Interference control in a broadband powerline communication system

• US 8,462,902 B1
• Filed: 08/11/2005
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Henry, Paul Shala, Sutliff, Larrie, Willis, Thomas M. III, Barnickel, Donald John Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Shuwang
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCKIE, GINA M
• Application Number:
  US11/201,729
• Time in Patent Office: 2,861 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 375/350
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5425 improving S/N by matching impedance, noise reduction, gain control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines

Abstract

A broadband powerline communication system makes use of knowledge of the spectrum characteristics of a local radio environment in order to improve system performance. A determination is made of the spectrum characteristics of a radio environment in the vicinity of the broadband powerline communication system that is transmitting data on modulated carrier frequencies. In order to avoid interference, certain ones of the carrier frequencies otherwise used by the broadband powerline communication system may be selectively masked based on the determination. The spectrum characteristics may be determined 1) in advance and used to compile a configuration database comprising frequency masking parameters; 2) by monitoring the local radio environment using the transmitter/receiver nodes of the system; or 3) based upon receipt of an indication from a conflicting user that the user is experiencing interference. Various combinations of these spectrum characteristic determination techniques may also be used.

Claims

1. A method for controlling interference in a broadband powerline communication system that is transmitting data on modulated carrier frequencies not used exclusively by the broadband powerline communication system, the method comprising:

transmitting a unique identifier from a transceiver node in the broadband powerline communication system on a particular carrier frequency, the unique identifier identifying the transceiver node;

receiving an indication from a conflicting user that the unique identifier has been received by the conflicting user, the indication received at a particular time;

generating a schedule based on the particular time and the particular carrier frequency;

masking the particular carrier frequency at the transceiver node, based on the schedule,

wherein the conflicting user uses the particular carrier frequency used by the broadband powerline communication system and communicates using a non-broadband powerline communication system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the unique identifier comprises transmitting the unique identifier using a transmission technique that is used for transmitting the data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the unique identifier identifies one transceiver node in the broadband powerline communication system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the unique identifier identifies a plurality of transceiver nodes in the broadband powerline communication system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the unique identifier is transmitted periodically.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the unique identifier is transmitted in response to receipt of a control instruction from a controller node.

7. A broadband powerline communication system comprising:

a plurality of transceiver nodes, each transceiver node of the plurality of transceiver nodes transmitting data and a unique identifier identifying the transmitting transceiver node on a particular carrier frequency not used exclusively by the broadband powerline communication system, each of the transceiver nodes configured to receive an indication from a conflicting user that the unique identifier has been received by the conflicting user, the indication received at a particular time; and

an interference controller for generating a schedule based on the particular time and the particular carrier frequency, and for masking at a particular transceiver node the particular carrier frequency, based on the schedule, wherein the conflicting user uses the particular carrier frequency used by the broadband powerline communication system and communicates using a non-broadband powerline communication system.

8. The broadband powerline communication system of claim 7 further comprising:

a database accessible by the conflicting users storing unique identifiers and associated transceiver nodes.

9. The broadband powerline communication system of claim 7 wherein transmitting the unique identifier comprises transmitting the unique identifier using a transmission technique that is used for transmitting the data.

10. The broadband powerline communication system of claim 9 wherein the transceiver nodes transmit the unique identifiers by including them in a transmitted data stream.

11. The broadband powerline communication system of claim 7 wherein the unique identifiers are transmitted periodically.

12. A system for controlling interference in a broadband powerline communication system that is transmitting data on certain modulated carrier frequencies not used exclusively by the broadband powerline communication system, the system comprising:

means for transmitting a unique identifier from a transceiver node in the broadband powerline communication system on a particular carrier frequency, the unique identifier identifying the transceiver node;

means for receiving an indication from a conflicting user that the unique identifier has been received by the conflicting user, the indication received at a particular time;

means for generating a schedule based on the particular time and the particular carrier frequency,

means for masking at the transceiver node the particular carrier frequency, based on the schedule,

wherein the conflicting user uses the particular carrier frequency used by the broadband powerline communication system and communicates using a non-broadband powerline communication system.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein transmitting the unique identifier comprises transmitting the unique identifier using a transmission technique that is used for transmitting the data.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the unique identifier identifies one transceiver node in the broadband powerline communication system.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the unique identifier identifies a plurality of transceiver nodes in the broadband powerline communication system.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the means for transmitting a unique identifier comprises means for transmitting the unique identifier periodically.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the means for transmitting a unique identifier comprises means for transmitting the unique identifier in response to receipt of a control instruction from a controller node.