Patent EA-003158-B1 (EA)
Title: Method and arrangement for transmitting data over low-voltage networks
Inventor: BRANDT FRANK
IPC: H04W28/18
Filed: 1999-09-28
Abstract: 1. A method for transmitting data in two-way communication over low-voltage networks with or without coupling to a higher-order telecommunications, voice or data network, characterized in that the transmission in the low-voltage network is carried out in a high frequency range greater than 148.5 kHz with a band spread of the data signals and a transmission level less than the radio and line disturbance voltage limits to be applied to the method, the signals which are distributed in the frequency and/or time range and which are provided for guaranteeing a multi-channel structure with different sequences of one or more families of numeric values are provided with a directional coding, frequency assignment or time slot assignment in order to give a receiver-specific logical direction in the low-voltage network, and said binary data sequences which are channel-specifically distributed in this manner and which are characterized in a directional-specific manner are identified, regenerated, and evaluated with a new directional identification for routing the signals in the low-voltage network, this is carried out with the assistance of the given sequences by means of correlation, iterative or parallel disturbance signal suppression methods or by means of time and/or frequency transformation according to the degree of attenuation. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the fast Fourier transformation is used as the time and/or frequency transformation. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the fast Hadamard transformation is used as the time and/or frequency transformation. 4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a combination of the fast Fourier transformation and the fast Hadamard transformation is used as the time and/or frequency transformation. 5. The method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the difference in transmission is only introduced within the low-voltage network via telecommunication, voice or data network associated with it. 6. The method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that useful signals out of received signals are identified by a method of joint detection. 7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that channel specific band spreading of data signals is carried out using one or more matched families of number sequences, such as Gold, Walsh or Hadamard sequences. 8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that adjacent families of number sequences not contain similar sequences to prevent mutual interference of users located in different network. 9. The method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the data stream is multiplied by a Walsh sequence after band spreading using the direct sequencing method to give the data stream a logical direction in the low-voltage network. 10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the length of the Walsh sequences used for direct coding is smaller than the band spreading sequences used. 11. The method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the logical direction of the data stream in the low-voltage network is identified by controlled and structured assignment of select families of number sequences to individual network areas that are enclosed by two repeater units or by one repeater unit and a network interworking unit. 12. The method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that directions are separated using time or frequency multiplexing and that the band-spread signals are transmitted in the transmit and receive directions on separate time slots or frequency bands. 13. The method according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the transmit levels of each transmitting unit in a network area are set in such a way that all overlaid signals of one frequency comprise nearly the same level at the receivers of the repeater or the network interworking unit in the controlled period. 14. The method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that prior to the actual data transfer, an initializing phase is provided comprising the output of an initializing sequence and ID of the respective user and of the user terminal and a log on sequence, and subsequent assignment of a spread sequence to the respective user. 15. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the Ids of the respective user and the user terminal are checked for device approval of the terminal and communication authorization of said user in the higher order telecommunication network after sending out the initialization sequence. 16. An arrangement for data transmission over low-voltage networks comprising a low-voltage network, user terminals connecting user's to the system, local line distributor boxes and network stations, and a higher order telecommunication network connected to said low-voltage system, characterized in that network interworking units (8) are assigned to the network stations (1) to link the low-voltage system and the higher order telecommunications network (48) and for channel assignment in the respective transmission medium, and that repeater units (7) are placed at specific distances in the low-voltage system for regenerating and direction-specific forwarding of the data signals to a subsequent repeater unit or to a user terminal (6) or to a network interworking uinit (8). 17. The arrangement according to claim 16, characterized in that the user terminal (6) is associated with the following functional units: in particular with physical coupler (10), frequency separator or filter (34), controllable low-noise input amplifier (23), IQ demodulator (11), modulator, controllable output amplifier (22), equalizer (24), CDMA processor (19), encoder/decoder (25), voice/data multiplexer, voice and operating interface (28), SIM (subscriber identity module) (30), device identification unit (29), microprocessor (31), central clock generating unit (32), synchronization facility (33), emergency power supply or a power supply unit (35) and controllers for controlling the input and output levels. 18. The arrangement according to claim 17, characterized in that a CDMA processor 18) is provided for spreading the data and adding the direction code using its allocated spread sequence, a modulator (19) for modulating the signals onto a carrier frequency, an amplifier (22) to adjust the input level required at the receiving end for optimum correlator performance, and a physical coupler (10) for feeding the spread and direction-coded data stream into the low-voltage line (2) and forwarding it to the repeater unit (7) or network interworking unit (8). 19. The arrangement according to one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that the layout of the repeater unit (7) is basically similar to that of the user terminal (6), whereby the repeater units and if applicable parts of a clock generating unit and of the synchronization facility are configured in accordance with the number of channels to be regenerated multiplied by the number of signaling directions and a error corrected data are fed from the channel decoder into the next encoder either directly or via a switching matrix (41), and in that a data memory (37) managed by a microprocessor (31) or a customer-specific circuit is provided in which the current channel assignments with associated direction codes, the sequence to be used as well as other signal source and sink information are stored. 20. The arrangement according to one of claims 19 and 20, characterized in that the repeater unit (7) is designed for use in local distributor boxes (3) and comprises additional physical couplers, modulators, demodulators, controllable output and low-noise input amplifiers, controlling facilities for transmit and receive signals and frequency separators or filters depending on the number of network areas to be covered. 21. The arrangement according to one of claims 19 and 20, characterized in that a CDMA processor (18) of the repeater unit (7) that is connected to an equalizer (24) on its receive side comprises an integrator (12) and a threshold detector (13) for retrieving the data transmitted and that the CDMA processor (18) is equipped with a multiplier for multiplying the regenerated data signal on the transmit side with a spread sequence (19) and a direction code (20) of the user terminal (6) to be addressed or the repeater unit (7). 22. The arrangement according to one of claims 16 to 21, characterized in that the layout of the network interworking unit (8) is basically similar to that of the repeater unit (7) but that the functional groups (18, 24, 25) of digital signal processing and a clock generator (32) are configured as multiple units, at least in accordance with the simple number of transmission channels provided to the higher order telecommunication facility (48) plus number of synchronization channels required for each low-voltage line, and that physical couplers and front ends to low voltage are provided in accordance with the number of low voltage areas to be covered, and in that a microprocessor system is provided for channel assignment by configuration of a switching matrix (41) and CDMA processors. 23. The arrangement according to claim 22, characterized in that a device ID init and a data memory for storing data of all active connections consisting of routing information, channel assignment, signal quality, user terminal ID, services used, and the assigned transmission channel, are assigned to the higher ordered telecommunication center station. 24. The arrangement according to one of claims 16 to 21, characterized in that the repeater units (7) are placed in or close to local line distributor boxes (3), lamp posts, and house connection boxes, the distance between repeater units being about 100 m or considerably smaller in areas of strong attenuation. 25. The arrangement according to one of claims 16 to 24, characterized in that the higher order tel