High frequency network multiplexed communications over various lines

• US 6,686,832 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2002
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Satius Holding, Inc. (Satius, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Satius, Inc.
• Inventors: Abraham, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl
• Application Number:
  US10/061,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20020071452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 340/310.01, 340/310.02, 340/310.03, 340/310.06, 340/310.07, 340/538
• US Class Current: 370/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5416 by adding signals to the wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5425 improving S/N by matching impedance, noise reduction, gain control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5479 using repeaters
• 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: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0266 Arrangements for providing Galvanic isolation, e.g. by means of magnetic or capacitive coupling

Abstract

An improved apparatus for high frequency multiplexed electrical line communication for cable TV, telephone, internet, security and other control applications over the mid and low voltage power lines and directly through the transformers includes a transmitter, a receiver, a modem, a multiplexer and multiple couplers at each of two or more locations along an electrical line. The couplers have capacitive circuits serially connected with an air-core or dielectric-core transformer. The capacitive circuits resonate with the transformer at a preselected frequency. The coupler eliminates noise and is matched to the characteristic impedance of the line at the preselected frequency, which linearizes communication on the line and allows high speed data and voice communication over long distances.

Claims

1. A communications apparatus for communicating multiplexed electric signals in Ethernet protocol through one or more electric lines having a characteristic impedance, comprising:

one or more modulators to modulate the electric signals to produce a modulated carrier signal having a pre-selected frequency of about 200 MHz or greater;

one or more transmitters, each having an output impedance, operatively connected to each modulator for transmitting the modulated carrier signals;

a coupler for connection between the electric line and each transmitter, said coupler matching the output impedance of the transmitter to the characteristic impedance of the electric line and communicating a modulated carrier signal to the electric line without significant phase distortion;

each coupler comprising;

a transformer having a non-magnetic core; and

a coupling capacitor that resonates with the transformer at the pre-selected frequency;

said transformer comprising;

a first conductive plate; and

a second conductive plate spaced from the first conductive plate by the nonmagnetic core;

the capacitor being adapted to be connected between the first conductive plate and the electric line, wherein the impedance of the first conductive plate and the capacitor are matched to the characteristic impedance of the electric line at a preselected bandwidth; and

a frequency division multiplexer for combining the electric signals.

2. A communications apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said frequency division multiplexer is an orthogonal frequency division multiplexer.

3. A communications apparatus for communicating multiplexed electric signals in Ethernet protocol through one or more electric lines having a characteristic impedance, comprising:

one or more modulators to modulate the electric signals to produce a modulated carrier signal having a pre-selected frequency of about 200 MHz or greater;

one or more transmitters, each having an output impedance, operatively connected to each modulator for transmitting the modulated carrier signals;

a coupler for connection between the electric line and each transmitter, said coupler matching the output impedance of the transmitter to the characteristic impedance of the electric line and communicating a modulated carrier signal to the electric line without significant phase distortion;

each coupler comprising;

a transformer having a non-magnetic core; and

a coupling capacitor that resonates with the transformer at the pre-selected frequency;

said transformer comprising;

a first conductive plate; and

a second conductive plate spaced from the first conductive plate by the non-magnetic core;

the capacitor being adapted to be connected between the first conductive plate and the electric line, wherein the impedance of the first conductive plate and the capacitor are matched to the characteristic impedance of the electric line at a preselected bandwidth; and

a multiplexer for combining the electric signals.

4. A communications apparatus for communicating electric signals with Ethernet Networking protocol at about 100 Mbps or more through one or more electric power lines having a characteristic impedance:

a modulator for modulating the electric signals to produce a modulated carrier signal having a pre-selected frequency equal to or greater than 200 MHz;

a transmitter operatively connected to the modulator and having an output impedance, said transmitter transmitting the modulated carrier signal;

a coupler connected between the electric line and the transmitter, said coupler matching the output impedance of the transmitter to the characteristic impedance of the power line and communicating the modulated carrier signal to the power line without significant phase distortion;

said coupler comprising;

a transformer having a non-magnetic core; and

a coupling capacitor that resonates with the transformer at the pre-selected frequency;

said transformer comprising;

a first conductive plate; and

a second conductive plate spaced apart from the first conductive plate by the non-magnetic core;

a capacitor adapted to be connected between the first conductive plate and the power line, the impedance of the first conductive plate and the capacitor being matched to the characteristic impedance of the power line at a pre-selected bandwidth.

5. A communications apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein the modulated carrier signal is at about 1 Gbps or more.

6. A method for communicating electric signals over an electric power distribution system including distribution transformers, the distribution system having a characteristic impedance at the input terminal for the electric signals, said method comprising:

producing a modulated carrier signal having a frequency equal to or greater than 200 MHz;

transmitting the modulated carrier signal through a transmitter having an output impedance;

coupling the modulated carrier signal to the electrical power system without significant phase distortion using a coupler that matches the output impedance of the transmitter to the characteristic impedance of the system at the place where the coupling is made;

said coupler comprising a transformer having a non-magnetic core and a coupling capacitor, said coupler communicating the modulated carrier signal to the power system without significant phase distortion; and

said coupling capacitor resonating with the transformer at the modulated carrier frequency;

the first conductive plate; and

a second conductive plate spaced from the first conductive plate by the non-magnetic core;

said coupling capacitor being connected between the first conductive plate and the power system, wherein the first conductive plate and the capacitor are matched to the characteristic impedance of the power system at a pre-selected bandwidth; and

wherein the electric signal includes data transmitted at a speed of about 100 Mbps or greater.

7. A method of communicating electric signals in accordance with claim 6 wherein the power system includes low voltage, mid voltage and high voltage power lines or any combination thereof.

8. A method for communicating electric signals over one or more electric lines having a characteristic impedance, comprising:

producing a modulated carrier signal having a pre-selected frequency equal to or greater than 200 Mhz;

transmitting the modulated carrier signal using a transmitter having an output impedance;

coupling the modulated carrier signal to the electric line without significant phase distortion using a coupler that matches the output impedance of the transmitter to the characteristic impedance of the electric line;

said coupler comprising;

a transformer having a non-magnetic core, said transformer communicating the modulated carrier signal to the electric line without significant phase distortion; and

a coupling capacitor that resonates with the transformer at the pre-selected frequency;

said transformer comprising;

a first conductive plate;

a second conductive plate spaced from the first conductive plate by the nonmagnetic core; and

said coupling capacitor being connected between the first conductive plate and the electric line, wherein the conductive plate and the capacitor are matched to the characteristic impedance of the electric line at a pre-selected bandwidth;

wherein the secondary winding of said transformer is operatively connected to the transmitter at a matching impedance of about 40 to 50 ohms substantially without regard to changes in the impedance of the electric line, and the primary of the transformer is impedance matched to the electric line in a range from about 1 to 500 ohms.

9. A system for distributing high speed information signals, such as digital video, digital voice, or digital data signals, over a power line distribution system including transformers from a remote location to a pre-determined location, comprising the steps of:

coupling the high speed information signals into a mid-voltage section of the distribution system at a rate of about 10 Mbps to about 1 Gbps;

distributing the high speed information signals over the power lines within the system including distribution transformers to a predetermined location;

coupling the high speed information signals from a low voltage section of the distribution system, near the pre-determined location, into a modem for insertion into a local area network (LAN) at the pre-determined location at a speed of about 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps;

each said coupler comprising a transformer having a non-magnetic core for coupling the high speed information signals without significant phase distortion;

said transformer comprising;

a first conductive plate;

a second conductive plate spaced apart from the first conductive plate by the non-magnetic core; and

a coupling capacitor connected between the first conductive plate and the electric power line, wherein the first conductive plate and the capacitor are matched to the characteristic impedance of the electric power line.

10. A method for communicating electric signals over an electric power distribution system with Ethernet Networking protocol at about 100 Mbps or greater, said method comprising:

producing a modulated carrier signal;

transmitting the modulated carrier signal through a transmitter having an output impedance;

coupling the modulated carrier signal to the electric power system without significant phase distortion using a coupler that matches the output impedance of the transmitter to the characteristic impedance of the system at the place where the coupling is made;

said coupler comprising a transformer having a non-magnetic core and a coupling capacitor, said coupler communicating the modulated carrier signal to the power system without significant phase distortion.

11. A communications apparatus in accordance with claim 10 wherein the transformer comprises:

a first conductive plate;

a second conductive plate spaced from the first conductive plate by a non-magnetic core; and

said coupling capacitor being connected between the first conductive plate and the electric line, wherein the conductive plate and the capacitor are matched to the characteristic impedance of the electric line at the location where the coupler is connected to the electric line.

12. A method for communicating electric signals over an electric power distribution system with Ethernet Networking protocol at about 100 Mbps or greater, said method comprising:

in a power line modem/networking system connected to the backbone of the entire Networking System for cable TV, telephone, internet, security and other control applications being transmitted at very high speed data with digitally signal processed carrier signals over the distribution power line and directly through the distribution transformers from the mid to the low voltage power line and back;

producing several modulated carrier signal, thereby creating a Frequency Division Multiplexing or Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing over the power line;

transmitting the modulated carrier signals through a transmitter having an output impedance;

coupling the modulated carrier signals to the electric power system without significant phase distortion using a coupler that matches the output impedance of the transmitter to the characteristic impedance of the system at the place where the coupling is made and matches the power line characteristic impedance;

said coupler comprising a transformer having a non-magnetic core and a coupling capacitor, said coupler communicating the modulated carrier signals to the power system without significant phase distortion.

13. A method for communicating electric signals over an electric power line with Ethernet Networking protocol at about 100 Mbps or greater, said method comprising:

in a power line modem/networking system being adapted to network very high speed data over the power line with digitally signal processed carrier signals for cable TV, telephone, internet, security and other control applications;

producing several modulated carrier signals creating a Frequency Division Multiplexing or Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing over the power line;

transmitting the modulated carrier signals through a transmitter having an output impedance;

coupling the modulated carrier signals to the electric power system without significant phase distortion using a coupler that matches the output impedance of the transmitter to the characteristic impedance of the system at the place where the coupling is made and matches the power line characteristic impedance;

said coupler comprising a transformer having a non-magnetic core and a coupling capacitor, said coupler communicating the modulated carrier signals to the power system without significant phase distortion.