System and method for broadband network communication through operational natural gas infrastructures

• US 20060165127A1
• Filed: 01/24/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Patrick O'Neal Nunally
• Original Assignee: Patrick O'Neal Nunally
• Inventors: Nunally, Patrick O'Neal
• Application Number:
  US11/040,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20060165127A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/480
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to ultra-wideband communications. More particularly, the invention concerns a method of broadband communication by transceiving ultra-wideband signals through an active local underground natural gas distribution network such as a local or regional piping system.

Claims

1. An ultra-wideband communication system for a natural gas line network, comprising:

an ultra-wideband transmitter structured to transmit an ultra-wideband signal through the natural gas line network; and

an ultra-wideband receiver structured to receive the ultra-wideband signal from the natural gas line network.

2. The ultra-wideband communication system of claim 1, wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises an impulse radio signal.

3. The ultra-wideband communication system of claim 1, wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds.

4. The ultra-wideband communication system of claim 1, wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds and a power that can range between about 100 power decibels to about −

90 power decibels, as measured at a single frequency.

5. The ultra-wideband communication system of claim 1, wherein the ultra-wideband transmitter comprises an ultra-wideband pulse modulator that is structured to transmit a multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals.

6. The ultra-wideband communication system of claim 1, wherein the ultra-wideband receiver comprises an ultra-wideband pulse demodulator that is structured to receive a multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals.

7. The ultra-wideband communication system of claim 1, wherein a pipe employed in the natural gas line network is selected from a group consisting of:

steel, plastic, iron, copper, and an gas containment material.

8. The ultra-wideband communication system of claim 1, wherein the natural gas line network is interconnected to a network selected from a group consisting of:

a power line, an optical network, a cable television network, a community antenna television network, a community access television network, a hybrid fiber coax system network, a public switched telephone network, a wide area network, a local area network, a metropolitan area network, a TCP/IP network, a dial-up network, a switched network, a dedicated network, a nonswitched network, a public network and a private network.

9. A method of transmitting data through a natural gas utility distribution infrastructure, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the natural gas utility distribution infrastructure; and

transmitting an ultra-wideband signal through the natural gas utility distribution infrastructure.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the natural gas utility distribution infrastructure is selected from the group consisting of:

an local gas utility, a regional gas utility, a private gas distribution infrastructure, and a public gas distribution infrastructure.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises an impulse radio signal.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds and a power that can range between about 100 power decibels to about −

90 power decibels, as measured at a single frequency.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultra-wideband signal is used to transmit data selected from a group consisting of:

telephony data, high-speed data, digital video data, digital television data, Internet communication data and audio data.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultra-wideband signal is transmitted substantially simultaneously with natural gas utility service.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the natural gas utility distribution service is used to transmit data selected from the group consisting of:

telephony data, high-speed data, digital video data, digital television data, Internet communication data and audio data.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultra-wideband signal and a natural gas utility distribution use a substantially common pathway for electromagnetic radiation spectrum and natural gas conveyance.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultra-wideband signal are transmitted in a frequency band that can range from between about 1 KHz to about 10 GHz.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the multiple ultra-wideband signals use separate portions of an electromagnetic radiation spectrum.

20. A method of providing broadband communication, the method comprising the steps of:

providing natural gas utility distribution infrastructure;

combining a multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals representative of data with natural gas resident in the distribution system;

receiving the combined multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals representative of data and the natural gas at a point within said natural gas distribution infrastructure; and

bridging the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals representative of data and a local areas network to make use of the broadband communication.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the ultra-wideband signals representative of data comprise a multiplicity of pulse quadrature amplitude modulated signals.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the ultra-wideband signals representative of data comprise a multiplicity of pulse position modulated signals.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the ultra-wideband signals representative of data comprise a multiplicity of pulse amplitude modulated signals.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the ultra-wideband signals representative of data are modulated at a fixed pulse rate frequency.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the ultra-wideband signals representative of data are modulated at a variable pulse rate frequency.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the ultra-wideband signals representative of data are modulated at a pseudo-random pulse rate frequency.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals comprise an impulse radio signal.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals comprise a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals comprise a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds and a power that can range between about 100 power decibels to about −

90 power decibels, as measured at a single frequency.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals are used to transmit data selected from a group consisting of:

telephony data, high-speed data, digital video data, digital television data, Internet communication data and audio data.

31. A method of transmitting and receiving data through a natural gas distribution pipeline, the method comprising the steps of:

providing natural gas distribution pipeline network;

combining a multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals representative of data with natural gas as it is being disseminated;

receiving a combined service comprising the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals representative of data and the natural gas service; and

separating the combined signal into the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals representative of data and the natural gas utility service.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals comprise an impulse radio signal.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals comprise a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals comprise a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds and a power that can range between about 100 power decibels to about −

90 power decibels, as measured at a single frequency.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals are used to transmit data selected from a group consisting of:

telephony data, high-speed data, digital video data, digital television data, Internet communication data and audio data.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the ultra-wideband signal is used to transmit data selected from a group consisting of:

telephony data, high-speed data, digital video data, digital television data, Internet communication data and audio data.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the ultra-wideband signal is transmitted in a frequency band that can range from between about 1 KHz to about 10 GHz.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein the ultra-wideband signal is divided by coding such that multiple data signal use substantially the same electromagnetic radiation spectrum.

39. An ultra-wideband system structured to transmit and receive data through a network that includes a natural gas line medium, the ultra-wideband system comprising:

an ultra-wideband transmitter positioned at a first location on the network, the ultra-wideband transmitter structured to transmit an ultra-wideband signal through the natural gas line medium; and

an ultra-wideband receiver positioned at a second location on the network, the ultra-wideband receiver structured to receive the ultra-wideband signal from the natural gas line medium.

40. The ultra-wideband system of claim 39, wherein the natural gas line network transmits and receives data bridged from a group consisting of:

a power line, an optical network, a cable television network, a community antenna television network, a community access television network, a hybrid fiber coax system network, a public switched telephone network, a wide area network, a local area network, a metropolitan area network, a TCP/IP network, a dial-up network, a switched network, a dedicated network, a nonswitched network, a public network and a private network.

41. The ultra-wideband system of claim 39, wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises an impulse radio signal.

42. The ultra-wideband system of claim 39, wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds.

43. The ultra-wideband system of claim 39, wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds and a power that can range between about 100 power decibels to about −

90 power decibels, as measured at a single frequency.

44. The ultra-wideband system of claim 39, wherein the ultra-wideband transmitter comprises an ultra-wideband pulse modulator that is structured to transmit a multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals.

45. The ultra-wideband system of claim 39, wherein the ultra-wideband receiver comprises an ultra-wideband pulse demodulator that is structured to receive a multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals.

46. The method of claim 39, wherein the ultra-wideband signals representative of data are modulated at a fixed pulse rate frequency.

47. The method of claim 39, wherein the ultra-wideband signals representative of data are modulated at a variable pulse rate frequency.