Device triggered wake up of powerline communication devices

A method comprising:

• determining a plurality of orthogonal codes for an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication network, wherein each orthogonal code is orthogonal to other orthogonal codes of the plurality of orthogonal codes;
• determining a number of orthogonal codes in the plurality of orthogonal codes;
• determining a number of network devices in the OFDM communication network;
• and
• assigning one or more orthogonal codes to each of the network devices based on the number of orthogonal codes and the number of network devices.

A first network device comprising:

• a network interface;
• a packet management unit configured to:
• detect at least a first orthogonal code included in a preamble of a network packet received at the first network device from a second network device in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication network;
• determine whether the first orthogonal code included in the preamble is associated with an assigned orthogonal code for the first network device, wherein the assigned orthogonal code for the first network device is orthogonal to other assigned orthogonal codes for other network devices;
• and
• a power management unit configured to:
• change an operational mode of the first network device from a sleep mode to an awake mode in response to determining the first orthogonal code is associated with the assigned orthogonal code for the first network device.

A central coordinator device comprising:

• a network interface;
• a packet management unit configured to:
• determine a plurality of orthogonal codes for a powerline communication (PLC) network, wherein each orthogonal code is orthogonal to other orthogonal codes of the plurality of orthogonal codes;
• determine a number of orthogonal codes in the plurality of orthogonal codes;
• determine a number of network devices in the PLC network;
• and
• assigning one or more orthogonal codes to each of the network devices based on the number of orthogonal codes and the number of network devices;

One or more machine-readable storage media having stored therein instructions, which when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform operations that comprise:

• detecting at least a first orthogonal code included in a preamble of a network packet received at a first network device from a second network device in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication network, wherein the first network device is in a sleep mode;
• determining whether the first orthogonal code included in the preamble is associated with an assigned orthogonal code for the first network device, wherein the assigned orthogonal code for the first network device is orthogonal to other assigned orthogonal codes for other network devices;
• and
• changing an operational mode of the first network device from the sleep mode to an awake mode in response to determining the first orthogonal code is associated with the assigned orthogonal code for the first network device.