Power line communication apparatus, power line communication system, power line communication method and integrated circuit

• US 8,036,233 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Maehara, Noriaki, Yao, Akio, Igata, Yuji, Yokomitsu, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou; Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAGLO, EMMANUEL K
• Application Number:
  US11/855,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20080068141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/349, 370/466, 370/401, 370/351, 455/205, 455/402, 409/238
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/58 Repeater circuits

Abstract

A power line communication apparatus transmits a signal to a first power line communication apparatus through a power line connecting to a second power line communication apparatus. The power line communication apparatus includes an information retriever for retrieving transmission rate information indicating both a first transmission rate and second transmission rate. The first transmission rate correspond to a first path of the power line along which the signal is directly transmitted to the first power line communication apparatus, and the second transmission rate corresponds to a second path of the power line along which the signal is transmitted through the second power line communication apparatus to the first power line communication apparatus. A selector selects, based on the transmission rate information, a path corresponding to a higher transmission rate among the first and second paths. A transmitter transmits the signal through the selected path.

Claims

1. A power line communication apparatus for transmitting a signal to a first power line communication apparatus through a power line connecting to a second power line communication apparatus, the power line communication apparatus comprising:

an information retriever that retrieves transmission rate information indicating both a first transmission rate and a second transmission rate, the first transmission rate corresponding to a first path of the power line along which the signal is directly transmitted to the first power line communication apparatus, and the second transmission rate corresponding to a second path of the power line along which the signal is transmitted through the second power line communication apparatus to the first power line communication apparatus;

a selector that selects, based on the transmission rate information retrieved by the information retriever, a path corresponding to a higher transmission rate among the first path and the second path; and

a transmitter that transmits the signal, through the path selected by the selector, to the first power line communication apparatus, wherein;

the information retriever further retrieves status information indicating whether or not at least one of the first power line communication apparatus and the second power line communication apparatus joins a power line communication network, and

the selector selects the path based on both the transmission rate information and the status information retrieved by the information retriever.

2. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory that stores the status information retrieved by the information retriever; and

a renewing unit that renews the status information stored in the memory if the information retriever retrieves other status information, wherein

the selector selects the path based on the status information renewed by the renewing unit.

3. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the renewing unit renews, every predetermined period, the status information stored in the memory.

4. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display that displays the status information retrieved by the information retriever.

5. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information retriever retrieves the status information from at least one of the first power line communication apparatus and the second power line communication apparatus.

6. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory that stores the transmission rate information retrieved by the information retriever; and

a renewing unit that renews the transmission rate information stored in the memory if the information retriever retrieves other transmission rate information, wherein

the selector selects the path based on the transmission rate information renewed by the renewing unit.

7. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the renewing unit renews, every predetermined period, the transmission rate information stored in the memory.

8. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a calculator that calculates both the first transmission rate and the second transmission rate, wherein;

the information retriever retrieves, from the calculator, the transmission rate information indicating both the first transmission rate and the second transmission rate.

9. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information retriever retrieves the transmission information from at least one of the first power line communication apparatus and the second power line communication apparatus.

10. The power line communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the information retriever further retrieves an address of the first power line communication apparatus, and

the transmitter transmits the signal based on the address retrieved by the information retriever.

11. A power line communication system performing power line communication through a power line, the power line communication system comprising:

a first power line communication apparatus;

a second power line communication apparatus; and

a third power line communication apparatus that transmits a signal to the first power line communication apparatus through the power line that connects to the second power line communication apparatus, wherein;

the third power line communication apparatus comprises;

an information retriever that retrieves transmission rate information indicating both a first transmission rate and a second transmission rate, the first transmission rate corresponding to a first path of the power line along which the signal is directly transmitted to the first power line communication apparatus, and the second transmission rate corresponding to a second path of the power line along which the signal is transmitted through the second power line communication apparatus to the first power line communication apparatus;

a selector that selects, based on the transmission rate information retrieved by the information retriever, a path corresponding to a higher transmission rate among the first path and the second path; and

a transmitter that transmits the signal, through the path selected by the selector, to the first power line communication apparatus, wherein;

the information retriever further retrieves status information indicating whether or not at least one of the first power line communication apparatus and the second power line communication apparatus joins a power line communication network and

the selector selects the path based on both the transmission rate information and the status information retrieved by the information retriever.

12. A power line communication method for transmitting a signal to a first power line communication apparatus through a power line connecting to a second power line communication apparatus, the power line communication method comprising:

retrieving transmission rate information indicating both a first transmission rate and a second transmission rate, the first transmission rate corresponding to a first path of the power line along which the signal is directly transmitted to the first power line communication apparatus, and the second transmission rate corresponding to a second path of the power line along which the signal is transmitted through the second power line communication apparatus to the first power line communication apparatus;

selecting, based on the retrieved transmission rate information, a path corresponding to a higher transmission rate among the first path and the second path; and

transmitting the signal, through the selected path, to the first power line communication apparatus, wherein the method further comprises;

retrieving status information indicating whether or not at least one of the first power line communication apparatus and the second power line communication apparatus joins a power line communication network, and

the selecting of the path further comprises selecting the path based on both the transmission rate information and the retrieved status information.

13. An integrated circuit for performing power line communication of a signal to a first power line communication apparatus through a power line connecting to a second power line communication apparatus, the integrated circuit comprising:

an information retriever that retrieves transmission rate information indicating both a first transmission rate and a second transmission rate, the first transmission rate corresponding to a first path of the power line along which the signal is directly transmitted to the first power line communication apparatus, and the second transmission rate corresponding to a second path of the power line along which the signal is transmitted through the second power line communication apparatus to the first power line communication apparatus; and

a selector that selects, based on the transmission rate information retrieved by the information retriever, a path corresponding to a higher transmission rate among the first path and the second path, wherein;

the information retriever further retrieves status information indicating whether or not at least one of the first power line communication apparatus and the second power line communication apparatus joins a power line communication network, and

the selector selects the path based on both the transmission rate information and the status information retrieved by the information retriever.

14. A power line communication apparatus for transmitting a signal to another power line communication apparatus through a power line connecting to a plurality of relay power line communication apparatuses, the power line communication apparatus comprising:

an information retriever that retrieves transmission rate information indicating both a first transmission rate and a second transmission rate, the first transmission rate corresponding to a first path of the power line along which the signal is directly transmitted to the other power line communication apparatus, and the second transmission rate corresponding to a second path of the power line along which the signal is transmitted through at least one relay power line communication apparatus from among the plurality of relay power line communication apparatuses to the other power line communication apparatus;

a selector that selects, based on the transmission rate information retrieved by the information retriever, a path corresponding to a higher transmission rate among the first path and the second path; and

a transmitter that transmits the signal, through the path selected by the selector, to the other power line communication apparatus, wherein;

the information retriever further retrieves status information indicating whether or not at least one of the other power line communication apparatus and the plurality of relay power line communication apparatuses joins a power line communication network, and the selector selects the path based on both the transmission rate information and the status information retrieved by the information retriever.