This application relates to the field of power line communication, and in particular, to a timeslot assignment method for power line communication and an apparatus.
In an application scenario of power line communication (PLC), there is a requirement for long-distance and multi-level relaying. For example, light control is performed through PLC in airfield ground lighting. A maximum of a power line on a runway reaches several kilometers, and a maximum of a single-hop communication distance in PLC is about 1.2 km. Therefore, remote light control can be implemented only through multi-level relaying. For example, street lamps are controlled through PLC. Because the street lights extend over a very long distance, control information needs to be forwarded by relay nodes, to implement unified control of the street lamps.
Based on the feature of the multi-level relaying, a message such as a control message sent by a head node needs to be forwarded by a plurality of relay nodes before reaching an end node. In this case, a delay of receiving the message by the end node is relatively long. In an existing solution, sufficient time is reserved for each relay node to forward the message, and consequently efficiency of this message forwarding mode is definitely low.
Embodiments of this application provide a timeslot assignment method for power line communication, an apparatus, and a system. Forwarding efficiency of a relay node can be greatly improved.
According to a first aspect, an embodiment of this application provides a timeslot assignment method for power line communication, applied to a multi-level power line communications network, where the multi-level power line communications network includes at least one head node, each head node is directly or indirectly connected to at least one relay node, cascading of a plurality of relay nodes may be considered as a plurality of levels, one of the at least one relay node (which may be referred to as a first relay node) is used as a representative for description, and the method includes:
The first relay node receives a first timeslot assignment message sent by an upper-level node, where the first timeslot assignment message includes forwarding information and first timeslot information; and the forwarding information includes a forwarding indication indicating that the at least one relay node needs to forward the first timeslot assignment message, and the first timeslot information includes a forwarding timeslot indication assigned to the at least one relay node and used to forward the first timeslot assignment message, and data timeslot indications assigned to a plurality of nodes and used to send service data.
The first relay node updates the first timeslot information to obtain second timeslot information, where the updating includes deleting an expired timeslot indication from the first timeslot information, the expired timeslot indication is a timeslot indication indicating that an indicated timeslot has expired, and the second timeslot information includes a data timeslot indication of at least one node that is used to send service data.
The first relay node sends a second timeslot assignment message including the forwarding information and the second timeslot information.
By using the solution in this embodiment, each relay node may delete an expired timeslot before forwarding timeslot indication information. This saves transmission resources, and prevents another node from discarding the received timeslot indication information after discovering, through parsing, that the timeslot indication information expires, to improve processing efficiency.
In a possible implementation, the updating further includes deleting a timeslot indication assigned to the first relay node from the first timeslot information, and the timeslot indication assigned to the first relay node includes a forwarding timeslot of the first relay node, or a forwarding timeslot and a data timeslot of the first relay node.
In a possible implementation, the updating further includes adjusting at least one timeslot indication that is not deleted, and the adjusting includes prolonging or shortening a timeslot.
In a possible implementation, forwarding information in the second timeslot assignment message includes a forwarding indication indicating that the at least one relay node needs to forward the second timeslot assignment message, and the second timeslot information includes a forwarding timeslot indication assigned to the at least one relay node and used to forward the second timeslot assignment message.
By using the solution of this embodiment, each relay node may flexibly adjust, based on a requirement, timeslot indication information sent to a downstream node. This avoids a problem in the conventional technology that a latest requirement cannot be met because a head node defines that timeslots are all assigned in advance without considering a subsequent transmission parameter change or the like.
In a possible implementation, timeslots separately indicated by a forwarding timeslot indication and a data timeslot indication of at least one relay node that are included in the first timeslot information are adjacent.
In a possible implementation, the first relay node may further add timeslot indication information of a new node. In this manner, an upper-level relay node may not need to set timeslot indications of excessive nodes in advance, but indicates only timeslot indications of nodes at the first lower level or the first two lower levels, and timeslot indications of nodes at a lower level may be added layer by layer by upper-level relay nodes of the nodes. In this way, a timeslot indication can be more flexible, and an actual assignment time point is closer to an assigned timeslot. This can avoid expiration, and can better meet a latest timeslot requirement.
According to a second aspect, an embodiment of this application provides an access point, including a slot processing unit and a transceiver unit.
The transceiver unit receives a first timeslot assignment message sent by an upper-level node, where the first timeslot assignment message includes forwarding information and first timeslot information; the forwarding information includes a forwarding indication indicating that at least one relay node needs to forward the first timeslot assignment message, and the first timeslot information includes a forwarding timeslot indication assigned to the at least one relay node and used to forward the first timeslot assignment message, and data timeslot indications assigned to a plurality of nodes and used to send service data; and the plurality of nodes include the at least one relay node, and the at least one relay node includes a first relay node.
The timeslot processing unit is configured to update the first timeslot information to obtain second timeslot information, where the updating includes deleting an expired timeslot indication from the first timeslot information, the expired timeslot indication is a timeslot indication indicating that an indicated timeslot has expired, and the second timeslot information includes a data timeslot indication of at least one node that is used to send service data.
The transceiver unit is further configured to send a second timeslot assignment message including the forwarding information and the second timeslot information.
In a possible implementation, the updating includes deleting a timeslot indication assigned to the first relay node from the first timeslot information, and the timeslot indication assigned to the first relay node includes a forwarding timeslot of the first relay node, or a forwarding timeslot and a data timeslot of the first relay node.
In a possible implementation, the updating includes adjusting at least one timeslot indication that is not deleted, and the adjusting includes prolonging or shortening a timeslot.
In a possible implementation, forwarding information in the second timeslot assignment message includes a forwarding indication indicating that the at least one relay node needs to forward the second timeslot assignment message, and the second timeslot information includes a forwarding timeslot indication assigned to the at least one relay node and used to forward the second timeslot assignment message.
In a possible implementation, timeslots separately indicated by a forwarding timeslot indication and a data timeslot indication of at least one relay node that are included in the first timeslot information are adjacent.
According to a third aspect, an embodiment of this application provides an access point, including a processor and a transceiver. When the access point is run, the processor executes computer instructions, so that the access point performs the method according to the first aspect.
In a possible implementation, the apparatus further includes a memory. The memory is configured to store the foregoing computer instructions.
According to a fourth aspect, an embodiment of this application provides a power line communications network, including at least one head node, where each head node is at least directly or indirectly connected to one or more relay nodes, and the relay node is the foregoing access point.
In this specification, the claims, and the accompanying drawings of this application, terms “first”, “second”, “third”, “fourth”, and the like (if existent) are intended to distinguish between similar objects but do not necessarily indicate a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data termed in such a way are interchangeable in proper circumstances so that embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in orders except the order illustrated or described herein. Moreover, terms “include”, “contain” and any other variants thereof mean to cover the non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, a method, a system, a product, or a device that includes a list of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those expressly listed steps or units, but may include other steps or units not expressly listed or inherent to such the process, the method, the product, or the device.
A PLC network, also referred to as a carrier communications network, is a communications network that uses low-voltage power lines as communications media to aggregate, transmit, and exchange power consumption information of low-voltage electric power users, and mainly adopts an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing technology. PLC with 1 MHz or below 1 MHz is generally referred to as narrowband PLC, PLC with a band ranging from 2 MHz to 12 MHz is referred to as mid-band PLC, and PLC with a band ranging from 2 MHz to 80 MHz is referred to as broadband PLC. As shown in
A message sending mechanism of the CCO, the PCO, and the slave node is time division multiplexing. Timeslots in which the CCO, the PCO, and the slave node can send messages are generally all assigned by the CCO. An assigned unit period includes timeslots in which the COO and each PCO send beacon packets and timeslots in which all nodes send service data. For ease of description, the timeslot in which the PCO sends the beacon packet is referred to as a forwarding timeslot for short below, and the timeslot in which each node sends the service data is referred to as a data timeslot for short below. The forwarded beacon packet is used to indicate timeslot assignment information. Generally, the CCO broadcasts a beacon packet to notify another node of a timeslot of the another node. Because the beacon packet broadcast by the CCO cannot directly reach a node far away from the CCO, a PCO that can receive the beacon packet forwards the beacon packet to the node far away from the CCO. The PCO forwards the beacon packet based on a timeslot assigned to the PCO in the received beacon packet. In the conventional technology, in one unit period, all forwarding timeslots are set before all data timeslots, and before forwarding a beacon packet, a PCO basically does not modify other content than some fields such as a destination node identifier. In this way, all forwarding actions need to be completed, that is, all nodes start to transmit service data only after receiving timeslots indicated by beacon packets. Even if some nodes have received the timeslots indicated by the beacon packets, the nodes can start to send service data only after a last-hop PCO completes forwarding and enters a data timeslot, causing a relatively long delay. Consequently, a large quantity of nodes wait for a long time, and node communication efficiency is very low.
An embodiment of the present invention provides a timeslot assignment method for power line communication, as shown in
Step 201: A first relay node receives a first timeslot assignment message sent by an upper-level node, where the first timeslot assignment message includes forwarding information and first timeslot information; the forwarding information includes a forwarding indication indicating that at least one relay node needs to forward the first timeslot assignment message, and the first timeslot information includes a forwarding timeslot indication assigned to the at least one relay node and used to forward the first timeslot assignment message, and data timeslot indications assigned to a plurality of nodes and used to send service data; and the plurality of nodes include the at least one relay node, and the at least one relay node includes the first relay node.
Step 203: The first relay node updates the first timeslot information to obtain second timeslot information, where the updating includes deleting an expired timeslot indication from the first timeslot information, the expired timeslot indication is a timeslot indication indicating that an indicated timeslot has expired, and the second timeslot information includes a data timeslot indication of at least one node that is used to send service data.
Specifically, the first relay node parses the received first timeslot assignment message, identifies a timeslot indicated by each timeslot indication in the first timeslot information, and considers, based on a local clock, a timeslot that is before a current moment of the local clock as an expired timeslot. An expired timeslot indicates a time period that has passed, and has no actual meaning.
Step 205: The first relay node sends a second timeslot assignment message including the forwarding information and the second timeslot information.
By using the solution in this embodiment, each relay node may delete an expired timeslot before forwarding timeslot indication information. This saves transmission resources, and prevents another node from discarding the received timeslot indication information after discovering, through parsing, that the timeslot indication information expires, to improve processing efficiency.
The sending manner is broadcasting. The first timeslot assignment message and the second timeslot assignment message may be beacon packets defined in the ITU-T G.hn standard or MAP messages defined in the IEEE 1901.1 standard.
In an optional embodiment, the updating in step 205 includes deleting a timeslot indication assigned to the first relay node from the first timeslot information, and the timeslot indication assigned to the first relay node includes a forwarding timeslot of the first relay node, or a forwarding timeslot and a data timeslot of the first relay node.
In another optional embodiment, the first relay node may adjust at least one timeslot indication that is not deleted, and the adjusting includes prolonging or shortening a timeslot.
By using the solution of this embodiment, each relay node may flexibly adjust, based on a requirement, timeslot indication information sent to a downstream node. This avoids a problem in the conventional technology that a latest timeslot requirement cannot be met because a head node defines that timeslots are all assigned in advance without considering a subsequent transmission parameter change or the like.
In still another optional embodiment, the first relay node may further add timeslot indication information of a new node. In this manner, an upper-level relay node may not need to set timeslot indications of excessive nodes in advance, but indicates only timeslot indications of nodes at the first lower level or the first two lower levels, and timeslot indications of nodes at a lower level may be added layer by layer by upper-level relay nodes of the nodes. In this way, a timeslot indication can be more flexible, and an actual assignment time point is closer to an assigned timeslot. This can avoid expiration, and can better meet a latest timeslot requirement.
In still another optional embodiment, forwarding information in the second timeslot assignment message includes a forwarding indication indicating that the at least one relay node needs to forward the second timeslot assignment message, and the second timeslot information includes a forwarding timeslot indication assigned to the at least one relay node and used to forward the second timeslot assignment message.
In still another optional embodiment, timeslots separately indicated by a forwarding timeslot indication and a data timeslot indication of at least one PCO that are included in the first timeslot information are adjacent. To be specific, a data timeslot of a same PCO is after a forwarding timeslot of the PCO, and there is no gap between the two timeslots, or there is a gap but the gap is not assigned to another node. In this way, after completing forwarding, the PCO may directly send data without waiting for another node, so that data processing efficiency is improved.
As an optional feature, each of the data timeslots that are assigned to the plurality of nodes for sending the service data may be a data timeslot exclusively occupied by each node, or may be a data timeslot that can be shared by all nodes, or some nodes have exclusive timeslots, but some nodes need to preempt shared data timeslots.
The following provides detailed description with reference to the network shown in
Step 3011: A node 1 serving as a CCO is marked as CCO1, constructs a first timeslot assignment message, and broadcasts the first timeslot assignment message at a time point T1T, where the first timeslot assignment message includes forwarding information and first timeslot information, the forwarding information is used to indicate that all PCOs in a network need to forward the first timeslot assignment message, and the first timeslot information is used to indicate a forwarding timeslot assigned to each PCO and a data timeslot assigned to each PCO and each STA.
Step 3041: A node 4 serving as the PCO is marked as PCO4, receives the first timeslot assignment message at a time point T4R, and then updates the first timeslot information in the first timeslot assignment message to obtain second timeslot information, where the updating includes deleting an expired timeslot indication from the first timeslot information, and optionally adjusting an unexpired timeslot indication. Details are described below.
Step 3042: PCO4 broadcasts a second timeslot assignment message including the forwarding information and the second timeslot information at a time point T4T in the forwarding timeslot assigned to PCO4.
Step 3043: If the data timeslot assigned to PCO4 is after the forwarding timeslot of PCO4, the PCO sends service data in the data timeslot of the PCO.
PCO6 is also a relay node, and processing of PCO6 is similar to that of PCO4.
Step 3061: PCO6 receives the second timeslot assignment message at a time point
T6R, and then updates the second timeslot information in the second timeslot assignment message to obtain third timeslot information, where the updating includes deleting an expired timeslot indication from the second timeslot information, and optionally adjusting an unexpired timeslot indication.
Step 3062: PCO6 broadcasts the third timeslot assignment message including the forwarding information and the third timeslot information at a time point T6T in the forwarding timeslot assigned to PCO6.
Step 30X1: A node lo serving as an ordinary station is marked as STA10, and receives the third timeslot assignment message at a moment T10R.
Step 30X2: If there is a shared timeslot assigned to all nodes (including an ordinary station and a relay node) after T10R, STA10 performs timeslot preemption, and if at least a part of the timeslot is preempted, STA10 sends service data in the preempted timeslot. If the preemption fails, STAR) waits for another data timeslot indication. If there is a timeslot assigned exclusively to STAio after T10R, STA10 sends service data in the timeslot.
It should be noted that, nodes 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, and 12 are also ordinary stations and can receive the timeslot assignment message broadcast by CCO1, PCO4, or PCO6; and the nodes send service data based on data timeslot indications assigned to the nodes in the message. Processing is similar to that of STA10.
The following describes timeslot indication adjustment in
Node 4 receives the first timeslot assignment message at a time point T4R. Because the time point T4R is earlier than a timeslot assigned to node 4, node 4 needs to wait for the timeslot of node 4 before forwarding the timeslot assignment message and sending service data. In addition, when reaching a forwarding timeslot of node 4, timeslots assigned to nodes 2 and 3 expire, and node 4 needs to delete the timeslots. Node 4 further deletes a timeslot indication of node 4 to obtain new timeslot information, and then broadcasts the forwarding indication of the first timeslot assignment message and the new timeslot information as a second timeslot assignment message. As shown in
Node 6 receives the second timeslot assignment message at a time point T6R Because the time point T6R is earlier than a timeslot assigned to node 6, node 6 also needs to wait for the timeslot of node 6 before forwarding the timeslot assignment message and sending service data. In addition, when reaching a forwarding timeslot of node 6, the timeslot assigned to node 4 expires, and node 6 needs to delete the timeslot. Node 6 further deletes a timeslot indication of the node 6, and, based on a requirement, prolongs a timeslot of node 10 and shortens a timeslot of node 11 to obtain new timeslot information, and then broadcasts the forwarding indication of the second timeslot assignment message and the new timeslot information as a third timeslot assignment message. As shown in
Node 10 receives the third timeslot assignment message at a time piont T10R, and sends service data in a data timeslot assigned to node 10 in the third timeslot assignment message.
In a PLC network, a node receives a plurality of timeslot assignment messages at different time points, and forwards the timeslot assignment message or sends service data based on a timeslot indication in the timeslot assignment message as long as receiving the message is received. If a timeslot indicated by a previous received timeslot assignment message has not been reached, a new timeslot assignment message is received, and a timeslot indicated by the new timeslot assignment message is earlier than the timeslot indicated by the previous timeslot assignment message, the node first forwards the timeslot assignment message or sends service data in the timeslot indicated by the new timeslot assignment message. If the timeslot indicated by the subsequently received new timeslot assignment message is later than the timeslot indicated by the previous timeslot assignment message, the node first forwards the timeslot assignment message or sends service data in the timeslot indicated by the previous timeslot assignment message.
Refer to
The transceiver unit 620 is configured to receive a first timeslot assignment message sent by an upper-level node, where the first timeslot assignment message includes forwarding information and first timeslot information; the forwarding information includes a forwarding indication indicating that at least one relay node needs to forward the first timeslot assignment message, the first timeslot information includes a forwarding timeslot indication assigned to the at least one relay node and used to forward the first timeslot assignment message, and data timeslot indications assigned to a plurality of nodes and used to send service data; and the plurality of nodes include the at least one relay node, and the at least one relay node includes a first relay node.
The timeslot processing unit 610 is configured to update the first timeslot information to obtain second timeslot information, where the updating includes deleting an expired timeslot indication from the first timeslot information, the expired timeslot indication is a timeslot indication indicating that an indicated timeslot has expired, and the second timeslot information includes a data timeslot indication of at least one node that is used to send service data.
The transceiver unit 620 is further configured to send a second timeslot assignment message including the forwarding information and the second timeslot information.
The sending manner is broadcasting. The first timeslot assignment message and the second timeslot assignment message may be beacon packets or MAP messages.
The updating further includes deleting a timeslot indication assigned to the first relay node from the first timeslot information, and the timeslot indication assigned to the first relay node includes a forwarding timeslot of the first relay node, or a forwarding timeslot and a data timeslot of the first relay node.
The timeslot processing unit 610 may adjust at least one timeslot indication that is not deleted, and the adjusting includes prolonging or shortening a timeslot.
Forwarding information in the second timeslot assignment message includes a forwarding indication indicating that the at least one relay node needs to forward the second timeslot assignment message, and the second timeslot information includes a forwarding timeslot indication assigned to the at least one relay node and used to forward the second timeslot assignment message.
Timeslots separately indicated by a forwarding timeslot indication and a data timeslot indication of at least one PCO that are included in the first timeslot information are adjacent.
The access point may be any node other than the head node in
Refer to
In some embodiments, as shown in
An embodiment of this application further provides a power line communications network, including at least one head node. Each head node is directly or indirectly connected to at least one relay node, and the relay node is the access point shown in
It may be understood that, the processor in embodiments of this application may be a central processing unit (CPU), the processor may further be another general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or another programmable logic device, a transistor logic device, a hardware component, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.
The method steps in embodiments of this application may be implemented in a hardware manner, or may be implemented in a manner of executing software instructions by the processor. The software instructions may include corresponding software modules. The software modules may be stored in a random access memory (RAM), a flash memory, a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a register, a hard disk, a removable hard disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium well-known in the art. For example, a storage medium is coupled to a processor, so that the processor can read information from the storage medium or write information into the storage medium. Certainly, the storage medium may be further a component of the processor. The processor and the storage medium may be located in an ASIC.
All or some of embodiments may be implemented by using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When software is used to implement the embodiments, all or a part of the embodiments may be implemented in a form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on the computer, the procedure or functions according to embodiments of this application are all or partially generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, a computer network, or another programmable apparatus. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or may be transmitted by using the computer-readable storage medium. The computer instructions may be transmitted from a website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center in a wired (for example, a coaxial cable, an optical fiber, or a digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (for example, infrared, radio, or microwave) manner. The computer-readable storage medium may be any usable medium accessible by a computer, or a data storage device, such as a server or a data center, integrating one or more usable media. The usable medium may be a magnetic medium (for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a magnetic tape), an optical medium (for example, a DVD), a semiconductor medium (for example, a solid-state drive (SSD)), or the like.
Finally, it should be noted that the foregoing descriptions are merely specific implementations of this application, but are not intended to limit the protection scope of this application. Any variation or replacement readily figured out by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application shall fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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202010076048.6 | Jan 2020 | CN | national |
This application is continuation of International Application No. PCT/CN2021/072710, filed on Jan. 19, 2021, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202010076048.6, filed on Jan. 23, 2020 . The disclosures of the aforementioned applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/CN2021/072710 | Jan 2021 | US |
Child | 17814397 | US |