CONTROL SYSTEM HAVING TRANSMITTER-RECEIVER SETS FOR OPERATING FUNCTIONAL DEVICE OVER POWER LINES

• US 3,689,886 A
• Filed: 02/09/1971
• Issued: 09/05/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John E. Durkee
• Original Assignee: John E. Durkee
• Inventors: John, E. Durkee
• Primary Examiner(s): Donald J. Yusko
• Application Number:
  US05/113,954
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 340/163,310,216,171
• US Class Current: 340/12.32
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00007 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission

Abstract

A control system for operating functional devices over an AC power line which includes a transmitter for each functional device connected to the AC power line for generating coded signals for transmission over the power line, and a receiver for each functional device connected to the power line and responsive to the coded signals transmitted over the power line by the corresponding transmitter to effect the connection of an associated functional device to the power line to receive operating power therefrom.

Claims

1. In a control system for operating functional devices over an electrical power line, said power line having a main line and a plurality of branch lines which conduct AC power signals for operating said functional devices, transmit means for each functional device including signal generating means connected to one of said branch lines and operable when enabled to generate frequency signals for transmission over all of said branch lines and transmit sync means operable during each cycle of the power signals for which the transmit sync means are energized to enable said signal generating means during at least one preassigned time slot relative to a zero crossover of the power signals, and corresponding receive means for each functional device including signal detecting means connected to one of said branch lines and tuned to detect frequency signals generated by the corresponding transmitter means, drive means controlled by said signal detecting means and operable when enabled to effect the connection of associated functional devices to one of said branch lines for operation by said AC power signals, and receive sync means enabled during said preassigned time slot for enabling said drive means, and filter means connected between said main line and said branch lines for preventing the transmission of said frequency signals over said main line.

2. In a control system for operating functional devices over a power line conducting cyclical power signals for operating said functional devices, a plurality of transmit units, each transmit unit having signal generating means, operable when enabled to generate frequency signals for transmission over said power lines, and transmit sync means operable when enabled during each cycle of the power signals for which said transmit sync means are energized to enable said signal generating means during at least one preassigned time slot relative to a zero crossover of the power signal, and a plurality of receive units including a receive unit for each functional device, each receive unit having signal detecting means connected to said power line and tuned to detect frequency signals generated by a corresponding transmit unit, drive means controlled by said signal detecting means and operable when enabled to effect the connection of an associated functional device to said power line for operation by said power signal, and Receive sync means enabled during said preassigned time slot for the corresponding unit for enabling said drive means, and reference signal generator means connected to said power line for providing reference signals over said power line for a predetermined number of cycles of said power signals, said transmit and receive sync means being connected to said power line and responsive to said reference signals to provide enable signals for enabling said signal generating means and said drive means, respectively, during said preassigned time slot.

3. A control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said transmit means includes activate means connected to said power line and operable to energize said transmit sync means.

4. A control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said transmit sync means include one-shot circuit means for providing an enable pulse of a preselected duration for enabling said signal generating means for said duration.

5. A control system as set forth in claim 4 wherein said one-shot means includes means for selecting the duration of said enable pulse.

6. A control system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said transmit sync means further include sync pulse circuit means for providing a trigger pulse for enabling said one-shot circuit means during said preassigned time slot.

7. A control system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said sync pulse circuit means include limiter means connected to said one branch line and responsive to said power signals to provide a sync pulse, and pulse stretching means responsive to said sync pulse to provide said trigger pulse during said preassigned time slot.

8. A control system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said pulse stretching means include means for preassigning the time slot during which said one-shot means is enabled.

9. A control system as set forth in claim 4 wherein said receive sync means include further one-shot circuit means for providing an enable pulse of said preselected duration for enabling said drive means for the duration that said signal generating means are enabled permitting said drive means to be controlled by said signal detecting means for said duration.

10. A control system as set forth in claim 9 wherein said further one-shot circuit means include means for selecting the duration of said drive means enable pulse to be longer than the duration of said signal generating means enable pulse.

11. A control system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said receive sync means includes sync pulse circuit means connected to one of said branch lines and responsive to said power signals to provide a trigger pulse for enabling said further one-shot circuit means prior to the enabling of said signal generating means.

12. A control system as set forth in claim 1 in which said transmit means further include D.C. power circuit means connected to said one power line branch for deriving an energizing potential for said transmitter sync means and activate switch means operable to connect said transmitter sync means to said D.C. power circuit means.

13. In a control system for operating functional devices over an electrical power line, said power line having a main line and a plurality of branch lines which conduct AC power signals for operating said functional devices, transmit means for each functional device including tone generating means operable when energized to generate tone signals of a predetermined frequency for a selected duration for transmission over all of said branch lines during each cycle of the AC power signals that said tone generating means are energized, and corresponding receive means for each functional device including tone detect means connected to one of said branch lines and tuned to detect tone signals of said predetermined frequency, drive means operable whenever tone signals are detected by said detect means to effect the connection of an associated functional device to one of said branch lines for operation, inhibit means responsive to said tones to inhibit thE operation of said drive means whenever the duration for which the tone signals are detected exceeds said selected duration, and filter means connected between said main line and said branch lines for preventing the transmission of said tone signals over said main line.

14. A control system as set forth in claim 13 in which said transmit means further include sync means connected to said one branch line and responsive to said AC power signals to enable said tone generating means for said selected duration and in which said receive means include further sync means connected to said one branch line and responsive to said AC power signals for enabling said drive means only for said selected duration.

15. A control system as set forth in claim 13 in which said receive means includes phase splitting means connected to said tone detect means for conducting a first portion of each cycle of the tone signals to said drive means for operating said drive means, and a second portion of each cycle of the tone signals detected to said inhibit means.

16. A control system as set forth in claim 15 in which said inhibit means comprises switching means and timing means responsive to the second cycle portion of the tone signals detected to enable said switching means to provide a disabling signal for said drive means whenever the duration for which said tone signals are detected exceeds said selected duration.

17. In a control system for operating functional devices over an electrical power line said power line having a main line and a plurality of branch lines which conduct AC power signals for operating said functional devices, transmit means for each functional device including signal generator means operable when enabled to provide frequency signals for transmission over all of said branch lines, and sync means including transmit enable means connected to one of said branch lines and responsive to said power signals to enable said signal generating means at a preassigned time relative to a zero crossover of said power signals, and corresponding receiver means for each functional device including signal detecting means connected to one of said branch lines for detecting frequency signals provided by corresponding transmit means, drive means including timing means controlled by said signal detecting means and operable when enabled to provide a control signal whenever frequency signals are detected by said signal detecting means for a time greater than a predetermined time and switching means responsive to said control signal to effect the connection of an associated functional device to one of said branch lines, and further sync means including receiver enable means connected to said one branch line and responsive to said power signal to enable said timing means at said preassigned time, and filter means connected between said main line and said branch lines for preventing the transmission of said frequency signals over said main line.

18. A control system as set forth in claim 17 in which said timing means includes circuit means for maintaining said switching means operated for a predetermined time after said signal generating means are deenergized.

19. A control system as set forth in claim 17 wherein said switching means include current conducting means operable when enabled to connect said functional device to said one branch line and gating means responsive to said control signal to enable said current conducting means to conduct current from said one branch line to said functional device for operating said device, the magnitude of said current supplied to said functional device being proportional to the width of said control signal.

20. A control system as set forth in claim 19 wherein the width of said control signal is proportional to the duration for which said frequency signals are provided by said signal generating means and wherein said transmit enable means includes means for selecting the duration for which said signal generating means are enabled to Thereby determine the magnitude of current supplied to said functional device.

21. In a control system for operating functional devices over an electrical power line, said power line having a main line and a plurality of branch lines for conducting electrical power signals for operating said functional devices, at least one transmit unit connected to one of said branch lines for controlling the operation of said functional devices, said transmit units including signal generating means individually operable when energized to provide frequency signals for transmission over all of said power line branches to effect operation of an associated functional device, and a corresponding receive unit for each functional device including detect means connected to one of said branches for detecting the frequency signals transmitted by the corresponding transmit unit, and drive means controlled by said detect means and responsive to the detection of enable signals to effect the connection of an associated functional device to a branch of said power line, and filter means connected between said main line and said branch lines for preventing the transmission of said frequency signals over said main line.

22. In a control system for operating a plurality of functional devices over an electrical power line for a building, said electrical power line including a main line which extends AC power signals to said building and a plurality of branch lines which conduct the AC power signals to a plurality of different locations in said building for operating said functional devices a plurality of transmitter units and a plurality of receiver units for controlling the operation of associated functional devices, certain ones of said transmitter units being connected to one of said branch lines and certain other ones of said transmitter units being connected to said other branch lines, each transmitter unit including signal providing means operable when energized to provide frequency signals for transmission over all of the branches of said power line during at least one preassigned time slot of a cycle of the power signals, different ones of said transmitter units being enabled to provide said frequency signals during different time slots of a cycle, and each receiver unit including signal detecting means connected to one of the branch lines for detecting said frequency signals, the signal detecting means for each receiver unit being prepared for operation in at least one time slot which is preassigned thereto, and discrete drive means controlled by each of said signal detecting means during time slots preassigned to such receiver units to effect the connection of an associated functional device to one of said branch lines for operation by said AC power signals, and filter means connected between said main line and said branch lines for preventing the transmission of the frequency signals over said main line.

23. A control system as set forth in claim 22 wherein the signal providing means of each transmitter unit includes transmitter sync means for pre-assigning the time slots of said power signals during which an associated transmitter unit is enabled and in which the transmitter sync means for a plurality of said transmitter units are set to enable the associated transmitter units during at least said one time slot.

24. A control system as set forth in claim 23 wherein a plurality of transmitter units assigned to the same time slot provide different frequency signals.

25. A control system as set forth in claim 23 wherein the signal providing means of each transmitter unit further includes signal generating means operable when enabled by the associated transmitter sync means during its pre-assigned time slots to generate signals of a predetermined frequency, at least certain of said transmitter units which are operable in said one time slot being assigned a different signal frequency.

26. A control system as set forth in claim 25 in which a plurality of transmitter units which Are operable in said one time slot are assigned the same frequency and at least one of said receiver units operable in said one time slot is set to respond to said same frequency signals whereby a plurality of transmitter units in said control system control the operation of at least one of said receiver units.

27. A control system as set forth in claim 22 wherein each receiver unit further includes receiver sync means for preparing its associated drive means for operation during at least one time slot pre-assigned thereto, and in which a plurality of receiver sync means are prepared to operate in said one time slot.

28. A control system as set forth in claim 27 wherein a plurality of receiver units which are prepared for operation in said one time slot are assigned the same signal frequency whereby such receiver units are responsive to frequency signals provided by at least one of said transmitter units operable in said one time slot and set to provide said frequency signal, whereby a plurality of receiver units in said control system are responsive to signals provided by a singleone of said transmitter units.

29. A control system as set forth in claim 27 wherein the receiver sync means of each receiver unit includes select means adjustable to select at least one of a plurality of time slots at which its associated drive means are enabled.

30. A control system as set forth in claim 27 wherein each of a plurality of receiver sync means which operate in said one time slot are set to respond to different frequencies.

31. A control system as set forth in claim 22 wherein each transmitter unit includes associated switch means individually operable to effect energization of the signal providing means of an associated transmitter unit.

32. A control system as set forth in claim 22 including a plurality of electrical outlets connected to one of said branch lines and wherein certain ones of said transmitter units include plug means permitting said certain transmitter units to be plugged into said electrical outlets to provide said frequency signals over said one branch line.

33. A control system as set forth in claim 22 including a plurality of electrical outlets connected to one of said branch lines and wherein certain ones of said receiver units include plug means permitting said certain receiver units to be plugged into said electrical outlets for detecting said frequency signals conducted over said one branch line.

34. A control system as set forth in claim 22 wherein certain of said functional devices comprise an electrical outlet energized when an associated receiver unit is operated.

35. In a control system for operating a plurality of functional devices over an electrical power line, having a main line and a plurality of branch lines which conducts AC power signals, a plurality of transmitter units and a plurality of receiver units for controlling the operation of associated functional devices, each transmitter unit including signal generating means operable when energized to provide signals of a pre-assigned frequency for transmission over all of said branch lines for enabling a corresponding receiver unit, and transmitter sync means connected to one of said branch lines and responsive to said power signals to enable the signal generating means during at least one pre-assigned time slot relative to a zero crossover of said power signals, different ones of said transmitter units being enabled to provide said frequency signals at different time slots, and each receiver unit including signal detecting means connected to one of said branch lines for detecting said frequency signals in at least one such time slot which is pre-assigned thereto, discrete drive means controlled by each of said signal detecting means and operable when enabled to effect the connection of an associated functional device to one of said branch lines, and receiver sync means connected to said power line and responsive to said AC power signals to enable the drive means of a receiveR unit only when pre-assigned frequency signals are provided by corresponding transmitter unit at the time slot pre-assigned to such receiver unit, and filter means connected between said main line and said branch lines for preventing the transmission of said frequency signals over said main line.