Home network system augmentation with remote guidance and local set up and monitoring

• US 20080190639A1
• Filed: 02/08/2008
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Assia Spe LLC
• Original Assignee: Adaptive Spectrum and Signal Alignment, Incorporated
• Inventors: Baran, Paul, Haselhuhn, Hugo, Parnell, Robert S., Wilson, Eugene R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,489,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5454 Adapter and plugs
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5491 using filtering and bypassing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals

Abstract

This application relates to a network including powerline adapters (“PLAs”) of the HomePlug Alliance variety or similar implementations such as the European in Opera standard. The technology disclosed provides diagnostic capability and software enhanced powerline adapters. The diagnostic capability includes collecting network performance data and either analyzing or forwarding data for analysis. In addition, mechanical design for the PLA with an isolating filter provides for secure mounting while blocking access to a second wall outlet of a duplex unit.

Claims

1. A method of locating a noise producer or signal attenuator and recommending installation of an isolating filter to reduce noise or attenuation at a wall socket that is used to connect a powerline adapter (abbreviated “

PLA”

) to a power line at a home to form a home networking system, the method including;

plugging a first enhanced PLA into a power line at a first location in a home or other building (collectively referred to as “

the home”

), wherein the enhanced PLA includes basic capabilities to communicate with other PLAs at data rates adapted to noise and attenuation and includes enhanced testing capabilities to at least forward performance data for diagnostic purposes;

plugging additional PLAs, which may be enhanced or not, into power lines at additional locations that are coupled by the power lines to the first PLA;

the first and additional PLAs connecting to one another, at least the first PLA collecting effective bit rates for communication with the additional PLAs, and at least the first PLA forwarding the effective bit rates data via the Internet to a remote diagnostic center; and

the user receiving a report from the remote diagnostic center at least recommending one or more actions to correct performance deficiencies in communications among the PLAs.

2. The method of claim 1, further including:

the user accessing a web site and establishing a testing plan that includes coupling the additional PLAs to the power lines at the additional locations; and

the user receiving from the remote diagnostic center a report at least characterizing performance of the PLAs at the additional locations.

3. The method of claim 2, further including:

the user accessing the web site and providing counts of circuit boxes, breakers in the circuit boxes, and PLA connections to be supported; and

the user receiving from the web site a list of recommended components to meet the user'"'"'s needs.

4. The method of claim 2, further including:

the user implementing at least some of the recommendations; and

repeating the actions of determining effective bit rates, forwarding the effective bit rates data, and receiving a report from the remote diagnostic center.

5. A remote diagnostic center for generating recommendations to improve performance of a home networking system including a plurality of powerline adapters (abbreviated “

PLAs”

) plugged into wall sockets in a home or other building (collectively referred to as “

the home”

), the remote diagnostic center coupled by a network to the home and the home networking system, the diagnostic system including;

an initial customer input component, hosted on a server, adapted to receive from a user at least

a description of the number of network connections via PLA required and data rates at the connections,

a description of circuit breaker box(es) in the home, including the number of circuit breaker levers in each box, and

to provide the user with a diagnostic plan for locating the PLAs, including at least one enhanced PLA that includes basic capabilities to communicate with other PLAs at data rates adapted to noise and attenuation and enhanced testing capabilities to at least forward performance data for diagnostic purposes;

a system diagnosis component, hosted on a server and having access to the diagnostic plan, adapted to

receive a connection request from the enhanced PLA,

monitor and receive data according to the diagnostic plan that describes performance of communications among the PLAs, and

perceptibly report recommendations to correct performance deficiencies in the communications among the PLAs.

6. The diagnostic system of claim 5, further including:

the system diagnosis component adapted to

receive bit data rates and receive spectra data from at least the enhanced PLA, and

distinguish between noise and attenuation problems and make the recommendations based on analysis of the bit data rates and received spectra data.

7. The diagnostic system of claim 5, further including:

the system diagnosis component adapted to

request that a user alternatively unplug a device, turn off a device and insert an isolation filter between a device and a wall socket; and

monitor and receive data to evaluate effectiveness of the user implementing the request.

8. The diagnostic system of claim 6, further including:

the system diagnosis component adapted to

request that a user alternatively unplug a device, turn off the device, or insert an isolation filter between the device and a wall socket; and

monitor and receive data to evaluate effectiveness of the user implementing the request.

9. The diagnostic system of claim 6, further including:

the system diagnosis component adapted to

monitor and receive data over a period of at least days according to the diagnostic plan,

compile noise profiles from the data, and

include in the report information identifying times at which performance deficiencies were detected at particular PLAs and identifying devices with noise profiles resembling the data.

10. A method of diagnosing whether to install an isolator or take other steps to reduce noise at an outlet used to connect a powerline adapter (abbreviated “

PLA”

) to a power line to be used in a power line communication system, the method including;

coupling a first enhanced PLA to a power line at a first premises location, wherein the enhanced PLA includes basic capabilities to negotiate asymmetrical OFDM data exchanges with other PLAs and enhanced capabilities to at least forward the negotiated data exchange rates;

coupling a second PLA to a power line at one or more additional premises locations that are coupled by the power line to the first PLA;

having the first PLA forward at least negotiated data exchange rates between the first and second PLA to an evaluation component;

receiving, in at least some cases of asymmetry between the negotiated data exchange rates, a perceptible signal to alert a user that noise has been detected at one of the PLAs and that corrective actions should be taken.

11. The method of claim 10, further including:

the first PLA forwarding the negotiated data exchange rates via the Internet to the evaluation component at an off-premises location; and

the user receiving from the off-premises evaluation component an e-mail message with a recommendation for the corrective steps to be taken.

12. The method of claim 11, further including:

the user accessing a web site and establishing a testing plan for coupling the second or additional PLAs to power lines at a plurality of additional premises locations that are coupled by power lines to the first PLA; and

the user receiving from the off-premises evaluation component an e-mail message at least characterizing performance of the PLAs at the plurality of additional premises locations.

13. The method of claim 12, further including:

the user accessing the web site and providing counts of circuit boxes, breakers in the circuit boxes, and PLA connections to be supported; and

the user receiving from the web site a list of recommended components to be used to implement the testing plan.

14. The method of claim 12, further including:

the user accessing the web site and establishing the test plan to include coupling one or more enhanced PLAs to power lines near one or more circuit boxes.

15. The method of claim 11, further including:

first PLA forwarding the negotiated data exchange rates repeatedly over a period of days to the off-premises evaluation component; and

the user receiving from the off-premises evaluation component an e-mail message that specifies times of day when noise has been detected.

16. The method of claim 15, further including:

one or more of the PLAs having enhanced capabilities to perform spectral analysis and forward the spectral analysis to the first PLA;

the first PLA forwarding the recorded data via the Internet to the evaluation component at an off-premises location; and

the user receiving from the off-premises evaluation component an e-mail message that suggests devices likely to be causing the noise detected at the PLA.

17. The method of claim 11, further including:

one or more of the PLAs having enhanced capabilities to perform spectral analysis and forward the spectral analysis to the first PLA;

the first PLA forwarding the recorded data via the Internet to the evaluation component at an off-premises location; and

the user receiving from the off-premises evaluation component an e-mail message that suggests devices likely to be causing the noise detected at the PLA.

18. A method of locating a performance problem in a network of powerline adapters (abbreviated “

PLAs”

) connected to power lines in a home to form a home networking system, the method including;

electronically collecting in and out data bit rates effective at the PLAs;

identifying a discrepancy between the in and out data bit rates at a particular PLA that indicates a noise source close to the particular PLA; and

perceptibly signaling a user to correct the noise source.

19. The method of claim 18, further including

transmitting the in and out data rates from one or more of the PLAs to a computer running diagnostic software;

and

measuring a change in performance using the diagnostic software as the user takes one or more corrective actions and perceptibly signaling to the user whether the corrective action has been effective.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the effective bit rate at the particular PLA is an in data bit rate set by the particular PLA.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the effective bit rate at the particular PLA is a measured data bit rate.

22. A method of locating a performance problem in a network of enhanced powerline adapters (abbreviated “

PLAs”

) connected to power lines in a home to form a home networking system, the method including;

electronically collecting received spectra data from the enhanced PLAs; and

identifying a discrepancy between the received spectra at the particular PLA and a predetermined spectral distribution as indicating a noise source close to the particular PLA; and

perceptibly signaling a user to correct the noise source at the particular PLA.

23. The method of claim 22, further including

transmitting the received spectra data from one or more of the enhanced PLAs to a computer device running diagnostic software;

and

measuring a change in performance using the diagnostic software as the user takes one or more corrective actions and perceptibly signaling whether the corrective action has been effective.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the received spectra data measures reception of a known test signal sent to the particular PLA.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the received spectra data measures reception of general network traffic received by the particular PLA.

26. An enclosure for a powerline adapter for use with an electrical outlet receptacle having first and second wall sockets and a cover plate mounting screw, the enclosure comprising:

a housing comprising a receptacle, a back, and an electrical plug extending from the back;

a mounting plate, mounted to the housing at the back for movement between an install orientation and a use orientation, comprising a mounting slot having an enlarged portion and a narrower portion; and

the housing is sized and the mounting plate is positioned in the install orientation so that when the electrical plug is plugged in to the first wall socket, the second wall socket is covered by the powerline adapter and the cover plate mounting screw extends into the enlarged portion of the mounting slot, and moving the mounting plate to the use orientation moves the cover plate mounting screw into the narrower portion thereby substantially preventing removal of the plug from the first wall socket.

27. The enclosure according to claim 26 wherein the mounting slot is straight and the enlarged portion is at one end of the slot.

28. The enclosure according to claim 26 wherein the mounting plate has an end portion configured to lie adjacent to the housing in the use orientation and to be spaced apart from the housing in the install orientation to facilitate installation in the install orientation while hindering removal of the powerline adapter from the electrical outlet receptacle in the use orientation.

29. A powerline adapter kit for use with an electrical outlet receptacle of the type having first and second wall sockets and a cover plate mounting screw, the enclosure comprising:

a replacement mounting screw comprising a threaded end and a head end, the head end comprising outer and inner spaced apart larger diameter regions separated by a smaller diameter region, the threaded end constructed to replace the cover plate mounting screw;

a powerline adapter comprising a housing and a mounting plate;

the housing comprising a receptacle, a back, and an electrical plug extending from the back;

the mounting plate being mounted to the housing at the back for movement between an install orientation and a use orientation;

the mounting plate comprising a mounting slot having an enlarged portion and a narrower portion, the enlarged portion sized for receipt of the of the outer larger diameter region of the head end of the replacement screw while the narrower portion sized to prevent passage of the outer larger diameter region therethrough; and

the housing is sized and the mounting plate is positioned in the install orientation so that when the electrical plug is plugged in to the first wall socket, the second wall socket is covered by the powerline adapter and the cover plate mounting screw extends into the enlarged portion of the mounting slot, and moving the mounting plate to the use orientation moves the cover plate mounting screw into the narrower portion thereby preventing removal of the plug from the first wall socket.

30. A method for preventing access to a second wall socket when a powerline adapter is mounted to a first wall socket of an electrical outlet of the type having first and second wall sockets and a cover plate mounting screw, the cover plate mounting screw comprising a mounting screw head, the method comprising:

obtaining a powerline adapter comprising a housing and a mounting plate, the housing comprising a receptacle, a back, and an electrical plug extending from the back;

ensuring that the mounting plate, mounted to the housing at the back, is in an install orientation, the mounting plate comprising a mounting slot having an enlarged portion and a narrower portion; and

plugging the electrical plug in to the first wall socket thereby;

covering the second wall socket with the powerline adapter;

extending the mounting screw head into the enlarged portion of the mounting slot;

moving the mounting plate to the use orientation thereby moving the mounting screw head into the narrower portion thereby substantially preventing removal of the plug from the first wall socket.

31. The method according to claim 30 further comprising securing a replacement mounting screw to the electrical outlet, the replacement mounting screw comprising a threaded end and a head end, the head end comprising outer and inner spaced apart larger diameter regions separated by a smaller diameter region so that the outer larger diameter region extends into the large portion of the mounting slot during the mounting screw head extending step.