Patent ID: 7224740

Claim:
A full-duplex communications system for transmitting information, comprising: an electric power distribution line to transmit an electrical power signal; a power distribution circuit coupled to the electric power distribution line to provide the electrical power signal to a power consumer via the electric power distribution line, the electric power signal being transformed to a voltage level useable by the power consumer by a transformer; a first information transmitter coupled to the power distribution circuit to provide first information signals concurrently with the electric power signal to the power consumer via the electric power distribution line, the first information signals passing through the transformer, the first information transmitter comprising, a first carrier frequency signal generator configured to generate a first carrier frequency signal using a first stable input signal from at least one of the following: the electric power signal, a satellite clock signal, an atomic clock signal, and an internally mounted circuit, a first signal inversion circuit configured to invert every other half-period of the first carrier frequency signal, and a first signal generator circuit configured to modulate the first information signals onto the electrical power distribution line using the first carrier frequency signal; a first information receiver, coupled to a power consumer device powered by the electrical power signal, to receive the first information signals via the electric power distribution line; a second information transmitter coupled to the power consumer device to provide second information signals concurrently with the electrical power signal via the electric power distribution line, the second information signals passing through the transformer, the second information transmitter comprising, a second carrier frequency signal generator configured to generate a second carrier frequency signal using a second stable input signal from at least one of the following: the electric power signal, the satellite clock signal, the atomic clock signal, and the internally mounted circuit; a second signal inversion circuit configured to invert every other half-period of the second carrier frequency signal, and a second signal generator circuit configured to modulate the second information signals onto the electrical power distribution line using the second carrier frequency signal; and a second information receiver coupled to the power distribution circuit to receive the second information signals via the electric power distribution line, whereby full-duplex communication between the power distribution circuit and the power consumer is accomplished via the electric power distribution line.