SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USE IN PROVIDING LOCAL POWER LINE COMMUNICATION

• US 20100292858A1
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• 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 8,560,138 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/293
• 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 method for use in controlling power usage over a power line network, comprising:

receiving, from over a local power line communication (PLC) network at a central controller of a local PLC network, a local current usage level of current delivered from the local PLC network to a consumer product coupled with 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; and

communicating from the central controller a reconnect command over the local PLC network as a result of the communicating the interrupt command and at a time after the communicating the interrupt command.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

communicating the local current usage level over the local PLC network such that the receiving the local current usage level at the central controller comprises receiving, from over the local PLC network at the central controller, the local current usage level in response to the communicating the local current usage level over the local PLC network; and

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

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the monitoring the local current usage comprises monitoring, at a sensor adaptor coupled between the local PLC network and the consumer product, the local current usage level of the current received from the local PLC network and delivered through the sensor adaptor to the consumer product;

and

the communicating 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.

4. The method of claim 3, 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.

5. The method of claim 2, 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.

6. The method of claim 2, 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 communicating 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.

7. The method of claim 6, 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.

8. The method of claim 7, 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.

9. A power line communication (PLC) network, comprising:

a first PLC circuit breaker configured to couple with a local PLC power line, the first PLC circuit breaker comprising a first breaker switch configured to couple with the local PLC power line and to interrupt power to the local PLC power line when open, and a first breaker PLC coupler configured to couple across the first breaker switch and to maintain 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 configured to couple with the local PLC power line and one or more consumer products, wherein the sensor adaptor is configured to control current flow from the local PLC power line to the one or more consumer products; and

a central controller configured to couple with the local PLC power line and to communicate with the sensor adaptor over the local PLC power line, the central controller comprising;

a PLC interface configured to couple with the local PLC power line; and

a controller configured to couple with the PLC interface;

wherein the controller is configured to receive current usage information over the local PLC power line from the sensor adaptor, to determine whether the current usage information has a predetermined relationship with a first threshold, to generate an interrupt command for the sensor adaptor when the current usage information has the predetermined relationship with the first threshold, and to communicate the interrupt command over the local PLC power line; and

wherein the sensor adaptor is further configured to receive the interrupt command and to interrupt, in response to receiving the interrupt command, power to the one or more consumer products.

10. The PLC network of claim 9, further comprising:

a second circuit breaker configured to couple between the first circuit breaker and an external PLC network, the second circuit breaker comprising;

a second breaker switch configured to couple between the first circuit breaker and the external PLC network, wherein the second breaker switch is configured to allow 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 configured to couple across the second breaker switch to provide a communication path between the local PLC power line and the external PLC network regardless of the state of the second breaker switch.

11. The PLC network of claim 9, wherein the sensor adaptor comprises:

an adaptor switch configured to couple between the local PLC power line and the one or more consumer products, wherein the adaptor switch is further configured to interrupt the current to the one or more consumer products when open;

a current sensor configured to detect current passing through the sensor adaptor; and

a PLC interface configured to provide a communication path through which the current usage information is communicated over the local PLC power line.

12. An apparatus for use in controlling power usage over a power line network, comprising:

means for receiving, from over a local power line communication (PLC) network at a central controller of a local PLC network, a local current usage level of current delivered from the local PLC network to a consumer product coupled with the local PLC network;

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

means for communicating from the central controller an interrupt command over the local PLC network in response to determining at the central controller that there is a predetermined relationship between the local current usage level and the threshold; and

means for communicating from the central controller a reconnect command over the local PLC network as a result of the communicating the interrupt command and at a time after the communicating the interrupt command.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

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

means for communicating the local current usage level over the local PLC network, wherein the means for receiving the local current usage level is configured to receive, from over the local PLC network at the central controller, the local current usage level in response to receiving a communication of the local current usage level from the means for communicating the local current usage level; and

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

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for monitoring the local current usage comprises means for monitoring the local current usage level at a sensor adaptor of the current received from the local PLC network and delivered through the sensor adaptor to the consumer product, where the sensor adaptor is configured to couple between the local PLC network and the consumer product;

and

the means for communicating the local current usage level over the local PLC network comprises means for communicating from the sensor adaptor the local current usage level over the local PLC network.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

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

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

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for determining whether there is the predetermined relationship between the local current usage level and the threshold comprises means for summing a plurality of local current usage levels communicated from the sensor adaptor with the local current usage level, and means for determining whether there is a predetermined relationship between a sum of the plurality of local current usage levels and the threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for monitoring the local current usage comprises means for 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 means for communicating of the local current usage level over the local PLC network comprises means for communicating from the PLC circuit breaker the local current usage level over the local PLC network.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

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

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

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

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