METHODS AND SYSTEM FOR INCREASING DATA TRANSMISSION RATES ACROSS A THREE-PHASE POWER SYSTEM

• US 20130003756A1
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Mitchell, Timothy M., Kumar, Anil, vonDoenhoff, Roger C., Koala, Bertin, Ward, Brian E., Nguyen, Nha T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,350,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/464
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5466 using three phases conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form

Abstract

A method for providing information by optimizing the data rate to a vehicle over a three-phase power line utilized to provide power to the vehicle is described. The method includes generating carrier signals in three separate frequency bands, modulating various data onto the three carrier signals to generate three transmission signals, switching the three transmission signals onto respective conductors of the three-phase power line, demodulating the various data within the vehicle, and providing the various data to one or more vehicle systems. The three transmission signals are dynamically monitored such that the three frequency bands are controlled to optimize a data rate of the transmission.

Claims

1. A method for providing information by optimizing a data rate to a vehicle over a three-phase power line utilized to provide power to the vehicle, said method comprising:

generating carrier signals in three separate frequency bands;

modulating various data onto three carrier signals to generate three transmission signals;

switching the three transmission signals onto respective conductors of the three-phase power line;

demodulating the various data within the vehicle; and

providing the various data to one or more vehicle systems.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein generating carrier signals in three separate frequency bands comprises:

generating a first carrier signal to be within a first frequency range;

generating a second carrier signal to be within a second frequency range; and

generating a third carrier signal to be within a third frequency range.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein generating carrier signals at three separate frequencies comprises:

generating a first carrier signal to be between about 2 MHz and about 30 MHz;

generating a second carrier signal to be between about 30 MHz and about 55 MHz; and

generating a third carrier signal to be between about 55 MHz and about 80 MHz.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein generating carrier signals at three separate frequency bands comprises dynamically selecting frequencies for the carrier signals to increase a data transmission rate across the respective conductors of the three-phase power line.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein generating carrier signals at three separate frequency bands comprises dynamically selecting frequencies for the carrier signals to decrease cross coupling between the respective conductors of the three-phase power line.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising monitoring and trending data rates across the respective conductors of the three-phase power line.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein monitoring and trending data rates across the respective conductors of the three-phase power line comprises determining if a transmission data rate was within an optimal data rate, the optimal data rate either being selected by a user or determined from statistical results.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein modulating various data onto the three carrier signals comprises dividing the various data into three sets of data messages.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein generating carrier signals at three separate frequency bands comprises:

determining whether a transmission requires a throughput higher than can be achieved on a single conductor;

if, the transmission does not require a higher throughput, delaying for a predetermined period, and subsequently commencing the transmission on the single conductor; and

if, the transmission does require a higher throughput, adding at least one additional conductor of the three-phase power line to the transmission and subsequently commencing the transmission on multiple conductors.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein subsequently commencing the transmission on the multiple conductors comprises:

determining whether the transmission requires a throughput higher than can be achieved on two conductors;

if, the transmission does not require a higher throughput, delaying for a predetermined period, and subsequently commencing the transmission on the two conductors; and

if, the transmission does require a higher throughput, adding an additional conductor of the three-phase power line to the transmission and subsequently commencing the transmission on the respective conductors.

11. The method according to claim 8 wherein commencing the transmission on the single conductor further comprises applying pulses to an unused conductors of the power line to determine at least one of an electrical load capacity and a noise capacity of the three-phase power line.

12. A data communication system comprising:

a transmission medium comprising a three-phase power line comprising a conductor associated with each respective phase;

a controller operable to;

generate multiple carrier frequencies;

separate data for transmission across said transmission medium into a plurality of separate data packages; and

modulate the plurality of separate data packages with a respective one of the multiple carrier frequencies; and

an electrical interface to couple multiple modulated data packages onto a plurality of conductors for transmission.

13. The system according to claim 12 further comprising:

a second electrical interface to decouple the multiple modulated data packages from the plurality of said conductors after transmission to regenerate the plurality of separate data packages; and

a receiver to detect the separate data packages.

14. The system according to claim 13 further comprising a processing device to combine the separate data packages into a single signal.

15. The system according to claim 12 wherein said controller is operable to monitor and trend data rates across said transmission medium.

16. A system for transmission of broadband signals over a three-phase power line, said system comprising:

a three-phase power system;

a three-phase power line comprising a plurality of conductors, said power line operable for transfer of three-phase power generated by said three-phase power system to a load via said conductors;

a data source;

a controller communicatively coupled to said data source and programmed to configure data received from said data source into data packages for transmission along said three-phase power line;

a modulation signal source, said controller further configured to associate a modulation frequency range with each said conductor, a different modulation frequency range for each of conductors; and

a modulation device operable for modulating data packages from said controller onto one or more of said conductors using the modulation signal associated with the conductor, said controller programmed to assign the data packages for modulation onto a specific one of conductors based on a data rate associated with said three-phase power line.

17. The system according to claim 16 wherein said controller is programmed to:

determine whether transmission of a specific data package requires a throughput higher than can be achieved on a single one of said conductors;

if, the transmission does not require a higher throughput,

delay the transmission for a predetermined period, and

subsequently commence the transmission on the single one of said conductors; and

if, the transmission does require a higher throughput,

add at least one additional of said conductors of said three-phase power line to the transmission, and

subsequently commence the transmission by separating the data package into multiple data packages and modulating the separated data package onto said conductors.

18. The system according to claim 16 wherein said conductor is operable to:

determine if a transmission data rate across one or more of said conductors was within an optimal data rate; and

adjust at least one modulation frequency range associated with at least one of said conductors.

19. The system according to claim 16 further comprising a receiver operable to decouple modulated signals from said conductors and combine any separated data packages into a single data signal.