Power line communications system and method

• US 7,265,664 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Current Technologies LLC (Pattern Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Current Technologies LLC (Pattern Inc.)
• Inventors: Berkman, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US11/097,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20060220833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 340/538.16, 340/310.11, 340/310.16, 340/310.17, 370/419, 370/463, 375/258
• US Class Current: 370/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• 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 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks

Abstract

A power line communications system (PLCS) that provides communications to one or more user devices by repeating data packets on the power distribution network is provided. The PLCS may employ any or all of the MV power line conductors and/or the neutral conductor and be dynamically and remotely transitioned to one of a plurality of potential configurations.

Claims

1. A power line communications system for communicating data over one or more overhead power line conductors to one or more user devices, comprising:

a backhaul device communicatively coupled to the one or more power lines conductors and to a backhaul link;

a plurality of communications devices, wherein each of said plurality of communications devices is communicatively coupled to the one or more power line conductors and to at least one user device;

wherein a first communications device is in direct communication with said backhaul device through the one or more power line conductors and is configured to transmit data received from said backhaul device onto the one or more power line conductors to a second communications device and a third communications device; and

wherein said first communications device is configured to transmit at least some data received from said backhaul device to one or more user devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said third communications device is communicatively coupled to the one or more power line conductors between said backhaul device and said first communications device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said first communications device is communicatively coupled to the one or more power line conductors between said backhaul device and said second communications device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said backhaul device is communicatively coupled to a first medium voltage power line conductor of the one or more power line conductors.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said second communications device is communicatively coupled to a second medium voltage power line conductor of the one or more power line conductors.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein said first communications device is communicatively coupled to a second medium voltage power line conductor of the one or more power line conductors.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein said second communications device is communicatively coupled to a neutral conductor of the one or more power line conductors.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said second communications device is communicatively coupled to the one or more power line conductors by being coupled to a neutral conductor electrically connected to a distribution transformer that is connected to the one or more power line conductors.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein

said second communications device is in communication with said backhaul device through the one or more power line conductors via said first communications device;

and

wherein said third communications device is in communication with said backhaul device through the one or more power line conductors via said first communications device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said second communications device is communicatively coupled to the one or more power line conductors by being coupled to a low voltage power line conductor electrically connected to a distribution transformer that is connected to the one or more power line conductors.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said backhaul device, said first communications device, second communications device, and said third communications device are each coupled to a neutral conductor of the one or more power line conductors.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein communications transmitted from said first communications device, said second communications device, and said third communications device to said backhaul device traverse the neutral conductor at least in part.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein

said first communications device is in communication with said backhaul device via a first link;

said second communications device is in communications with first communications device via a second link; and

wherein said first link and said second link are orthogonal to each other.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said second communications device is capable of being remotely configured via a command communicated through the one or more power line conductors to repeat data for said third communications device.

15. The system of claim 1, where at least one of said plurality of communications devices is coupled to a medium voltage power line conductor of the one or more power line conductors and at least one of said plurality of communications devices is coupled to a neutral conductor of the one or more power line conductors.

16. A method of providing communications over one or more overhead power line conductors to one or more user devices, comprising:

receiving first data in a first data packet via the one or more power line conductors from a first communications device;

determining whether said first data is to be repeated;

transmitting said first data onto the one or more power line conductors if said first data is to be repeated;

receiving a second data via the one or more power line conductors from a second communications device;

determining whether said second data is to be repeated;

transmitting said second data onto the one or more power line conductors if said second data is to be repeated;

receiving a third data via the one or more power line conductors from a backhaul device communicatively coupled to a backhaul link;

determining whether said third data is to be repeated;

transmitting said third data onto the one or more power line conductors if said third data is to be repeated;

determining whether said third data is to be transmitted to a user device; and

transmitting said third data to a user device if said third data is to be transmitted to a user device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining whether said third data is to be processed as a command; and

processing said third data as a command if said third data is to be processed as a command.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said transmitting of the first data, the second data, and the third data onto the one or more power line conductors comprises transmitting the first data, the second data, and the third data onto a neutral conductor of the one or more power line conductors.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said transmitting of the first data employs transmitting the first data in a first frequency band and transmitting of the second data includes transmitting of the second data in a second frequency band.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said transmitting of the first data, the second data, and the third data onto the one or more power line conductors further comprises transmitting the first data, the second data, and the third data via a conductive signal.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the conductive signal comprises an ultra wide band signal.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of said conductive signals comprises an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed signal.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein said transmitting of the first data, the second data, and the third data onto the one or more power line conductors comprises transmitting the first data, the second data, and the third data via surface wave signals.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein said transmitting of the first data, the second data, and the third data onto the one or more power line conductors comprises transmitting the first data, the second data, and the third data via a WIMAX signal set.

25. A method of providing power line communications to communicate data over one or more overhead power line conductors to one or more user devices, comprising:

communicatively coupling a backhaul device to the one or more power line conductors and to a backhaul link;

communicatively coupling a plurality of communications devices to the one or more power line conductors and to at least one user device, wherein each of the plurality of communications devices is in communication with said backhaul device;

transmitting a first data packet over the one or more power line conductors from a first of the plurality of communications devices and wherein the first data packet is in a first signal having one or more carriers in a first frequency band;

transmitting a second data packet over the one or more power line conductors from a second of the plurality of communications devices and wherein said second data packet is in a second signal having one or more carriers at one or more of the same frequencies as said first signal; and

wherein the first signal and the second signal are transmitted during overlapping time periods and do not interfere with the reception of each other at the devices to which the first and second data packets are addressed.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the backhaul device is coupled to a first power line conductor and the first of the plurality of communications device is coupled to a second power line conductor.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the first and second communications devices are coupled to a neutral conductor of the one or more power line conductors.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the first data packet is addressed to a third communications device that repeats the data of the first data packet onto the one or more power line conductors.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the second data packet is addressed to the backhaul device.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the second data packet is addressed to a fourth communications device that repeats the data of the second data packet onto the one or more power line conductors.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the first of the plurality of communications devices and the second of the plurality of communications devices are coupled to the same power line conductor.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the first of the plurality of communications devices and the second of the plurality of communications devices are coupled to different power line conductors.

33. A power line communications system for communicating data to one or more user devices over an electrical power distribution network having one or more overhead medium voltage power line conductors, a neutral conductor, and at least one distribution transformer coupled to one of the medium voltage power line conductors, comprising:

a backhaul device communicatively coupled to one of the one or more medium power line conductors and to a backhaul link;

a first communications device coupled to the neutral conductor and in communication with at least one user device; and

wherein said first communications device is in communication with said backhaul device via the neutral conductor and the medium voltage power line.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the neutral conductor includes a horizontal neutral and a neutral connecting conductor connecting the distribution transformer to the horizontal neutral conductor and wherein said first communications device is coupled to said neutral connecting conductor.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the electrical power distribution network includes a ground conductor connecting the horizontal neutral conductor to ground, the system further comprising:

a data impedance coupled to the ground conductor.

36. The system of claim 33, further comprising:

a second communications device coupled to the neutral conductor and in communication with at least one user device; and

wherein said second communications device is in communication with said backhaul device via the neutral conductor and the medium voltage power line.