Combined signal and power distribution system

• US 5,070,522 A
• Filed: 08/23/1989
• Issued: 12/03/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ole K Nilssen
• Original Assignee: Ole K Nilssen
• Inventors: Nilssen, Ole K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schreyer, Stafford D.
• Application Number:
  US07/397,266
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 379/90, 379/397, 379/387, 379/58, 379/110, 379/453, 379/457, 174/115, 307/326, 307/151, 307/157, 307/150, 323/247, 323/305
• US Class Current: 379/90.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5437 Wired telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/08 with current supply sources at the substations generating ringing current H04M19/04
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

From a central point, both telephone signals and Class-2 high frequency electric power are transmitted by way of a common transmission cable to the location of a telephone apparatus; thereby to provide at that location, not only telephone signals, but also a limited amount of electric power useful for various things, such as task lighting. At the central point there is provided a non-interruptible source of electric energy, namely a frequency-converting power supply connected both with an ordinary 120 Volt/60 Hz power line as well as with a storage battery. This power supply provides output of Class-2 high frequency voltage. Together with the telephone signals, this Class-2 voltage is transmitted by way of an ordinary telephone installation cable to the location of a telephone apparatus. At that location, some of the wires in the telephone installation cable are connected with the telephone apparatus, and some of the wires in the telephone installation cable are connected with a fluorescent task lighting fixture designed to be properly powered from the Class-2 power-limited high frequency voltage.

Claims

1. An arrangement comprising:

a) at a first location;

i) telephone signal terminal means connected with an ordinary telephone utility signal line, and ii) electric power terminal means connected with a source of electric energy;

the electric power terminal means including power limiting means operative, without requiring the breaking of electrical connection between the electric power terminal means and the source of electric energy, to manifestly prevent delivery from the electric power terminals means of electric power in excess of an amount sufficient to represent a fire initiation hazard;

b) at a second location;

i) telephone signal utilization means having telephone signal utilization terminal means, and ii) electric power utilization means having electric power utilization terminal means; and

c) a signal and power transmission cable means having a telephone signal transmitting line and power transmitting conductors;

the cable means being operative to provide telephone signal transmission and electric power transmission between the first location and the second location;

the telephone signal transmitting line being connected with the telephone signal terminal means at the first location and with the telephone signal utilization terminal means at the second location;

the conductors being connected with the electric power terminal means at the first location and with the electric power utilization terminal means at the second location.

2. The combination of:

a first entity comprising;

i) first signal terminal means connected in circuit with a first signal means operative to supply and/or receive information signals, such as to and/or from a telephone utility signal line; and

ii) first power terminal means connected in circuit with a source of electric power, such as an ordinary electric utility power line;

the first power terminal means including power limiting means operative, without requiring the breaking of electrical connection between the electric power terminal means and the source of electric energy, to manifestly prevent any power delivered from said first power terminal means from exceeding an amount sufficient to represent a fire initiation hazard;

a second entity comprising;

i) second signal terminal means connected in circuit with a second signal means operative to receive and/or supply information signals; and

ii) second power terminal means connected in circuit with an electric power utilization means; and

a third entity comprising;

cable means including a signal transmission line and power transmission conductors;

the cable means being operative to provide signal transmission and electric power transmission between the first entity and the second entity;

the signal transmission line being connected between the first and the second signal terminal means;

the power transmission conductors being connected between the first and the second power terminal means.

3. A signal and power transmission system comprising:

a power source operative to provide substantive amounts of electric power;

a load means operative to utilize a substantive amount of electric power;

a first signal supply/receive means operative to supply and/or receive information signals;

a second signal supply/receive means operative to supply and/or receive information signals;

cable means connected in circuit between the power source, the load means, the first and second signal supply/receive means;

the cable means integrally having a signal transmission line and a pair of power transmission conductors; and

safety means connected in circuit with at least the power source and the load means, the safety means being operative, in case an unauthorized load such as a partial short circuit were to be imposed across the power conductors, to prevent such unauthorized load from drawing enough electric power to cause a fire initiation hazard, yet without actually stopping the flow of power to this unauthorized load.

4. The arrangement of claim 3 wherein the signal transmission line is electrically isolated from the power transmission conductors.

5. An arrangement comprising:

a power source operative to provide electric power from a pair of power terminals;

a load means operative to utilize electric power;

a first signal supply/receive means operative to supply and/or receive information signals;

a second signal supply/receive means operative to supply and/or receive information signals; and

cable means connected in circuit between the power source, the load means, the first and the second signal supply/receive means;

the cable means integrally including a pair of power transmission conductors as well as an optical glass fibre means operative to conduct information signals;

the arrangement being so constituted that the amount of power delivered from the cable means to the lighting fixture is manifestly limited such as to be substantially safe from fire initiation hazard.

6. An arrangement comprising:

at a first location;

(i) a power source operative to provide electric power from a pair of power terminals, and (ii) a first signal supply/receive means operative to supply and/or receive information signals;

at a second location;

(i) an electric light-producing means, combined with (ii) a second signal supply/receive means operative to supply and/or receive information signals; and

cable means connected in circuit between the first location and the second location, thereby to conduct;

(i) power from the power source to the electric light-producing means, and (ii) information signals between the first and the second signal supply/receive means;

the cable means integrally including a pair of power transmission conductors as well as communications conduction means operative to conduct information signals.

7. The arrangement of claim 6 wherein the magnitude of the electric power extractable from the power transmission conductors is limited to a level that is safe from fire initiation hazard.

8. The arrangement of claim 6 wherein, if an inadvertent complete or partial short circuit were to occur between the power transmission conductors, the maximum power than would flow through this complete or partial short circuit would be limited to an amount considered safe from fire initiation hazard.