Surface wave power line communications system and method
First Claim
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1. A system for providing communications for user devices via a medium voltage power line, comprising:
- a backhaul device including a network transceiver and a power line transceiver;
a first communication assembly including a first medium voltage communication assembly and a first communication device, said first communication device including a first downstream transceiver;
said first medium voltage communication assembly configured for bi-directional wireless communications with said first communication device and being mounted to the medium voltage power line for communicating surface wave communications over the medium voltage power line;
wherein said power line transceiver is in communication with said first communication assembly, at least in part, via surface wave transmissions traversing the medium voltage power line; and
wherein said first downstream transceiver is in communication with at least one user device.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a system for operating a power line communications system that employs surface wave communications and conducted communications. The system is comprised of a plurality of network elements, which may take the form of repeaters, communication interface devices, backhaul devices, medium voltage transducers, distribution points, aggregation points, and others. In one embodiment, surface waves are communicated over the medium voltage power lines and the conducted communications are communicated via the low voltage power lines to and from customer premises.
681 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system for providing communications for user devices via a medium voltage power line, comprising:
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a backhaul device including a network transceiver and a power line transceiver; a first communication assembly including a first medium voltage communication assembly and a first communication device, said first communication device including a first downstream transceiver; said first medium voltage communication assembly configured for bi-directional wireless communications with said first communication device and being mounted to the medium voltage power line for communicating surface wave communications over the medium voltage power line; wherein said power line transceiver is in communication with said first communication assembly, at least in part, via surface wave transmissions traversing the medium voltage power line; and wherein said first downstream transceiver is in communication with at least one user device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A communications device for providing communications via a medium voltage power line, comprising:
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a downstream transceiver configured to communicate with one or more user devices; an upstream transceiver in communication with said downstream transceiver and configured to provide surface wave communications over the power line; a power line transducer providing a wireless communication link between said upstream transceiver and the medium voltage power line; and said power line transducer comprising a wave communicator configured to communicate surface wave transmissions on the medium voltage power line and an antenna in communication with said wave communicator and configured to wirelessly communicate with said upstream transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method providing communications over power lines, comprising:
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receiving first data from a user device at a first communications device; wirelessly communicating the first data to a first medium voltage power line device of the first communications device; transmitting the first data via a first surface wave transmission along a medium voltage power line from the first device; receiving the first data of the first surface wave transmission at a second device; wirelessly communicating the first data from the medium voltage power line at the second device; and transmitting the first data over a backhaul link from the second device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification