Carrying speech-band signals over a power line communications system
First Claim
1. A method of transmitting speech-band signals over a power line communications system comprising a power line for distributing electricity to a plurality of premises and a communication station coupled to the power line, the method comprising:
- receiving speech-band signals at the communications station from speech-bank communications equipment;
encoding the digitised signals into data packets;
transmitting the data packets to/from the station over a part of the line which is external to the premises, using a packet data communications protocol, wherein the data packets have a length of 2-5 ms.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Speech-band signals such as voice telephony and facsimile are trasnmitted over a power line communications system. The method comprises: receiving speech-band signals at the communications station from speech-band communications equipment; digitising the speech-band signals; encoding the digitised signals into data packets; and transmitting the data packets to/from a station over a part of the line which is external to the premises, using a packet data communications protocol. Equipment can selectively route the speech-band signals via the power line or the PSTN.
390 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of transmitting speech-band signals over a power line communications system comprising a power line for distributing electricity to a plurality of premises and a communication station coupled to the power line, the method comprising:
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receiving speech-band signals at the communications station from speech-bank communications equipment;
encoding the digitised signals into data packets;
transmitting the data packets to/from the station over a part of the line which is external to the premises, using a packet data communications protocol, wherein the data packets have a length of 2-5 ms. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A communications apparatus for transmitting speech-band signals over a power line communications system comprising a power line for distributing electricity to a plurality of premises and a communication station coupled to the power line, the apparatus comprising:
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an interface for receiving speech-band signals from speech-band communications equipment;
means for digitising the speech-band signals;
means for encoding the digitised signals into data packets;
means for transmitting the data packets to/from the station over a part of the line which is external to the premises, using a packet data communications protocol, wherein the data packets have a length of 2-5 ms.
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17. A method of establishing a speech-bank call over a power line communications system comprising a power line for distributing electricity to a plurality of premises and a communication station coupled to the power line, the method comprising:
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receiving speech-band signals at the communications station from speech-band communications equipment, the speech-band signals comprising speech and signalling;
converting the signalling between an analogue form used by the communications equipment and digital messages which can be conveyed over the power line data packets;
encoding the digital messages into data packets;
transmitting the data packets to/from the station over a part of the line which is external to the premises, using a packet data communications protocol, wherein the data packets have a length of 2-5 ms. receiving the packets at a base station which is coupled to the power line;
determining destination of the packets;
transmitting the packets over a backhaul network to anther communications station according to the determined destination, and returning signalling information to the communications station.
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Specification