Method and apparatus for a power line communication (PLC) network

• US 20060061329A1
• Filed: 01/11/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Dawson, Thomas Patrick
• Application Number:
  US11/034,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20060061329A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/115
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/06 Two-wire systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/40 The network being an on-board power network, i.e. within a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5425 improving S/N by matching impedance, noise reduction, gain control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/547 via DC power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5491 using filtering and bypassing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/548 the power on the line being DC arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02

Abstract

Method and apparatus for a power line communication (PLC) network. One aspect of the invention is to use the DC power lines within a vehicle to network a plurality of electronic devices within the vehicle. In another embodiment, a vehicle'"'"'s DC power lines may be used to both power an electronic user device, as well as provide network connectivity between two or more electronic user devices. In one embodiment, network access is accomplished through use of connectors (e.g., cigarette lighter sockets) which are already standard in vehicles.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first direct current (DC) power outlet coupled to a DC power source by a DC power line;

a first electronic device powered by a first DC power cell and having a first network port; and

a first adapter to connect said first electronic device to said first DC power outlet, wherein said first adapter is to,

provide a first electrical charge from said DC power source to said first DC power cell of said first electrical device, and

transfer data from said first network port over said DC power line.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first DC power outlet is a standard automobile cigarette lighter, and said DC power source is an automobile battery.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said first electronic device is one of a portable computer, laptop computer, personal digital assistant, cellular telephone and smartphone.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said first electrical charge is provided to said first DC power cell over said DC power line simultaneously with said data being transferred from said first network port over said DC power line.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second DC power outlet coupled to said DC power source by said DC power line;

a second electronic device powered by a second DC power cell and having a second network port; and

a second adapter to connect said second electronic device to said second DC power outlet, wherein said second adapter is to,

provide a second electrical charge from said DC power source to said second DC power cell of said second electrical device, and

transfer data from said second network port to said first network port over said DC power line.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said first and second DC power outlets are standard automobile cigarette lighters, said DC power source is an automobile battery.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said first and second electronic devices are selected from the group consisting of portable computers, laptop computers, personal digital assistants, cellular telephones and smartphones.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said first and second electronic devices establish a network connection over said DC power line using said first and second adapters.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein said second electronic device is a network accessory usable to transmit said data wirelessly to a remote server.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said first electronic device receives said first electric charge and said data through said first network port.

11. A method comprising:

charging a first electronic device coupled to a first DC power outlet using a DC power source, wherein said first electronic device is coupled to said first DC power outlet by a first port, and said DC power source is coupled to said first DC power outlet by a DC power line;

transferring data from said first electronic device over said DC power line using a first adapter to connect said first electronic device to said first DC power outlet, wherein said first adapter is to,

provide a first electrical charge from said DC power source to said first DC power cell of said first electrical device, and

transfer data from said first network port over said DC power line.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first DC power outlet is a standard automobile cigarette lighter, and said DC power source is an automobile battery.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said first electronic device is one of a portable computer, laptop computer, personal digital assistant, cellular telephone and smartphone.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein providing said first electrical charge comprises providing said first electrical charge to said first DC power cell over said DC power line simultaneously with said data being transferred from said first network port over said DC power line.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

charging a second electronic device coupled to a second DC power outlet using said DC power source, wherein said second electronic device is coupled to said first DC power outlet by a second port, and said DC power source is coupled to said second DC power outlet by said DC power line; and

transferring data from said second electronic device over said DC power line using a second adapter to connect said second electronic device to said second DC power outlet, wherein said second adapter is to,

provide a second electrical charge from said DC power source to a second DC power cell of said second electrical device, and

transfer data from said second port to said first port over said DC power line.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said first and second DC power sources are standard automobile cigarette lighters, said DC power source is an automobile battery.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said first and second electronic devices are selected from the group consisting of portable computers, laptop computers, personal digital assistants, cellular telephones and smartphones.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising establishing a network connection between said first and second electronic devices over said DC power line using said first and second adapters.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said second electronic device is a network accessory usable to transmit said data wirelessly to a remote server.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein said first electronic device receives said first electric charge and said data through said first port.