Current carrier communication system

• US 4,057,793 A
• Filed: 10/28/1975
• Issued: 11/08/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boris Ellison, Raymond E. Johnson
• Original Assignee: Boris Ellison, Raymond E. Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, Raymond E., Ellison, Boris
• Primary Examiner(s): Habecker, Thomas B.
• Application Number:
  US05/626,071
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 340/312 R
• US Class Current: 375/259
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00009 using pulsed signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5416 by adding signals to the wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5425 improving S/N by matching impedance, noise reduction, gain control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5433 Remote metering
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5466 using three phases conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5491 using filtering and bypassing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• 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 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission

Abstract

A current carrier communication system for selectively transmitting binary electrical signals from a first location to a second location over the AC power lines in a AC power distribution network in a building comprising a first tone generating means operatively connected to a first source of binary electrical signals for generating a first tone signal at a first frequency, a second tone generating means operatively connected to a second source of binary electrical signals for generating a second tone signal at a second frequency, linear tone summing means operatively connected to the first and second tone generating means for generating a modulating signal output that is a linear sum of the first and second tone signals, a source of RF signals connected to said linear tone summing means to produce a modulated RF output signal modulated by the modulating signal output of the linear tone summing means to the AC power lines, receiver coupling means at said second location directly coupled to receive said modulated RF output signal therefrom, a TRF multi-stage receiver connected for receiving the modulated RF output signal from the AC power lines and producing an amplified modulated RF output signal corresponding to the received modulated RF output signal, demodulation means operatively connected to the TRF receiver for demodulating the received signal, a first phase locked loop detector connected to the demodulation means for detecting the presence of the first tone in the demodulated signal and a second phase locked loop detector connected to the demodulation means for detecting the presence of the second tone in the demodulated signal.

Claims

1. A current carrier communication system for selectively transmitting binary electrical signals from a first location to a second location over the AC power lines in an AC power distribution network in a building comprising:

at least first and second sources of binary electrical signals at said first location;

a first tone generating means operatively connected to said first source of binary electrical signals for generating a first tone signal at a first frequency in response to the binary electrical signal from said first source of binary electrical signals;

a second tone generating means operatively connected to said second source of binary electrical signals for generating a second tone signal at a second frequency, in response to the binary electrical signal from said second source of binary electrical signals;

linear tone summing means operatively connected to said first and second tone generating means for generating a modulating signal output that is a linear sum of said first and second tone signals;

a source of RF signals operatively connected to said linear tone summing means to produce a modulated RF output signal modulated by said modulating signal output of said linear tone summing means;

transmission coupling means at said first location directly coupling said modulated RF output signal to the AC power lines;

receiver coupling means at said second location directly coupled to the AC power lines to receive said modulated RF output signal therefrom;

Trf multi-stage receiver means operatively connected to said receiver coupling means for receiving said modulated RF output signal therefrom and producing an amplified modulated RF output signal corresponding to said received modulated RF output signal;

differential signal generator means connected to said TRF receiver means for generating a first differential output signal corresponding to said RF output signal from said TRF receiver means and a second differential output signal corresponding to said RF output signal from said TRF receiver means but with a 180°

phase shift from said first differential output signal;

first demodulation means operatively connected to said first differential output signal from said differential signal generator means for demodulating said first differential output signal to produce a first demodulated output signal;

second demodulation means operatively connected to said second differential output signal from said differential signal generator means for demodulating said second differential output signal to produce a second demodulated output signal;

combining means operatively connected to said first and second demodulated output signals from said first and second demodulation means for combining said first and second demodulated output signals to eliminate even order noise therefrom present in said RF output signal and producing a composite signal output corresponding in frequency to said linearly summed modulating signal output of said linear tone summing means;

first phase locked loop detector means operatively connected to said demodulation means for detecting the presence of a tone in said composite signal output corresponding to said first tone signal from said first tone generating means and generating a first detected binary electrical signal output corresponding to the binary electrical signal from said first source of binary electrical signals; and

,

second phase locked loop detector means operatively connected to said demodulation means for detecting the presence of a tone in said composite signal output corresponding to said second tone signal from said second tone generating means and generating a second detected binary electrical signal output corresponding to the binary electrical signal from said second source of binary electrical signals.

2. The current carrier communication system of claim 1 further including limiter means operatively connected to said TRF receiver means for selectively attenuating noise received by said receiver means between stages.

3. The current carrier communication system of claim 1 further including first active filter means operatively connecting said combining means and said first phase locked loop detector means for preliminarily blocking those tones in said composite signal except that tone corresponding to said first tone signal;

and second active filter means operatively connecting said combining means and said second phase locked loop detector means for preliminarily blocking those tones in said composite signal except that tone corresponding to said second tone signal.

4. The current carrier communication system of claim 1 further including first integrating means operatively connected to said first phase locked loop detector means for integrating said first detected binary electrical signal output;

first threshhold detector means operatively connected to said first integrating means to generate a first output corresponding to the binary electrical signal from said first source of binary electrical signals;

second integrating means operatively connected to said second phase locked loop detector means for integrating said second detected binary electrical signal output; and

second threshhold detector means operatively connected to said second integrating means to generate a second output corresponding to the binary electrical signal from said second source of binary electrical signals.

5. The current carrier communication system of claim 1 further including by-pass means operatively coupling said RF output signal across high frequency impedances in the AC power lines.

6. The current carrier communication system of claim 5 wherein said by-pass means includes an RF coupling transformer having an input coil and at least one output coil, first capacitive means connecting said input coil to the AC power lines carrying said RF output signal, and second capacitive means connecting said output coil to the AC power lines isolated by the impedance.

7. A current carrier communication system for selectively transmitting binary electrical signals from a first location to a second location over the AC power lines in an Ac power distribution network in a building comprising:

at least first and second sources of binary electrical signals at said first location;

a first tone generating means operatively connected to said first source of binary electrical signals for generating a first tone signal at a first frequency in response to the binary electrical signal from said first source of binary electrical signals;

a second tone generating means operatively connected to said second source of binary electrical signals for generating a second tone signal at a second frequency, in response to the binary electrical signal from said second source of binary electrical signals;

linear tone summing means operatively connected to said first and second tone generating means for generating a modulating signal output that is a linear sum of said first and second tone signals;

a source of RF signals operatively connected to said linear tone summing means to produce a modulated RF output signal modulated by said modulating signal output of said linear tone summing means;

transmission coupling means at said first location directly coupling said modulated RF output signal to the AC power lines;

receiver coupling means at said second location directly coupled to the AC power lines to receive said modulated RF output signal therefrom;

Trf multi-stage receiver means operatively connected to said receiver coupling means for receiving said modulated RF output signal therefrom and producing an amplified modulated RF output signal corresponding to said received modulated RF output signal;

demodulation means operatively connected to said TRF receiver means for demodulating said amplified modulated RF output signal and producing a composite signal output corresponding in frequency to said linearly summed modulating signal output of said linear tone summing means;

first phase locked loop detector means operatively connected to said demodulation means for detecting the presence of a tone in said composite signal output corresponding to said first tone signal from said first tone generating means and generating a first detected binary electrical signal output corresponding to the binary electrical signal from said first source of binary electrical signals;

first integrating means operatively connected to said first phase locked loop detector means for integrating said first detected binary electrical signal output;

first threshhold detector means operatively connected to said first integrating means to generate a first detected output corresponding to the binary electrical signal from said first source of binary electrical signals;

second phase locked loop detector means operatively connected to said demodulation means for detecting the presence of a tone in said composite signal output corresponding to said second tone signal from said second tone generating means and generating a second detected binary electrical signal output corresponding to the binary electrical signal from said second source of binary electrical signals;

second integrating means operatively connected to said second phase locked loop detector means for integrating said second detected binary electrical signal output;

second threshhold detector means operatively connected to said second integrating means to generate a second detected output corresponding to the binary electrical signal from said second source of binary electrical signals; and

first latch means operatively connected to said first threshhold detector means and operated by said first detected output, first time enable means operatively connected to said first threshhold detector means for selectively disabling said first latch means for a first prescribed period of time each time said first latch means changes state, second latch means operatively connected to said second threshhold detector means and operated by said second detected output, and second time enable means operatively connected to said second threshhold detector means for selectively disabling said second latch means for a second prescribed period of time each time said second latch means changes state.