Apparatus, systems and methods for power line carrier data communication to DC powered electronic device

• US 9,319,103 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2014
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar UK Holdings Ltd (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Burton, David Robert, Ward, Martyn
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Omer S
• Application Number:
  US14/466,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20140361880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 340/13.23, 340/12.32, 340/13.37, 340/12.4, 340/5.61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/0001 using modification of a parameter of the network power signal
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/547 via DC power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/52 Outage or fault management, e.g. fault detection or location
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

Systems and methods are operable to communicate information to a direct current (DC) powered electronic device. An exemplary embodiment receives alternating current (AC) power with an AC information signal modulated thereon, converts the received AC power to DC power, demodulates the received AC information signal to determine information, modulates the information onto the transmitted DC power as a DC information signal, transmits the DC power with the DC information signal over a DC connector to the DC powered electronic device, detects the DC information signal on the modulated DC power at the DC powered electronic device, demodulates the DC information signal from the received DC power, and determines the information at the DC powered electronic device based upon the demodulated DC information.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a connector configured to electrically couple to a receptacle of an alternating current (AC) power wiring network,

wherein AC power available from the AC power wiring network is defined by an AC voltage and an AC current,

wherein the AC power is drawn from the AC power wiring network by the apparatus to provide DC power to an electronic device that is coupled to the apparatus, and

wherein the AC power includes an AC information signal modulated thereon as a modulation of the AC voltage;

an AC to DC power converter coupled to the connector, wherein the AC to DC power converter is configured to;

receive the AC power from the AC power wiring network;

convert the AC power into the DC power, wherein the DC power is defined by a DC voltage and a DC current; and

output the DC power onto a DC connector that couples the apparatus to the electronic device;

an AC modulator/demodulator communicatively coupled to the connector, wherein the AC modulator/demodulator is configured to;

detect the AC voltage of the received AC power;

demodulate the AC information signal to determine information, wherein the information is determined based on detected changes in the AC voltage that correspond to the AC information signal; and

output the determined information; and

a DC modulator/demodulator coupled to the AC modulator/demodulator and the DC connector, wherein the DC modulator/demodulator is configured to;

receive the information from the AC modulator/demodulator; and

modulate the received information into a DC information signal onto the DC power,

wherein the DC information signal comprises a series of first binary numbers and second binary numbers,

wherein each first binary number is defined by a pull up DC voltage, and

wherein each second binary number is defined by a pull down DC voltage,

wherein the pull up DC voltage increases the DC voltage that is output from the AC to DC power converter to a pull up DC voltage value,

wherein the pull down DC voltage decreases the DC voltage that is output from the AC to DC power converter to a pull down DC voltage value, and

wherein a difference between the pull up DC voltage value and the pull down DC voltage value corresponds to at least a predefined percentage change.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the AC information signal includes at least one of a plurality of unique identifiers, and wherein a first one of the plurality of unique identifiers is associated with the electronic device that is coupled to the apparatus, the apparatus further comprising:

a central processor unit (CPU) controllably coupled to the DC modulator/demodulator, wherein the CPU is configured to;

determine an identifier in the demodulated information, and

operate the DC modulator/demodulator so that the information is modulated into the DC information signal only when the identifier corresponds to the first one of the plurality of unique identifiers that is associated with the electronic device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the DC modulator/demodulator is not operated when the identifier corresponds to another of the plurality of unique identifiers.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a host device that is coupled to the AC power wiring network generates the AC information signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output DC voltage is defined with respect to a predefined nominal DC voltage, and wherein the difference between the pull up DC voltage value and the pull down DC voltage value corresponds to at least a predefined percentage change of the nominal DC voltage.

6. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the AC information signal modulated onto the AC power as a modulation of the AC voltage is first AC information,

wherein the information is first information defined by a first series of the first binary numbers and the second binary numbers,

wherein the DC modulator/demodulator is further configured to:

detect changes in the DC voltage that are caused by the electronic device that is coupled to the apparatus;

determine second information based on the detected changes in the DC voltage; and

output the determined second information to the AC modulator/demodulator, and

wherein the AC modulator/demodulator is further configured to;

receive the second information from the DC modulator/demodulator, and

modulate a second AC information signal onto the AC power by a modulation of the AC voltage.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein a host device that is coupled to the AC power wiring network generates the first AC information signal, and wherein the host device receives the second AC information that has been modulated onto the AC voltage.

8. The apparatus of claim 6,

wherein the electronic device is a first electronic device,

wherein a second electronic device is coupled to another apparatus and is configured to operate on DC power provided by the other apparatus,

wherein the other apparatus is coupled to the AC power wiring network,

wherein the other apparatus receives the second AC information that has been modulated onto the AC voltage, and

wherein the other apparatus communicates second information to the second electronic device that corresponds to the second AC information.

9. An electronic device configured to operate using direct current (DC) power defined by a DC voltage and a DC current, and configured to operate in accordance with first information received from a host electronic device, the electronic device comprising:

a DC power bus configured to electrically couple to a receptacle connector, wherein the receptacle connector provides the DC power that includes the first information modulated onto the DC voltage,

wherein the first information is defined by a first series of first binary numbers and second binary numbers,

wherein each first binary number is defined by a pull up DC voltage, and

wherein each second binary number is defined by a pull down DC voltage;

a DC modulator/demodulator coupled to the DC power bus, wherein the DC modulator/demodulator is configured to;

detect the DC voltage of the received DC power; and

output the first series of the first binary numbers and the second binary numbers based on detected changes in the DC voltage,

wherein a transition from the first binary number to the second binary number is determined when the detected change in the DC voltage corresponds to a percentage decrease in the DC voltage that is at least equal to a predefined percentage change, and

wherein a transition from the second binary number to the first binary number is determined when the detected change in the DC voltage corresponds to the percentage increase in the DC voltage that is at least equal to the predefined percentage change; and

a processor system communicatively coupled to the DC modulator/demodulator, wherein the processor system controls operation of the electronic device in accordance with the information defined by the series of the first binary numbers and the second binary numbers,

wherein the electronic device operates in accordance with the first information defined by the first series of the first binary numbers and the second binary numbers,

wherein the processor system is further configured to;

define second information as a second series of the first binary numbers and the second binary numbers, and

communicate the second series of the first binary numbers and the second binary numbers to the DC modulator/demodulator,

wherein the DC modulator/demodulator is further configured to;

modulate the received second information into a DC information signal onto the DC power by increasing the DC voltage by a pull up DC voltage value to represent the first binary number,

modulate the received second information into the DC information signal onto the DC power by decreasing the DC voltage by a pull down DC voltage value to represent the second binary number, and

wherein a difference between the pull up DC voltage value and the pull down DC voltage value corresponds to at least the predefined percentage change,

wherein the DC information signal is detected by the receptacle connector, and

wherein the second information is output by the receptacle connector onto an AC power wiring network.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the first information includes at least one of a plurality of unique identifiers, and wherein a first one of the plurality of unique identifiers is associated with the electronic device, wherein the processor system is further configured to:

determine the at least one identifier in the first information; and

operate the electronic device in accordance with the first information only when the identifier corresponds to the first one of the plurality of unique identifiers associated with the electronic device,

wherein the electronic device is not operated when the identifier corresponds to another of the plurality of unique identifiers.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the host electronic device receives the second information via the AC power wiring network.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising:

at least one component, wherein operation of the component is controllable based on the first series of the first binary numbers and the second binary numbers; and

a data bus communicatively coupled to the DC modulator/demodulator and the at least one component,

wherein the data bus is configured to communicate the first series of the first binary numbers and the second binary numbers to the at least one component, and wherein the at least one component operates in accordance with the first series of the first binary numbers and the second binary numbers.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising:

a media content stream interface configured to receive a media content stream that has at least one media content event therein; and

a presentation device interface communicatively coupled to the media content stream interface and a media presentation device,

wherein the media content event received in the media content stream is communicated to the media presentation device via the presentation device interface for presentation to a user, and

wherein presentation of the media content event is controlled by the first information.

14. A communication system that communicates information over an alternate current (AC) power wiring network to a plurality of direct current (DC) powered client devices coupled to the AC power wiring network via a power receptacle, the communication system comprising:

a host device, comprising;

a power module configured to receive alternating current (AC) power from the AC power wiring network via an AC power connector, wherein the AC power is defined by an AC voltage and an AC current;

a processor system configured to define information as a series of first binary numbers and second binary numbers, wherein the information is configured to control operation of at least one of the plurality of DC powered client devices; and

a DC modulator/demodulator coupled to the processor system and the AC power connector, wherein the DC modulator/demodulator is configured to;

receive the information from the processor system; and

modulate the AC voltage by adding an AC information signal onto the AC voltage;

wherein the AC information signal corresponds the series of the first binary numbers and the second binary numbers of the received information,

wherein each first binary number corresponds to an increase in the AC voltage, and

wherein each second binary number corresponds to a decrease in the AC voltage,

a plurality of power receptacles, wherein each power receptacle is coupled to one of the plurality of DC powered client devices and comprises;

a connector configured to electrically couple to a receptacle of the alternating current (AC) power wiring network, wherein the AC power is drawn from the AC power wiring network by the apparatus to provide DC power to the respective DC powered client device that is coupled to the power receptacle;

an AC to DC power converter coupled to the connector, wherein the AC to DC power converter is configured to;

receive the AC power from the AC power wiring network;

convert the AC power into the DC power, wherein the DC power is defined by a DC voltage and a DC current; and

output the DC power onto a DC connector that couples the power receptacle to the respective DC powered client device;

an AC modulator/demodulator communicatively coupled to the connector, wherein the AC modulator/demodulator is configured to;

detect the AC voltage of the received AC power;

demodulate the AC information signal to determine information, wherein the information is determined based on detected changes in the AC voltage that corresponds to the AC information signal; and

output the determined information; and

a DC modulator/demodulator coupled to the AC modulator/demodulator and the DC connector, wherein the DC modulator/demodulator is configured to;

receive the information from the AC modulator/demodulator; and

modulate the received information into a DC information signal onto the DC power,

wherein the DC information signal comprises the series of the first binary numbers and the second binary numbers,

wherein each first binary number is defined by a pull up DC voltage, and

wherein each second binary number is defined by a pull down DC voltage,

wherein the pull up DC voltage increases the DC voltage that is output from the AC to DC power converter to a pull up DC voltage value,

wherein the pull down DC voltage decreases the DC voltage that is output from the AC to DC power converter to a pull down DC voltage value, and

wherein a difference between the pull up DC voltage value and the pull down DC voltage value corresponds to at least a predefined percentage change; and

the plurality of DC powered client devices, wherein the plurality of DC powered client devices may receive the DC information signal from the respective power receptacle that it is coupled to.

15. The communication system of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of DC powered client devices further comprises:

a DC power bus configured to electrically couple to the respective power receptacle connector;

a DC modulator/demodulator coupled to the DC power bus, wherein the DC modulator/demodulator is configured to;

detect the DC voltage of the received DC power; and

output the series of the first binary numbers and the second binary numbers based on detected changes in the DC voltage,

wherein a transition from the first binary number to the second binary number is determined when the detected change in the DC voltage corresponds to a percentage decrease in the DC voltage that is at least equal to a predefined percentage change, and

wherein a transition from the second binary number to the first binary number is determined when the detected change in the DC voltage corresponds to a percentage increase in the DC voltage that is at least equal to the predefined percentage change,

wherein the DC powered client device operates in accordance with information defined by the series of the first binary numbers and the second binary numbers.

16. The communication system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the plurality of DC powered client devices further comprises:

a media content stream interface configured to receive a media content stream that has at least one media content event therein; and

a presentation device interface communicatively coupled to the media content stream interface and a media presentation device,

wherein the media content event received in the media content stream is communicated to the media presentation device via the presentation device interface for presentation to a user, and

wherein presentation of the media content event is controlled by the information.

17. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the AC information signal includes at least one of a plurality of unique identifiers, and wherein a first one of the plurality of unique identifiers is associated with one of the plurality of DC powered client devices, each of the power receptacles further comprising:

a central processor unit (CPU) controllably coupled to the DC modulator/demodulator, wherein the CPU is configured to;

determine the identifier in the demodulated information, and

operate the DC modulator/demodulator so that the information is modulated into the DC information signal only when the identifier corresponds to the first one of the plurality of unique identifiers that is associated with the electronic device.