CIRCUIT PANEL NETWORK AND METHODS THEREOF

• US 20160099749A1
• Filed: 10/03/2014
• Published: 04/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, Robert, Gerszberg, Irwin
• Granted Patent: US 9,685,992 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5433 Remote metering
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line

Abstract

To provide network connectivity in a building using existing electrical wiring and circuitry, a circuit panel network system is provided to interface between a network connection and the electrical circuit. Traditional breakers on the electrical panel that provide overload circuit-protection devices can be replaced with circuit breaker devices that have transceivers and power line communication chipsets in addition to overload circuit-protection devices. A network interface unit that receives broadband network connectivity from a network demarcation point inside or outside the building can wirelessly transfer data to and from the circuit breaker devices, which then distribute the data over the electrical circuits via the power line communication chipsets on the circuit breaker devices

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving wirelessly a first transmission of data from a network interface device communicatively coupled to at least one of a set of breakers of a circuit panel, the set of breakers coupled to a plurality of electrical circuits, and wherein the at least one of the set of breakers includes at least one circuit breaker device configured for power line communication;

determining that the data is to be directed towards the at least one circuit breaker device or at least one of the plurality of electrical circuits associated with the at least one circuit breaker device; and

initiating, based upon the determining, a second transmission of the data as a power line communication transmission via the at least one circuit breaker device that is associated with at least one of the plurality of electrical circuits, wherein the second transmission comprises electromagnetic waves that propagate on a wire coupled to the at least one circuit breaker device, and wherein the at least one circuit breaker device comprises a dielectric waveguide coupled to the wire to facilitate coupling of the electromagnetic waves onto the wire.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving the first transmission of the data comprises receiving the first transmission wirelessly from a near field transducer located at the network interface device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining that the data is to be directed towards the at least one circuit breaker device or the at least one of the plurality of electrical circuits is based on mapping a header address of the data to a media access control address associated with a recipient device connected to the electrical circuit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the first transmission via a wireless receiver coupled to at least one breaker of the set of breakers and initiating the second transmission via a power line communication chipset on the at least one circuit breaker device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving the first transmission of the data comprises receiving the first transmission at at least one breaker of the set of breakers.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise wirelessly transmitting, by the at least one circuit breaker device, a third transmission to the network interface device based on a signal received from a client device communicably coupled to an electrical circuit of at least one of the plurality of electrical circuits.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the wirelessly transmitting the third transmission comprises broadcasting the third transmission via a near field communication device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the dielectric waveguide comprises an end that is tapered and located near the wire for coupling electromagnetic waves to a surface of the wire.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the electromagnetic waves comprise networking information.

10. A circuit breaker device, comprising:

a receiver that facilitates receiving a wireless transmission, wherein the wireless transmission comprises a packet including data and header information indicating a recipient device for the packet;

a controller that facilitates determining that the recipient device is communicably coupled to an electrical circuit associated with the circuit breaker device; and

a power line communication chipset comprising a dielectric waveguide coupled to a wire that facilitates transmitting electromagnetic waves that propagate on a surface of the wire coupled to the electrical circuit, wherein the electromagnetic waves couple onto the wire via the dielectric waveguide, and wherein the electromagnetic waves comprise information associated with the packet.

11. The circuit breaker device of claim 10, wherein the wireless transmission is received by an antenna communicably coupled to the circuit breaker device.

12. The circuit breaker device of claim 10, wherein the controller determines that the recipient device is communicably coupled to the electrical circuit based on a media access control address of the recipient device and an address indicated in the header information.

13. The circuit breaker device of claim 10, further comprising:

a power coupler configured to inductively receive power from a battery backup.

14. The circuit breaker device of claim 10, wherein the circuit breaker device and another circuit breaker device form a subnet.

15. The circuit breaker of claim 10, wherein a set of electrical outlets associated with the electrical circuit comprise a section of a power line communication network where one packet is transmitted at a time.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a network interface device communicably coupled to a circuit breaker device, a wireless transmission that comprises a packet that includes a header frame indicating a target address;

determining, by the circuit breaker device, that the target address is associated with a client device of an electrical circuit associated with the circuit breaker device; and

transmitting, by the circuit breaker device comprising a dielectric waveguide coupled to a wire, electromagnetic waves that propagate on a surface of the wire coupled to the electrical circuit in response to determining that the client device is connected to the electrical circuit, wherein the electromagnetic waves couple onto the wire via the dielectric waveguide, and wherein the electromagnetic waves comprise information associated with the packet, and wherein the packet includes the target address to direct routing of the packet to the client device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

performing, by the circuit breaker device, network address translation to determine that the target address is associated with the client device on the electrical circuit.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, by the circuit breaker device, power from an inductive coupler connected to a battery backup in response to a power loss.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the receiving the wireless transmission comprises receiving an optical transmission.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining, by the circuit breaker device, media access control addresses of a set of devices communicably coupled to the electrical circuit.