System, Device and Method for Communicating over Power Lines

• US 20100109862A1
• Filed: 11/06/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Current Technologies International GmbH
• Original Assignee: Current Technologies International GmbH
• Inventors: Sharma, Manu
• Granted Patent: US 8,188,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/538
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5425 improving S/N by matching impedance, noise reduction, gain control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/003 Arrangements for allocating sub-channels of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]

Abstract

A system, method and device for communicating over a power line are provided. In one embodiment, the device includes a controller, a first port in communication with the controller and configured to communicate over a power line via any of a plurality of frequency bands, and a second port in communication with the controller and configured to transmit and receive broadband communications. The first port may be configured to select one of the plurality of frequency bands for communications and the controller configured to provide routing functions for data received via the second port to be transmitted via the first port. The second port may comprise a wireless modem or a modem configured to communicate over a power line via broadband communications. The broadband communications may use a frequency band having a bandwidth greater than at least five of the plurality of frequency bands. The device may communicate on multiple frequency bands concurrently and may select or change frequency bands and/or the modulation scheme based on channel conditions or operational parameters.

Claims

1. A device for communicating over a power line, comprising:

a controller having a memory;

a first port in communication with said controller and configured to communicate over a power line via at least one frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands;

wherein each of the plurality of frequency bands has a bandwidth that is less than two hundred kilohertz;

a second port in communication with said controller and configured to transmit and receive broadband communications;

wherein said broadband communications have a bandwidth of at least one megahertz; and

wherein said controller is configured to provide routing functions for data received via said second port that is to be transmitted via said first port.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said second port comprises a wireless modem.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said second port comprises a modem configured to communicate over a power line via broadband communications.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said second port comprises a fiber optic modem.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said first port is configured to dynamically vary a transmission power.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said first port is configured to differentially transmit data signals over a first and second energized power line conductor.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said first port is configured to communicate using a multitude of the plurality of frequency bands concurrently.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein said first port comprises a plurality of physical drivers and wherein each physical driver is configured to transmit in a different one of the plurality of frequency bands.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein said first port is configured to dynamically select one of a plurality of schemes of modulation for transmission of data.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein said first port is configurable to maintain data of one or more channel conditions for a multitude of the plurality of frequency bands.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein said first port is configurable to dynamically change a modulation scheme for communications based, at least in part, on a change in a channel condition of a frequency band.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein said first port is configurable to dynamically change a frequency band of communications based, at least in part, on a change in a channel condition of a frequency band.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein said first port is configured to store data of one or more operational parameters;

and wherein at least one said operational parameters which comprises a signal-to-noise ratio.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least some the plurality of frequency bands have different bandwidths.

25. The device according to claim 10, wherein said first port is configurable to dynamically change a modulation scheme for communications based, at least in part, on a change in a channel condition of a frequency band.

26. The device according to claim 10, wherein said first port is configurable to change a frequency band of communications based, at least in part, on a change in a channel condition of a frequency band.

15. A device for communicating over a power line, comprising:

a controller;

a first port in communication with said controller and configured to communicate over a power line via any of a plurality of frequency bands;

a second port in communication with said controller and configured to transmit and receive broadband communications;

wherein said first port is configured to select one of the plurality of frequency bands for communications; and

wherein said controller is configured to provide routing functions for data received via said second port to be transmitted via said first port.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein said second port comprises a wireless modem.

17. The device according to claim 15, wherein said second port comprises a modem configured to communicate over a power line via broadband communications.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein the broadband communications uses a frequency band having a bandwidth greater than two of the plurality of frequency bands.

19. The device according to claim 17, wherein the broadband communications uses a frequency band having a bandwidth greater than five of the plurality of frequency bands.

20. The device according to claim 15, wherein said first port is configured to receive data using a multitude of the plurality of frequency bands concurrently.

21. The device according to claim 15, wherein said first port is configured to dynamically vary a transmission power.

22. The device according to claim 15, wherein said first port is configured to dynamically select one of plurality of schemes of modulation for transmission of data.

23. The device according to claim 15, wherein said first port comprises a plurality of physical drivers and wherein each physical driver is configured to transmit in a different one of the plurality of frequency bands.

24. The device according to claim 15, wherein said first port is configurable to maintain data of one or more channel conditions for a multitude of the plurality of frequency bands.

27. The device according to claim 15, wherein said first port is configured to receive data of one or more operational parameters;

and wherein at least one of said operational parameters comprises a signal-to-noise ratio.

28. The device according to claim 15, wherein at least some the plurality of frequency bands have different bandwidths.

29. A method of communicating over a power line, comprising:

receiving first data via a broadband communication having a bandwidth greater than one megahertz;

selecting a first frequency band from a plurality of frequency bands for transmission of the first data;

wherein each of the plurality of frequency bands have a bandwidth that is less than five hundred kilohertz;

selecting a modulation scheme from a plurality of modulation schemes; and

transmitting the first data over the power line in a data signal in the first frequency band and modulated in accordance with the selected modulation scheme.

30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising:

determining a destination address for the first data;

incorporating the destination address into a first data packet; and

wherein said transmitting a data signal comprises transmitting the first data packet.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein said receiving comprises wirelessly receiving the first data.

32. The method according to claim 29, wherein said receiving comprises receiving the first data via broadband power line communications.

33. The method according to claim 29, wherein the broadband communication has a bandwidth that is greater than the cumulative bandwidth of five of the plurality of frequency bands.

34. The method according to claim 29, further comprising concurrently with said transmitting, receiving second data via a communication in a second frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands.

35. The method according to claim 29, further comprising dynamically varying a transmission power of transmitted data signals.

36. The method according to claim 29, further comprising concurrently with said transmitting, transmitting second data in a second frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands.

37. The method according to claim 29, further comprising maintaining data of one or more channel conditions for a multitude of the plurality of frequency bands.

38. The method according to claim 37, further comprising dynamically changing a modulation scheme for communications based, at least in part, on a change in a channel condition of a frequency band.

39. The method according to claim 37, further comprising changing a frequency band of communications based, at least in part, on a change in a channel condition of a frequency band.

40. The method according to claim 29, further comprising storing data of one or more operational parameters;

and wherein at least one of said operational parameters comprises a signal-to-noise ratio.

41. The method according to claim 29, wherein at least some the plurality of frequency bands have different bandwidths.

42. The method according to claim 29, further comprising transmitting data signals in a multitude of frequency bands while concurrently receiving data signals in a multitude of frequency bands.