POWERLINE MODEM DEVICE

• US 20120082196A1
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hurwitz, Jonathan Ephraim David, Stubbs, Dale
• Granted Patent: US 9,031,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5433 Remote metering
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5454 Adapter and plugs
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/03 Hybrid circuits for transceivers H04B1/52, H04B1/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/46 Monitoring; Testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/544 Setting up communications; Call and signalling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

A broadband powerline communications device includes a plug for connection to mains electrical wiring, a broadband powerline medium interface circuit for communicating broadband data over the mains electrical wiring, at least one electrical socket for providing mains electrical power from the mains electrical wiring to a further device plugged thereto, and energy consumption monitoring circuitry for monitoring the energy consumption of the further device. These components are formed in a housing with the plug is integrally formed with the housing or separated from the housing by a length of power cable. The device may also include a communications socket for wired communications and/or a wireless router for servicing wireless communications. The device may further include a mains filter with one or more components of the mains filter used in determining the instantaneous level of the voltage and/or current supplied to the further device.

Claims

1. A broadband powerline communications device comprising:

a plug for connection to mains electrical wiring;

a broadband powerline medium interface circuit for communicating broadband data over the mains electrical wiring;

at least one electrical socket for providing mains electrical power from the mains electrical wiring to a further device plugged thereto; and

energy consumption monitoring circuitry for monitoring the energy consumption of the further device.

2. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 1, further comprising a housing.

3. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 2, wherein the plug is integrally formed with the housing.

4. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 2, wherein the plug is separated from the housing by a length of power cable.

5. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical socket comprises a plurality of electrical sockets.

6. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 1, further comprising a communications socket for wired communication via the broadband powerline medium interface circuit.

7. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 1, further comprising a wireless router coupled to the broadband powerline medium interface circuit and operable to service wireless communications.

8. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 1, further comprising a processor for control of the broadband interface function and the energy consumption monitoring circuitry.

9. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 1, further comprising a mains filter for minimizing noise resultant from the further device, wherein one or more components of the mains filter is used in determining the instantaneous level of the voltage and/or current supplied to the further device.

10. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 9, wherein the one or more components comprises a capacitor, for use as part of a capacitive divider circuit, for determining the instantaneous level of the voltage supplied to the further device.

11. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 10, wherein at least one of the capacitors is formed from the parasitic capacitance between conducting layers of a printed circuit board (PCB), the dielectric of the capacitor comprising a non-conducting part of the printed circuit board.

12. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 9, wherein the one or more components comprises an inductor, for use in determining an instantaneous level of current supplied to the further device.

13. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 1, further comprising circuitry for measuring self-power consumption of the broadband powerline communications device.

14. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 1, where the further comprising circuitry for measuring self-power consumption of the broadband powerline communications device.

15. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 1, wherein the energy consumption monitoring circuitry is further for:

determining a power signature of the further device; and

determining a device characterization of the further device based upon the power signature.

16. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 15, wherein the broadband powerline medium interface circuit is further for communicating the device characterization to a remote device.

17. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 1, further comprising a display operable to display the energy consumption of the further device.

18. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 17, wherein:

the at least one electrical socket comprises a plurality of sockets;

the energy consumption monitoring circuitry for monitoring the combined energy consumption at all of the plurality of sockets; and

the display operable to indicate the combined energy consumption at all of the plurality of sockets.

19. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 17, wherein:

the at least one electrical socket comprises a plurality of sockets;

the energy consumption monitoring circuitry for monitoring the energy consumption at each of the plurality of sockets; and

the display for indicating energy consumption at each of the plurality of sockets.

20. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 1, further comprising circuitry for turning off both power and communications based upon input received from a remote device.

21. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry for turning off both power and communications operable to monitor communication activity to delay the turning off the power and communications to allow ongoing communications to finish.

22. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 1, wherein the broadband powerline medium interface circuit is operable to support multiple standards of communication via the powerline medium interface.

23. The broadband powerline communications device of claim 22, wherein the multiple standards of communication via the powerline medium interface comprise a HomePlug AV network and a HomePlug GP network.