Advanced Switch Node Selection for Power Line Communications Network

1. A process for selecting an optimum switch node in a Power Line Communication (PLC) network comprising: receiving requests at a base node having a data concentrator from terminal nodes asking to be promoted to a switch node in order to serve a new node trying to join the network; receiving, with the one or more processors included in a terminal node of the PLC network, a Promotion Needed Protocol Data Unit (PNPDU) request; verifying, by the terminal node in the PLC network, that there is an acceptable Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of the received PNPDU request; generating a random number for backoff purposes in reducing network congestion; and transmitting, with the one or more processors included in the terminal node, a Promotion Up process message to the base node based on a probabilistic function according to a delay based on a level of the terminal node in the PLC network and the generated random number multiplied by a level of node PNPDUs.

2. The process of claim 1 , in which the delay is determined based on an algorithm that waits for a smaller number of PNPDU requests for a terminal node that is closer to a data concentrator in comparison to a terminal node that is farther away from the data concentrator.

3. The process of claim 1 , further comprising: in which the delay is determined based on the level of the terminal node and the generated random number.

4. The process of claim 3 , in which the delay is determined based on the random number multiplied by the level of the terminal node.

5. The process of claim 4 , in which transmitting, with the one or more processors, the Promotion Up process message includes transmitting the Promotion Up process message after receiving the random number multiplied by the level of the terminal node promotion needed requests.

6. The process of claim 1 , in which the delay is determined based on a probabilistic algorithm.

7. The process of claim 1 , further comprising: determining whether a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the received PNPDU is below a threshold; and not transmitting the Promotion Up process message in response to determining that the SNR of the received PNPDU is below the threshold, in which transmitting, with the one or more processors, the Promotion Up process message includes transmitting the Promotion Up process message according to the delay in response to determining that the SNR of the received PNPDU is not below the threshold.

8. A process for selecting an optimum switch node in a Power Line Communication (PLC) network comprising: receiving requests at a base node having a data concentrator from terminal nodes asking to be promoted to a switch node in order to serve a new node trying to join the network; verifying, by a terminal node in the PLC network, that there is an acceptable Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of a received Promotion Needed Protocol Data Unit (PNPDU) request; generating a random number for backoff purposes in reducing network congestion; and transmitting, by the terminal node in the PLC network, a Promotion Up process message to the base node based on a probabilistic function according to a delay that is determined based on a level of the terminal node in the PLC network and the generated random number multiplied by the level of node PNPDUs.

9. A process for selecting an optimum switch node in a Power Line Communication (PLC) network comprising: receiving requests at a base node having a data concentrator from terminal nodes asking to be promoted to a switch node in order to serve a new node trying to join the network; verifying, by a terminal node in the PLC network, that there is an acceptable Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of a received Promotion Needed Protocol Data Unit (PNPDU) request; generating a random number for backoff purposes in reducing network congestion; and transmitting, by the terminal node in the PLC network, a Promotion Up process message to the base node based on a probabilistic function according to a delay based on a level of the terminal node in the PLC network and the generated random number multiplied by a level of node PNPDUs.

10. The process of claim 9 , in which fewer levels are created by favoring the nodes that are closer to the data concentrator to promote them as switch nodes.

11. The process of claim 9 , in which the process waits for a smaller number of promotion requests for a node that is closer to the data concentrator in comparison to a node that is farther away from the data concentrator.

12. The process of claim 9 , in which if the SNR is below a predetermined threshold, a Promotion Up process is not performed for this the terminal node.

13. The process of claim 9 , in which when a terminal node receives a PNPDU, the terminal node adds it to a PNPDU list along with an Extended Unique Identifier (EUI) address.