System and method of providing infra-red signals over power lines
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of transmitting an infra-red (IR) signal through a power line, the method comprising:
- receiving a bit stream as an IR signal;
substituting an RF signal bit stream for the received bit stream;
filtering and amplifying the RF signal; and
passing the RF signal into a power line, wherein passing the RF signal comprises passing the RF signal through a high-pass filter connected to the power line, wherein the power line operates at about 60 Hz.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for transmitting infra-red (IR) signals through power lines. An IR signal may be received and substituted with a corresponding RF signal. The RF signal may be placed on a power line network in one location and removed by a high-pass filter at a second location. The RF signal may be converted back to the corresponding IR signal.
36 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of transmitting an infra-red (IR) signal through a power line, the method comprising:
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receiving a bit stream as an IR signal; substituting an RF signal bit stream for the received bit stream; filtering and amplifying the RF signal; and passing the RF signal into a power line, wherein passing the RF signal comprises passing the RF signal through a high-pass filter connected to the power line, wherein the power line operates at about 60 Hz.
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2. A method of transmitting an infra-red (IR) signal through a power line, the method comprising:
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receiving a bit stream as an IR signal; substituting an RF signal bit stream for the received bit stream, wherein substituting comprises converting the IR signal to a digital bit stream; and
selectively generating an oscillating RF signal in response to the digital bit stream;filtering and amplifying the RF signal; and passing the RF signal into a power line. - View Dependent Claims (3)
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4. A method of transmitting an infra-red (IR) signal through a power line, the method comprising:
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receiving a bit stream as an IR signal; substituting an RF signal bit stream for the received bit stream; filtering and amplifying the RF signal, wherein filtering and amplifying comprise passing the RF signal through a band-pass filter; and
passing the RF signal through a two-stage RF amplifier; andpassing the RF signal into a power line. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A method of receiving an infra-red (IR) signal from a power line, the method comprising:
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receiving an RF signal representing an IR bitstream from an AC line transmission path, wherein receiving the RF signal includes rejecting signals on the AC line transmission path with a frequency corresponding to an AC voltage on the AC line transmission path; filtering and amplifying the RF signal; converting the RF signal to a digital bit stream; and transmitting an IR signal that is controlled by the digital bit stream.
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8. A method of receiving an infra-red (IR) signal from a power line, the method comprising:
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receiving an RF signal representing an IR bitstream from an AC line transmission path; filtering and amplifying the RF signal, wherein filtering and amplifying comprises passing the RF signal through a series of ceramic band-pass filters; and
passing the RF signal through a series of transistor-based RF amplifiers;converting the RF signal to a digital bit stream; and transmitting an IR signal that is controlled by the digital bit stream.
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9. A method of receiving an infra-red (IR) signal from a power line, the method comprising:
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receiving an RF signal representing an IR bitstream from an AC line transmission path; filtering and amplifying the RF signal; converting the RF signal to a digital bit stream, wherein converting comprises demodulating the RF signal into an analog bitstream signal; and
passing the analog bit stream signal into a comparator to produce the digital; andtransmitting an IR signal that is controlled by the digital bit stream.
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10. A method of receiving an infra-red (IR) signal from a power line, the method comprising:
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receiving an RF signal representing an IR bitstream from an AC line transmission path; filtering and amplifying the RF signal; converting the RF signal to a digital bit stream; and transmitting an IR signal that is controlled by the digital bit stream, wherein transmitting comprises selectively switching an oscillator on and off with a gate switch controlled by the digital bit stream;
sending an output from the oscillator to an IR emitter driver; and
selectively emitting the IR signal from an IR emitter based on an output from the IR emitter driver. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A system for transmitting and receiving an infra-red (IR) signal over a power line, the system comprising:
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a IR receiver configured to receive a first IR bit stream and convert the first IR bit stream to a pulsed RF analog signal; a first AC line interface for placing the RF analog signal on an active power line, wherein the first AC line interface comprises a high-pass filter configured to pass the pulsed RF analog signal into the active power line; surge protection circuitry coupled to the first AC line interface; a second AC line interface for extracting the RF analog signal from the active power line; circuitry for converting the RF analog signal to an RF digital bit stream; and an IR emitter configured to transmit the RF digital bit stream as a second IR bit stream.
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14. A system for transmitting and receiving an infra-red (IR) signal over a power line, the system comprising:
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a IR receiver configured to receive a first IR bit stream and convert the first IR bit stream to a pulsed RF analog signal, wherein the IR receiver comprises an IR diode configured to receive the first IR bit stream;
an oscillator switch driver configured to provide an oscillator control signal in response to the first IR bit stream; and
an oscillator configured to produce the pulsed RF analog signal in response to the oscillator control signal;a first AC line interface for placing the RF analog signal on an active power line; a second AC line interface for extracting the RF analog signal from the active power line; circuitry for converting the RF analog signal to an RF digital bit stream; and an IR emitter configured to transmit the RF digital bit stream as a second IR bit stream. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A system for transmitting and receiving an infra-red (IR) signal over a power line, the system comprising:
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a IR receiver configured to receive a first IR bit stream and convert the first IR bit stream to a pulsed RF analog signal; a first AC line interface for placing the RF analog signal on an active power line; a second AC line interface for extracting the RF analog signal from the active power line, wherein the second AC line interface comprises a high-pass filter configured to separate the pulsed RF analog signal out of the active power line; and
surge protection circuitry;circuitry for converting the RF analog signal to an RF digital bit stream; and an IR emitter configured to transmit the RF digital bit stream as a second IR bit stream.
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17. A system for transmitting and receiving an infra-red (IR) signal over a power line, the system comprising:
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a IR receiver configured to receive a first IR bit stream and convert the first IR bit stream to a pulsed RF analog signal; a first AC line interface for placing the RF analog signal on an active power line; a second AC line interface for extracting the RF analog signal from the active power line; circuitry for converting the RF analog signal to an RF digital bit stream, wherein the circuitry for converting the pulsed analog RF signal comprises a band-pass ceramic filter configured to pass the pulsed RF signal;
an RF amplifier configured to amplify the filtered pulsed RF signal;
an envelope detector for demodulating the amplified pulsed RF signal into an analog bit stream; and
a comparator configured to produce the RF digital bit stream corresponding to the analog bit stream; andan IR emitter configured to transmit the RF digital bit stream as a second IR bit stream.
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18. A system for transmitting and receiving IR signals over a power line, the system comprising:
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an IR receiver configured to receive a first IR bit stream and convert the first IR bit stream to a first analog bit stream signal; a first, switched oscillator configured to produce a pulsed RF signal in response to the first analog bit stream signal; a first AC line interface configured to place the pulsed RF signal onto a power line network at a first location; a second AC line interface for reading the pulsed RF signal from the power line network at a second location; an envelope detector configured to provide a demodulated analog signal in response to the pulsed RF signal read by the second AC line interface; a comparator configured to provide a switching signal in response to the demodulated analog signal; a second oscillator configured to selectively provide an RF voltage in response to the switching signal; and an IR emitter configured to emit a second IR signal in response to the RF voltage. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification