Power transfer apparatus for concurrently transmitting data and power over data wires

• US 6,140,911 A
• Filed: 10/12/1999
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Burns, Lawrence M., Fisher, David A., Muther, Stephen E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US09/416,067
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 340/310.01, 340/310.02, 340/310.08, 340/825.72, 455/3.1, 455/3.3, 370/487, 370/490, 370/419, 370/442, 375/257, 375/259, 307/126, 307/128, 307/127
• US Class Current: 375/258
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5437 Wired telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/547 via DC power distribution
• 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: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements

Abstract

Electrical supply current, sufficient to power a wireless access point, is transmitted concurrently with a network data signal across a transmission line. A power and data coupler couples the network data signal and the power signal, received through a data input and a power input respectively, and transmits the coupled signal, to a distance of three meters or more, over the transmission line to a power and data decoupler. The power and data decoupler separates the power signal from the network data signal and supplies those signals to a power output port and a data output port, respectively, for use by a wireless access node. The power signal may be modulated at a low frequency relative to the frequency of the data signal, and the network data signal has a data transmission rate of one megabit/second or higher.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing an electrical power signal and data signal to a wireless network device, comprising:

a network transmission line having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end coupled to a wireless access point, the network transmission line adapted for transmission of a local area network data signal to the wireless access point over a distance of greater than 3 meters, the local area network data signal being transmitted at greater than 1 megabits per second;

a coupler coupled to the proximal end of the network transmission line, the coupler having a data input and a power input, the coupler couples the power signal from the power input and the local area network data signal from the data input to the network transmission line; and

a decoupler coupled to the distal end of the network transmission line, the decoupler having a data output coupled to the wireless access point and a power output coupled to the wireless access point, the decoupler supplies the local area network data signal from the network transmission line to the data output and the power signal from the network transmission line to the power output associated with the wireless access point; and

wherein the wireless access point is powered by the power signal and provides the data signal to the wireless network device that is configured to receive the data signal from the wireless access point.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless access point contains a transceiver for transmitting and receiving wireless communications between the wireless network device and the wireless access point.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless network device contains a transceiver for transmitting and receiving wireless communications between the wireless network device and the wireless access point.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless access point receives the power signal through a pair of center-tapped inductors.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further including a DC-DC converter configured to receive the power signal from the pair of center-tapped inductors and supply the power signal to the wireless access point.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further including a linear regulator configured to receive the power signal from the pair of center-tapped inductors and supply the power signal to the wireless access point.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, further including a series inductor located between the output of each center-tapped inductor and the wireless access point.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the series inductor operates to enhance the isolation between the power signal and the data signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless access point includes a pair of common mode chokes for suppressing high frequency signal components.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless access point includes a pair of isolation transformers, wherein the data signal is applied to the isolation transformers and a receive filter before being supplied to the transceiver of the wireless access point.