Power line communication without line couplers

• US 9,419,823 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Borisov, Vladimir, Chiummiento, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Warmflash, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/830,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20140269953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 307/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0272 Arrangements for coupling to multiple lines, e.g. for differential transmission

Abstract

A disclosed PLC system includes a PLC modem electrically connected to a transmission medium that transmits or carries medium or high voltage without electrical isolation. The PLC system further includes a voltage divider that draws power from the transmission medium to the PLC modem, thereby eliminating a need of a separate power source for operating the PLC modem. Since the PLC modem is electrically connected to the transmission, the PLC modem or communication connections of the PLC modem may be located at a same potential level as the transmission medium and thus the PLC modem does not see a surge during a surge event occurs in the transmission medium. Therefore, the disclosed PLC system eliminates the use of a line coupler and a surge protection component for providing high-voltage isolation and surge protection to the PLC modem.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a power line communication (PLC) modem electrically connected to a transmission medium configured to transmit a medium or high voltage, a voltage divider electrically connected to the transmission medium and configured to receive medium or high voltage power from the transmission medium and deliver power to the PLC modem;

wherein the PLC modem is electrically connected to the transmission medium without a line coupler, and

wherein the PLC modem is electrically connected to the transmission medium without electrical isolation between the PLC modem and the transmission medium.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the PLC modem is ungrounded and is allowed to float at a voltage of the transmission medium.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the power delivered to the PLC modem by the a voltage divider is DC (direct current) power.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the voltage divider comprises an AC/DC (alternating current/direct current) voltage divider, a solid state distribution transformer, a solid state power supply, an offline power supply or a magnetic harvester.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein the voltage divider draws medium or high voltage AC power from the transmission medium and delivers DC power to the PLC modem.

6. The system as recited in claim 3, further comprising a current/voltage limiting component that is in series with the voltage divider, the current/voltage limiting component minimizing a voltage exposed to the voltage divider when a surge occurs on the transmission medium.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein a resistance of the current/voltage limiting component is chosen to enable a surge current that will pass through the voltage divider during the surge to be manageable by an internal protection component associated with the voltage divider for a given surge current magnitude.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the internal protection component comprises a plurality of transient-voltage-suppression diodes.

9. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein a first end of the current/voltage limiting component is connected to a first end of the voltage divider, a second end of the current/voltage limiting component is connected to a neutral potential, and a second end of the voltage divider is connected to the transmission medium.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein voltage potentials of the PLC modem and the transmission medium correspond to two points on a same equipotential line.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the PLC modem is configured to transmit or receive signals over the transmission medium.

12. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the PLC modem is configured to inject a high frequency signaling current into the transmission medium.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the PLC modem injects the high frequency signaling current into a length of wire to induce a signaling voltage.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the signaling voltage is applied to the transmission medium in series.

15. A device comprising:

a power line communication (PLC) modem configured to transmit or receive signals over a transmission medium configured to transmit a medium or high voltage, the PLC modem being connected to the transmission medium without a line coupler, the PLC modem being galvanically connected to the transmission medium without electrical isolation between the PLC modem and the transmission medium for high voltage isolation and surge protection; and

a voltage divider connected to the transmission medium and configured to receive medium or high voltage AC (alternating current) power from the transmission medium and deliver DC (direct current) power to the PLC modem.

16. The device as recited in claim 15, wherein the voltage divider comprises an AC/DC voltage divider, a solid state distribution transformer, a solid state power supply, an offline power supply or a magnetic harvester.

17. The device as recited in claim 15, wherein communication connections of the PLC modem are at a same voltage potential as the transmission medium.

18. A method comprising:

electrically connecting communication connections of a power line communication (PLC) modem to a transmission medium configured to transmit a medium or high voltage without grounding the PLC modem, the PLC modem being connected to the transmission medium without a line coupler, the PLC modem being directly electrically connected to the transmission medium without electrical isolation between the PLC modem and the transmission medium; and

connecting a voltage divider to the transmission medium to deliver power from the transmission medium to the PLC modem.