Patent ID: 7286812

Claim:
A power line communication system in which a first power line is coupled to a second power line by a transformer and modulated radio frequency communication signals are supplied to the first power line, both the first and the second power line transmitting alternating current at a frequency which is low relative to the frequency of the radio frequency signals, the system comprising: conductive wiring at the premises of a customer coupled to the second power line for conveying electrical power; processing apparatus at the premises coupled to the wiring for processing the communication signals and for supplying modulated communication signals; coupling apparatus coupled to the first power line and to the wiring for supplying communication signals from the first power line to the processing apparatus and to the first power line from the processing apparatus, the coupling apparatus comprising: a coupler including a first transceiver for receiving the communication signals from the first power line and transmitting electromagnetic energy modulated with the modulation of the communication signals and for receiving other electromagnetic energy modulated with the modulation of other modulated communication signals and transmitting modulated communication signals to the first power line; a base unit spaced from the coupler including a second transceiver for receiving the modulated electromagnetic energy transmitted by the first transceiver and coupled to the wiring for transmitting to the wiring communication signals modulated with the modulation of the electromagnetic energy received from the first transceiver and coupled to the wiring for receiving modulated communication signals from the processing apparatus and transmitting to the first transceiver the other electromagnetic energy; and an induction coil inductively coupled to the first power line and coupled to the first transceiver for supplying communication signals from the first transceiver to the first power line and receiving communication signals from the first power line and supplying the received communication signals to the first transceiver.