Source: https://patents.justia.com/patent/6965302
Timestamp: 2019-07-16 22:50:05
Document Index: 629644516

Matched Legal Cases: ['§120', '§120', '§120', '§120', '§120', '§119', 'art04']

US Patent for Power line communication system and method of using the same Patent (Patent # 6,965,302 issued November 15, 2005) - Justia Patents Search
Justia Patents US Patent for Power line communication system and method of using the same Patent (Patent # 6,965,302)
Dec 13, 2002 - Current Technologies, LLC
This application is a continuation-in-part and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/315,725, filed Dec. 10, 2002, entitled “A Power Line Communication Apparatus and Method of Using the Same,” which is a continuation-in-part and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/075,708 and 10/075,332 (which both were filed Feb. 14, 2002, which both claim priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/268,519 and of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/268,578, both filed Feb. 14, 2001), is a continuation-in-part and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/915,459 filed Jul. 26, 2001 now abandoned (which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/268,519 filed Feb. 14, 2001), is a continuation-in-part and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/912,633 filed Jul. 25, 2001 (which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/268,578, filed Feb. 14, 2001), is a continuation-in-part and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 09/835,532, filed Apr. 16, 2001 (which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/197,615 filed Apr. 14, 2000), and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/390,251 filed Jun. 20, 2002.
To overcome this problem, the PLCS may use BDs 100 located along the MV line as a repeater to repeat and/or amplify data. For example, if BD 100c is more than the MCD from the backhaul point 10, BD 100b may repeat (i.e., receive and transmit on the MV line) data received from the backhaul point 10 that is intended for BD 100c (or alternately repeat all data received on the MV line that is not intended for BD 100b or its subnet). Similarly, BD 100b may repeat data received from BD 100c that is intended for backhaul point 10 or alternately repeat all data received on the MV line that is not received from the backhaul point 10 or that is not intended for BD 100b or its LV subnet.
If there are no BDs 100 disposed between the backhaul point 10 and a BD 100 that is out of communication range of the backhaul point 10, it may be necessary to include a repeater therebetween. As shown on phase 2 of the MV line, a repeater 70 is disposed between the backhaul point 10 and BD 100a. While the repeater does not necessarily need not be near a distribution transformer, it may be more practical to install it near a distribution transformer (e.g., attached to the same pole) to allow the repeater to draw power from the LV power line extending from the transformer. Alternatively, the repeater—because it does not need to couple data to the LV power line—may be a self-contained device that couples to the MV line to draw power therefrom and communicate data therewith, thereby alleviating the need to provide electrical isolation from the LV power line. The repeater 70 may function to repeat data in a manner similar to that described above with respect to the BD 100b or may repeat all data received.
As shown in FIG. 6, after passing through the LV transmit/receive switch 426 (which would be in receive mode) the first signal (comprising data signals from the BD LV conductor of the first cable) is supplied to a first filter 421a that has a pass band of approximately 4.0 to 10 MHz. The second signal (comprising data signals from the BD LV conductor of the second BD cable) is supplied to a second filter 421b that has a pass band of approximately 10-21 MHz. Each of these filters 421 provides pass band filtering and may also provide anti-aliasing filtering for their respective frequency bands, and noise filtering.
The outputs of the first and second filters 421a-b are supplied to a first amplifier 422a and second amplifier 422b, respectively. The outputs of the first and second amplifiers 422a-b are coupled to a first feedback device 423a and a second feedback device 423b, respectively. Each feedback device 423 measures the power over time and supplies the power measurement to the controller 300. Based on the power measurement, the controller 300 increases, decreases, or leaves the gain of the associated amplifiers the same to provide automatic gain control (AGC). The outputs of the first and second amplifiers 422 are also supplied to a summation device 424 that sums the two pass band, amplified signals to provide a single data signal.
Thus, the gain of the second amplifier 422b, which receives signals in the 10-21 MHz band, may be greater (or may be dynamically made greater) than the gain of the first amplifier 422a, which receives signals in the 4.5 to 10 MHz band. The higher gain of the second amplifier filter 422b can thus compensate for the greater loss of the transmission channel at the higher frequencies.
In still another embodiment of a coupler and isolator shown in FIG. 8, the coupler includes an inductive coupling device having a toroid 602 with windings 604 that form part of a coupling transformer. In addition, the coupler includes a power coupling device 680 (e.g., a toroid transformer) that supplies electrical energy to a power supply 682 to power the electronics on the MV side of the isolator 240
Another example of such a suitable MV coupler is described in U.S. application Ser. No. 10/292,714, entitled “A Power Line Coupling Device and Method of Using the Same,” filed Nov. 12, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference. This coupler itself provides isolation by using the isolation provided by a standard underground residential distribution MV cable (although it may be used in an underground or overhead application). Thus, this coupler provides electrical isolation from the MV voltages while communicating signals to and from the MV power line. Consequently, an embodiment of the present invention (in the form of a BD, repeater, backhaul point, or other device) using this coupler may not incorporate a separate isolator 240 since the coupler itself provides isolation. In addition, the first MV signal conditioner 220 also may be omitted or combined with the second MV signal conditioner 260 when using such a coupler. Such a combined signal conditioner may include a MV transmit/receive switch, a filter (e.g., include one or more of band pass, noise, or anti-alias filter) an amplifier, and a frequency translator. Thus, a BD 100 employing this coupler may include the functional components shown in FIG. 10.
The measurements performed by the ADC 330, each of which has a corresponding ADC measurement task, may include BD inside temperature, LV power line voltage, LV power line current (e.g., the voltage across a resistor), AGC1 (corresponding to Feedback device 423a), and AGC2 (corresponding to Feedback device 423a) for example.
In an alternate embodiment of the BP 10, the BP 10 is communicatively coupled to a plurality of MV power lines as shown in FIG. 11. For example, the BP 10 may be installed at a location where the MV power lines intersect in a “T”. This alternate embodiment may include three MV interfaces with each having its own MV coupler. Each MV coupler 210 may be communicatively coupled to one of the branches such as branches A, B, and C of FIG. 11. A data filter 901 (such as a high frequency filter or rf choke) is communicatively to the MV phase conductors between each MV coupler 210 to isolate the three communication channels of branches A, B, and C. For example, data filter 901c is disposed between MV coupler 210a and MV coupler 210b on phase 3 of the MV power line. Likewise, data filter 901f is disposed between MV coupler 210c and MV coupler 210b on phase 3 of the MV power line. Consequently, data coupled to the MV power line on phase 3 by MV coupler 210b will transmitted through branch B of the MV power line and prevented from traveling down branch A and branch C by data filters 901c and 901f, respectively.
As discussed above however, the frequency of the data signals may result in coupling of the data signals from one phase conductor to the other (e.g., from MV phase 3 to MV phase 2 and/or MV phase 1). Consequently, data filters 901b and 901e are communicatively coupled to phase 2 of the MV power line to prevent signals transmitted by MV coupler 210b on phase 3 of branch B from coupling to phase 2 (of branch B) and traveling up phase 2 and down branch A or branch C. Likewise, data filters 901b and 901e prevent signals coupled to phase 2 in branch A and branch C, respectively, from traveling down branch B. Data filters 901a and 901d likewise isolate phase 1 of the MV power line. Typically, the data filters are installed (i.e., communicatively coupled to block data signals) at substantially the same longitudinal position on the MV power line on each of their respective phase conductors as shown in FIG. 11 for data filters 901a-c.
MV coupler 210b alternatively may be physically installed on a phase conductor of branch B. In this topology, an additional data filter 910 may be installed on each phase conductor of the MV power line between the MV coupler 210b and the intersection of the three branches A, B, and C.
An example of such a system employing an enhanced BD (EBD) 500 and multiple BD Links 550 is shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 12 provides just one example of such a system, and is not meant to be exclusive of all possible systems contemplate by the invention. The BD Links 550 are communicatively coupled to the EBD 500 via a bi-directional wireless link and to the user devices at the customer premises 40 via their respective low voltage power lines. In this example, a first BD Link 550a is installed at distribution transformer 60a and a second BD Link 550b is installed at distribution transformer 60c. BD Link 550a is communicatively coupled to the user devices at customer premises 40a and 40b via the low voltage power lines 61a extending from distribution transformer 60a. Similarly, BD Link 550b is communicatively coupled to the user devices at customer premises 40e and 40f via the low voltage power lines 61c extending from distribution transformer 60c. EBD 500 is communicatively coupled to the user devices at customer premises 40c and 40d via the low voltage power lines 61b extending from distribution transformer 60b. As discussed above, each BD Link 550a and 550b is communicatively coupled to the EBD 500 via a wireless link. Thus, the BD Links 550 provide a means for the EBD 500 to provide communications for user devices coupled to the low voltages power lines of additional distribution transformers (e.g., distribution transformers 60a and 60c) and, therefore, provide a means to bypass those additional transformers.
FIG. 14 is a functional block diagram of a communication device, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 14, the BD Link 550 includes a LV interface, (which may be comprised of a LV power line coupler 410a, a LV signal conditioner 420a, and a LV modem 450a) that is communicatively coupled to the low voltage power line such as in a manner described above. The BD Link 550 also may include a power supply that receives power from the low voltage power line as described above. The LV modem 450a of the LV Interface is coupled to a wireless transceiver 510 (e.g., through an Ethernet or MII Interface), which may be comprised of an 802.11b wireless modem. The wireless transceiver 510 also may include a directional or omni-directional antenna, for example. Thus, BD Link 550 and the EBD 500 may communicate via a bi-directional wireless link via their respective wireless transceivers (510 and 316). The wireless transceivers may be any suitable wireless transceiver and be comprised, for example, of an 802.11a wireless transceiver, an 802.11b wireless transceiver, or a Bluetooth® transceiver, for example.
Referring to the example embodiment shown in FIG. 12, BD Link 550a communicates with the user devices and PLIDs connected to the low voltage power lines 61a of distribution transformer 60a such as those at customer premises 40a and 40b. Similarly, in this one example, BD Link 550b communicates with the user devices and PLIDs connected to the low voltage power lines 61c of distribution transformer 60c such as those at customer premises 40e and 40f. Data from the user devices may travel through the low voltage power lines (61a and 61c) to their respective BD Links (550a and 550b). The BD Links 550 provide signal conditioning, demodulation, and MAC processing as described above. In addition, the BD Links also may transmit the data packets to the EBD 500 via their wireless transceivers 510. The EBD 500 then provides routing functions as described above, and may forward the data packets to the MV modem 280 for transmission on the MV power line.
Similarly, data packets intended for user devices communicatively coupled to the BD Link 550 may be routed first to the EBD 500. In this particular embodiment, the backhaul point 10 will add the MAC address of the MV modem 280 of the EBD 500 as the destination MAC address for data packets with destination IP addresses for the user devices electrically coupled (via low voltage power lines) to the EBD 500, BD Link 550a, and BD Link 550b. Thus, data packets coupled to the MV power line that are intended for user devices communicatively coupled to the BD Link 550 may include the MAC address of the MV modem 280 of the EBD 500.
Upon determination of a match between the destination MAC address of the packet and the MAC address of MV modem 280, the MV modem 280 will remove the MAC header and supply the packet to the router 310. The router 310 may determine that the destination IP address of the data packet corresponds to a user device that is communicatively coupled to a particular BD Link 550 (e.g., based on the routing table) such as BD Link 550a or 550b. Upon making this determination, the router 310 may retrieve the MAC address of the LV modem 450a of the BD Link 550 from memory and include it in a MAC header (as the destination MAC address) that is added to the packet. The router 310 may then route the data packet to the wireless transceiver 316 to be transmitted to the BD Link 550 via the wireless link.
The wireless transceiver 510 of the BD Link 550 may receive the data packet and supplies the data packet to the LV modem 450a. The LV modem 450a may compare the destination MAC address of the packet with the MAC address of the LV modem 450a. If the MAC addresses do not match, the packet is discarded. If the MAC addresses match, the LV modem 450a may remove the MAC header and determine the MAC address of the PLID that provides communications for the user device identified by the destination IP address of the packet.
To determine the MAC address of the PLID that provides communications for the user device identified by the destination IP address of the packet, the LV modem 450a may first determine if the destination IP address of the packet is an IP address stored in its memory (e.g., stored in its bridging table). If the IP address is stored in memory, the LV modem 450a retrieves the MAC address for communicating with the IP address (e.g., the MAC address of the PLID) from memory, which will also be stored therein. If the IP address is not stored in memory, the LV modem 450a may transmit a request to all the devices to which it is communicatively coupled via the low voltage power line. The request is a request for the MAC address for communicating with the destination IP address of the packet. The device (e.g., the PLID) that has the MAC address for communicating with the destination IP address will respond by providing its MAC address. The LV modem 450a may then store the received MAC address and the IP address to which it provides communications in its memory (e.g., in its bridging table).
The LV modem 450a adds a new MAC header (e.g., that includes the MAC address of the PLID that provides communication for the user device identified by the destination IP address of the packet) to the packet and transmits the packet through the low voltage power line via coupler 410a. As will be evident to those skilled in the art, the BD Link 550, and in particular the LV modem 450a of the BD Link 550, includes routing information (e.g., a routing table and rules) stored in memory therein, which may include the MAC addresses (e.g., for PLIDs) and/or IP addresses (e.g., for the user devices) of devices communicatively coupled to the subnet of the BD Link 550.
at a first device at a first location: receiving first data via the first power line, and wirelessly transmitting said first data; and
at a second device at a second location remote from said first location: receiving said wirelessly transmitted first data; and transmitting said first data through the second power line.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the power distribution system further comprises a third power line, the method comprising:
at said first device: receiving second data via the first power line; and transmitting said second data through the third power line.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining whether to transmit said second data wirelessly or through the third power line.
at said second device: receiving second data via the second power line, and wirelessly transmitting said second data; and
at said first device: receiving said wirelessly transmitted second data, and transmitting said second data through the first power line.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising at said second device:
receiving third data via the second power line; and
prioritizing the wireless transmission of said second data and said third data.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein said prioritization is based, at least in part, on a type of the data.
receiving third data transmitted through a third power line; and
prioritizing the transmission of said second data and said third data through the first power line.
13. The method of claim 1, further comprising at said second device:
assigning an address to the user device; and
transmitting said address to the user device.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein said address is an Internet protocol (IP) address.
transmitting a request for communicating with the user device;
receiving a response to said request; and
storing at least a portion of said response in a memory.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein said response comprises a media access control address.
at said first device: assigning an address to the user device, and wirelessly transmitting said address to the second device; and
at said second device: receiving said address, and transmitting said address through the second power line.
18. A communication system for communicating data through a power distribution system having a distribution transformer coupling a first power line to a second power line; comprising:
a first device comprising: a first wireless transceiver; a first modem in communication with said first wireless transceiver and the first power line; and a second modem in communication with said first modem and the second power line.
19. The communication system of claim 18, wherein the power distribution system includes a third power line, the system further comprising:
a second wireless transceiver in communication with said first wireless transceiver; and
a third modem in communication with said second wireless transceiver and the third power line.
20. The communication device of claim 18, wherein
said first device further comprises an analog to digital converter (ADC) and a first media access controller.
21. A device for communicating data via a power distribution system having a distribution transformer coupling a first power line to a second power line, the device comprising:
a first modem in communication with said wireless transceiver and configured to be communicatively coupled to the first power line; and
a second modem in communication with said first modem and configured to communicatively coupled the second power line.
22. The device of claim 21, further comprising a router in communication with said first modem, said first wireless transceiver, and said second modem.
a first conductor interface communicatively coupled to the second power line and comprising a third modem in communication with said second modem;
a second conductor interface communicatively coupled to a third power line and comprising a fourth modem;
a controller communicatively coupled to said first conductor interface and said second conductor interface and comprising a processor and a memory; and wherein
said first conductor interface and said second conductor interface form at least a portion of a data path between the second power line and the third power line bypassing a distribution transformer.
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Patent number: 6965302
Patent Publication Number: 20030169155
Inventors: James Douglas Mollenkopf (Fairfax, VA), William H. Berkman (New York, NY), David Stanley Yaney (Poolsville, MD), Paul A. Kline (Gaithersburg, MD)
Application Number: 10/319,317
Current U.S. Class: 340/310.01; 340/310.06; Systems Using Alternating Or Pulsating Current (375/259)