Apparatus and method for transmitting digital data over various communication media

• US 20080247447A1
• Filed: 06/19/2008
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Satius Holding, Inc. (Satius, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Satius, Inc.
• Inventors: Abraham, Charles, Jarels, John E., Reinert, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 8,724,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5416 by adding signals to the wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/545 Audio/video application, e.g. interphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/547 via DC power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0266 Arrangements for providing Galvanic isolation, e.g. by means of magnetic or capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/10 Frequency-modulated carrier systems, i.e. using frequency-shift keying H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/18 Phase-modulated carrier systems, i.e. using phase-shift keying H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/34 Amplitude- and phase-modulated carrier systems, e.g. quadrature-amplitude modulated carrier systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/023 Multiplexing of multicarrier modulation signals multicarrier modulation H04L27/2601

Abstract

A system is described for transmitting a communication signal between power lines. The system includes: a transmitter which outputs an OFDM or an FM-OFDM signal at a radio frequency greater than 200 MHz; a first power line which receives the OFDM or the FM-OFDM signal from the transmitter and radiates the OFDM or the FM-OFDM signal from a conductor of the first power line; a second power line which wirelessly receives, by a conductor of the second power line, the OFDM or the FM-OFDM signal radiated from the first power line, and a receiver connected to the second power line which receives the OFDM or the FM-OFDM signal from the second power line.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting a communication signal between power lines comprising:

a transmitter which outputs an OFDM or an FM-OFDM signal at a radio frequency greater than 200 MHz;

a first power line which receives the OFDM or the FM-OFDM signal from the transmitter and radiates the OFDM or the FM-OFDM signal from a conductor of the first power line;

a second power line which wirelessly receives, by a conductor of the second power line, the OFDM or the FM-OFDM signal radiated from the first power line, and

a receiver connected to the second power line which receives the OFDM or the FM-OFDM signal from the second power line.

2. A system for transmitting and receiving a communication signal using a conductor of a power line comprising:

a first transmitter/receiver connected to the power line, said first transmitter/receiver configured to output a first OFDM or FM-OFDM signal to the power line and receive a second OFDM or FM-OFDM signal from the power line, the power line having a conductor adapted to radiate the first OFDM or FM-OFDM signal received from the first transmitter and to wirelessly receive the second OFDM or FM-OFDM signal; and

a second transmitter/receiver configured to wirelessly transmit the second OFDM or FM-OFDM signal to the power line and to wirelessly receive the first OFDM or FM-OFDM from the power line.

3. The system of claim 2, further including an Internet backbone gateway connected to the first transmitter/receiver.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the second transmitter/receiver provides a wireless output and accepts an input from a computer or a television.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the second transmitter/receiver is a wireless communication device.

6. The system of claims 2, further including a third transmitter/receiver, the third transmitter/receiver configured to wirelessly transmit a third OFDM or FM-OFDM signal to the power line and to wirelessly receive the first OFDM or FM-OFDM from the power line, wherein the first transmitter receiver further receives the third OFDM or FM-OFDM signal and wherein the second and third OFDM or FM-OFDM signals are multiplexed using frequency division multiplexing or time division multiplexing.

7. A system for communicating over a power line comprising:

a master modem connected to the power line and adapted to transmit a plurality of OFDM or FM-OFDM signals over the power line, each of which is transmitted within one of N distinct transmit frequency bands and to receive a plurality of OFDM or FM-OFDM signals from the power line, each of which is received on one of N distinct receive frequency bands, pairs of the transmit and receive frequency bands corresponding to operating frequencies of a sub-network;

a plurality of slave modems connected to the power line, each which being configured to operate in one of the N sub-networks and adapted to receive the OFDM or FM-OFDM signal from the master modem in a corresponding transmit frequency band and to transmit an OFDM or FM-OFDM signal to the master modem in a corresponding receive frequency band, wherein the slave modems in each sub-network transmit a time division multiplexed signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one slave modem is wirelessly connected to the power line.