Magnetic field based power transmission line communication method and system

• US 5,982,276 A
• Filed: 05/07/1998
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael Kinkead, Powermedia & Communications, Inc., Robert R. Detore
• Original Assignee: Media Fusion
• Inventors: Stewart, William L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US09/074,107
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 340/310.01, 340/310.03, 340/310.07, 333/17.1, 333/124, 455/402, 455/41
• US Class Current: 455/402
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5416 by adding signals to the wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals

Abstract

A method and system for communicating information between subscribers over power transmission lines which normally convey electrical power to a plurality of diverse electrical sites for providing electrical power to electrical devices disposed at these diverse electrical sites. The subscribers on the communication network are located at these electrical sites. The electrical power conveyed over the power transmission lines is in the form of electromagnetic radiation which has an electrical field component and an associated magnetic field component. The information, such as telephonic voice communication or other data, is transmitted in the magnetic field component of the electromagnetic radiation carried over the power transmission line, such as by exciting the field with a MASER, in order to enable communication between the subscribers at the various electrical sites. The MASER provides an inverted atomic population by pumping directly, through a Q-switch and a synthetic aperture lens, into the atomic population of the electromagnetic wave carried over the power transmission line to produce acoustic wave oscillation at the appropriate atomic transition frequency. The MASER output is transmitted within the existing magnetic flux envelope created by the magnetic field of the electromagnetic radiation carried over the power transmission line and the power transmission line acts as a magnetic waveguide for the coherent magnetic frame emissions from the MASER. Inductive coupling is used to receive the transmitted information.

Claims

1. A method for communicating information between subscribers over power transmission lines, said power transmission lines conveying electrical power to a plurality of diverse electrical sites for providing electrical power to electrical devices disposed at said diverse electrical sites, said subscribers being disposed at said electrical sites, said electrical power being conveyed over said power transmission lines in the form of electromagnetic radiation along said power transmission lines, said electromagnetic radiation having an electric field component and an associated magnetic field component, said method comprising the step of transmitting said information in said magnetic field component of said electromagnetic radiation for enabling communication between said subscribers at said electrical sites.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said transmitting comprises the step of transmitting said information in the form of a coherent acoustic type signal in said magnetic field component.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein said information transmitting step further comprises the step of providing said coherent acoustic signal from a MASER.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said magnetic field component defines a magnetic flux envelope along said power transmission line, said information being transmitted within said magnetic flux envelope.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein said transmitting step comprises the step of transmitting said information in the form of a coherent acoustic type signal within said magnetic flux envelope.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein said information transmitting step further comprises the step of providing said coherent acoustic signal from a MASER.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein said information transmitting step further comprises the step of transmitting said information within said magnetic flux envelope from a MASER.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said information transmitting step further comprises the step of transmitting said information in said magnetic field component from a MASER.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said electromagnetic radiation along said power transmission line comprises an atomic population, said information transmitting step further comprising the step of providing an inverted atomic population along said power transmission line by pumping magnetic energy directly into the atomic population of said electromagnetic radiation for producing an acoustic wave oscillation in said magnetic component at an associated atomic transition frequency.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein said magnetic energy pumping step comprises the step of pumping said magnetic energy from a MASER.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein said magnetic field component defines a magnetic flux envelope along said power transmission line, said information being transmitted within said magnetic flux envelope.

12. A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein said magnetic field component defines a magnetic flux envelope along said power transmission line, said information being transmitted within said magnetic flux envelope.

13. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein said power transmission line comprises a magnetic waveguide for said coherent acoustic type signal.

14. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said power transmission line comprises a magnetic waveguide for said transmitted MASER output.

15. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said magnetic field component comprises a magnetic field of continua around said power transmission line, said transmitting step further comprises the step of transmitting said information from said MASER at an output frequency sufficient to cause an atomic transition from E, to E₂ within said magnetic field of continua at a specific magnetic moment associated with said electromagnetic radiation along said power transmission line.

16. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of controlling said information transmission along said power transmission line.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein said controlling step comprises the step of controlling said information transmission with a Q-switch.

18. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of selectively receiving said transmitted information at a designated subscriber for enabling communication between designated subscribers over said power transmission line.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18 further comprising the step of varying the designated subscriber to receive said transmitted information for enabling communication between different designated subscribers over said power transmission line.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein said receiving step comprises the step of inductively coupling said transmitted information from said power transmission line for enabling said designated subscriber to selectively receive said transmitted information.

21. A method in accordance with claim 18 wherein said receiving step comprises the step of inductively coupling said transmitted information from said power transmission line for enabling said designated subscriber to selectively receive said transmitted information.

22. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said information comprises voice information.

23. A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein said subscribers are telephone subscribers and said voice information comprises telephone voice information.

24. A system for communicating information between subscribers over power transmission lines, said power transmission lines conveying electrical power to a plurality of diverse electrical sites for providing electrical power to electrical devices disposed at said diverse electrical sites, said subscribers being disposed at said electrical sites, said electrical power being conveyed over said power transmission lines in the form of electromagnetic radiation along said power transmission lines, said electromagnetic radiation having an electric field component and an associated magnetic field component, said system comprising means for transmitting said information in said magnetic field component of said electromagnetic radiation for enabling communication between said subscribers at said electrical sites;

and means for selectively receiving said transmitted information from said magnetic field component and providing said transmitted information to at least one designated subscriber for enabling said information communication between said subscribers.

25. A system in accordance with claim 24 wherein said transmitting means comprises means for transmitting said information in the form of a coherent acoustic type signal in said magnetic field component.

26. A system in accordance with claim 25 wherein said information transmitting means further comprises a MASER.

27. A system in accordance with claim 24 wherein said magnetic field component defines a magnetic flux envelope along said power transmission line, said information transmitting means further comprising means for transmitting said information within said magnetic flux envelope.

28. A system in accordance with claim 27 wherein said transmitting means comprises means for transmitting said information in the form of a coherent acoustic type signal within said magnetic flux envelope.

29. A system in accordance with claim 28 wherein said information transmitting means further comprises a MASER.

30. A system in accordance with claim 24 wherein said information transmitting means further comprises the a MASER.

31. A system in accordance with claim 24 wherein said electromagnetic radiation along said power transmission line comprises an atomic population, said information transmitting means further comprising means for providing an inverted atomic population along said power transmission line by pumping magnetic energy directly into the atomic population of said electromagnetic radiation for producing an acoustic wave oscillation in said magnetic component at an associated atomic transition frequency.

32. A system in accordance with claim 31 wherein said magnetic energy pumping means comprises a MASER.

33. A system in accordance with claim 32 wherein said magnetic field component defines a magnetic flux envelope along said power transmission line, said transmitting means comprising means for transmitting said information within said magnetic flux envelope.

34. A system in accordance with claim 31 wherein said magnetic field component defines a magnetic flux envelope along said power transmission line, said transmitting means comprising means for transmitting said information within said magnetic flux envelope.

35. A system in accordance with claim 25 wherein said power transmission line comprises a magnetic waveguide for said coherent acoustic type signal.

36. A system in accordance with claim 30 wherein said power transmission line comprises a magnetic waveguide for said transmitted MASER output.

37. A system in accordance with claim 29 wherein said magnetic field component comprises a magnetic field of continua around said power transmission line, said transmitting means further comprises means for transmitting said information from said MASER at an output frequency sufficient to cause an atomic transition from E, to E₂ within said magnetic field of continua at a specific magnetic moment associated with said electromagnetic radiation along said power transmission line.

38. A system in accordance with claim 24 further comprising means for controlling said information transmission along said power transmission line.

39. A system in accordance with claim 38 wherein said controlling means comprises means for controlling said information transmission with a Q-switch.

40. A system in accordance with claim 24 wherein said controlling means comprises synthetic aperture lens means.

41. A system in accordance with claim 40 wherein said controlling means further comprises Q-switch means operatively associated with said synthetic aperture lens means.

42. A system in accordance with claim 24 further comprising means for varying the designated subscriber to receive said transmitted information for enabling communication between different designated subscribers over said power transmission line.

43. A system in accordance with claim 42 wherein said receiving means comprises means for inductively coupling said transmitted information from said power transmission line for enabling said designated subscriber to selectively receive said transmitted information.

44. A system in accordance with claim 24 wherein said receiving means comprises means for inductively coupling said transmitted information from said power transmission line for enabling said designated subscriber to selectively receive said transmitted information.

45. A system in accordance with claim 24 wherein said information comprises voice information.

46. A system in accordance with claim 45 wherein said designated subscribers are telephone subscribers and said voice information comprises telephone voice information.