Power line communication device and method
First Claim
1. A power line communication device, comprising:
- a controller having memory;
a switch communicatively coupled to said controller and having an upstream port and a downstream port;
a first modem in communication with said controller via a data path that does not include said switch;
a first power line interface including a second modem, wherein said second modem is in communication with said controller via a data path that does not include said switch and wherein said power line interface is configured to be coupled to a medium voltage power line;
wherein said switch includes an internal port coupled to said controller;
wherein said upstream port is configured to communicate with an external device via a data path that does not include a modem to provide upstream communications; and
wherein said switch is configured to control the flow of data between said upstream port, said internal port, and said downstream port.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A versatile power line communication device is provided. One embodiment of the device includes a controller having memory, a first modem in communication with the controller, and a first power line interface including a second modem, wherein the second modem is in communication with the controller. The embodiment may also include a switch communicatively coupled to the controller and having an upstream port and a downstream port. The switch may be configured to communicate data from one of the upstream port to the downstream port, and vice versa, without the data being supplied to the controller. The switch may also have a data port configured to be coupled to high data rate devices such as mobile telephone cell sites.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A power line communication device, comprising:
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a controller having memory; a switch communicatively coupled to said controller and having an upstream port and a downstream port; a first modem in communication with said controller via a data path that does not include said switch; a first power line interface including a second modem, wherein said second modem is in communication with said controller via a data path that does not include said switch and wherein said power line interface is configured to be coupled to a medium voltage power line; wherein said switch includes an internal port coupled to said controller; wherein said upstream port is configured to communicate with an external device via a data path that does not include a modem to provide upstream communications; and wherein said switch is configured to control the flow of data between said upstream port, said internal port, and said downstream port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A power line communication device, comprising:
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a controller having memory; a first power line interface configured to be coupled to a medium voltage power line and having a first modem in communication with said controller; a switch comprising; an upstream port configured to communicate with an external device via a data path that does not include a modem to provide upstream communications; a data port configured to communicate at a data rate of at least one gigabit per second; a data path between said upstream port and said data port; a downstream port; and an internal port coupled to said controller; wherein said switch is configured to control the flow of data between said upstream port, said data port, said internal port, and said downstream port; and wherein said first modem is in communication with said controller via a communication path that does not include said switch. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A power line communication device, comprising:
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a controller having a memory; a first power line interface including a first modem, wherein said first modem is in communication with said controller and wherein said power line interface is configured to be coupled to a medium voltage power line; a switch having an internal port coupled to said controller, an upstream port, and a downstream port; wherein said upstream port is configured to communicate with an external device via a path that does not include a modem; wherein said downstream port is configured to communicate with an external device via a path that does not include a modem; wherein said switch is configured to control the flow of data between said upstream port, said internal port, and said downstream port; and wherein said first modem is in communication with said controller via a communication path that does not include said switch. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification