Network-to-network adaptor for power line communications

• US 20030039257A1
• Filed: 08/02/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arkados Incorporated (Iota Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Arkados Incorporated (Iota Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Logvinov, Oleg, Manis, Constantine N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,245,625 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4604 LAN interconnection over a backbone network, e.g. Internet, Frame Relay

Abstract

A portable, pluggable power line communications device provides convenient interfacing and connectivity between separate data networks interconnected over the same conventional electric power conveying media. The power line communications device plugs into a single electrical outlet, and includes a controller that is programmable at the device or remotely. Remote programming is achieved over the same power media to which the communications device is coupled, or by wireless link. The power line communications device controls data communications signal transfer over the common electric wiring of a local network, and conducts high-speed communications and download of multimedia signals from an upstream network controllers using the common electric power media. The data communications signals of the co-existing, different networks are encoded to permit differentiation at the power line communications device.

Claims

1. A communications apparatus for communicatively coupling a first data network to at least a second data network using a same conventional electric power conveying media, the apparatus comprising:

a connection means for coupling to the power conveying media; and

a transceiver communications interface coupled to the connection means and including a controller, wherein the controller includes a processor coupled to a memory and wherein the processor is adapted to utilize an encoding and decoding protocol for processing encoded data communication signals transmitted by a source device to a target electronic communications device such that data communications is achieved over the power conveying media between the target device and the source device, wherein each of the source and target devices is in the first or second network.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connection means comprises a pronged male power plug designed to matingly engage in a semi-permanent manner with a conventional power utility receptacle.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communications interface comprises:

a voltage isolation device having a first port compatible with a low voltage circuit within the controller and a second port compatible with an alternating current (AC) voltage of the power conveying media;

a holding buffer for temporarily storing a plurality of digital data words until said words can be transferred from the buffer to either a communications channel of a network or to the controller; and

a conversion device for transforming a serial digital data signal from a first protocol to a second protocol.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the nominal value of the AC voltage is approximately 110 volts.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the nominal value of the AC voltage is approximately 220 volts.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller includes at least one of a mainframe computer, a personal computer, a microprocessor, a microcontroller and a digital signal processor.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage means includes at least one of a volatile memory and non-volatile access memory.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the memory comprises at least one of a random access memory (RAM), serial memory, flash memory, read-only-memory (ROM) and electronically reprogrammable memory.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller includes:

an encoding and decoding module for encoding and decoding data communications signals based on at least one of frequency, modulation scheme, data format and data conveying medium.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the encoding and decoding module is implemented using at least one of a frequency-division-multiplexed-access (FDMA) protocol, a time-division-multiplexed-access (TDMA) protocol and a code-division-multiplexed-access (CDMA) protocol.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller includes a configuration option selection means.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is remotely configurable.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a wireless communications means for coupling to a data network.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the wireless communications means comprises an optical communications means.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the optical communications means comprises an infrared communications means.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the wireless communications means comprises at least one of an acoustical communications means and a radio frequency communications means.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first data network includes electronic communication devices communicatively coupled on a user side of an electric utility power meter, and the second data network includes electronic communications devices not on the user side of said utility meter.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first data network includes electronic communications devices communicatively coupled on a low voltage side of a power line transformer, and the second data network includes electronic communications devices not on the low voltage side of said transformer.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is portable.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a battery and a voltage transformer for powering electronic components internal to the apparatus.

21. A method for interfacing at least first and second networks, wherein said first and second networks operate over a common conventional electrical power conveying media, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from the media an encoded first data communications signal having a first identification code and transmitted by a first network transmitter;

decoding said first signal;

processing the encoded data included in said decoded first signal;

creating a second data communications signal for transmission to a target communications device having a destination address included in the encoding of the first signal;

encoding said second encoded signal using a second identification code; and

transmitting said second signal over the media to said target device.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the first and second identification codes are identical.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the encoding and decoding of said first and second signals additionally includes a modulation and demodulation of said signals, respectively.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the target device is included in at least one of the first and second networks.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the first communications signal is received with an associated first control signal and wherein the processing of the first control signal is performed at least as high as a network interface protocol layer and the processing of the first communications signal is performed at a physical interface protocol layer.