Patent Document

BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     1. Field of Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to the field of power line communication, and specifically to an integrated power supply and communication device.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     Ethernet technology has become a standard for high speed data communications due to its cheap cost, availability, and overall simplicity. Unfortunately, this wired technology requires a significant infrastructure of cabling to link up even a household, much less an office building. Installation during construction minimizes the overall impact, but installation in existing structures can be very costly and inefficient. Wifi, or the 802.11x protocol, has offered an alternative for short-range applications, but it still relies on a wired infrastructure for any reasonable range. Additionally, signal strength varies based on location and obstructions between the host and the access point. Power Line Communications (PLC) offers a hybrid approach to this problem as it presents a communication link that is ubiquitous in nearly any pre-existing structure, and does not face the fading signal issues faced by Wifi. Certainly, PLC has many challenges of its own, but recent research has proven that they do not detract from the overall usability and speed of this technology.  
         [0005]     Although PLC is not a new technology, only recently has it has shown itself to be a potential competitor to other networking topologies such as Ethernet. Previously, significant noise frequently present in power lines rendered high speed protocols almost impossible, but the emergence of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and advanced coding techniques have given power lines the opportunity to catch up to speeds of other topologies. One example of the advances in PLC technology employing OFDM can be seen in the Intellon 6000 chip (available from Intellon Corporation, Ocala, Fla., USA). This chip is capable of speeds up to 100 Mbps over power lines. The ability to network at this speed over an existing infrastructure present in every building gives rise to many possibilities related to its use.  
         [0006]     Currently, the only devices known to exist that incorporate PLC are stand alone units that plug into an existing power outlet, and provide an Ethernet connection to be used by a PC or other device that uses this connection. However, the future is likely to bring many “smart” electronics that use networking to communicate and naturally need power to operate. The ability to mesh the PLC capability with traditional power supplies would allow many appliances and other electronics to be “plug and play” capable, while at the same time using minimal hardware and power outlets.  
         [0007]     Therefore, an integrated power supply and communication device is presented that provides power as well communication capabilities while minimizing power and communication inputs.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0008]     An integrated power supply and communication device is described. The integrated communication device receives a power and communication input and distributes the input into a communication module and a voltage converter. By integrating power and communication inputs into one device, the amount of inputs (e.g., physical wires and connectors) inflowing into an electronic appliance is minimized. In addition, many other benefits of the integrated communication device may be utilized.  
         [0009]     One embodiment of the integrated communication device allows many different types of appliances to communicate with each other. In this embodiment, high speed and low speed communication modules are embedded in the communication device. The high speed communication module allows electronic appliances such as a computer to communicate with other computers over a local Power Line Communication (PLC) network. The high speed communication module may also be used to communicate over the Internet or with other networks via a bridged network. The low speed communication modules allow for simple data transfer between electronic appliances such as a coffee maker and a microwave. By use of a controller, also embedded in the integrated communication device, a device that uses high speed communication can also communicate with electronic appliances that use low speed communication modules and vice versa.  
         [0010]     Another embodiment of the present invention utilizes configuring the embedded controller to perform programmed or user defined functions. For example, the controller can be configured to control the voltage converter with the communication device.  
         [0011]     These as well as other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the following detailed description, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing an integrated power supply and communication device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an integrated power supply and communication device in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating several applications of the second embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]     In many of the electronic devices in use today, the number of inputs and outputs that these devices have can often be quite numerous. A computer, for example, may receive an AC power input, an Ethernet connection or several USB connections (e.g., for a printer, camera, or other media device). In addition, fire wire, may be input for high speed communication from a video camera or a personal music player. Not to mention, other inputs and outputs that may be connected to a computer, such as a microphone input, speaker output or serial or parallel port connections (e.g., a mouse or a keyboard). Needless to say, the list of inputs for a given electronic device may be quite extensive. In order to minimize the number of inputs into an electronic device, an integrated power and communication device is presented.  
         [0016]     The integrated communication device presented in this disclosure acts as a communication transceiver by not only supplying a user, or more appropriately an electronic appliance, with AC or DC supply voltages but it also supplies high and/or low speed communication access via one external power connection. That is, the integrated communication device distributes an incoming power and communication input into output voltage and communication components. Other benefits of this device may include power output control by way of a controller embedded in the integrated communication device and accessibility of electronic appliances over existing local and foreign power distribution networks.  
         [0017]     Turning now to  FIG. 1 , a block diagram illustrates an integrated power supply and communication device  100 . Foreign communication transmissions may be received from a bridged network  102 , where the source of the communication may be another network, such as network  104  or network  106 , or the Internet. In each instance of a power network connecting to the bridged network, such as local power network  108 , wall outlets may be used, such as a standard wall outlet  110 , to distribute the connection. Local power network  108  may comprise the infrastructure of power lines and other conduits for supplying power that are found in residential or commercial buildings. Much of the detail of power line communication (PLC) and its protocol already exist. As discussed above, with the advent of OFDM, companies such as Intellon and others have continued to increases the speed and feasibility of PLC technology.  
         [0018]     As described above, the local power network  108  is accessed by the integrated communication device  100  at a standard wall outlet  110 . Similar to the infrastructure of the local power network  108 , the standard wall outlet  110  may be any type of power access found in residential or commercial buildings. In this embodiment, the integrated communication device is connected to a power and communication input  111  via a standard connection into the outlet  110 . The integrated communication device can receive a variety of available power types, such as standard 110V or 220V 60 Hz power supplies.  
         [0019]     Depending on the configuration, the integrated communication device  100  may be integrated into an appliance, such as a PC, microwave, TV, or refrigerator, for example. The integrated communication device  100  may provide the specific power requirements of the appliance, be it AC or DC, or some combination of the two. Alternatively, the integrated communication device may be a stand-alone configurable power supply with communication capability that could control appliances that have been manufactured without power line communication technology.  
         [0020]     Once the power and foreign communication transmission is inside the integrated communication device  100 , it is distributed to a voltage converter  112  and a communication module  114 . The voltage converter  112  can be a transformer or converter that can provide one or more AC or DC output voltages  113   a.  The voltage converter can provide a plurality of voltages such as  113   b  and  113   c.  Accordingly, the output voltages could provide power to a number of components within an electronic appliance. For example, one output voltage could be an AC voltage source for a lamp within an electronic appliance. A DC output could power a clock within the same electronic appliance. The voltage converter can also be configured to provide power for the DC power or logic of the communication module  114  or the controller  116 . Or, the voltage converter may be bypassed and the input and output voltages could be identical.  
         [0021]     The communication module  114  is a power line communication device. As mentioned above, one such device is the INT6000CS offered by Intellon. Low speed communication devices could be implemented as well. Chipsets such as the AN48 and the AN 192 (available from Adaptive Networks Inc., Newton, Mass., USA) offer lower speeds communications at 4.8 Kbps and 19.2 Kbps respectively. For example, a timer in a microwave oven could communicate via low speed communication with an audible alarm plugged into the local power network  108  in another location. Because the signal triggering an alarm is not particularly complex, high speed communication may not be necessary. It may also be advantageous to have both high and low speed communication modules within an integrated communication device. An embodiment of one such device incorporating both high and low speed communication modules is described in further detail with reference to  FIG. 2 .  
         [0022]     After the communication module  114  receives a transmission over the local power network, the transmission is sent to the controller  116 . The controller itself may be manufactured as an integrated circuit which is stand alone or it may be integrated into the communication module  114  or the voltage conversions module  112 . The controller  116  alternatively may be a conventional microcontroller. The design and implementation of the microcontroller may depend considerably on the cost of manufacturing the integrated communication device  100 , and may be application-specific.  
         [0023]     Once the controller  116  receives a signal from the communication module  114 , it can process the signal. Processing the signal includes adjusting the output voltages, replying with a status message or requested telemetry and relaying the signal to a communication terminal  118  where an electronic appliance can interface the controller.  
         [0024]     An outgoing signal can also be sent from an electronic appliance via the communication terminal  118  to the controller  116 . The controller  116  can then process the signal sent from the electronic appliance. Again, processing includes relaying the signal from the electronic appliance to the communication module  114  as well as a variety of other functions typically provided by a conventional controller.  
         [0025]     Once the outgoing signal is sent to the communication module  114  it can then be sent by way of the communication module  114  to the local power network  108 . The signal sent from the electronic appliance can then be exchanged with other devices on the local power network  108 , and ultimately out to bridged network  102  and the Internet.  
         [0026]     Other features that may be implemented with the controller  116  are control of the voltage converter  112  as well as an embedded web server  122  which would allow direct control of the controller  116  by the use of external software applications. Control of the voltage converter  112  could simply be a communication link  120  between the controller  116  and the voltage converter  112 . An external software application could use the web server  122  to control the voltage converter  112  via the controller  116 . These applications could also be used to initially configure the integrated communication device  100  for use, similar to setting up a new network connection on a LAN using a router interface. The web server  122  may also report status information. Status information may include the status of the voltage converter  112 . Other status could include a list of all available appliances on the local power network  108 .  
         [0027]     The web server  122  may also allow the user to control the appliance as dictated by the specific allowable control features of that appliance. Each appliance may have a certain number of implemented features that are controllable by means such as a relay in the voltage converter  112 , for example. Alternatively, an appliance may be manufactured with a custom control interface so that a user may adjust or setup the integrated communication device  100  remotely as well as locally. For example, a user may use the control interface so as to set the brightness level of a table lamp or the control interface may be used in a coffee maker to set the time at which a pot of coffee is to be brewed. The control interface may allow a user the ability to monitor and control devices simultaneously without physically being in the vicinity of the devices. The control interface may also list the available functions that can be programmed for a given appliance.  
         [0028]     The above implemented features may be set by a consumer or an appliance manufacturer. In terms of manufacturing, the device can be prefabricated and added to an existing manufactured product. For example, the integrated communication device  100  could be prefabricated as a television power and communication device. The voltage converter  112  could be a transformer that powers the television. The communication module  114  could relay television signals on a bridged network  102  to the controller  116 . The communication terminal  118  could be a coaxial cable output that could be wired to an existing coaxial cable input on a television. By removing the standard power transformer from a television and connecting AC and DC output power terminals  113   a - c  to AC and DC components within the television, a television manufacturer could upgrade their product line by adding the integrated communication device  100  to their assembly line. Only minimal adjustment to the circuit boards and logic within the television may be required to accommodate the integrated communication device  100 .  
         [0029]     In some electronic appliances, it may be useful to have more than one mode of communication. It may be desirable to have low speed and high speed communication capabilities, for example.  FIG. 2  illustrates an integrated power supply and communications device  200  that is capable of communicating from the controller  116  via a low speed communication module  224  and a high speed communication module  226 . The low speed and high speed communication modules  224 ,  226  are connected to the controller  116 . The controller  116  has two communication terminals,  228 ,  230 , for a low speed and a high speed, respectively. Either of these two terminals can be connected to an electronic appliance. One of the advantages of having low speed and high speed communication terminals  228 ,  230  and modules  224 ,  226  is the ability able to manufacture a universal integrated communication device. An integrated communication device  200  could be used for one application and then if the user or manufacturer decided that the device  200  should be used elsewhere, it could be reprogrammed and used with a different electronic appliance.  
         [0030]     Another advantage of having high and low speed communication modules is the ability to have one interface for slow speed control signaling, and the other for high speed data transfer. Many appliances that use PLC technology send control signals at low speeds (e.g., up to speeds of about 30 kb/s). Data transfer, however, occurs at much higher speeds (e.g., speeds of about 300 kb/s and up). Additionally, in contrast to control signals, data transfer may also occur between different networks via a bridged network, such as bridged network  102 . For example, the high speed communication module may include or be coupled with an Ethernet adapter so that the integrated communication device  200  may have access to the Internet via bridged network  102 .  
         [0031]     Having high and low speed communication modules available on an integrated communication device  200 , allows an appliance to accommodate other appliances and network elements, and not be limited to only one type or speed of communication. The high speed data communication module  226  might be used by a TV, for example, to compile a list of all programs watched in the past week, sorted by genre, so parents can monitor the programs that their kids watch. The low speed communication module  224  could be used by the same T.V. to adjust the lighting in the room or send an alert that the popcorn in the microwave is ready.  
         [0032]     Another example of an application using integrated communication device  200  is in a modern refrigerator. Some modern refrigerators have bar scanners that allow an inventory of the items in the refrigerator to be kept. An e-mail containing the contents of the refrigerator could be sent via the high speed communication module  226  upon user request or at a specific time. Assuming items are scanned out when they are gone (i.e. milk), the user can use the inventory list to determine what items need to be purchased. The low speed communication module  224  could communicate with appliances on the local power network  108 . Using the low speed communication module  224 , the refrigerator could provide such features as synchronizing clocks on the local network  108 , or notifying a user when a pot of coffee is brewed. The refrigerator could also send an alert to a local alarm system, via either communication module  224  or  226  that the refrigerator door has been left open, or a water filter needs to be changed.  
         [0033]     A manufacturer that sells both televisions and other household appliances could buy the integrated communication devices  200  from a supplier and use them interchangeably in different appliances. The voltage conversion unit module  112  could have several available transformers. If the controller  116  has a web server  122  embedded within it or if the controller  116  is programmable remotely by other means such as a serial link, the controller  116  could select the appropriate transformer to use, determine the address and identification of the integrated communication device  200  (i.e., identification such a refrigerator model name or number), and determine the functions to be performed and allowed by the integrated communication device  200 . The universal nature of the integrated communication device  200  creates potential cost savings by not limiting a user or manufacturer with only one application of the device  200 . Depending on the application, multiple communication modules, such as two or more high speed or low speed communication modules  224 ,  226  could also be used.  
         [0034]     In order to illustrate networking appliances via the communication module,  FIG. 3  illustrates a local power network  108  employing electronic appliances using the integrated communication devices  200   a - g.  The external connections of the input power and communication  111 , output AC or DC power  113   a - c,  low speed communication terminal  228 , and high speed communication terminal  230  are all labeled on the integrated communication device  200 . As discussed previously, the integrated communication device  200  may be designed with more than one low or high speed communication terminals  228 ,  230  and communication modules  224 ,  226 . The low and high speed communication modules may be used for control signaling, data transfer, or both. In this illustration, a television  330  is connected to the local power network  108 , through an integrated communication device  200   a.  Low speed communication is provided as well as high speed communication. Low speed communication may allow such functions as synchronization of an internal clock or on/off functionality of the voltage converter  212  by a signal sent from a computer  332  on the local network  108 . High speed communication could also be relayed from the computer  332  or through a television broadcasting service.  
         [0035]     Also illustrated in  FIG. 3  are two computers  332  and  334  connected over the local power network  108  in the same manner as a conventional network. The computers  332  and  334  are shown with power outputs  113  that power more than one component within the computer. Computers  332 ,  334  may have a reduced number of inputs when compared to conventional input schemes. That is, if the integrated communication devices  200   c,    200   d  are located within computers  332 ,  334 , only one input may be used for power and communications. Connections such as Ethernet or modem may not be connected and thus, the number of inputs is reduced.  
         [0036]     A plurality of computers can be linked to the local power network  108  in the same manner as computers  332 ,  334 . Other appliances, such as a refrigerator  336 , may also communicate over the local power network  108  via high speed communication.  
         [0037]     Additionally, “simpler” electronic appliances using low speed communication over the local power network  108  are also illustrated. A table lamp  338  is shown connected to the output power of the integrated communication device  200   b.  Note that the high speed and low speed communication terminals  228   b,    230   b  are not connected. Despite this, a communication module within integrated communication device  200   b  is still used to provide remote functionality. In most circumstances, the table lamp  338  will comprise “simple” circuitry that may not be able to communicate via communication terminals  228   b,    230   b.  Regardless of the type of circuitry within the table lamp  338 , the status (i.e., on or off or “dimmed”) could be relayed from the controller  116 .  
         [0038]     A coffee maker  340  and an oven  342  are also connected to the local power network  108  through an integrated communication device  200 . In this illustration, the coffee maker  340  and the oven  342  communicate via low speed communication; however, if functions within the appliance can use high speed communications, they can be adapted by connecting a high speed component within the appliance to the high speed terminals  230   f,    230   g  on the integrated communication devices  200   f,    200   g.    
         [0039]     These other local networks could include residential houses, commercial buildings, or even a hotel room in a distant geographic location. If a user configures a local power network with permissions that allow foreign users to access electronic appliances on the local power network  108 , it is quite possible that many common appliances could be controlled from remote locations. By accessing the integrated communication device  200  over the bridged network  102 , a user located at network  104  (such as an office building) could program the coffee maker  340  to make a pot of coffee, turn on the table lamp  338 , preheat the oven  342  and turn the television  330  to a desired station before the user arrived at the local power network  108 .  
         [0040]     Overall, the presented integrated power and communication devices provide a standalone plug and play or integrated solution for power supply and communication access. As discussed above, an integrated communication device allows a variety of different types of PLC communication ranging from low speed to high speed between various complexities of appliances. Power is also supplied from this integrated communication device, so many appliances may have a reduction in the number of wires or other input connections they receive. An embedded controller may also be used to provide additional functionality.  
         [0041]     Embodiments of the present invention have been described above. Those skilled in the art will understand, however, that changes and modifications may be made to these embodiments without departing from the true scope and spirit of the present invention, which is defined by the claims.

Technology Category: 4