Air conditioner and power line communication system

• US 7,334,417 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2005
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Global Life Solutions, Inc. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Appliances Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bunko, Noriyuki, Ito, Makoto, Kojima, Yasuyuki, Yamauchi, Tatsumi, Tokushige, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): NORMAN, MARC E
• Application Number:
  US11/033,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20050188706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 621/75, 236/51, 375/130, 375/132, 375/147, 375/135, 375/136, 375/131, 375/141, 375/143
• US Class Current: 62/175
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines

Abstract

An air conditioner and a power line communication system high in reliability and free of malfunction facilitates the installation work such as the wiring. The air conditioner for conducting communication through a power line includes a bridge unit connected to at least an outdoor unit through a transmission line, and at least an indoor unit connected from the power line through a blocking filter. A side of the bridge unit far from the outdoor unit is connected between the blocking filter and the indoor unit. The bridge unit subjects a signal from the outdoor unit to spread spectrum modulation and transmits it by superposing the resulting signal on the power line. The superposed signal is received and demodulated by the indoor unit.

Claims

1. An air conditioner for conducting communication between at least an outdoor unit and at least an indoor unit through a power line, comprising:

a bridge unit connected to said outdoor unit through a transmission line; and

the indoor unit connected from the power line through a blocking filter;

wherein a side of the bridge unit far from the outdoor unit is connected between the blocking filter and said indoor unit;

wherein the bridge unit subjects a signal from the outdoor unit to spread spectrum modulation and transmits the modulated signal to the indoor unit by superposing the modulated signal on the power line, and the indoor unit receives and demodulates the superposed signal.

2. An air conditioner according to claim 1,

wherein a noise generator for applying a noise is connected between said blocking filter and said indoor unit.

3. An air conditioner according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of indoor units are divided into groups each including said bridge unit and said blocking filter.

4. An air conditioner according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of indoor units are divided into group areas each including said bridge unit and said blocking filter, and a noise larger than a leakage signal between the areas is applied between the blocking filter and the indoor unit.

5. An air conditioner according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of indoor units are divided into group areas each including the bridge unit and the blocking filter, and a white noise is applied between the blocking filter and the indoor unit.

6. An air conditioner according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of indoor units are divided into group areas each including the bridge unit and the blocking filter, and a white noise generator for generating a white noise in a plurality of magnitude levels is connected between the blocking filter and the indoor unit.

7. An air conditioner according to claim 1,

further comprising a noise generator for applying a noise between said blocking filter and said indoor unit,

wherein said noise generator has the function of measuring a floor noise of the power line and the function of determining a size of the applied noise as related to a measured value.

8. A power line communication system comprising an air conditioner for conducting communication between at least an outdoor unit and at least an indoor unit, an illumination unit and a ventilator, the system conducting communication through a power line with a communication area thereof divided into a plurality of groups each including:

a blocking filter arranged midway of the power line in such a manner that a secondary side of the blocking filter constitutes the communication area of the power line;

a bridge unit connected to a secondary side of the communication area through a transmission line from the outdoor unit; and

a noise generator for applying, to the secondary side of the communication area, a noise larger than a leakage signal between the communication areas;

wherein the bridge unit subjects a signal from the outdoor unit to a spread spectrum modulation and transmits by superposing the signal to the secondary side of the communication area, the superposed signal being received and demodulated by selected one of the indoor unit, the illumination unit and the ventilator.

9. A power line communication system according to claim 8,

wherein said noise generator has the function of measuring a floor noise of the power line and the function of determining a magnitude of the noise applied as related to a measured value.