Systems and methods for use in providing local power line communication

• US 20070213879A1
• Filed: 03/09/2006
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Iwamura, Ryuichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,813,842 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/292
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5433 Remote metering
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• 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: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals

Abstract

The present embodiments provide systems and methods for implementing and controlling local power line communication (PLC) networks. Some embodiments include a central controller communicationally coupled with a PLC power line, a sensor adaptor coupled between the PLC power line and a consumer product, with the sensor adaptor comprising a current detector that detects a current usage level passed through the sensor adaptor, a PLC interface through which the current usage level is communicated over the PLC power line to the central controller, and an adaptor switch that interrupts current flow to the consumer product in response to a command received over the PLC power line from the central controller when the current usage through the sensor adaptor has a predetermined relationship to a first threshold.

Claims

1. :

A local power line communication network, comprising;

a central controller communicationally coupled with a local power line communication (PLC) power line;

a sensor adaptor coupled between the local PLC power line and a consumer product, the sensor adaptor comprising;

a current detector that detects a current usage level passed through the sensor adaptor to the consumer product;

a PLC interface through which the current usage level is communicated over the local PLC power line to the central controller; and

an adaptor switch that is opened interrupting current flow to the consumer product in response to an interrupt command received over the local PLC power line from the central controller when current usage through the sensor adaptor has a predetermined relationship to a first threshold and is closed resuming current flow to the consumer product in response to a reconnect command received over the local PLC power line from the central controller while the switch is open.

2. :

The local PLC network of claim 1, wherein the central controller generates a warning message when the current usage through the sensor adaptor has a predetermined relationship to a second threshold that is less than the first threshold.

3. :

The local PLC network of claim 1, wherein the sensor adaptor further comprises an adaptor controller coupled with the PLC interface, the current detector and the adaptor switch, such that the adaptor controller communicates with the central controller over the local PLC power line through the PLC interface to transmit the current usage level through the sensor adaptor and receive the command to interrupt the current flow to the consumer product, and activates the adaptor switch to interrupt the current flow to the consumer product.

4. :

The local PLC network of claim 3, wherein the sensor adaptor further comprises a PLC coupler communicationally coupled with the local PLC power line coupling PLC signal data between the adaptor controller and the local PLC power line and to block AC power from the local PLC power lines from the adaptor controller.

5. :

The local PLC network of claim 1, wherein the sensor adaptor includes a plug to connect with an outlet of the local PLC power line, and a receptacle to receive a plug from the consumer product.

6. :

The local PLC network of claim 1, wherein the central controller comprises;

a PLC interface coupled with the local PLC power line; and

a controller coupled with the PLC interface through which the controller receives the current usage level from the local PLC power line and through which the command to interrupt current to the consumer product is communicated from the controller to the local PLC power line when the controller determines that the current usage level has the predetermined relationship to the first threshold and the command to resume current flow to the consumer product is communicated from the controller over to local PLC power line.

7. :

The local PLC network of claim 6, wherein the central controller further comprises a user interface through which the controller receives user input and supplies local PLC network statistics.

8. :

The local PLC network of claim 1, further comprising;

a PLC circuit breaker coupled with the local PLC power line, the PLC circuit breaker comprising a breaker switch coupled with the local PLC power line that interrupts power to the local PLC power line when open, and a breaker PLC coupler coupled across the breaker switch maintaining a PLC signal path between the local PLC power line and another local PLC power line when the breaker switch is open.

9. :

The local PLC network of claim 8, wherein the PLC circuit breaker further comprises a breaker controller coupled with a PLC interface further coupled with the local PLC power line providing PLC communication between the breaker controller and the central controller to receive a breaker command from the central controller such that the breaker controller controls the opening of the breaker switch.

10. :

A power line communication (PLC) network, comprising;

a first PLC circuit breaker coupled with a local PLC power line, the first PLC circuit breaker comprising a first breaker switch coupled with the local PLC power line that interrupts power to the local PLC power line when open, and a first breaker PLC coupler coupled across the first breaker switch maintaining a PLC signal path between the local PLC power line and another local PLC power line when the first breaker switch is open;

a sensor adaptor coupled with the local PLC power line and one or more consumer products controlling current flow from the local PLC power line to the one or more consumer products;

a central controller coupled with the local PLC power line and in communication with the sensor adaptor over the local PLC power line, the central controller comprising;

a PLC interface coupled with the local PLC power line; and

a controller coupled with the PLC interface through which the controller transmits and receives PLC data signals, wherein the controller receives current usage information over the local PLC power line from the sensor adaptor, determines whether the current usage information has a predetermined relationship with a first threshold, generates an interrupt command for the sensor adaptor when the current usage information has the predetermined relationship with the first threshold, and communicates the interrupt command over the local PLC power line; and

the sensor adaptor receives the interrupt command such that the sensor adaptor interrupts power to the one or more consumer products.

11. :

The PLC network of claim 10, further comprising;

a second circuit breaker coupled between the first circuit breaker and an external PLC network, the second circuit breaker comprising a second breaker switch coupled between the first circuit breaker and the external PLC network allowing power to pass between the external PLC network to the local PLC power line through the first circuit breaker when the first and second breaker switches are closed, and a second breaker PLC signal coupler extending across the second breaker switch providing a communication path between the local PLC power line and the external PLC network regardless of the state of the second breaker switch.

12. :

The PLC network of claim 10, wherein the sensor adaptor comprises;

an adaptor switch coupled between the local PLC power line and consumer product that interrupts the current to the consumer product when open;

a current sensor that detects current passing through the sensor adaptor; and

a PLC interface through which the current usage information is communicated over the local PLC power line.

13. :

A method of use in controlling power usage over a power line network, comprising;

monitoring a local current usage level of current received from a local power line communication (PLC) network and delivered to a consumer product;

communicating the local current usage level over the local PLC network;

receiving the local current usage level from over the local PLC network at a central controller of the local PLC network;

determining at the central controller whether there is a predetermined relationship between the local current usage level and a threshold;

communicating from the central controller an interrupt command over the local PLC network when there is a predetermined relationship between the local current usage level and the threshold;

communicating from the central controller a reconnect command over the local PLC network; and

reconnecting current in response to the reconnect command received over the PLC power line when the delivering of current to the consumer product is interrupted.

14. :

The method of claim 13, wherein the monitoring the local current usage comprises monitoring a local current usage level at a sensor adaptor coupled between the local PLC network and the consumer product of the current received from the local PLC network and delivered through the sensor adaptor to the consumer product; and

the communication of the local current usage level over the local PLC network comprises communicating from the sensor adaptor the local current usage level over the local PLC network.

15. :

The method of claim 14, further comprising;

receiving the interrupt command at the sensor adaptor from over the local PLC network; and

interrupting current through the sensor adaptor to the consumer product in response to the receiving of the interrupt command received over the local PLC network.

16. :

The method of claim 14, wherein the determining whether there is the predetermined relationship between the local current usage level and the threshold comprises summing a plurality of local current usage levels communicated from the sensor adaptor with the local current usage level, and determining whether there is a predetermined relationship between a sum of the plurality of local current usage levels and the threshold.

17. :

The method of claim 13, wherein the monitoring the local current usage comprises monitoring the local current usage level through a PLC circuit breaker coupled with the local PLC network of current passing through the PLC circuit breaker; and

the communication of the local current usage level over the local PLC network comprises communicating from the PLC circuit breaker the local current usage level over the local PLC network.

18. :

The method of claim 17, further comprising;

receiving the interrupt command at the PLC circuit breaker from over the local PLC network; and

opening a breaker switch of the PLC circuit breaker interrupting current through to the consumer product in response to the receiving of the interrupt command received over the local PLC network.

19. :

The method of claim 18, further comprising;

providing a PLC signal path through the PLC circuit breaker while the breaker switch is open and interrupting the current to the consumer product.