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

• US 20160269078A1
• Filed: 05/23/2016
• Published: 09/15/2016
• 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 L., Koala, Bertin, Ward, Brian E., Nguyen, Nha T., vonDoenhoff, Roger C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,673,863 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 assigning three separate frequency bands to three respective conductors extending between a ground power system and the vehicle, generating carrier signals in three separate frequency bands and modulating various data onto three carrier signals to generate three transmission signals for sending the various data from the ground power system to the vehicle at frequencies within respective ones of the three separate frequency bands. The frequencies for each of the three separate frequency bands do not overlap one another. The method also includes 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.

Claims

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

assigning three separate frequency bands to three respective conductors extending between a ground power system and the vehicle, the three respective conductors forming the three-phase power line;

generating carrier signals in three separate frequency bands;

modulating various data onto three carrier signals to generate three transmission signals for sending the various data from the ground power system to the vehicle at frequencies within respective ones of the three separate frequency bands, wherein the frequencies for each of the three separate frequency bands do not overlap one another;

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 frequency bands 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 providing the various data comprises:

providing a first set of data to a first system within the vehicle using a first conductor of the three respective conductors; and

providing a second set of data to a second system within the vehicle using a second conductor of the three respective conductors.

5. The method according to claim 4 further comprising providing a third set of data to a third system in the vehicle using a third conductor of the three respective conductors.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein providing the various data comprises providing data to a system by dividing the data into at least one of a first data set, a second data set, or a third data set, wherein in the first data set is provided using a first conductor of the three respective conductors, wherein the second data set is provided using a second conductor of the three respective conductors, and wherein the third data set is provided using a third conductor of the three respective conductors.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising assigning the three frequencies in the three separate frequency bands based on one or more of use patterns, vehicle type, and weather.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising assigning the three frequencies in the three separate frequency bands to the three respective conductors based on a current location of the vehicle.

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;

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

when the transmission does require the 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. A data communication system comprising:

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

a controller operable to;

assign three separate frequency bands to three respective conductors extending between a ground power system and a vehicle, the three respective conductors forming the three-phase power line;

generate multiple carrier frequencies in respective one of the three separate frequency bands;

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

modulate the plurality of separate data packages at frequencies within respective ones of the three separate frequency bands to send the plurality of separate data packages from the ground power system to the vehicle, wherein the frequencies for each of the three separate frequency bands do not overlap one another.

12. The system according to claim 11 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.

13. The system according to claim 12 further comprising a processing device to combine the separate data packages into a single signal.

14. The system according to claim 12 wherein the plurality of separate data packages are provided to different systems with the vehicle based on the respective conductor that the data package was transmitted over.

15. The system according to claim 11 wherein said controller further operable to:

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

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

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

16. The system according to claim 11 wherein said controller further operable to assign the three frequencies in the three separate frequency bands based on one or more of use patterns, vehicle type, and weather.

17. A system for transmission of broadband signals over a single 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 from a ground power system to a vehicle;

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 the conductors such that the modulation frequency ranges do not overlap one another; 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 to send the data packages from the ground power system to the vehicle, 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.

18. The system according to claim 17 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;

when 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

when the transmission does require the 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.

19. The system according to claim 17 further comprising a receiver operable to decouple modulated signals from said conductors and combine any separated data packages into a single data signal.

20. The system accordingly to claim 17 wherein said controller is further programmed to divide the data into at least one of a first data set, a second data set, or a third data set, wherein in the first data set is to be transmitted using a first conductor of the plurality of conductors, wherein the second data set is to be transmitted using a second conductor of the plurality of conductors, and wherein the third data set is to be transmitted using a third conductor of the plurality of conductors.