Signal feedback circuit in power-line-communication systems
First Claim
1. A power-line-communication (PLC) apparatus for data communication over power lines in a power-line communication system between a PLC collector circuit and its power-line-coupled endpoint circuits that measure power consumption at remotely-located facilities, the apparatus comprising:
- a data-coupling circuit configured and arranged to communicatively couple data to the power lines for transmission to the PLC collector circuit, the data-coupling circuit including a DC-isolation circuit configured and arranged to isolate circuitry in the data-coupling circuit relative to the power lines; and
a feedback circuit connected to the DC-isolation circuit including a power-tap circuit, on an isolated circuitry side of the DC-isolation circuit, the power-tap circuit configured and arranged to provide a feedback signal indicative of an estimate of at least one of power, current and voltage being coupled from the data-coupling circuit through the DC-isolation circuit and to the power lines.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus is provided for data communication over power lines in a PLC system. The apparatus includes a data-coupling circuit configured to provide data to the power lines for transmission. The data-coupling circuit includes a DC-isolation circuit configured to isolate circuitry of the data-coupling circuit from the power lines. The apparatus also includes a feedback circuit connected to the DC-isolation circuit. The feedback circuit has a power-tap circuit on an endpoint side of the feedback circuit. The power-tap circuit is configured to provide a feedback signal indicative of an estimate of an amount of power, current, and/or voltage provided from the data-coupling circuit through the DC-isolation circuit and to the power lines. Based on the feedback the signal, the strength of a transmitted may be adjusted (e.g., to maintain constant signal strength).
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A power-line-communication (PLC) apparatus for data communication over power lines in a power-line communication system between a PLC collector circuit and its power-line-coupled endpoint circuits that measure power consumption at remotely-located facilities, the apparatus comprising:
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a data-coupling circuit configured and arranged to communicatively couple data to the power lines for transmission to the PLC collector circuit, the data-coupling circuit including a DC-isolation circuit configured and arranged to isolate circuitry in the data-coupling circuit relative to the power lines; and a feedback circuit connected to the DC-isolation circuit including a power-tap circuit, on an isolated circuitry side of the DC-isolation circuit, the power-tap circuit configured and arranged to provide a feedback signal indicative of an estimate of at least one of power, current and voltage being coupled from the data-coupling circuit through the DC-isolation circuit and to the power lines. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system comprising:
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a power-line-communication (PLC) collector circuit; one or more endpoint circuits configured and arranged to transmit data symbols over a plurality of data channels by data communication over power lines connected between the PLC collector circuit and said one or more endpoint circuits; and for each of the one or more endpoint circuits, a respective signal-processing circuit communicatively connected to or forming part of said one or more endpoint circuits, the signal-processing circuit including a data-coupling circuit configured and arranged to provide a data signal from the endpoint to the power lines for transmission to the PLC collector circuit, the data-coupling circuit including a DC-isolation circuit configured and arranged to isolate circuitry of the data-coupling circuit relative to the power lines; a feedback circuit connected to the DC-isolation circuit including a power-tap circuit, on the isolated circuitry side thereof, configured and arranged to characterize or estimate a power parameter applied to the power lines; and the feedback circuit including a current-feedback or voltage-feedback circuit configured and arranged to provide a feedback signal that estimates current being coupled from the data-coupling circuit to the power lines. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A method for power-line-communication (PLC) of data over power lines between a PLC collector circuit and its power-line-coupled endpoint circuits that measure power consumption at remotely-located facilities, the method comprising:
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providing a data-sending circuit including a DC-isolation data-coupling circuit configured to isolate circuitry of data-coupling circuitry relative to the power lines and including a feedback circuit having a current-feedback circuit or a voltage-feedback circuit configured for tapping or shunting power; and using the current-feedback circuit and the voltage-feedback circuit to estimate or indicate at least one of an amount of current being coupled from the data-coupling circuit through the DC-isolation data-coupling circuit and to the power lines, and an amount of voltage applied from the data-coupling circuit through the DC-isolation data-coupling circuit and to the power lines. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification