Method and system for using power lines for signaling, telephony and data communications

• US 7,072,408 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2001
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lawrence, Victor B., Gehlot, Narayan Lal
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean B.
• Application Number:
  US09/788,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20020113689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,960 Days
• Field of Search: 340/538, 340/288, 340/310.01, 340/310.11, 375/257, 375/259, 375/260, 375/316, 375/342, 375/325, 375/377
• US Class Current: 375/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/40 Transmitting circuits; Receiving circuits repeater circuits, relay circuits H04L25/20

Abstract

The present invention provides a burst mode power line data network system having at least one burst mode power line transmitter (BMPLT) and at least one burst mode power line receiver (BMPLR) for enabling signaling, telephony and data communications via power lines without using carrier frequencies. The BMPLT transmits line encoded bursts of information via a power line to the BMPLR which receives the line encoded bursts of information and has a maximum inter-packet idle time of only one bit between bursts. The invention permits the use of AC coupling in a receiver and results in outputting data with constant pulse widths irrespective of optical signal power levels, etc. In one embodiment, a receiver has a wide dynamic range, is highly stable, may be used over all frequencies of interest without developing high speed electronics or optical components, and has no sensitivity penalty as compared to existing burst mode/packet mode receivers. Because the receiver completely removes common signals, base line wander problems are also removed. The main advantages of the burst mode power line data network system of the present invention is that carrier frequencies and their harmonics are eliminated and therefore signals can be scaled at higher data rates; interference is minimized, since the total time the signals are present on the power line is dramatically reduced; and there is no need for clock recovery in homes and businesses, and therefore modules for implementing the system are inexpensive.

Claims

1. A burst mode power line data network system comprising:

a burst mode transmitter coupled to an electrical power line connected to a plurality of communications devices, the burst mode transmitter comprising;

a transmitter supplying at least a single output data bit stream of line encoded bursts of information via the electrical power line to at least one of the plurality of communication devices, each data bit of the data bit stream having an original pulse width, the data bit stream including an information field indicating a first amount of delay to be used by the at least one of the plurality of communication devices after the at least one of the plurality of communication devices receives the data bit stream and before the at least one of the plurality of communication devices transmits to a burst mode receiver; and

a delay delaying transmission of a received data bit stream by a predetermined second delay amount; and

the burst mode receiver coupled to the electrical power line for receiving at least a single input data bit stream of line encoded bursts of information via the electrical power line.

2. The network system as in claim 1, wherein the burst mode receiver comprises:

a splitter for splitting the at least single input data bit stream into a first data bit stream and a second data bit stream;

a receiver delay for delaying information in the second data bit stream relative to information in the first data bit stream;

a subtractor including an amplifier for generating a bipolar difference data bit stream from the information in the delayed second data bit stream and the information in the first data bit stream; and

at least one comparator for outputting a first bit when a voltage level of a first signal in the bipolar difference data bit stream exceeds a threshold voltage and outputting a second bit when a voltage level of a second signal in the bipolar difference data bit stream exceeds the threshold voltage.

3. The network system as in claim 2, wherein the burst mode receiver further comprises a flip-flop for regenerating each data bit in the line encoded data bit stream using the first and second bits, each regenerated data bit having a regenerated pulse width equal to the original pulse width.

4. The network system as in claim 1, wherein the burst mode transmitter and the burst mode receiver are housed within a central node coupled to the electrical power line.

5. A burst mode power line data network system comprising:

a first burst mode transmitter coupled to an electrical power line connected to a plurality of communications devices, the first burst mode transmitter comprising;

a transmitter for transmitting at least a single output data bit stream of line encoded bursts of information via the electrical power line to at least one of a plurality of burst mode receivers, each data bit of the data bit stream having an original pulse width, the data bit stream including an information field indicating a first amount of delay to be used by a second burst mode transmitter associated with the at least one of the plurality of burst mode receivers after the at least one of the plurality of burst mode receivers receives the data bit stream and before the second burst mode transmitter transmits to a burst mode receiver associated with the first burst mode transmitter; and

a delay delaying transmission of a received data bit stream by a predetermined second delay amount; and

the burst mode receiver associated with the first burnt mode transmitter and coupled to the electrical power line for receiving at least a single received data bit stream of line encoded bursts of information via the electrical power line.

6. The network system as in claim 5, wherein the burst mode receiver associated with the first burst mode transmitter comprises:

a splitter for splitting the at least single received data bit stream into a first data bit stream and a second data bit stream;

a second delay arranged to delay information in the second data bit stream relative to information in the first data bit stream;

a subtractor including an amplifier for generating a bipolar difference data bit stream from the information in the delayed second bit stream and the information in the first data bit stream; and

at least one comparator for outputting a first bit when a voltage level of a first signal in the bipolar difference data bit stream exceeds a threshold voltage and outputting a second bit when a voltage level of a second signal in the bipolar difference data bit stream exceeds the threshold voltage.

7. The network system as in claim 6, further comprising a flip-flop regenerating each data bit in the line encoded data bit stream using the first and second bits, each regenerated data bit having a regenerated pulse width equal to the original pulse width.