Wi-Fi/BPL dual mode repeaters for power line networks

• US 8,780,901 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2010
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Au, Alan K., Barzegar, Farhad, Dolan, Edward J., Gerszberg, Irwin, Okoro, Jeremiah A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, PRENELL P
• Application Number:
  US12/942,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20110058614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/74 for increasing reliability, e.g. using redundant or spare channels or apparatus replacing by standby devices for amplifiers H03F1/52, H03F1/542
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/46 Monitoring; Testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/58 Repeater circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error

Abstract

A method and apparatus for maintaining network connectivity over power lines is disclosed. Such network connectivity is maintained even if various customers are covered by different power line networks or if one or more power lines in a network are unavailable to transmit data. More particularly, in order to bridge a gap in a power line network, one or more messages are extracted from a first node in a power line network and are then transmitted to a second node via free space transmission, illustratively wireless radio frequency (RF) transmission conforming to one or more of the 802.11a, b or g standards. When those messages are received at the second node, the message is injected back into the power line on the other side of a gap in power line coverage. This method of transmission backup will continue until power line connectivity is restore upon which the preferred method will be selected and used.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting information over a power line network comprising:

transmitting a message over a first power line segment;

detecting an interruption in the power line network;

performing a cost comparison between wireless transmission of the message and wired transmission of the message in response to detection of the interruption in the power line network; and

transmitting the message via wireless transmission to a second power line segment in response to the cost comparison indicating that a cost of the wired transmission is greater than a cost of the wireless transmission.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the message via wired transmission to the second power line segment in response to the cost comparison indicating that the cost of wired transmission is less than the cost of wireless transmission.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein performing the cost comparison comprises:

determining whether wireless transmission of the message or wired transmission of the message provides higher data throughput.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein performing the cost comparison comprises:

comparing data transmission errors via wireless transmission of the message and data transmission errors via wired transmission of the message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting an interruption in the power line network comprises:

detecting a break in data transmission between the first power line segment and the second power line segment.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first power line segment comprises a first radio transceiver and the second power line segment comprises a second radio transceiver.

7. A power line network comprising:

means for transmitting a message over a first power line segment;

means for detecting an interruption in the power line network;

means for performing a cost comparison between wireless transmission of the message and wired transmission of the message in response to detection of the interruption in the power line network; and

means for transmitting the message via wireless transmission to a second power line segment in response to the cost comparison indicating that a cost of the wired transmission is greater than a cost of the wireless transmission.

8. The power line network of claim 7, further comprising:

means for transmitting the message via wired transmission to the second power line segment in response to the cost comparison indicating that the cost of wired transmission is less than the cost of wireless transmission.

9. The power line network of claim 7 wherein the means for performing the cost comparison comprises:

means for determining whether wireless transmission of the message or wired transmission of the message provides higher data throughput.

10. The power line network of claim 7 wherein the means for performing the cost comparison comprises:

means for comparing data transmission errors via wireless transmission of the message and data transmission errors via wired transmission of the message.

11. The power line network of claim 7 wherein the means for detecting an interruption in the power line network comprises:

means for detecting a break in data transmission between the first power line segment and the second power line segment.

12. The power line network of claim 7 wherein the first power line segment comprises a first radio transceiver and the second power line segment comprises a second radio transceiver.

13. A method for transmitting information over a power line network comprising:

detecting an interruption in the power line network by detecting a break in data transmission between a first power line segment and a second power line segment;

performing a cost comparison between wireless transmission of a message over the first power line segment and wired transmission of the message;

transmitting the message via wireless transmission to the second power line segment in response to the cost comparison indicating that a cost of the wired transmission is greater than a cost of the wireless transmission.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting the message via wired transmission to the second power line segment in response to the cost comparison indicating that the cost of wired transmission is less than the cost of wireless transmission.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein performing the cost comparison comprises:

determining whether wireless transmission of the message or wired transmission of the message provides higher data throughput.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein performing the cost comparison comprises:

comparing data transmission errors via wireless transmission of the message and data transmission errors via wired transmission of the message.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the first power line segment comprises a first radio transceiver and the second power line segment comprises a second radio transceiver.