Universal PLC radio frequency enhanced bridge

• US 20030100288A1
• Filed: 11/29/2001
• Published: 05/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Ross, John Anderson Fergus, Hershey, John Erik, Hartman, Michael James, Evans, Scott Charles, Hoctor, Ralph Thomas, Tomlinson, Harold Woodruff Jr., Davenport, David Michael
• Application Number:
  US09/683,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20030100288A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/402
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5454 Adapter and plugs
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

A dual transceiver enhanced bridge is provided for wirelessly radio frequency (RF) broadcasting messages received on a power line communication system. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge includes a power line carrier (PLC) modem connected to the power line by a connecting plug. The PLC modem is connected to a memory unit. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge also comprises an RF modem connected to the memory unit. A controller is connected to the PLC modem, the RF modem, and the memory unit to control transmission of messages from the connected devices.

Claims

1. A dual transceiver enhanced bridge for communicating messages between a radio frequency (RF) communication system and a power line communication (PLC) system, the dual transceiver enhanced bridge comprising:

a PLC modem connected to a power line, the messages being transmitted on and received from the power line using the PLC modem on the PLC communication system;

a memory unit connected to the PLC modem for storing the messages that are transmitted on and received from the power line;

an RF modem connected to the memory unit, the messages being transmitted on and received from the RF modem on the RF communication system; and

a controller connected to the PLC modem, the RF modem, and the memory unit, the controller controlling the transmission and reception of the messages by the RF modem and the PLC modem.

2. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 1 wherein the PLC modem is connected to the power line by a connecting plug.

3. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 1 wherein the PLC modem transmits the messages using harmonic modulation (HM) signaling.

4. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 1 wherein the PLC modem comprises a programmable level 1 protocol stack.

5. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 1 wherein the RF modem transmits the messages using ultra wideband (UWB) signaling

6. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 1 wherein the RF modem transmits the messages using a wireless point to multipoint application.

7. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 6 wherein the wireless point to multipoint application comprises Bluetooth.

8. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 1 wherein the RF modem comprises a programmable level 1 protocol stack.

9. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 1 wherein the controller implements protocol stack functions that are above level 1.

10. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 1 wherein the RF communication system comprises a plurality of RF transmitting and receiving units that communicate messages with the RF modem.

11. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 10 wherein the RF modem comprises an antenna for transmitting and receiving the messages to and from the plurality of RF transmitting and receiving units.

12. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 10 wherein the RF modem further comprises a memory device for storing messages received from and transmitted to the plurality of RF transmitting and receiving units via the RF communication system.

13. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 1 further comprising a power source connected to the power line for powering the dual transceiver enhanced bridge.

14. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 1 wherein the PLC modem further comprises a memory device for storing messages received from and transmitted over the power line via the PLC system.

15. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 1 wherein the RF modem further comprises a memory device for storing messages received from and transmitted via the RF communication system.

16. A dual transceiver enhanced bridge for communicating RF messages from a radio frequency (RF) communication system including a plurality of RF transmitting and receiving units and power line communication (PLC) messages from a power line communication (PLC) system, the dual transceiver enhanced bridge comprising:

a PLC modem connected to a power line, the PLC messages being transmitted on and received from the power line using the PLC modem on the PLC communication system wherein PLC modem converts PLC messages received from the power line to predetermined format messages;

an RF modem connected to the PLC modem, the RF modem converts RF messages received from the plurality of RF transmitting and receiving units on the RF communication system wherein the RF modem converts the RF messages to predetermined format message, the PLC modem converts predetermined format messages received from the RF modem to PLC messages before transmission over the power line and the RF modem converts the predetermined format messages received from the PLC modem to RF messages before transmission over the RF communication system;

a memory unit connected between the PLC modem and the RF modem, the memory unit storing predetermined format messages received from the PLC modem and the RF modem;

a controller connected to the PLC modem, the RF modem, and the memory unit,

the controller controlling the transfer the predetermined format messages between the memory unit to the RF modem and the PLC modem.

17. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 16 wherein the PLC modem is connected to the power line by a connecting plug.

18. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 16 wherein the PLC modem transmits the PLC messages using harmonic modulation (HM) signaling.

19. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 16 wherein the PLC modem comprises a programmable level 1 protocol stack.

20. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 16 wherein the RF modem transmits the RF messages using ultra wideband (UWB) signaling.

21. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 16 wherein the RF modem transmits the messages using a wireless point to multipoint application.

22. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 21 wherein the wireless point to multipoint application comprises Bluetooth.

23. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 16 wherein the RF modem comprises a programmable level 1 protocol stack.

24. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 16 wherein the controller implements protocol stack functions that are above level 1.

25. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 16 wherein the RF modem comprises an antenna for transmitting and receiving the RF messages.

26. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 16 further comprising a power source connected to the power line for powering the dual transceiver enhanced bridge.

27. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 16 wherein the PLC modem further comprises a memory device for storing PLC messages and predetermined format messages.

28. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 16 wherein the RF modem further comprises a memory device for storing RF messages and predetermined format messages.

29. The dual transceiver enhanced bridge of claim 16 wherein the predetermined format messages comprise baseband messages.

30. A method for communicating RF messages from a radio frequency (RF) communication system including a plurality of RF transmitting and receiving units and power line communication (PLC) messages from a power line communication (PLC) system, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting a PLC modem connected to a power line;

receiving at the PLC modem PLC messages from the power line via the PLC system;

converting the PLC messages received from the PLC communication system to predetermined format messages using the PLC modem;

storing the predetermined format messages in a memory device;

receiving RF messages at the RF modem from the plurality of transmitting and receiving units via the RF communication system;

converting the RF messages received from the plurality of transmitting and receiving units via the RF communication system to predetermined format messages using the RF modem;

storing the predetermined format messages in the memory device;

using the RF modem to convert the predetermined format messages provided by the PLC modem wherein the predetermined format messages are converted to RF messages;

transmitting the converted RF messages to at least one of the plurality of RF transmitting and receiving units using the RF modem;

using the PLC modem to convert the predetermined format messages provided from the RF modem wherein the predetermined format messages are converted to PLC messages; and

transmitting the converted PLC messages over the power line using the PLC modem.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the predetermined format messages comprise baseband messages.

32. A method for exchanging power line communication (PLC) messages from a power line communication (PLC) system and radio frequency (RF) messages from a radio frequency (RF) communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

using a PLC modem to receive the PLC messages from a power line connected to the PLC system;

storing the PLC messages in a memory unit;

reading the PLC messages out of the memory unit into an RF modem;

transmitting the PLC messages over the RF communications system using the RF modem;

using the RF modem to receive RF messages from the RF communications system;

storing the RF messages in the memory unit;

reading the RF messages out of the memory unit into the PLC modem; and

transmitting the RF messages over the power line of the PLC communication system using the PLC modem.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the step of transmitting the PLC messages using the PLC modem uses harmonic modulation (HM) signaling.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the step of transmitting the RF messages using the RF modem uses ultra wideband (UWB) signaling.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein the step of transmitting the RF messages using the RF modem uses a wireless point to multipoint application.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the wireless point to multipoint application comprises Bluetooth.