node e to node m.

[0091] In some embodiments, a node group is determined by a sending node and a receiving node. That is, if a first node sends a signal to a second node, the first and second nodes constitute node group 1. If the first node is a receiving node and the second node is a sending node, the first and second nodes constitute node group 2.

[0092] S402: The proxy node receives channel quality information between nodes in multiple node groups.

[0093] In some embodiments, the proxy node directly receives channel quality information between nodes in the node group. For example, a child node of the proxy node receives the channel quality information, and the proxy node receives the channel quality information sent by the child node.

[0094] In some other embodiments, the proxy node indirectly receives the channel quality information between nodes in the node group. For example, the proxy node receives a signal sent by a child node, and the proxy node obtains the channel quality information based on the received signal.

[0095] In some embodiments, a proxy node receives channel quality information between nodes in a node group sent by a child node of the proxy node. For example, referring to FIG5 , the proxy node may be node C, which may receive channel quality information for node groups 1 through 5. The proxy node may be node E, which may receive channel quality information for node groups 2 through 5.

[0096] S403: The proxy node sends channel quality information between nodes in each node group in multiple node groups.

[0097] The proxy node can send the received channel quality information between nodes in multiple node groups to the superior node. For example, referring to Figure 5, node e sends the channel quality information of node groups 2 to 5 to node c. For another example, node c sends the channel quality information of node groups 1 to 5 to node a. For another example, node c sends the channel quality information of node groups 1 to 5 and the channel quality information of node group 12 to node a.

[0098] S404: The concentrator receives channel quality information between nodes in each node group in the multiple node groups.

[0099] In some embodiments, the concentrator may receive channel quality information between nodes in all node groups in the PLC network. For example, referring to FIG5 , the concentrator may receive channel quality information of node groups 1 to 15.

[0100] In other embodiments, the concentrator may also receive channel quality information between nodes in some node groups in the PLC network. For example, referring to FIG5 , the concentrator may receive channel quality information from node c for node groups 1 to 5 and channel quality information from node b for node groups 7 to 10.

[0101] S405: The concentrator determines the signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups according to the channel quality information.

[0102] The signal strength of a node group is the signal strength of signals sent between nodes in the node group.

[0103] S406: The concentrator sends first indication information.

[0104] The first indication information is used to indicate the signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups.

[0105] That is, the concentrator may determine the signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups according to the channel quality information between the nodes in the multiple node groups, and indicate the signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups through the first indication information.

[0106] The signal strength of the signals sent by the nodes in the node group may be referred to as the signal strength of the node group.

[0107] Exemplarily, the node group includes node m and node e. The signal strength of the node group can be the signal strength of a signal sent from node m to node e, or the signal strength of a signal sent from node e to node m, or the strength of a signal received by node e, or the strength of a signal received by node m.

[0108] In some embodiments, the signal strength of each node group in the plurality of node groups is the same. In other embodiments, the signal strength of each node group in the plurality of node groups is different.

[0109] The concentrator may send the first indication information in a broadcasting manner, for example, by carrying the first indication information in a beacon frame.

[0110] S407: The proxy node receives the first indication information.

[0111] S408: The first node receives first indication information.

[0112] In some embodiments, after receiving the first indication information, the proxy node forwards the first indication information to the first node. For example, referring to Figure 5 , node a sends the first indication information. After receiving the first indication information, node c sends the first indication information to nodes e and p. Node e then sends the first indication information to nodes 1 through o.

[0113] In some other embodiments, the first node receives the first indication information from the concentrator. For example, referring to FIG5 , node f and node g may directly communicate with node a and receive the first indication information sent by node a.

[0114] S409: The proxy node sends a signal according to the first indication information.

[0115] S410. The first node sends a signal according to the first indication information.

[0116] For example, a signal is sent according to the signal strength indicated by the first indication information.

[0117] Through this solution, the concentrator determines the signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups based on the channel quality information between the nodes in the multiple node groups, so that the nodes in each node group send signals according to the signal strength indicated by the concentrator. Compared with the prior art in which each node sends signals at the maximum transmission power specified by the PLC network, this solution can reduce the interference of signals sent by some nodes on surrounding nodes, reduce the probability of data collisions between nodes, enable more nodes to send signals in parallel, and improve the communication efficiency of the PLC network. For example, referring to Figure 3, the direction of the arrow in Figure 3 indicates the signal transmission direction, the solid line indicates the communication signal, the dotted line indicates the interference signal, and the numerical value next to the solid line or dotted line indicates the attenuation value of the signal. For example, the attenuation value of the signal sent by node 5 to node 3 is 10dB. Assume that the attenuation value of the signal sent at the maximum transmission power between the nodes shown in Figure 3 is less than 100dB to be received normally, and if it is greater than 100dB, the receiving end cannot receive the signal. Using this solution, the concentrator can configure both nodes 2 and 5 to reduce their transmit power by 45dB. This results in the signal sent by node 4 reaching nodes 2 and 3 with attenuation values ​​of 75dB and 115dB, respectively. The signal sent by node 5 reaches nodes 3 and 2 with attenuation values ​​of 55dB and 105dB, respectively. This allows nodes 4 and 5 to transmit signals simultaneously, preventing their signals from reaching node 3 and interfering with those from node 5. Furthermore, their signals from node 5 do not reach node 2 and interfere with those from node 4. This allows nodes 4 and 5 to transmit signals simultaneously, improving channel utilization and communication efficiency.

[0118] In some embodiments, the method does not include S401 and / or S402 described above.

[0119] For example, if the channel quality information between nodes in the node group is channel quality information transmitted by a leaf node to a proxy node, the proxy node can obtain the channel quality information by receiving the signal transmitted by the leaf node to the proxy node. Thus, the method can obtain the channel quality information between nodes in the node group without executing S401 and / or S402, thereby reducing the communication resources occupied by the leaf node transmitting the channel quality information to the proxy node.

[0120] In some embodiments, the channel quality information between nodes in the node group is determined based on one or more of the following information: the received power of the signal between two nodes in the node group, the attenuation value of the signal between two nodes in the node group, or the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal between two nodes in the node group.

[0121] For example, referring to Figure 3 , still assuming a 20dBm transmit power for a child node in a PLC network, node 4 in Figure 3 transmits a 20dBm signal to node 2, and node 2 receives a -10dBm signal. Node 2 can subtract the known signal transmit power of 20dBm from the received signal receive power of -10dBm to determine that the attenuation from node 4 to node 2 is 30dB. When node 2 reports the channel quality information between nodes in the node group consisting of node 4 and node 2 to the superior node, it can report a received signal power of -10dBm, an attenuation value of 30dB, or a signal-to-noise ratio, etc.

[0122] In some embodiments, the values ​​of the channel quality information are divided into multiple intervals, and S403-S404 can be implemented as S503-S504.

[0123] S503: The proxy node sends the channel quality information between nodes in the multiple node groups, and the number of node groups located in each interval in the multiple intervals.

[0124] S504: The concentrator receives the channel quality information between nodes in the multiple node groups and the number of node groups located in each interval of the multiple intervals.

[0125] When the channel quality information is an attenuation value of a signal between two nodes in the node group, dividing the value of the channel quality information into multiple intervals includes: dividing the value of the channel quality information into multiple intervals according to the value of the attenuation value.

[0126] For example, the channel quality information in the PLC network shown in FIG5 is an attenuation value. In node groups 1 to 11, the attenuation values ​​are divided into the four intervals shown in Table 1. Node e can send to node c the number of attenuation values ​​of the node group to which node e belongs that are in interval 1 [0 to 40 dB), the number of attenuation values ​​of interval 2 [40 dB to 50 dB), and so on. Nodes c and d both send the number of attenuation values ​​of the node groups to which they belong that are in each interval. Node a receives the number of attenuation values ​​of the above-mentioned node groups that are in each interval.

[0127] Table 1

[0128] In some embodiments, the multiple intervals include a first interval, the number of the first intervals is one or more, and the ratio of the number of node groups whose channel quality information values ​​fall within the one or more first intervals to the multiple node groups is a first ratio. In other words, the ratio of the sum of the number of node groups whose channel quality information values ​​fall within the first interval of the one or more first intervals to the multiple node groups is the first ratio, and the first ratio is greater than or equal to a first threshold.

[0129] The first threshold may be a preset threshold, or the first threshold may be calculated by the concentrator according to the historical communication efficiency of the PLC network.

[0130] Exemplarily, the first threshold is 80%. The number of node groups with attenuation values ​​between 0 and 60 dB is 9, 9 / 11=81%, 81%>80%, and the first interval may include interval 1, interval 2, and interval 3.

[0131] For another example, the first threshold is 60%. The number of node groups with attenuation values ​​between 0 and 50 dB is 8, 8 / 11=72%, 72%>60%, and the first interval may include interval 1 and interval 2.

[0132] In other embodiments, the first ratio is less than or equal to a second threshold. Similar to the first threshold, the second threshold may be a preset threshold or calculated by the concentrator based on historical communication efficiency of the PLC network.

[0133] Exemplarily, the second threshold is 80%. The number of node groups with attenuation values ​​between 0 and 60 dB is 9, 9 / 11=81%, 81%>80%, and the first interval may include interval 1 (0-40 dB), interval 2 (40 dB-50 dB), and interval 3 (50 dB-60 dB).

[0134] In other embodiments, the first ratio is greater than or equal to a first threshold and the first ratio is less than or equal to a second threshold, wherein the first threshold is less than or equal to the second threshold.

[0135] Exemplarily, the first threshold is 60% and the second threshold is 80%.

[0136] In some other embodiments, the number of node groups whose channel quality information values ​​are within one or more first intervals is greater than or equal to a first threshold.

[0137] In some other embodiments, the number of node groups whose channel quality information values ​​are within one or more first intervals is less than or equal to a second threshold.

[0138] In other embodiments, the number of node groups whose channel quality information values ​​are in one or more first intervals is greater than or equal to a first threshold and the first ratio is less than or equal to a second threshold, wherein the first threshold is less than or equal to the second threshold.

[0139] Exemplarily, the first threshold and the second threshold may be fixed values, such as the first threshold is equal to 8 and the second threshold is equal to 10.

[0140] In the above Table 1, the node group including the leaf node is used as a statistic to count the number of node groups in different intervals. It should be noted that the node group can also be a node group that does not include a leaf node, that is, a node group composed of two intermediate nodes. Because in some embodiments, the number of leaf nodes in the PLC network is large, and the number of node groups composed of two intermediate nodes is relatively small. For example, the PLC network includes 1,000 leaf nodes and 30 node groups composed of two intermediate nodes. In a scenario where the leaf nodes account for a relatively large proportion, the node group composed of two intermediate nodes is relatively small, and has little impact on the statistical results. When counting, the node group is also counted, and can be calculated together according to the number of node groups obtained, thereby reducing the computing power consumed by removing the node group and improving computing efficiency.

[0141] In some embodiments, the first indication information in the above S406 indicates the signal strength of each node group in multiple node groups, which can be implemented as the first indication information indicating the attenuation power of the first type of node group or the power of the signal sent by the first type of node group. The first type of node group is a node group whose channel quality information value is in the first interval.

[0142] For example, referring to FIG5 , assuming that the maximum transmit power specified in the PLC network is 20 dBm, the first interval includes interval 1 and interval 2 in Table 1, and the attenuation values ​​of node groups 5 to 8 are in interval 1, and the attenuation values ​​of node groups 1 to 4 are in interval 2, the first indication information may indicate that the attenuation power of node groups 1 to 8 is 50 dB, that is, the first indication information may indicate that both nodes in each node group from node groups 1 to 8 transmit signals at -70 dBm. As another example, the first indication information may indicate that the attenuation power of node groups 1 to 8 is 45 dB.

[0143] In some embodiments, the sum of the attenuation value and the attenuation power in the first interval is less than or equal to a fourth threshold, where the fourth threshold is the maximum signal attenuation value. The maximum signal attenuation value is equal to the maximum signal transmission power. For example, the maximum transmission power of the PLC network is 20dBm, the first interval includes interval 1 and interval 2, and the attenuation value of the first interval is less than 50dB. The attenuation power can be obtained by subtracting the attenuation value of 50dB in the first interval from the fourth threshold 20dBm to obtain -70dBm. For example, the concentrator can also use the boundary value of interval 3, 60dB, as the attenuation value for the first interval, and subtract the attenuation value of 60dB in the first interval from the fourth threshold 20dBm to obtain -80dBm. For another example, the attenuation power can be between 40dB and 50dB, i.e., the node groups in intervals 1 and 2 transmit signals at -30dBm to -20dBm. This allows for efficient signal transmission and reception between two nodes in the node group in the first interval, while reducing signal interference with other node groups.

[0144] The leaf node can determine the interval to which the node group to which the leaf node belongs based on the channel quality information between the nodes in the node group to which the leaf node belongs. After the leaf node receives the first indication information, it can determine the signal strength of the node group based on the signal strength of the interval to which the node group to which the leaf node belongs. For example, referring to Figure 5, taking the attenuation value of node group 5 as 30dB, the first indication information indicating that the node group in the first interval is attenuated by 45dB, and the attenuation value range of the first interval is 0-50dB as an example. After node o receives the first indication information, it can determine that the signal attenuation value for communicating with node e is within the first interval, then when sending signals subsequently, it will no longer send signals at the maximum power of 20dBm, but will send signals at -25dBm. In this way, after the signal sent by node o to node e is attenuated by 30dB, node e can receive the signal power of node o as 15dBm.

[0145] The above embodiment of the present application is described by taking the attenuation value of the signal between two nodes in the node group as the channel quality information. It should be noted that the channel quality information may also be the received power of the signal between two nodes in the node group.

[0146] When the channel quality information is the received power of a signal between two nodes in the node group, dividing the value of the channel quality information into multiple intervals includes: dividing the value of the channel quality information into multiple intervals according to the value of the received power.

[0147] Similar to Table 1, the received power values ​​are divided into multiple intervals as shown in Table 2.

[0148] Table 2

[0149] In some embodiments, the difference between the received power and the attenuation power in the first interval is greater than or equal to a third threshold, and the third threshold is the minimum received power. Exemplarily, the minimum received power is -80dBm. The maximum transmission power of the PLC network is 20dBm, and the first interval includes interval 1 and interval 2. The received power of the first interval is greater than -30dBm. By subtracting the minimum received power -80dBm from the received power -30dBm in the first interval, the attenuation power is greater than 50dB. As another example, the concentrator can also use the boundary value -40dB of interval 3 as the received power of the first interval, and by subtracting the minimum received power -80dBm from the received power -40dBm in the first interval, the attenuation power is greater than 40dB. This allows the two nodes in the node group in the first interval to effectively send and receive signals, and reduces signal interference to other node groups.

[0150] This solution utilizes spatial multiplexing technology. Specifically, the two nodes in the first interval no longer transmit at the maximum power specified by the PLC network, but instead transmit at a lower power. This reduces interference with signals transmitted by surrounding nodes, enabling simultaneous channel reuse, minimizing signal collisions within the network, and improving network communication success rates and efficiency.

[0151] The above embodiment takes the example of a node in a PLC network sending a signal at the maximum power specified by the PLC network, and introduces how the node receiving the signal determines the attenuation value of the signal based on the power of the received signal. It should be noted that the signal-transmitting node can also send signals at other powers, as long as the signal-receiving node can obtain the power of the transmitted signal. For example, referring to Figure 5, node o sends a signal to node e at 10dBm, and carries a numerical value (10dBm) indicating the transmit power in the signal. Node e receives a -20dBm signal and determines from the numerical value indicating the transmit power that the signal transmit power is 10dBm, thereby determining the attenuation value to be 30dB. The concentrator can determine the signal strength of each node group based on this attenuation value or this received power.

[0152] It should be noted that the above embodiment is described by taking the PLC network shown in Figure 5 as an example including 11 leaf nodes. In an actual PLC network, the number of leaf nodes may reach hundreds or thousands.

[0153] In some embodiments, the above steps also include S509.

[0154] S509: The concentrator sends second indication information.

[0155] The second indication information is used to indicate time slots for the multiple node groups. The time slot for each of the multiple node groups is determined based on channel quality information between nodes in the multiple node groups. In other words, the concentrator may determine the time slot for each of the multiple node groups based on the channel quality information between nodes in the multiple node groups, and indicate the time slots for the multiple node groups using the second indication information.

[0156] Correspondingly, the leaf node and the intermediate node receive the second indication information.

[0157] Similar to the first indication information, the concentrator may send the second indication information in a broadcasting manner.

[0158] The second indication information and the first indication information can be sent in the same message. For example, the concentrator sends the first indication information and the second indication information via a beacon frame. After receiving the beacon frame, the intermediate node can forward the beacon frame to its subordinate nodes, thereby ensuring that all nodes in the PLC network receive the second indication information.

[0159] In some embodiments, the beacon frame includes a first field and a second field, the content in the first field is the first indication information, and the content in the second field is the second indication information.

[0160] The second indication information and the first indication information may also be sent in different messages.

[0161] In some embodiments, the second node and / or the first node may send a signal according to the second indication information, for example, according to a time slot indicated by the second indication information.

[0162] In some embodiments, a time slot includes one or more of the following information: time slot type, time slot length, and position of the time slot in a beacon period.

[0163] In some embodiments, the concentrator may indicate different time slots for the first type of node group, the second type of node group, and the third type of node group. The second type of node group is a node group whose channel quality information values ​​are outside the first interval, and the third type of node group is a node group in which both nodes are proxy nodes, or one is a proxy node and the other is a root node. In other words, both nodes in the third type of node group are proxy nodes, or two nodes in the third type of node group are a proxy node and a root node.

[0164] Exemplarily, the first interval includes interval 1 and interval 2 in Table 1, and the node groups in interval 1 and interval 2 belong to the first type of node group. The node groups in interval 3 and interval 4 belong to the second type of node group.

[0165] The channel quality of the second type of node group is worse than that of the first type of node group. For example, two nodes in the second type of node group consume more energy to send signals than two nodes in the first type of node group, or the signal-to-noise ratio is lower than that of the first type of node group, or the attenuation value is greater than that of the first type of node group.

[0166] The leaf nodes in the second type of node group can be called island nodes. For example, referring to Figure 5 , the attenuation value of the signal sent by node p to node c is 70 dB, which is greater than the attenuation value of the signal sent between nodes in the first interval.

[0167] In some embodiments, the time slot length can be determined based on the number of node groups transmitting signals in the time slot. For example, the number of first-type node groups is 600, and the time slot length for the first-type node groups to transmit signals is 0.06 ms. The number of second-type node groups is 200, and the time slot length for the second-type node groups to transmit signals is 0.02 ms.

[0168] In some embodiments, the time slot length can be determined based on the ratio of the number of node groups transmitting signals in that time slot to the total number of node groups. For example, in a PLC network, there are 1000 node groups, and the total time slot length allocated to each type of node group is 0.2 ms. If the number of first-type node groups is 600, the time slot length for signals transmitted by first-type node groups is 0.2 × 600 ÷ 1000 = 0.12 ms.

[0169] In some embodiments, indicating the time slots of the plurality of node groups includes: indicating the time slots of the first type of node group as first time slots, indicating the time slots of the second type of node group as second time slots, and the first time slot and the second time slot are different.

[0170] In some embodiments, indicating the time slots of multiple node groups further includes: indicating that the time slot of the third type of node group is a third time slot, and the third time slot is different from the first time slot and the second time slot.

[0171] Referring to Figure 5, node group 12 is a third type of node group. Node e can aggregate information from node groups 2 to 5 and send the aggregated information to node c. For example, nodes 1 to o respectively send discovery lists to node e. Node e obtains the received power of nodes 1 to o when node e sends signals to nodes 1 to o respectively based on the discovery list, thereby obtaining channel quality information from node groups 2 to 5. Node e counts the number of channel quality information from node groups 2 to 5 in each interval and sends it to node c in the third time slot. For another example, node d can send the number of channel quality information from node groups 2 to 5 in each interval to node b in the third time slot. For another example, node c can send the number of channel quality information from node groups 1 to 5 in each interval to node a in the third time slot.

[0172] For example, referring to Figure 6, Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of time slots within a cycle. For example, the cycle may be a beacon cycle.

[0173] One cycle shown in FIG6 includes a beacon slot, a TDMA slot, a first slot (or multiplexing frame slot), a second slot (or PCO CSMA slot), and a third slot (or CSMA slot).

[0174] In some embodiments, each of the above cycles also includes time slots other than the above time slots, such as bound CSMA time slots and other time slots.

[0175] This solution allocates different time slots to different node groups, allowing node groups in the first interval to have separate time slots, allowing multiple node groups to transmit signals simultaneously. For example, node d and node e in Figure 5 can transmit signals to their respective child nodes at the same time. This reduces the probability of such node groups having their channels occupied by other nodes, reduces collisions between nodes, and improves communication efficiency. By controlling the first threshold, for example, selecting the first threshold to be 80%, most node groups can be classified as first-class node groups. The number of second-class node groups is smaller than that of first-class node groups. Assigning separate time slots to these second-class node groups can reduce the probability of signal collisions between second-class node groups. The third-class node group is the backbone network of the PLC network. The number of third-class node groups is relatively small among the node groups in the entire PLC network, and the collision probability is low. By allocating the third time slot to these third-class node groups, the throughput and transmission success rate of the backbone network are improved. Thus, by allocating different time slots to different node groups, the embodiments of the present application enable parallel communication between different proxy nodes and their subordinate child nodes, improving network efficiency. It enables communication between proxy nodes through dedicated time slots, improving the forwarding efficiency of the backbone network.

[0176] The above describes the methods of the embodiments of the present application. It should be noted that both the concentrator and nodes in the communication system can periodically update and send discovery list messages to reconfigure the communication system. The concentrator can determine the current networking status of the communication system based on the discovery list of each node and, using the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application, indicate the preamble length of frames sent by nodes in each node group and allocate time slots for the node groups.

[0177] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced to each other, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships. For example, the above-mentioned multiple embodiments can be combined, and the combined scheme can be implemented. Optionally, some operations in the process of each method embodiment are optionally combined, and / or the order of some operations is optionally changed. In addition, the execution order between the steps of each process is only exemplary and does not constitute a limitation on the execution order between the steps. Other execution orders can also be used between the steps. It is not intended to indicate that the execution order is the only order in which these operations can be performed. Ordinary technicians in this field will think of various ways to reorder the operations in this article. In addition, it should be noted that the process details involved in a certain embodiment of this article are also applicable to other embodiments in a similar manner, or different embodiments can be used in combination.

[0178] For example, in some embodiments, the present application includes steps S408 and S410. In other embodiments, it also includes S401. In some embodiments, the present application includes steps S403 and S407. In other embodiments, it also includes S402. In other embodiments, it also includes S409. In some embodiments, the present application includes S404, S405, and S406.

[0179] The present application also provides a communication device that can perform the above method. For example, the communication device can perform S408 and S410. The communication device can also perform S401. The present application also provides a communication device that can perform S403 and S407. The communication device can also perform S409. The communication device can also perform S402. The present application also provides a communication device that can perform S404, S405, and S406.

[0180] It is understood that to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the CCO and terminal include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the respective functions. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that, in conjunction with the various exemplary units and method steps described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is implemented in hardware or in a hardware-driven manner by computer software depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0181] Figures 7 and 8 are schematic diagrams of the structures of possible communication devices provided in embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal or CCO in the above-mentioned method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects possessed by the above-mentioned method embodiments. In the embodiments of the present application, the communication device can be a CCO (such as node a) as shown in Figure 5, or a terminal (such as the electric meter shown in nodes b and f) as shown in Figure 5, or a module (such as a chip) applied to a CCO or terminal.

[0182] As shown in Figure 7, the communication device 1300 includes a processing unit 1310 and a transceiver unit 1320. The communication device 1300 is used to implement the functions of the terminal or CCO in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4 above.

[0183] When the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the first node in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4: the transceiver unit 1320 is used to receive the first indication information or send a signal according to the first indication information; the processing unit 1310 is used to perform processing-related functions.

[0184] When the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the proxy node in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4: the transceiver unit 1320 is used to send channel quality information between nodes in each node group in multiple node groups, receive first indication information or send a signal according to the first indication information; the processing unit 1310 is used to perform processing-related functions.

[0185] When the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the concentrator in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4: the transceiver unit 1320 is used to receive channel quality information between nodes in each node group in multiple node groups and send first indication information; the processing unit 1310 is used to determine the signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups based on the channel quality information.

[0186] As shown in Figure 8, communication device 1400 includes a processor 1410 and an interface circuit 1420. Processor 1410 and interface circuit 1420 are coupled to each other. It is understood that interface circuit 1420 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, communication device 1400 may also include a memory 1430 for storing instructions executed by processor 1410, input data required by processor 1410 to execute instructions, or data generated after processor 1410 executes instructions.

[0187] When the communication device 1400 is used to implement the method shown in FIG. 4 , the processor 1410 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 1310 , and the interface circuit 1420 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 1320 .

[0188] When the communication device is a chip used in a terminal, the terminal chip implements the terminal functions in the above-mentioned method embodiments. When the terminal chip receives information from the CCO, it can be understood that the information is first received by other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the terminal chip by these modules. When the terminal chip sends information to the CCO, it can be understood that the information is first sent to other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the CCO by these modules.

[0189] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip used in a CCO, the CCO chip implements the CCO functionality described in the aforementioned method embodiments. The CCO chip receives information from the terminal, which can be understood as the information being first received by other modules in the CCO (e.g., a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the CCO chip by these modules. The CCO chip sends information to the terminal, which can be understood as the information being sent to other modules in the CCO (e.g., a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the terminal by these modules.

[0190] In the present application, when entity A sends information to entity B, it can be that A sends it directly to B, or that A sends it indirectly to B through other entities. Similarly, when entity B receives information from entity A, it can be that entity B directly receives the information sent by entity A, or that entity B indirectly receives the information sent by entity A through other entities. Entities A and B here can be CCO nodes or terminals, or modules inside the CCO node or terminal. The sending and receiving of information can be information interaction between a CCO node and a terminal, for example, information interaction between a CCO and a terminal; the sending and receiving of information can also be information interaction between two CCO nodes, for example, information interaction between a CU and a DU; the sending and receiving of information can also be information interaction between different modules within a device, for example, information interaction between a terminal chip and other modules of the terminal, or information interaction between a CCO chip and other modules in the CCO.

[0191] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0192] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions that can be executed by a processor. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disk, mobile hard disk, CD-ROM or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a CCO or a terminal. The processor and the storage medium can also exist in a CCO or a terminal as discrete components.

[0193] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented using 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 programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are performed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions may be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disk; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or nonvolatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile types of storage media.

[0194] The terms "first" and "second" in the specification and drawings of this application are used to distinguish objects or to distinguish the processing of the same object. Words such as "first" and "second" can distinguish identical or similar items with substantially the same functions and effects. For example, the first device and the second device are merely used to distinguish different devices and do not limit their order. Those skilled in the art will understand that words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and words such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily mean different.

[0195] "At least one" means one or more, and "a plurality" means two or more.

[0196] "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, c can be single or plural.

[0197] Furthermore, the terms "including," "having," and any variations thereof, as used in the description of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus comprising a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include other steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to the process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0198] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: receiving channel quality information between nodes in each node group in a plurality of node groups; Determine the signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups according to the channel quality information, each of the node groups includes two nodes, and the signal strength of the node group is the signal strength of the signal received and sent between the two nodes in the node group; Sending first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate the signal strength.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two nodes of the node group are a first node and a second node, the second node is a proxy node of the first node, and the first node is a non-proxy node.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Determining the signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups according to the channel quality information includes: determining the channel quality information between the nodes in the node group according to one or more of the following information: the received power of the signal between two nodes in the node group, the attenuation value of the signal between two nodes in the node group, and the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal between two nodes in the node group.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The channel quality information is divided into multiple intervals, and the receiving of the channel quality information between nodes in each of the multiple node groups includes: receiving the number of node groups whose channel quality information between nodes in the multiple node groups is located in each of the multiple intervals.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The indication of the signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups includes: indicating the attenuation power of a first type of node group or the power of a signal sent by the first type of node group, the first type of node group is a node group whose channel quality information value is in a first interval, and the multiple intervals include the first interval.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The number of the first intervals is one or more, the ratio of the number of node groups whose channel quality information values ​​are located in the one or more first intervals to the plurality of node groups is a first ratio, and the first ratio is greater than or equal to a first threshold; or, The first ratio is less than or equal to a second threshold; or, The first ratio is greater than or equal to a first threshold and the first ratio is less than or equal to a second threshold, wherein the first threshold is less than or equal to the second threshold.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that When the channel quality information is the received power of a signal between two nodes in the node group, the value of the channel quality information is divided into a plurality of intervals, including: the value of the channel quality information is divided into a plurality of intervals according to the value of the received power, the difference between the received power in the first interval and the attenuation power is greater than or equal to a third threshold, and the third threshold is the minimum received power; In the case where the channel quality information is the attenuation value of a signal between two nodes in the node group, the value of the channel quality information is divided into multiple intervals, including: the value of the channel quality information is divided into multiple intervals according to the value of the attenuation value, the sum of the attenuation value of the first interval and the attenuation power is less than or equal to a fourth threshold, and the fourth threshold is the maximum attenuation value of the signal.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that Also includes: Sending second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate time slots of the multiple node groups, where the time slot of each node group in the multiple node groups is determined according to channel quality information between nodes in the multiple node groups.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The time slots indicating the multiple node groups include: the time slot indicating the first type of node group is the first time slot, and the time slot indicating the second type of node group is the second time slot, the second type of node group is the node group whose channel quality information value is outside the first interval, and the first time slot is different from the second time slot.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The time slots indicating the multiple node groups include: the time slot indicating the third type of node group is the third time slot, the third time slot is different from the first time slot and the second time slot, both nodes in the third type of node group are proxy nodes, or a node group in which one is a proxy node and the other is a root node.

11. A communication method, characterized in that: include: receiving first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a signal strength of each node group in a plurality of node groups; The signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups is determined according to the channel quality information between the nodes in the multiple node groups, each of the node groups includes two nodes, and the signal strength of the node group is the strength of the signal received and sent between the two nodes in the node group; Send a signal according to the first indication information.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The node group includes a first node and a second node, the second node is a proxy node of the first node, and the first node is a non-proxy node.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: The channel quality information between the nodes in the node group is determined based on one or more of the following information: the received power of the signal between two nodes in the node group, the attenuation value of the signal between two nodes in the node group, and the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal between two nodes in the node group.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that The values ​​of the channel quality information are divided into multiple intervals, and the indication of the signal strength of each node group among the multiple nodes includes: indicating the attenuation power of a first type of node group or the power of a signal sent by the first type of node group, the first type of node group is a node group whose value of the channel quality information is within a first interval, and the multiple intervals include the first interval.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that When the channel quality information is the received power of a signal between two nodes in the node group, the value of the channel quality information is divided into a plurality of intervals, including: the value of the channel quality information is divided into a plurality of intervals according to the value of the received power, the difference between the received power in the first interval and the attenuation power is greater than or equal to a third threshold, and the third threshold is the minimum received power; In the case where the channel quality information is the attenuation value of a signal between two nodes in the node group, the value of the channel quality information is divided into multiple intervals, including: the value of the channel quality information is divided into multiple intervals according to the value of the attenuation value, the sum of the attenuation value of the first interval and the attenuation power is less than or equal to a fourth threshold, and the fourth threshold is the maximum attenuation value of the signal.

16. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that Also includes: Second indication information is received, where the second indication information is used to indicate time slots of the multiple node groups, and the time slot of each node group in the multiple node groups is determined according to channel quality information between nodes in the multiple node groups.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The time slots indicating the multiple node groups include: the time slot indicating the first type of node group is the first time slot, and the time slot indicating the second type of node group is the second time slot, the second type of node group is the node group whose channel quality information value is outside the first interval, and the first time slot is different from the second time slot.

18. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 17, characterized in that Before receiving the first indication information, the method further includes: sending channel quality information between nodes in the node group.

19. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 18, characterized in that Also includes: Send a signal according to the time slot indicated by the second indication information.

20. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Sending channel quality information between nodes in each node group in a plurality of node groups; Receive first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate the signal strength of each node group in a plurality of node groups; the signal strength of each node group in the plurality of node groups is determined based on channel quality information between the nodes in the plurality of node groups, and the signal strength of the node group is the strength of signals sent between the nodes in the node group.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that The node group includes a first node and a second node, the second node is a proxy node of the first node, and the first node is a non-proxy node.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that The channel quality information is divided into multiple intervals, and the sending of the channel quality information between nodes in each node group in the multiple node groups includes: The number of node groups that transmit channel quality information between nodes in the plurality of node groups is located in each interval of the plurality of intervals.

23. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 22, characterized in that Also includes: Second indication information is received, where the second indication information is used to indicate time slots of the multiple node groups, and the time slot of each node group in the multiple node groups is determined according to channel quality information between nodes in the multiple node groups.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that The time slots indicating the plurality of node groups include: the time slot indicating the third type of node group is the third time slot, both nodes in the third type of node group are proxy nodes, or a node group in which one is a proxy node and the other is a root node.

25. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 24, characterized in that Before receiving the first indication information, the method further includes: receiving channel quality information between nodes in a plurality of node groups.

26. A communication method, characterized in that: include: The second node sends channel quality information between nodes in each node group in the plurality of node groups; The concentrator receives channel quality information between nodes in each node group in the plurality of node groups; The concentrator determines the signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups according to the channel quality information, each of the node groups includes a first node and a second node, and the signal strength of the node group is the signal strength of the signal received and sent between the first node and the second node; The concentrator sends first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate the signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups; The second node receives the first indication information; The first node receives the first indication information; The first node sends a signal according to the first indication information.

27. A communication device, characterized in that: It includes a receiving module, a sending module and a processing module; The receiving module is used to receive channel quality information between nodes in each node group in multiple node groups; The processing module is used to determine the signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups according to the channel quality information, each of the node groups includes two nodes, and the signal strength of the node group is the signal strength of the signal received and sent between the two nodes in the node group; The sending module is used to send first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate the signal strength.

28. A communication device, characterized in that: It includes a receiving module, a sending module and a processing module; The receiving module is used to receive first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate the signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups; the signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups is determined according to channel quality information between nodes in the multiple node groups, each of the node groups includes two nodes, and the signal strength of the node group is the strength of the signal received and sent between the two nodes in the node group; The processing module is used to determine a signal according to the first indication information; The sending module is used to send a signal.

29. A communication device, characterized in that: It includes a receiving module, a sending module and a processing module; The sending module is used to send channel quality information between nodes in each node group in multiple node groups; The receiving module is used to receive first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups; the signal strength of each node group in the multiple node groups is determined based on the channel quality information between the nodes in the multiple node groups, and the signal strength of the node group is the strength of the signals sent by the nodes in the node group to each other.

30. A communication system, characterized in that: Includes the communication device as claimed in claim 27, the communication device as claimed in claim 28, and the communication device as claimed in claim 29.

31. A computer-readable storage medium, wherein instructions are stored in the computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: When the instruction is executed on a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, or the communication device is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 11 to 19, or the communication device is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 20 to 25.

32. A communication device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store computer instructions, and when the processor executes the instructions, the computer instructions execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, or include the method for executing any one of claims 11 to 19, or include the method for executing any one of claims 20 to 25.

Images