Power Line Communication Device and Method

• US 20070002772A1
• Filed: 08/03/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Current Technologies LLC (Pattern Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Current Technologies LLC (Pattern Inc.)
• Inventors: Berkman, William, Boot, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,804,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/257
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5479 using repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5491 using filtering and bypassing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2863 Arrangements for combining access network resources elements, e.g. channel bonding modem pooling H04L25/14; routing of packets H04L45/00; multichannel or multilink protocols H04L69/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801

Abstract

A power line communication device for communicating data signals over a power line is provided. One example embodiment comprises a conditioning circuit configured to be coupled to the power line and a modem communicatively coupled to the conditioning circuitry to transmit and receive data signals over the power line via the conditioning circuitry. The modem may be configured to transmit and receive orthogonal frequency division multiplexed data signals that comprise a plurality of sub-carriers, wherein the modem is adapted to vary the transmit power for each of a plurality of subsets of the plurality of sub-carriers from substantially zero power to a plurality of increments above zero power. The modem also may be adapted to transmit and receive data signals with the transmit power for each of a plurality of subsets of the plurality of sub-carriers being different and to transmit and receive using a different modulation scheme at different sub-carriers.

Claims

1. A power line communication device for communicating data signals over a power line, comprising:

a conditioning circuit configured to be coupled to the power line;

a first modem communicatively coupled to said conditioning circuitry;

wherein said first modem is configured transmit and receive orthogonal frequency division multiplexed data signals that comprise a plurality of sub-carriers;

wherein said first modem is configured to transmit data signals over the power line via said conditioning circuitry;

wherein said first modem is adapted to vary the transmit power for each of a plurality of subsets of the plurality of sub-carriers from substantially zero power to a plurality of increments above zero power; and

wherein said first modem is configured to transmit a first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers at a transmit power that is different than the transmit power for a second subset of the plurality of sub-carriers.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a second modem communicatively coupled to said first modem and configured to provide communications to one or more user devices.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the transmit power for the first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers is approximately zero and the transmit power for the second subset of the plurality of sub-carriers is not approximately zero.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the first subset of sub-carriers are disposed at one or more frequencies that are between frequencies of those of the second subset of sub-carriers.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said first modem is adapted to transmit two data signals and wherein the transmit power for the majority of the sub-carriers of each data signal is different.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said first modem is configured to provide Quality of Service.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the power line comprises a medium voltage power line.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the power line comprises a low voltage power line.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said first modem is adapted to change the modulation used for a subset of the plurality of sub-carriers.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said first modem is adapted to transmit a data signal by modulating a third subset of the plurality of sub-carriers using a first modulation scheme and by modulating a fourth subset of the plurality of sub-carriers using a second modulation scheme.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein said first modulation scheme provides a higher data rate than said second modulation scheme and said first modem is configured transition from said first modulation scheme to said second modulation scheme for the fourth subset of sub-carriers.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said transition is based upon determining an increased error rate.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein said transition is based upon determining a reduced data rate.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising an antenna communicatively coupled to said first modem.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein said first modem is configured to communicate with a plurality of remote devices and to use a different subset of sub-carriers to transmit data signals to each of the remote devices.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein said first modem is adapted to vary the number of the sub-carriers used to transmit data signals.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein said conditioning circuit comprises a frequency translation circuit configured to downband the sub-carriers of the data signals received from said first modem.

18. The device of claim 1, further comprising a router communicatively coupled to said first modem.

19. The device of claim 18, further comprising a second modem communicatively coupled to said router.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein said first modem comprises a modem substantially compatible with an IEEE 802.16 (e) standard.

21. The device of claim 1, wherein said first modem is configured to communicate via Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA).

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said first modem is configured to communicate with a plurality of remote devices and adapted to change the subset of sub-carriers used for communications with each of the remote devices.

23. A method of communicating over a power line, comprising:

receiving data;

modulating the data via a modem to provide one or more data signals comprised of a plurality of sub-carriers;

wherein the transmit power for each of a plurality of subsets of the plurality of sub-carriers can be varied by the modem over a plurality of increments above zero power;

amplifying the one or more data signals; and

coupling the amplified data signals to the power line.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the power per carrier for a first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers is at a first power level and the power per carrier for a second subset of the plurality of carriers is at a second power level and wherein in a first modem configuration the first power level and the second power level are different and non-zero power.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein in a second modem configuration the transmission power per carrier for the first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers is approximately zero and the transmission power per carrier for the second subset of the plurality of sub-carriers is not approximately zero.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the sub-carriers of the first subset are disposed at one or more frequencies that are between frequencies of the sub-carriers of the second subset.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the modem is configured to communicate via Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA).

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing Quality of Service.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the power line comprises a medium voltage power line.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the power line comprises a low voltage power line.

31. The method of claim 23, further comprising changing the modulation scheme used for a subset of the plurality of sub-carriers over time while not changing the modulate scheme used for a different subset of the plurality of sub-carriers.

32. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing transmit a data signal via a modem by modulating a first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers using a first modulation scheme and by modulating a second subset of the plurality of sub-carriers using a second modulation scheme and wherein the first and second subsets of the plurality of sub-carriers are coupled to the power line simultaneously.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said first modulation scheme provides a higher data rate than said second modulation scheme and the modem is configured to transition from said first modulation scheme to said second modulation scheme for the second subset of sub-carriers.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said transition is based upon determining an increased error rate.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein said transition is based upon determining a reduced data rate.

36. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing an antenna coupled to the modem.

37. The method of claim 23, wherein the modem is configured to communicate with a plurality of remote devices and to use a different subset of sub-carriers for data signals transmitted to each of the remote devices.

38. The method of claim 23, further comprising varying the number of the sub-carriers used to provide data signals over time.

39. The method of claim 23, further comprising frequency shifting the sub-carriers of the data signals to a lower frequency band.

40. The method of claim 23, further comprising routing the received data.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein receiving data comprises demodulating a received data signal.

42. The method of claim 23, wherein the received data is received from one or more user devices.

43. The method of claim 23, wherein the transmit power for each of a plurality of subsets of the plurality of sub-carriers can be varied by the modem over a plurality of increments above zero power.

44. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing a plurality of data signals via the modem and wherein the transmit power for the majority of the sub-carriers of different data signals is different.

45. The method of claim 23, wherein the modem is configured to communicate with a plurality of remote devices and to vary the subset of sub-carriers used for communications with each of the remote devices.

46. A method of communicating over a power line, comprising:

receiving data from a user device;

determining a destination for the data;

modulating the data via a modem to provide one or more data signals comprised of a plurality of sub-carriers;

wherein the transmit power for each of a plurality of subsets of the plurality of sub-carriers can be varied by the modem over a plurality of increments above zero power;

frequency shifting the one sub-carriers of the one or more data signals;

amplifying the one or more data signals; and

coupling the amplified data signals to the power line.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the power per carrier for a first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers is at a first power level and the power per carrier for a second subset of the plurality of carriers is at a second power level and wherein in a first modem configuration the first power level and the second power level are different and non-zero power.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the modem is configured to communicate with a plurality of remote devices and to adaptable to vary the subset of sub-carriers used for communications with each of the remote devices.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein the modem is configured to communicate with a plurality of remote devices and to use a different subset of sub-carriers for data signals transmitted to each of the remote devices.