System and method for communication via power lines using ultra-short pulses

• US 6,496,104 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2001
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Current Technologies LLC (Pattern Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Current Technologies LLC (Pattern Inc.)
• Inventors: Kline, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US09/805,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 340/310.01, 340/310.02, 340/310.03, 340/310.04, 340/310.07, 307/18, 307/40, 307/125
• US Class Current: 375/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5416 by adding signals to the wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines

Abstract

Bipolar Gaussian pulses are utilized to modulate digital data to communicate information via standard power lines. The pulses are sent in a pulse train, at set intervals. Modulation is accomplished without use of a sinusoidal wave as a carrier. Data is transmitted via power lines while reducing the amount of radiated emissions, enhancing data security, and mitigating interference from other sources. Channel capacity is also maximized by channelization in code space.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data via power lines the method comprising:

encoding the data according to a pseudo noise code to form encoded data;

modulating the encoded data utilizing a train of energy pulses and without utilizing a sinusoidal carrier signal; and

applying the modulated data to a power line transmission medium.

2. The method for transmitting data of claim 1, wherein the modulating is effected by varying time position of the pulses.

3. The method for transmitting data of claim 1, wherein the modulating is effected by varying amplitude of the pulses.

4. The method for transmitting data of claim 1, wherein the modulating is effected by varying width of the pulses.

5. The method for transmitting data of claim 1, wherein the pulses are in the form of bipolar Gaussian pulses.

6. The method for transmitting data of claim 1, wherein the modulating is effected by varying both time position and amplitude of the pulses, and wherein the pulses are in the form of bipolar Gaussian pulses.

7. A receiver for recovering data transmitted via an alternating voltage power line, the receiver comprising:

a high pass filter connected to the power line to filter out the alternating voltage and provide a filtered output signal;

a matched filter connected to condition the filtered output signal to filter out unwanted signals and provide a conditioned output signal;

a correlator connected to receive the conditioned output signal for pulse correlation to recover an estimation signal that corresponds to symbols of the data to be recovered;

a delay locked loop connected to receive the estimation signal output by the correlator to recover timing information;

a pseudo noise code generator connected to receive the timing information recovered by the delay locked loop as a time base to produce a pseudo noise code output to the correlator for correlation, wherein position of the pseudo noise code is detected, enabling the delay locked loop to maintain a lock, and the correlator outputs recovered symbols; and

a decision circuit connected to receive the recovered symbols and to recover the data represented by the symbols.