POWER LINE COMMUNICATION HUB SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20070198748A1
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Ametsitsi, Julius, Kim, Frank, Goldman, Ross, Taylor, Nelson, Jaap, Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/670,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20070198748A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/249
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/545 Audio/video application, e.g. interphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line

Abstract

A power line communication (PLC) hub incorporates multiple network communication media and services for devices. Implementations can be plugged into an electrical outlet to furnish a single point for both electrical power and network connectivity. Each of the electrical outlets is tied through an electrical distribution system to a network through a conventional PLC bridge to provide network connectivity through the electrical distribution system using PLC technology. The PLC outlet hub can include various combinations of applications and/or services including Voice Over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”) gateway, media server, Internet router/gateway, Local Area Network (“LAN”), both wired and wireless voice and video conferencing capability, including a VoIP, Voice over WiFi (“VoWiFi”), Power Over Ethernet (“PoE”), Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n capability and (Wireless Universal Serial Bus “WUSB”/Ultra Wide Band “UWB”) wireless connectivity, and Blue Tooth. Versions of the PLC outlet hub can have an Ethernet IEEE 802.3 family (such as IEEE 802.3af) compliant power supply to furnish power to PoE enabled devices.

Claims

1. For an electrical distribution system linked to a data network through a power line communication bridge, a system comprising:

an enclosure;

an electrical cord configured to electrically couple to the electrical distribution system;

a plurality of electrical outlets supported by the enclosure, the electrical outlets electrically coupled with the electrical cord;

a plurality of network jacks supported by the enclosure;

a wireless interface supported by the enclosure and configured to wirelessly send and receive network communication to wireless devices; and

a power line communication bridge coupled with the enclosure, power line communication bridge communicatively linked to each of the network jacks and to the wireless interface, the power line communication bridge communicatively linked to the electrical cord to send network communication received from the network jacks and the wireless interface to the electrical distribution system over the electrical cord when the electrical cord is electrically coupled to the electrical distribution system and to send network communication received from the electrical distribution system over the electrical cord to the network jacks and the wireless interface when the electrical cord is electrically coupled to the electrical distribution system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the network jacks and electrical outlets are grouped into a plurality of bays.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the network jacks are paired with a different one of the electrical outlets in vertical arrangements.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the network jacks are arranged along a row and the electrical outlets are arranged along another row.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the enclosure as a dimensional height no great than six inches.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the enclosure has a dimensional diameter no greater than one foot.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the bays are outwardly facing.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein one of the bays is opposing another one of the bays.

9. The system of claim 1 further including a bottom surface shaped to be positioned on a planar surface.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless interface is supported by the enclosure as being removably coupled to the enclosure.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless interface conforms to at least one of the following wireless protocols families:

WiFi, Blue Tooth, and wireless USB.

12. For an electrical distribution system linked to a data network through a power line communication bridge, a system comprising:

an enclosure;

an electrical cord configured to electrically couple to the electrical distribution system;

a plurality of electrical outlets supported by the enclosure, the electrical outlets electrically coupled with the electrical cord;

a plurality of network jacks supported by the enclosure;

a power line communication bridge coupled with the enclosure, the power line communication bridge communicatively linked to each of the network jacks, the power line communication bridge communicatively linked to the electrical cord to send network communication received from the network jacks to the electrical distribution system over the electrical cord when the electrical cord is electrically coupled to the electrical distribution system and to send network communication received from the electrical distribution system over the electrical cord to the network jacks when the electrical cord is electrically coupled to the electrical distribution system, the power line communication bridge including a filter configured to filter signals being sent on to the electrical distribution system when the electrical cord is electrically coupled to the electrical distribution system; and

a power line communication bridge controller linked to the power line communication bridge, the electrical outlets, and the electrical distribution system when the electrical cord is coupled to the electrical distribution system, the power line communication bridge controller having a spectrum analyzer, a spectral relocator, and a bridge filter refinement to determine undesired noise and undesired signals present on the electrical distribution system and the electrical outlets, to instruct the power line communication bridge to change frequency spectrum of outputted signals based upon the spectrum analyzer determination of the presence of the undesired noise and the undesired signals on the electrical distribution system, and to instruct the filter of the power line communication bridge to filter the undesired noise and the undesired signals present from the electrical outlets, respectively.

13. For an electrical distribution system linked to a data network through a power line communication bridge, a system comprising:

an enclosure;

an electrical cord configured to electrically couple to the electrical distribution system;

a plurality of electrical outlets supported by the enclosure, the electrical outlets electrically coupled with the electrical cord;

a plurality of network jacks supported by the enclosure;

an audio speaker; and

a power line communication bridge coupled with the enclosure, the power line communication bridge communicatively linked to each of the network jacks and to the audio speaker, the power line communication bridge communicatively linked to the electrical cord to send network communication received from the network jacks to the electrical distribution system over the electrical cord when the electrical cord is electrically coupled to the electrical distribution system and to send network communication received from the electrical distribution system over the electrical cord to the network jacks and the audio speaker when the electrical cord is electrically coupled to the electrical distribution system.

14. For an electrical distribution system linked to a data network through a power line communication bridge, a system comprising:

an enclosure;

an electrical cord configured to electrically couple to the electrical distribution system;

a plurality of electrical outlets supported by the enclosure, the electrical outlets electrically coupled with the electrical cord;

a plurality of network jacks supported by the enclosure;

an electronic camera; and

a power line communication bridge coupled with the enclosure, the power line communication bridge communicatively linked to each of the network jacks and to the wireless interface, the power line communication bridge communicatively linked to the electrical cord to send network communication received from the network jacks and the electronic camera to the electrical distribution system over the electrical cord when the electrical cord is electrically coupled to the electrical distribution system and to send network communication received from the electrical distribution system over the electrical cord to the network jacks when the electrical cord is electrically coupled to the electrical distribution system.

15. For an electrical distribution system linked to a data network through a power line communication bridge, a system comprising:

an enclosure;

an electrical cord configured to electrically couple to the electrical distribution system;

a plurality of electrical outlets supported by the enclosure, the electrical outlets electrically coupled with the electrical cord;

a plurality of network jacks supported by the enclosure;

a microphone; and

a power line communication bridge coupled with the enclosure, the power line communication bridge communicatively linked to each of the network jacks and to the wireless interface, the power line communication bridge communicatively linked to the electrical cord to send network communication received from the network jacks and the microphone over the electrical cord when the electrical cord is electrically coupled to the electrical distribution system and to send network communication received from the electrical distribution system over the electrical cord to the network jacks when the electrical cord is electrically coupled to the electrical distribution system.

16. For an electrical distribution system linked to a data network through a power line communication bridge, a system comprising:

an enclosure;

an electrical cord configured to electrically couple to the electrical distribution system;

a plurality of network jacks supported by the enclosure;

a wireless interface supported by the enclosure and configured to wirelessly send and receive network communication to wireless devices; and

a power line communication bridge coupled with the enclosure, the power line communication bridge communicatively linked to each of the network jacks and to the wireless interface, the power line communication bridge communicatively linked to the electrical cord to send network communication received from the network jacks and the wireless interface to the electrical distribution system over the electrical cord when the electrical cord is electrically coupled to the electrical distribution system and to send network communication received from the electrical distribution system over the electrical cord to the network jacks and the wireless interface when the electrical cord is electrically coupled to the electrical distribution system.