Compensating for dynamic nulls in a power line communication system

• US 20050085211A1
• Filed: 10/15/2003
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Security Incorporated (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Marman, Douglas H., Welles, Kenneth Brakeley II
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/402
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5425 improving S/N by matching impedance, noise reduction, gain control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines

Abstract

There is provided a method of facilitating communication in an electrical power network having a complex impedance. The method includes modifying the complex impedance, and determining whether the modifying affected a quality of the communication.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating communication in an electrical power network having a complex impedance, comprising:

modifying said complex impedance; and

determining whether said modifying affected a quality of said communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying alters a characteristic of a null in said electrical power network.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein said communication is conducted in a signal frequency band, and

wherein said modifying improves said quality in said signal frequency band.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying is performed in response to a determination that said quality is below an acceptable threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein and said modifying and said determining are repeated for a plurality of values for said complex impedance, and wherein said method further comprises determining which of said plurality of values yields a best level for said quality.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said method is employed by a device selected from the group consisting of a transmitter, a receiver, and a transceiver.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said method is employed by a transceiver that failed to receive an acknowledgement of a message that said transceiver previously transmitted over said electrical power network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said quality is gauged by a bit error rate of said communication.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said quality is gauged by whether said communication is acknowledged by a receiver coupled to said electrical power network.

10. A method of facilitating communication in an electrical power network having a complex impedance, comprising:

determining a quality of communication in said electrical power network; and

modifying said complex impedance if said quality is below an acceptable threshold.

11. A method of facilitating communication in an electrical power network having a complex impedance, comprising:

transmitting information via said electrical power network;

modifying said complex impedance; and

retransmitting said information via said electrical power network.

12. An apparatus for facilitating communication in an electrical power network having a complex impedance, comprising:

a circuit for modifying said complex impedance; and

a processor for determining whether said modifying affected a quality of said communication.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said modifying alters a characteristic of a null in said electrical power network.

14. The apparatus of claim 12,

wherein said communication is conducted in a signal frequency band, and

wherein said modifying improves said quality in said signal frequency band.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said modifying is performed in response to a determination that said quality is below an acceptable threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein and said modifying and said determining are repeated for a plurality of values for said complex impedance, and wherein said processor further comprises a module for determining which of said plurality of values yields a best level for said quality.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said apparatus is employed by device selected from the group consisting of a transmitter, a receiver, and a transceiver.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said apparatus is employed by a transceiver that failed to receive an acknowledgement of a message that said transceiver previously transmitted over said electrical power network.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said quality is gauged by a bit error rate of said communication.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said quality is gauged by whether said communication is acknowledged by a receiver coupled to said electrical power network.

21. A processor for facilitating communication in an electrical power network having a complex impedance, comprising:

a module for determining a quality of communication in said electrical power network; and

a module for controlling a circuit to modify said complex impedance if said quality is below an acceptable threshold.

22. A processor for facilitating communication in an electrical power network having a complex impedance, comprising:

a module for advising a transmitter to transmit information via said electrical power network;

a module for controlling a circuit to modify said complex impedance; and

a module for advising said transmitter to retransmit said information.

23. A storage medium that contains instructions for controlling a processor for facilitating communication in an electrical power network having a complex impedance, comprising:

instructions for controlling said processor to determine a quality of communication in said electrical power network; and

instructions for controlling said processor to control a circuit to modify said complex impedance if said quality is below an acceptable threshold.

24. A storage medium that contains instructions for controlling a processor for facilitating communication in an electrical power network having a complex impedance, comprising:

instructions for controlling said processor to advise a transmitter to transmit information via said electrical power network;

instructions for controlling said processor to control a circuit to modify said complex impedance; and

instructions for controlling said processor to advise said transmitter to retransmit said information.