Transmission of power and data with frequency modulation

• US 8,427,300 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WTEC GmbH
• Original Assignee: Redwood Systems, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Covaro, Mark, Leonard, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US12/389,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20100214082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 340/12.35, 340/12.32, 340/12.37, 340/3.1, 340/310.11, 340/310.16, 340/506, 340/532, 340/538
• US Class Current: 340/538
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/16 in which transmission is by pulses
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 7/08 Duration or width modulation ; Duty cycle modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 14/026 using pulse time characteristics modulation, e.g. width, position, interval
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5416 by adding signals to the wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• 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: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission

Abstract

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a circuit coupled to a line, where the circuit may power a device, and where the power is transmitted to the device over the line as a pulse-width modulated signal. The circuit may set a duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal in order to transmit a determined power level to the device. The apparatus may vary a frequency of the pulse-width modulated signal to transmit data to the device while the duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal is fixed in order to continue to transmit the determined power level to the device. A variation in the frequency of the pulse-width modulated signal may be detectable by the device and represents at least a portion of the data.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a circuit coupled to a line, wherein the circuit is configured to:

power a device by transmitting the power over the line as a pulse-width modulated signal;

set a duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal in order to transmit a determined power level to the device; and

vary a frequency of the pulse-width modulated signal as a function of data while the duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal is fixed to continue to transmit the power at the determined power level to the device, wherein a variation in the frequency of the pulse-width modulated signal represents at least a portion of the data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the line is twisted-pair.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device is a lighting device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuit is further configured to receive information from the device over the line, wherein the information is based on a detected modification of an impedance of a load coupled to the line.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the circuit includes a hysteretic power converter, the hysteretic power converter has an operating frequency, and the detected modification of the impedance on the line is determined from a detected change in the operating frequency.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuit is further configured to:

vary the frequency of the pulse-width modulated signal to transmit a request to the device to cycle through a set of impedance settings to modulate an operating frequency of a power converter included in the circuit; and

detect a plurality of modulated operating frequencies of a power converter in response to the request, wherein each one of the modulated operating frequencies corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of binary encoded values.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to frequency-shift key the pulse-width signal to vary the frequency of the pulse-width modulated signal.

8. An apparatus comprising a circuit coupled to a line, wherein the circuit is configured to:

receive power over the line as a pulse-width modulated signal having a determined duty cycle, wherein the pulse-width modulated signal powers the apparatus; and

detect data in the pulse-width modulated signal, wherein the pulse-width modulated signal has the determined duty cycle but has different ones of a plurality of frequencies over time, and each one of the frequencies corresponds to a portion of the data.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein each one of the frequencies corresponds to a binary encoded value.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the circuit is further configured to alter the impedance in the line to transmit information over the line.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the circuit comprises a processor, a switch, and a capacitive element, and wherein the processor, to alter the impedance in the line, is configured to activate the switch to connect the capacitive element between two conductors, the line comprising the two conductors.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the circuit is further configured to alter the impedance in the line to any one of n different impedances, and each one of the n different impedances correspond to a respective one of a plurality of binary encoded values.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the circuit comprises a processor, a first switch, a first capacitive element, a second switch, and a second capacitive element, wherein the processor, to alter the impedance in the line, is configured to activate at least one of the first switch and the second switch, wherein the first switch and the first capacitive element are connected in series between two conductors of the line, and wherein the second switch and the second capacitive element are also connected in series between the two conductors of the line.

14. A method comprising:

powering a device by transmitting power to the device in a form of a pulse-width modulated signal;

maintaining a duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal to transmit a determined power level to the device; and

transmitting data to the device by frequency-shift keying the pulse-width modulated signal while maintaining a constant duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal, wherein a variation in the frequency of the pulse-width modulated signal is detectable by the device and represents at least a portion of the data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein frequency-shift keying the pulse-width modulated signal includes setting the frequency of the pulse-width modulated signal to at least one of a plurality of frequencies.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising encoding the data into a plurality of n-bit segments, wherein each one of the n-bit segments is represented by a respective one of the frequencies.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting the power to the device includes transmitting the power to the device over a single line.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving information from the device over the line, wherein receiving the information includes detecting a modification of impedance of the device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein detecting the modification of impedance of the device includes detecting a change in an operating frequency of a power converter.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising increasing power above the determined power level to fully power the device with an increased duty cycle, wherein the determined power level powers a processor included in the device.

21. A system comprising:

a control device;

a load device, wherein the control device is electrically coupled to the load device over a line, the control device powers the load device, and the load device is configured to;

receive power over the line from the control device; and

alter impedance of the load device to transmit information to the control device, wherein the control device includes a power converter and the control device detects a change in an operating frequency of the power converter to receive the information.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the control device is configured to:

transmit the power to the load device over the line as a pulse-width modulated signal, wherein the pulse-width modulated signal has a duty cycle and delivers a determined power level to the load device; and

vary a frequency of the pulse-width modulated signal to transmit data to the load device while the duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal remains unchanged, wherein a variation in the frequency of the pulse-width modulated signal is detectable by the device and represents at least a portion of the data.