Apparatus and method for implementing digital communications on a power line
First Claim
1. An apparatus to establish digital communication over a power line network, comprising:
- a signal launching circuit to impose a digital communication signal onto a power signal carried by a power line network and thereby form a digital communication power signal at a first point in said power line network, said signal launching circuit being configured to position a pulse of said digital communication signal at any phase location of each half cycle of said power signal;
a receiver to read said digital communication power signal at a second point in said power line network; and
a signal processor connected to said receiver to recover said digital communication signal from said digital communication power signal.
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Abstract
An apparatus to establish bi-directional digital communication over a power line network includes a signal launching circuit to impose a digital communication signal onto a power signal carried by a power line network and thereby form a digital communication power signal at a first point in the power line network. The signal launching circuit is configured to position a pulse of the digital communication signal at any phase location of each half cycle of the power signal. A receiver reads the digital communication power signal at a second point in the power line network. A signal processor is connected to the receiver to recover the digital communication signal from the digital communication power signal.
403 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus to establish digital communication over a power line network, comprising:
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a signal launching circuit to impose a digital communication signal onto a power signal carried by a power line network and thereby form a digital communication power signal at a first point in said power line network, said signal launching circuit being configured to position a pulse of said digital communication signal at any phase location of each half cycle of said power signal;
a receiver to read said digital communication power signal at a second point in said power line network; and
a signal processor connected to said receiver to recover said digital communication signal from said digital communication power signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of establishing digital communication over a power line network, said method comprising the steps of:
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imposing a digital communication signal onto a power signal carried by a power line network and thereby forming a digital communication power signal at a first point in said power line network, said imposing step including the step of selectively positioning a pulse of said digital communication signal at any phase location of each half cycle of said power signal; and
recovering, at a second point in said power line network, said digital communication signal from said digital communication power signal. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
performing said imposing step at said second point; and
executing said recovering step at said first point so as to establish bi-directional digital communication between said first point and said second point.
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16. The method of claim 14 wherein said imposing step includes the step of imposing a digital communication signal with a data rate in excess of 1000 baud onto said power signal.
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17. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of responding to variations in said power signal to maintain the amplitude of said digital communication signal within a predefined band.
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18. The method of claim 14 wherein said imposing step includes the step of producing said digital communication signal at substantially the same frequency spectrum as said power signal and its harmonics.
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19. The method of claim 14 wherein said imposing step includes the step of maintaining the amplitude of said digital communication signal lower than steady state fluctuations in said power signal.
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20. The method of claim 14 wherein said recovering step includes the step of filtering said digital communication power signal with a transfer function representing the inverse of the frequency response of said power line network.
Specification