PLC/wireless device coordinated wireless transmissions
View Patent ↗A Power Line Communications (PLC) device includes a PLC interface, a wireless interface, a processing module, and memory. The PLC device communicates with a second PLC device via the PLC interface to establish a wireless transmission timing base, communicates with the second PLC device via the power mains to coordinate simultaneous wireless data transmissions to a client device from the PLC device and the second PLC device, wirelessly transmits data to the client device based upon the wireless transmission timing base and the coordination with the second PLC device. In combination the PLC devices' simultaneous wireless data transmissions may be Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) transmissions, diversity transmissions, and/or beam formed transmissions. In another operation, the PLC device characterizes its surroundings based upon concurrent directional transmission and receipt of wireless transmissions by the PLC device.
1. A Power Line Communications (PLC) device comprising:
a PLC interface configured to couple to a power mains;
a wireless interface;
a processing module;
memory coupled to the processing module, wherein the processing module, the PLC interface, and the wireless interface are operable to:
communicate with a second PLC device via the PLC interface to establish a wireless transmission timing base;
communicate with the second PLC device via the power mains to coordinate simultaneous wireless data transmissions to a client device from the PLC device and the second PLC device; and
wirelessly transmit data to the client device based upon the wireless transmission timing base in coordination with the wireless transmission of data from the second PLC device to the client device for simultaneous receipt by the client device.
2. The PLC device of claim 1 , wherein the simultaneous wireless data transmissions from the PLC device and the second PLC device are, in combination, Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) transmissions.
3. The PLC device of claim 1 , wherein the simultaneous wireless data transmissions from the PLC device and the second PLC device are, in combination, diversity transmissions.
4. The PLC device of claim 1 , wherein the simultaneous wireless data transmissions from the PLC device and the second PLC device are, in combination, beam formed transmissions.
5. The PLC device of claim 1 , wherein the processing module, the PLC interface, and the wireless interface are operable to:
determine that the client device is receiving marginal wireless service quality; and
initiate the simultaneous wireless data transmissions from the PLC device and the second PLC device based upon the indication from the client device.
6. The PLC device of claim 1 , wherein the simultaneous wireless data transmissions comprise one of:
a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) communication;
a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) communication; and
a Millimeter Wave (MMW) communication.
7. The PLC device of claim 1 , wherein in communicating with a second PLC device via the PLC interface to establish a wireless transmission timing base the PLC device is operable to:
send a wireless transmission timing base message to the second PLC device;
receive a wireless transmission timing base message from the second PLC device; and
determine a timing offset based upon the wireless timing base message,
wherein in wirelessly transmitting data to the client device based upon the wireless transmission timing base and the coordination with the second PLC device, the PLC device is operable to use the timing offset.
8. A method for operating a Power Line Communications (PLC) device comprising:
communicating with a second PLC device via a PLC interface to establish a wireless transmission timing base;
communicating with the second PLC device via the PLC interface to coordinate simultaneous wireless data transmission to a client device from a wireless interface of the PLC device and a wireless interface of the second PLC device; and
wirelessly transmitting data to the client device via the wireless interface based upon the wireless transmission timing base in coordination with the wireless transmission of data from the second PLC device to the client device for simultaneous receipt by the client device.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the simultaneous wireless data transmissions from the PLC device and the second PLC device are, in combination, Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) transmissions.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the simultaneous wireless data transmissions from the PLC device and the second PLC device are, in combination, diversity transmissions.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the simultaneous wireless data transmissions from the PLC device and the second PLC device are, in combination, beam formed transmissions.
12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determine that the client device is receiving marginal wireless service quality; and
initiating coordinated simultaneous transmissions from the PLC device and the second PLC device based upon the indication from the client device.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the simultaneous wireless data transmission comprises one of:
a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) communication;
a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) communication; and
a Millimeter Wave (MMW) communication.
14. The method of claim 8 , wherein in communicating with a second PLC device via the PLC interface to establish a wireless transmission timing base the method comprises:
sending a wireless transmission timing base message to the second PLC device;
receiving a wireless transmission timing base message from the second PLC device; and
determining a timing offset based upon the wireless timing base message,
wherein wirelessly transmitting data to the client device based upon the wireless transmission timing base and the coordination with the second PLC device comprises the PLC device using the timing offset.
15. A Power Line Communications (PLC) device comprising:
a PLC interface;
a wireless interface having a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver;
a processing module;
memory coupled to the processing module, wherein the processing module, the PLC interface, and the wireless interface are operable to:
directionally sweep wireless transmissions from the wireless transmitter;
receive the wireless transmissions by the wireless receiver;
characterize the received wireless transmissions with respect to transmitted direction to determine wireless reflectivity properties adjacent the PLC device.
16. The PLC device of claim 15 , wherein the processing module, the PLC interface, and the wireless interface are further operable to communicate the wireless reflectivity properties adjacent the PLC device to a second PLC device via the PLC interface.
17. The PLC device of claim 16 , wherein the processing module, the PLC interface, and the wireless interface are further operable to interact with the second PLC device to determine a relative position of the second PLC device.
18. The PLC device of claim 15 , wherein the processing module, the PLC interface, and the wireless interface are further operable to subsequently transmit to a client device with beam formed transmissions based upon the reflectivity properties adjacent the PLC device.
19. The PLC device of claim 15 , wherein the processing module, the PLC interface, and the wireless interface are further operable to:
directionally sweep antenna gain during receipt of wireless transmissions from a second PLC device; and
characterize the received wireless transmissions from the second PLC device with respect to antenna gain.
20. The PLC device of claim 19 , wherein the processing module, the PLC interface, and the wireless interface are further operable to determine a relative direction to the second PLC device based upon the characterization.