APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING TIME BROADCASTING INFORMATION USING POWER LINE

• US 20120128080A1
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science
• Original Assignee: Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science
• Inventors: Woo, Sam Yong, Kwon, Taeg Yong, Kim, Young Beom, Kim, Myungsoo, Yang, Seong Hoon
• Granted Patent: US 8,761,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/257
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5416 by adding signals to the wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines

Abstract

In the present invention, time information is sent through a common power line in executing home automation devices or using various industrial equipments. In the power line broadcasting, a small amount of data, such as time information, is transmitted unidirectionally, and long-distance power line broadcasting can be possible using carriers of a low frequency band. time setting for various instruments is automatically performed in response to a power signal after a breakdown of electric current, making unnecessary a user'"'"'s action to perform the time setting, and the existing power line can be used without change.

Claims

1. A clock using a power line, comprising:

a power line 110 configured to send predetermined electric power;

time output means 120 configured to output a time information signal corresponding to time information;

signal combination means 130 connected between the power line 110 and the time output means 120 and configured to combine the output time information signal and a power signal of the power line 110;

a filter 140 connected to an end of the power line 110 and configured to extract the time information signal, having a predetermined frequency band, from the power line 110; and

time acquirement means 150 connected to the filter 140 and synchronized with the time information through a predetermined synchronization scheme on a basis of the extracted time information signal.

2. The clock according to claim 1, wherein the signal combination means 130 controls a coupling phase according to a communication quality factor of the power line 110 in order to minimize a distortion of the coupled time information signal.

3. The clock according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization scheme is used to send a time code for time synchronization at a certain interval and send a start signal for synchronization in synchronization with a start of the time code.

4. The clock according to claim 1, wherein the time acquirement means 150 maintains time using an internal local oscillator.

5. The clock according to claim 1, further comprising:

demodulation means 141 connected between the filter 140 and the time acquirement means 150 and configured to output the time information signal from which carrier signals have been removed;

decoding means 143 configured to decode the time information signal encoded; and

time display means 160 configured to display the time information signal acquired through the synchronization.

6. A method of transmitting time using a power line, the method comprising:

a step (S110) of time output means 120 outputting a time information signal so that the time information signal is combined with a power signal of the power line 110;

a step (S120) of signal combination means 130, connected between the power line 110 and the time output means 120, combining the output time information signal and the power signal of the power line 110;

a step (S130) of a filter 140, connected to an end of the power line 110, extracting the time information signal having a predetermined frequency band from the power line 110; and

a step (S140) of time acquirement means 150 connected to the filter 140 and synchronized with the time information through a predetermined synchronization scheme on a basis of the extracted time information signal.

7. An apparatus for transmitting time broadcasting information using a power line, the apparatus comprising:

a power line 210 for sending a predetermined power signal;

broadcasting signal generation means 220 for generating a time broadcasting signal by encoding at least one time broadcasting information of a year, a month, a day, an hour, a minute, and a second;

modulation means 230 for generating a modulation signal by modulating the time broadcasting signal into carriers; and

broadcasting signal combination means 240 for combining the modulation signal and the power signal.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the encoded time broadcasting information includes binary-coded decimal time codes, and

the time broadcasting signal includes pulse wave signals corresponding to 0 and 1 of the binary-coded decimal time codes, respectively, and a pulse wave signal for location recognition.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a zero-crossing detector 245 for providing a reference point of time for generation and modulation of the time broadcasting signal.

10. An apparatus for receiving time broadcasting information using a power line, the apparatus comprising:

a filter 250 for extracting a modulation signal, combined with a predetermined power signal, from a power line 210 for sending the power signal;

demodulation means 270 for demodulating a time broadcasting signal from the modulation signal; and

broadcasting information acquirement means 280 for acquiring at least one time broadcasting information of a year, a month, a day, an hour, a minute, and a second by decoding the demodulated time broadcasting signal.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a zero-crossing detector 255 for detecting a point of time of 0 V of the power signal and providing the demodulation means 270 with a reference point of time; and

an echo circuit 260 for repeatedly outputting the extracted modulation signal in a form of an identical pattern in order to facilitate pattern analysis.

12. A method of transmitting time broadcasting information using a power line, the method comprising:

a step (S210) of broadcasting signal generation means 220 encoding at least one time broadcasting information of a year, a month, a day, an hour, a minute, and a second;

a step (S220) of the broadcasting signal generation means 220 generating a time broadcasting signal on a basis of the encoded time broadcasting information;

a step (S230) of modulation means 230 generating a modulation signal by modulating the time broadcasting signal into carriers; and

a step (S240) of broadcasting signal combination means 240 combining the modulation signal and a power signal of a power line 210.

13. A method of receiving time broadcasting information using a power line, the method comprising:

a step (S250) of a filter 250, connected to the power line 210, extracting a modulation signal combined with a power signal of the power line 210;

a step (S260) of demodulation means 270 demodulating a time broadcasting signal from the modulation signal;

a step (S270) of broadcasting information acquirement means 280 decoding encoded time broadcasting information from the demodulated time broadcasting signal; and

a step (S280) of the broadcasting information acquirement means 280 acquiring the decoded time broadcasting information.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising a step (S255) of an echo circuit 260 repeatedly outputting the extracted modulation signal in order to facilitate pattern analysis, between the step (S250) of the filter 250 extracting the modulation signal and the step (S260) of the demodulation means 270 demodulating the time broadcasting signal.

15. An apparatus for transmitting time broadcasting information using a power line and a dual tone multi-frequency, the apparatus comprising:

a power line 310 for transferring a predetermined power signal;

broadcasting signal generation means 320 for encoding at least one time broadcasting information of a year, a month, a day, an hour, a minute, and a second, corresponding to a specific zero-crossing point of time of an AC signal which is the power signal, and generating a time broadcasting signal which is a synthesis signal of different frequencies of the dual tone multi-frequency so that the time broadcasting signal corresponds to the encoded time broadcasting information; and

broadcasting signal combination means 330 for combining the time broadcasting signal and the power signal.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the broadcasting signal generation means 320 comprises an encoder 321 for encoding the time broadcasting information.

17. An apparatus for receiving time broadcasting information using a power line and a dual tone multi-frequency, the apparatus comprising:

filtering means 350 connected to the power line 310 and configured to extract a time broadcasting signal which is a synthesis signal of different frequencies of the dual tone multi-frequency from the power line 310 and to separate the different frequencies into individual frequencies; and

broadcasting information acquirement means 360 configured to acquire decoded time broadcasting information by decoding the time broadcasting information on a basis of a combination of the separated individual frequencies.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the broadcasting information acquirement means 360 comprises a decoder 361 for decoding the time broadcasting information.

19. A method of transmitting time broadcasting information using a power line and a dual tone multi-frequency, the method comprising:

a step (S310) of broadcasting signal generation means 320 encoding at least one time broadcasting information of a year, a month, a day, an hour, a minute, and a second;

a step (S320) of the broadcasting signal generation means 320 generating a time broadcasting signal which is a synthesis signal of different frequencies of the dual tone multi-frequency so that the time broadcasting signal corresponds to the encoded time broadcasting information; and

a step (S330) of broadcasting signal combination means 330 combining the time broadcasting signal and a power signal of the power line 310.

20. A method of receiving time broadcasting information using a power line and a dual tone multi-frequency, the method comprising:

a step (S350) of filtering means 350, connected to the power line 310, extracting a time broadcasting signal which is a synthesis signal of different frequencies of the dual tone multi-frequency from the power line 310;

a step (S353) of the filtering means 350 separating the different frequencies of the time broadcasting signal into individual frequencies;

a step (S360) of broadcasting information acquirement means 360 decoding time broadcasting information on a basis of a combination of the separated individual frequencies; and

a step (S370) of the broadcasting information acquirement means 360 acquiring the decoded time broadcasting information.

21. An apparatus for transmitting time broadcasting information using a power line and a Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) modulation method for a dual tone frequency signal, the apparatus comprising:

a power line 410 for transferring a predetermined power signal;

broadcasting signal generation means 420 for receiving at least one time broadcasting information of a year, a month, a day, an hour, a minute, and a second, corresponding to a specific zero-crossing point of time of an AC signal which is the power signal, and encoding the received time broadcasting information into binary numbers;

broadcasting signal generation means 430 for generating a time broadcasting signal by performing the Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) modulation method for two different tone frequency signals so that the time broadcasting signal corresponds to the encoded time broadcasting information; and

broadcasting signal combination means 440 for combining the time broadcasting signal and the power signal.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the broadcasting signal generation means 430 comprises:

an oscillator 433 for oscillating the two different tone frequency signals; and

modulation means 431 for modulating the two different tone frequency signals so that the two different tone frequency signals correspond to the encoded time broadcasting information.

23. An apparatus for receiving time broadcasting information using a power line and a Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) modulation method for a dual tone frequency signal, the apparatus comprising:

a filter 450 for extracting a modulation signal, connected to a predetermined power signal and subjected to Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) modulation into two different tone frequency signals, from the power line 410 for sending the power signal;

demodulation means 470 for demodulating the two different tone frequency signals from the modulation signal; and

broadcasting information acquirement means 480 for acquiring at least one time broadcasting information of a year, a month, a day, an hour, a minute, and a second, corresponding to a specific zero-crossing point of time of an AC signal which is the power signal, by decoding the demodulated two different tone frequency signals.

24. A method of transmitting time broadcasting information using a power line and a Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) modulation method for a dual tone frequency signal, the method comprising:

a step (S410) of encoding means 420 encoding at least one time broadcasting information of a year, a month, a day, an hour, a minute, and a second, corresponding to a specific zero-crossing point of time of an AC signal which is a power signal of the power line 410, into binary numbers;

a step (S420) of broadcasting signal generation means 430 generating a time broadcasting signal by performing the Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) modulation method for a dual tone frequency signal so that the time broadcasting signal corresponds to the encoded time broadcasting information; and

a step (S430) of broadcasting signal combination means 440 combining the generated time broadcasting signal and the power signal.

25. A method of receiving time broadcasting information using a power line and a Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) modulation method for a dual tone frequency signal, the method comprising:

a step (S450) of a filter 450 extracting a modulation signal, connected to a predetermined power signal and subjected to Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) modulation into two different tone frequency signals, from the power line 410 for sending the power signal;

a step (S460) of demodulation means 470 demodulating the two different tone frequency signals from the modulation signal; and

a step (S470) of broadcasting information acquirement means 480 acquiring at least one time broadcasting information of a year, a month, a day, an hour, a minute, and a second, corresponding to a specific zero-crossing point of time of an AC signal which is the power signal, by decoding the demodulated two different tone frequency signals.