Method of operating communication networks, corresponding communication network and computer program product
A method of operating a Power Line Communications (PLC) network including a plurality of nodes having wirelines extending therebetween for propagating PLC signals between said nodes over said wirelines. The method includes coupling to a set of nodes of the PLC network respective partitioning filters, which can be activated for countering propagation of the PLC signals through the nodes to which said partitioning filters are coupled. The method also includes selectively activating filters chosen from among said partitioning filters, so that said PLC network is partitioned into a plurality of sub-networks with the propagation of PLC signals between the various sub-networks countered by the activated partitioning filters.
1. A method of operating a Power Line Communications (PLC) network comprising a plurality of nodes coupled together and configured to propagate PLC signals between the plurality of nodes, the method comprising:
selecting one of a plurality of combinations of nodes to define a plurality of branches, each branch having a partitioning filter coupled to at least one node of a respective branch;
activating a respective partitioning filter coupled to the at least one node of the respective branch to partition the at least one node within the respective branch to define a first configuration of a sub-network of the PLC network to counter propagation of the PLC signals through the sub-network; and
de-activating the respective partitioning filter to define a second configuration of the sub-network to permit propagation of the PLC signals through the respective branch.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one device is coupled to the PLC network, the at least one device comprises at least one of a controller device configured for controlling activation of the partitioning filter, a master device configured for managing activation of the partitioning filter by the controller device, and a device under control of the master device and having no control of the partitioning filter.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein when the device under control of the master device is coupled to at least one node, the method further comprises:
activating the partitioning filter coupled to the at least one node so that the at least one node and the device under control of the master device coupled thereto are included in one sub-network.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein when the master device is coupled to the PLC network, the method further comprises:
storing address identifiers of the controller device managed by the master device therein.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein when the master device is coupled to the PLC network, the method further comprises:
selectively de-activating the partitioning filter to permit propagation of the PLC signal between the controller device and the master device.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein when at least one electrically powered user device is coupled to the sub-network, the sub-network defines a metering sub-network for metering electrical power to the at least one electrically powered user device.
7. A Power Line Communication (PLC) network comprising:
a plurality of nodes configured to be coupled to a plurality of wirelines for propagating PLC signals between the plurality of nodes;
a partitioning filter coupled to a node of one of a plurality of combinations of nodes and configured to partition the node to define a first configuration of a sub-network of the PLC network to counter propagation of the PLC signals through the sub-network;
at least one controller device configured to selectively activate the partitioning filter; and
at least one master device coupled to the PLC network and configured to selectively de-activate the partitioning filter to define a second configuration of the sub-network to permit propagation of the PLC signals between the at least one controller device and the at least one master device.
8. The PLC network of claim 7 , wherein the at least one master device has address identifiers of the at least one controller device stored therein.
9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to perform steps of operating a Power Line Communications (PLC) network comprising a plurality of nodes coupled together and configured to propagate PLC signals between the plurality of nodes, the steps comprising:
selecting one of a plurality of combinations of nodes to define a plurality of branches, each branch having a partitioning filter coupled to at least one node of a respective branch;
activating a respective partitioning filter coupled to the at least one node of the respective branch to partition the at least one node within the respective branch to define a first configuration of a sub-network of the PLC network to counter propagation of the PLC signals through the sub-network; and
selectively de-activating the partitioning filter to define a second configuration of the sub-network to permit propagation of the PLC signals through the sub-network.