Power line communication voice over IP system and method

• US 20070091800A1
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Current Technologies LLC (Pattern Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Current Technologies LLC (Pattern Inc.)
• Inventors: Corcoran, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,856,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5491 using filtering and bypassing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

A power line communication system communicating over a medium voltage power line including a VoIP endpoint that transmits voice data and requests to establish a voice connection to a medium voltage (MV) access device is provided. The medium voltage access device may determine a response to the request, allocate voice data packets a higher priority than general data packets, and transmit the data packets over the MV power line according to their priority. The MV access device may provide one or more voice over internet protocol (VoIP) switch functions and, in response to the requests, grant or deny the requests based, for example, on the number of established voice connections.

Claims

1. A method of communicating voice data packets and general data packets over power lines wherein a first medium voltage (MV) access device is coupled to a medium voltage power line and provides communication services to one or more user devices at one or more customer premises, comprising:

receiving the data packets;

determining a data type for the data packets;

tagging voice data packets with priority information;

allocating voice data packets a higher priority than general data packets; and

transmitting the data packets over the MV power line according to their priority.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the data type is based on an address of the data packets.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising rate limiting at least some of the data packets.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the rate limiting is based on the data type of the data packets.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said rate limiting is based, at least in part, on subscriber information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data packets comprises receiving the data packets over a communication link that includes a low voltage power line.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said prioritizing further comprises:

placing each of the data packets in one of a plurality of queues; and

selecting a data packet for transmission from one of the plurality of data packet queues.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein placing the data packets is based upon said priority information of the data packets.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein at least some of the plurality of queues are different in size.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data packets comprises receiving the data packets over a link that includes a wireless link.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising mapping a first priority according to a first communication protocol associated with the data packets to a second priority associated with a second communication protocol.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising rate limiting at least some of the voice data packets.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to establish a voice connection; and

determining a response to the request.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining a response comprises:

determining the number of existing voice connections;

granting the request if the number of existing voice connections is less than a limit value.

15. The method of claim 14. further comprising denying the request if the number of existing voice connections is equal or greater than the limit value.

16. The method of claim 13. further comprising denying the request if the number of existing voice connections has reached a limit value.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting information of a denial of the request.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the request comprises for a high quality voice connection and said response includes providing a low quality voice connection.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising changing the voice connection from a low quality voice connection to a high quality voice connection.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said changing occurs after a reduction in the number of preexisting voice connections.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing one or more voice over internet protocol (VoIP) switch functions.

22. A method of communicating voice data over a medium voltage power line, comprising:

receiving a plurality of data packets;

receiving a request to establish a VoIP connection;

determining the number of existing VoIP connections; and

determining a response to the request based on the number of existing voice over IP connections.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein determining a response comprises:

granting the request if the number of existing VoIP connections is less than a limit value; and

denying the request if the number of existing VoIP connections is equal or greater than the limit value.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing one or more VoIP switch functions.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

identifying at least some of the data packets as voice data packets;

placing at least some of the voice data packets in one of a plurality of queues.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

selecting a data packet for transmission from one of the plurality of data packet queues; and

transmitting the data packets.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein at least some of the plurality of queues are different in size.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the selecting is performed in accordance with a weight factor associated with at least some of the plurality of queues.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving includes receiving the plurality of data packets via a wireless link.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein said receiving includes receiving the plurality of data packets via a backhaul link.

31. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving the request includes receiving the request via a low voltage power line.

32. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving the request includes receiving the request via the medium low voltage power line.

33. The method of claim 22, wherein a plurality of communications devices are coupled to the MV power line and form part of a MV power line subnet and said receiving the request is performed at a computer system external to the MV power line subnet.

34. The method of claim 22, further comprising rate limiting at least some of the received data packets.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the rate limiting is performed in accordance with subscriber information.

36. The method of claim 22, further comprising mapping a first priority according to a first communication protocol associated with the data packets to a second priority associated with a second communication protocol.

37. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving the data packets includes receiving the plurality of data packets via a low voltage power line.

38. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving the data packets includes receiving the plurality of data packets via the medium low voltage power line.

47. The communication system of claim 38, further comprising:

wherein said first MV access device is configured to receive general data from non-voice user devices; and

wherein said first MV access device includes at least two priority queues; and

wherein said first processor places the voice data and the general data into different the priority queues.

48. The communication system of claim 47, wherein:

said second MV access device includes at least two MV priority queues; and

wherein said second process places the voice data and the general data in the MV priority queues according to the priority assigned to the voice data and the general data.

39. A communication system for communicating data over a medium voltage power line, comprising:

a first medium voltage access device coupled to the medium voltage power line and configured to communicate voice data with one or more voice over internet protocol (VoIP) endpoints;

wherein said first MV access device includes a first processor and a first processor readable medium encoded with executable instructions to cause said first processor to provide one or more VoIP switch functions; and

a second MV access device coupled to the medium voltage power line and in communication with the first MV access device via the medium voltage power line.

40. The communication system of claim 39, wherein said second MV access device comprises a backhaul point and includes at least some VoIP switch functionality.

41. The communication system of claim 39, wherein said second MV access device comprises a backhaul point and includes a second processor and a second processor readable medium encoded with executable instructions to cause said second processor to provide one or more VoIP switch functions.

42. The system of claim 39, wherein said first MV access device includes a session initiation protocol (SIP) proxy server.

43. The communication system of claim 39, wherein said second MV access device comprises a backhaul point and includes a SIP proxy server.

44. The communication system of claim 39, further comprising:

an aggregation point in communication with said second MV access device; and

a VoIP switch communicatively coupled to said aggregation point.

45. The communication system of claim 39, wherein said first MV access device converts a first priority of the voice data received from a VoIP endpoint using a first communication protocol into a second priority of a second communication protocol used to transmit the voice data on the medium voltage power line.

46. The communication system of claim 45, wherein said second MV access point maps the second priority of the voice data received from the medium voltage power line using a second communication protocol into a third priority of a third communication protocol used to transmit the voice data to an external communication network.

49. The communication system of claim 39, wherein said first processor readable medium is encoded with executable instructions to cause said first processor to limit the number of voice connections established for the plurality of VoIP endpoints.

50. The communication system of claim 39, wherein said second MV access device includes a second processor and a second processor readable medium encoded with executable instructions to cause said second processor to limit the number of voice connections established over the medium voltage power line.

51. The communication system of claim 39, wherein

said first processor readable medium includes a first limit stored therein and further includes executable instructions to cause said first processor to limit the number of high quality voice connections;

and

wherein said fist MV access device limits the number of high quality voice connections established by the plurality of VoIP endpoints to the first limit.

52. A method of communicating voice data packets and general data packets over a medium voltage power line comprising:

receiving a plurality of data packets;

determining a data type for the data packets;

receiving a request to establish a VoIP connection;

determining a response to the request;

allocating voice data packets a higher priority than general data packets; and

transmitting the data packets over the MV power line according to their priority.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein determining a response comprises:

granting the request if the number of existing VoIP connections is less than a limit value; and

denying the request if the number of existing VoIP connections is equal or greater than the limit value.

54. The method of claim 52, further comprising:

identifying at least some of the data packets as voice data packets;

placing at least some of the voice data packets in one of a plurality of queues;

selecting a data packet for transmission from one of the plurality of data packet queues; and

wherein said transmitting the data packets is performed in accordance with said selecting.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein at least some of the plurality of queues are different in size.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein the selecting is performed in accordance with a weight factor associated with at least some of the plurality of queues.

57. The method of claim 52, further comprising rate limiting at least some of the received data packets.

58. The method of claim 52, wherein the request comprises a request for a high quality voice connection and said response includes providing a low quality voice connection.

59. The method of claim 58, further comprising changing the low quality voice connection to a high quality voice connection.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein said changing occurs after a reduction in the number of established voice connections.