Remote signalling to a telephone line utilizing power line carrier signals

• US 4,058,678 A
• Filed: 04/07/1976
• Issued: 11/15/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Phonex Broadband Corp.
• Original Assignee: Astech, Inc. (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Inventors: Dunn, Robert T., Brown, William M., Ruddy, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Claffy, Kathleen H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brigance, Gerald L.
• Application Number:
  US05/674,557
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 179/2 A, 179/2 R, 179/2.5 R, 179/2 E, 179/5 R, 179/5 P, 179/1 H, 179/18 AD, 179/37-40, 325/37, 325/394, 325/310, 340/216, 340/224, 340/288
• US Class Current: 379/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5437 Wired telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines

Abstract

A remote transmitting or receiving device (T/R device) communicates with a conventional subscriber telephone through available AC power wires which carry signals that may be modulations of RF carrier frequencies and which are coupled to the power wires. For example, an incoming telephone call includes signals that are detected and modulate a master RF carrier frequency which is coupled to the AC power wires at the telephone line location and these signals are coupled from the AC power wires at a remote R device location, and, demodulated and used to control an electrical appliance, motor, pump, etc. The remote T device which may be, for example, a fire detector produces signals which modulate a remote RF carrier frequency which is coupled to the AC power wires at the remote location and this modulated carrier is coupled from the AC power wires and demodulated at the telephone line location to control or initiate signals in suitable form for transmission over the telephone line. Thus, telephone calls to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone line can be received at the remote location to turn on an electrical device at that location; or signals originating at the remote location initiate a telephone call and message from the transcriber'"'"'s telephone line.

Claims

1. A power line telephone extension system for carrying coded signals from (1) a subscriber'"'"'s telephone line of a conventional telephone communication system wherein a separate telephone line is provided from a central switching system at a central station to each subscriber at the subscriber'"'"'s premises and each subscriber'"'"'s telephone line includes at least two wires, the tip line and the ring line to (2) one or more remote locations at the subscriber'"'"'s premises, over available electric power wires and power wire connector outlets comprising at the subscriber'"'"'s premises:

a. a subscriber'"'"'s master location near said subscriber'"'"'s telephone line and near one of said power wire connector outlets,

b. one or more remote locations each near a power wire connector outlet; and

c. at the master location;

d. a master receiver having its input electrically coupled directly to the telephone line for receiving the coded signals carried on the telephone line,

e. a master transmitter for transmitting the coded signals that are received to the available power wires at the subscriber'"'"'s premises, and

f. an electrically reactive coupling device for coupling the output of the master transmitter to said available power wires via a power wire connector outlet,

g. whereby, said power wires carry the coded signals including a coded signal addressed to a particular remote location,

h. a coded address signal detector at the particular remote location,

i. a utilization device at said remote location, and

j. means at the remote location responsive to the detector for detecting the particular coded address signals for controlling the utilization device,

k. whereby the utilization device is controlled by the coded telephone line signals.

2. A power line extension system as in claim 1 wherein,

a. a power supply is provided at the remote location for providing electric power to the coded signal detector and the utilization device control means.

3. A power line telephone extension system as in claim 2 wherein,

a. the input of the master receiver is coupled directly to the telephone line and includes a conventional telephone transmission network which imposses a load impedance on the telephone line compatible with the telephone communication system,

b. the coded signals carried on the telephone line are electrically coupled directly from the transmission network to the input of the master receiver,

c. the output of the master receiver is coupled electrically directly to the input of the master transmitter,

d. the master transmitter generates a master carrier frequency that is modulated by the coded signals from the receiver and

e. the modulated master carrier frequency is electrically coupled directly to the power wires by said electrically reactive coupling device at the master location.

4. A system as in claim 3 wherein,

a. the coded signals on the telephone line are frequency coded.

5. A system as in claim 3 wherein,

a. at the remote location, connected to the power wires via a power wire connector outlet is an rf coupling network, an electrical filter tuned to the master carrier frequency, a demodulator producing the coded signals and said coded signal detector,

b. whereby the coded signal detector produces as its output a control signal for controlling the utilization device when the coded signal is encoded for the particular remote location.

6. A power line telephone extension system for a conventional telephone communication system wherein a separate telephone line is provided from a central switching system at a central station to each subscriber at the subscriber'"'"'s premises and each subscriber'"'"'s telephone line includes at least two wires, the tip line and the ring line, the extension system carrying signals from one or more remote signal locations at the subscriber'"'"'s premises over available electric power wires and power wire connector outlets to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone line comprising, at the subscriber'"'"'s premises:

a. a master location near the subscriber'"'"'s telephone line and near one of the subscriber'"'"'s power wire connector outlets; and

b. one or more of said remote locations each near a power wire connector outlet; and

c. at the master location;

d. a master receiver,

e. a master transmitter,

f. an electrically reactive coupling device for coupling the AC power wires to the input of the receiver,

g. means electrically coupling the output of the receiver directly to the input of the transmitter,

h. means electrically coupling the output of the transmitter directly to the telephone line, and

i. the master transmitter includes a prerecorded telephone call signal and a prerecorded message; and

j. at the remote location;

k. an alarm signal transmitter responsive to a source of alarm signal, and

l. means for coupling the output of the alarm transmitter to the power wires at the remote location,

m. whereby the power wires carry the alarm signal to the master location and the received alarm signal at the master location initiates first transmission of the prerecorded call signals to the telephone line and then transmission of the prerecorded message to the telephone line.

7. A system as in claim 6 wherein,

a. the remote transmitter includes a remote carrier frequency generator and a remote modulator;

and

b. the alarm signal modulates the remote carrier frequency and the modulated remote carrier frequency is transmitted to the master receiver via the power wires.

8. A system as in claim 6 wherein,

a. the remote transmitter includes a remote carrier frequency generator and a remote modulator;

and

b. the alarm signal modulates the remote carrier frequency and the modulated remote carrier frequency is transmitted to the master receiver via the power wires.