Unital versions of the higher order peak algebras

We construct unital extensions of the higher order peak algebras defined by Krob and the third author in [Ann. Comb. 9 (2005), 411--430.], and show that they can be obtained as homomorphic images of certain subalgebras of the Mantaci-Reutenauer algebras of type B. This generalizes a result of Bergeron, Nyman and the first author [Trans. AMS 356 (2004), 2781--2824.].