Power line communication vegetation management system and method

• US 20060271313A1
• Filed: 05/24/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James Douglas Mollenkopf
• Original Assignee: James Douglas Mollenkopf
• Inventors: Mollenkopf, James Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 7,626,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/62
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00007 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

A system for detecting the contact of vegetation or other objects with a power line conductor and that may provide an automated notification thereof is provided. In one embodiment, the system may assess one or more power line communication links to determine baseline performance parameters thereof and set associated communication thresholds. The system may also include sensors for measuring wind speed, power line voltages, and/or other data. In one embodiment, the measured data may continuously be time stamped and stored in memory. Sensed data such as voltage and/or wind speed is analyzed during the time of a degradation of a communication link. If there is a correlation in the occurrence of increased wind speed or decrease in voltage and one or more degradations of a communication channel, a notification may be transmitted. In addition, the system may determine location information of the contacting vegetation by determining that surrounding communication links were not degraded during the same time interval.

Claims

1. A method of detecting contact of an object with a power line, comprising:

establishing a communication link over the power line;

detecting a degradation in the communication link;

determining whether the degradation is consistent with an object contacting the power line; and

transmitting a notification of the degradation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a parameter of the communication link; and

wherein said determining whether said degradation is consistent with an object contacting the power line comprises determining whether said parameter of the communication link satisfies a predetermined condition.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether said parameter of the communication link satisfies a predetermined condition comprises determining whether a data rate of the communication link is below a threshold value.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether said parameter of the communication link satisfies a predetermined condition comprises determining whether an error rate of the communication link is above a threshold value.

5. The method of claim 2,-further comprising:

measuring a voltage of the power line; and

determining whether the measured voltage is below a threshold value.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

measuring a wind speed; and

determining whether the measured wind speed is above a threshold value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring a voltage of the power line;

determining whether the measured voltage is below a threshold value.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring a wind speed; and

determining whether the measured wind speed is above a threshold value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the power line comprises an overhead medium voltage power line.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating broadband internet data for one or more user devices over the power line.

11. The method of claim 1, determining whether said degradation is consistent with an object contacting the power line comprises determining whether the degradation substantially matches a signature of an object contacting the power line.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining location information of an object contacting the power line.

13. A method of detecting contact of an object with a power line, comprising:

measuring a voltage of the power line;

detecting a voltage dip; and

determining whether the voltage dip substantially matches a signature of an object contacting the power line.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

if the voltage dip substantially matches a signature of an object contacting the power line, transmitting a notification; and

if the voltage dip does not substantially match a signature of an object contacting the power line, not transmitting the notification.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the notification over the power line of which the voltage is measured.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the notification over a power line.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

measuring a wind speed; and

determining whether the measured wind speed is above a threshold value.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the power line comprises an overhead medium voltage power line.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

establishing a communication link over the power line; and

detecting a degradation in the communication link during the detected voltage dip.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the measuring is performed by a device having a first port for communicating over a medium voltage power line and a user port for communicating with a user device.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising communicating broadband internet data for one or more user devices via the power line.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein determining whether the voltage dip substantially matches a signature of an object contacting the power line comprises measuring a voltage that is below a threshold value for a predetermined time, followed by measuring a voltage that is above a threshold value.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting information for determining location information of the object contacting the power line.

24. A method of detecting contact of an object with a power line, comprising:

measuring a voltage of the power line;

detecting a voltage change that substantially matches a signature of an object contacting the power line; and

determining location information of the object contacting the power line.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

if the voltage change substantially matches a signature of an object contacting the power line, transmitting a notification; and

if the voltage change does not substantially match a signature of an object contacting the power line, not transmitting the notification.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the notification over the power line of which the voltage is measured.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the notification over a power line.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

measuring a wind speed; and

determining whether the measured wind speed is above a threshold value.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the power line comprises an overhead medium voltage power line.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

establishing a communication link over the power line; and

detecting a degradation in the communication link during the detected voltage change.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein the detecting is performed by a device having a first port for communicating over a medium voltage power line and a user port for communicating with a user device.

32. The method of claim 24, further comprising communicating broadband internet data for one or more user devices via the power line.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein determining whether the voltage change substantially matches a signature of an object contacting the power line comprises measuring a voltage that is below a threshold value for a predetermined time, followed by measuring a voltage that is above a threshold value.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein the determining is performed by a first device that is remote from a second device that performs the measuring.

35. The method of claim 24, further comprising transmitting the location information of the object contacting the power line.

36. A method of detecting contact of an object with a power line, comprising:

establishing a communication link over the power line;

detecting a degradation in the communication link;

detecting a voltage dip on the power line during said degradation; and

transmitting a notification.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

measuring a wind speed during said degradation; and

determining whether the measured wind speed is above a threshold value.