Gateway for use in load control system
First Claim
1. In a gateway circuit providing a communication path for digital data and control signals between a leased line and an electrical power line, said gateway circuit having a leased line transceiver for transmitting data and control signals to, and receiving data and control signals from, said leased line in a first data format and a power line carrier transceiver for transmitting data and control signals to, and receiving data and control signals from, said power line by means of power line carrier in a second data format, the improvement comprising:
- first converting means responsive to said leased line data and control signals for converting between said first data format and a third data format;
second converting means responsive to said power line carrier data and control signals for converting between said second data format and a fourth data format;
means responsive to data in said format for temporarily storing said third format data;
means responsive to data in said fourth format for temporarily storing said fourth format data; and
means for converting between stored data in said third format and stored data in said fourth format so that data can be transferred between said leased line and said power line.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A gateway circuit which exchanges information between a leased-line information transmission system and a power line carrier information transmission system includes a control circuit which receives and formats information transmitted over the leased-line information system and a separate control circuit which receives and formats information received over the power line carrier system. The formatted information is provided to a third control circuit which buffers the information and converts between the leased-line format and the power line carrier format to enable signal exchange between the two information transmission systems. The general control circuit responds to load control commands generated by manual switches located on the control unit and to load control commands forwarded over the leased-line system. The general control unit also contains storage elements which maintain the operating state of electrical loads on the power line and only transmit control information when an operating state must be changed.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. In a gateway circuit providing a communication path for digital data and control signals between a leased line and an electrical power line, said gateway circuit having a leased line transceiver for transmitting data and control signals to, and receiving data and control signals from, said leased line in a first data format and a power line carrier transceiver for transmitting data and control signals to, and receiving data and control signals from, said power line by means of power line carrier in a second data format, the improvement comprising:
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first converting means responsive to said leased line data and control signals for converting between said first data format and a third data format; second converting means responsive to said power line carrier data and control signals for converting between said second data format and a fourth data format; means responsive to data in said format for temporarily storing said third format data; means responsive to data in said fourth format for temporarily storing said fourth format data; and means for converting between stored data in said third format and stored data in said fourth format so that data can be transferred between said leased line and said power line. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. In an electrical load control system, a gateway circuit for controlling signals to be exchanged between a leased-line information transmission system and a power-line carrier information transmission system, said gateway circuit comprising:
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first transmitting and receiving circuit means for transmitting information signals to a leased-line and for receiving information signals from said leased-line; second transmitting and receiving circuit means for transmitting information signals to a power-line and for receiving information signals from said power-line; general control circuit means for controlling and coordinating the operation of said first and said second transmitting and receiving circuit means, said general control circuit comprising; exchange control means responsive to information signals received from said first and said second transmitting and receiving circuit means for controlling exchange of signals between said leased line information transmission system and said power line carrier information transmission system; and centralized control means responsive to information signals received from said first and said second transmitting and receiving circuit means for exchanging control signals with said power line carrier information transmission system in order to control load devices connected to said power line. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5)
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6. In an electrical load control system, a gateway circuit for controlling signals to be exchanged between a leased-line information transmission system and a power-line carrier information transmission system, said gateway circuit comprising:
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first transmitting and receiving circuit means for transmitting information signals to a leased-line and for receiving information signals from said leased-line; second transmitting and receiving circuit means for transmitting information signals to a power-line and for receiving information signals from said power-line; general control circuit means for controlling and coordinating the operation of said first and said second transmitting and receiving circuit means, said general control circuit comprising; load monitoring means responsive to operating state signals issued from electrical loads connected to said power line for storing the operating states of said loads; and load control means responsive to electrical load state information stored in said load monitoring means and to control signals received from said first transmitting and receiving circuit means for controlling said second transmitting and receiving circuit means to transmit load control signals to said power line when the current state of an electrical load is to be changed. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. In an electrical load control system, a gateway circuit for controlling signals to be exchanged between a leased-line information transmission system and a power-line carrier information transmission system, said gateway circuit comprising:
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first exchanging means connected to said leased-line information transmission system and to said power-line carrier information transmission system for exchanging information between said leased-line information transmission system and said power-line carrier information transmission system without compressing or expanding said information; second exchanging means connected to said leased-line information transmission system and to said power-line carrier information transmission system for for exchanging information between said leased-line information transmission system and said power-line carrier information transmission system, said second exchanging means compressing or expanding said information during an exchange between said leased-line information transmission system and said power-line carrier information transmission system; and switching means responsive to information exchanged between said leased-line information transmission system and said power-line carrier information transmission system for selecting one of said first and said second exchanging means to exchange said information. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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Specification