US2007076505A1PendingUtilityA1

Power Line Communications Device and Method of Use

43
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Oct 26, 2004Filed: Dec 8, 2006Published: Apr 5, 2007
Est. expiryOct 26, 2024(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:William O. RadtkeKevin Barrett
H04J 14/0227H04J 14/0282H04J 14/0252H04J 14/025H04B 3/58H04L 27/2601H04J 14/0246H04J 14/0226H04J 14/028H04J 14/0247H04J 14/0232H04J 14/0283
43
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Claims

Abstract

A method of providing communications over a medium voltage power line having a plurality of segments is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of determining a first amplification for data signals, receiving a first data signal from a first segment of the power line, amplifying said first data signal via the first amplification, coupling the amplified first data signal to a second segment of the power line with a first amplification power, receiving user data; and transmitting the user data over the second segment of the power line with a transmission power substantially the same as the first amplification power. In addition, the step of determining may comprises receiving a signal from the first segment of the power line, determining a target amplification based on the received signal, determining a maximum amplification; and wherein said first amplification is substantially equal to the lesser of the target amplification and the maximum amplification.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A method of providing communications over a power line having a plurality of segments and carrying a power signal having a voltage greater than one thousand volts, comprising: 
 determining a first amplification for data signals;    receiving a first data signal from a first segment of the power line;    amplifying said first data signal via the first amplification;    coupling the amplified first data signal to a second segment of the power line with a first amplification power;    receiving user data; and    transmitting the user data over the second segment of the power line with a transmission power substantially the same as the first amplification power.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining comprises: 
 receiving a signal from the first segment of the power line;    determining a target amplification based on the received signal;    determining a maximum amplification; and    wherein said first amplification is substantially equal to the lesser of the target amplification and the maximum amplification.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising 
 determining a second amplification for data signals;    receiving a second data signal from the second segment of the power line;    amplifying said second data signal via the second amplification; and    coupling the amplified second data signal to the first segment of the power line.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 demodulating the second data signal to provide user data; and    transmitting the user data over a low voltage power line.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 receiving a second data signal from the second segment of the power line;    demodulating the second data signal to provide second data; and    transmitting the second data over a low voltage power line.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising routing the second data prior to said transmitting the second data.  
     
     
         7 . The method  claim 6 , further comprising receiving the second data at one or more of a plurality of user devices communicatively coupled to the low voltage power line.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving user data comprises receiving a plurality of user data packets from a plurality of customer premises.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising routing the user data packets prior to said transmitting.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining comprises setting the first amplification based, at least in part, on the power level of a received signal.  
     
     
         11 . A method of providing communications over a power line having a plurality of segments and carrying a power signal having a voltage greater than one thousand volts, comprising: 
 receiving a signal via the first segment of the power line;    determining a target amplification for amplifying data signals based, at least in part, on the power of the received signal;    determining whether the target amplification exceeds a maximum amplification;    receiving first data signals via the first segment of the power line;    amplifying first data signals with the target amplification if said target amplification does not exceed the maximum amplification;    amplifying first data signals with the maximum amplification if said target amplification exceeds the maximum amplification; and    coupling the amplified first data signals to the second segment of the power line with a first amplification power.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising transmitting data signals over the second segment of the power line with a transmission power substantially the same as the first amplification power.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the signal comprises a multi-carrier signal.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising setting a transmission power for data signals over the second segment of the power line to be substantially the same power as the first amplification power.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the maximum amplification is based, at least in part, on the attenuation of data signals between the first and second segments of the power line.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising 
 determining a second amplification for data signals;    receiving a second data signal from the second segment of the power line;    amplifying said second data signal via the second amplification; and    coupling the amplified second data signal to the first segment of the power line.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 demodulating the second data signal to provide user data; and    transmitting the user data over a low voltage power line.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 receiving a second data signal from the second segment of the power line;    demodulating the second data signal to provide second data; and    transmitting the second data over a low voltage power line.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising routing the second data prior to said transmitting the second data.  
     
     
         20 . The method  claim 19 , further comprising receiving the second data at one or more of a plurality of user devices communicatively coupled to the low voltage power line.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the maximum amplification corresponds to a maximum power.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the maximum power corresponds to the isolation between the first and second segments of the power line.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the received signal comprises a training signal that does not comprise data communicated to or from data a user device.  
     
     
         24 . A method of providing communications over a power line having a plurality of segments and carrying a power signal having a voltage greater than one thousand volts, comprising: 
 receiving a signal via the first segment of the power line;    determining a target amplification for amplifying data signals based on the power of the received signal;    determining a maximum amplification;    setting a first segment amplification substantially equal to the lesser of the maximum amplification and the target amplification;    receiving data signals from the first segment of the power line;    amplifying the data signals with the first segment amplification; and    coupling the data signals to the second segment of the power line with a first amplification power.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the maximum amplification is based, at least in part, on the attenuation of data signals between the first and second segments of the power line.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein determining the maximum amplification comprises retrieving data of the maximum amplification from memory.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising: 
 receiving user data; and    transmitting the user data over the second segment of the power line with a transmission power substantially the same as the first amplification power.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising 
 determining a second amplification for data signals;    receiving a second data signal from the second segment of the power line;    amplifying said second data signal via the second amplification; and    coupling the amplified second data signal to the first segment of the power line.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising: 
 demodulating the second data signal to provide user data; and    transmitting the user data over a low voltage power line.    
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising: 
 receiving a second data signal from the second segment of the power line;    demodulating the second data signal to provide second data; and    transmitting the second data over a low voltage power line.    
     
     
         31 . The method  claim 30 , further comprising receiving the second data at one or more of a plurality of user devices communicatively coupled to the low voltage power line.  
     
     
         32 . A method of providing communications over a power line having a plurality of segments and carrying a power signal having a voltage greater than one thousand volts, comprising: 
 determining a first amplification for data signals;    receiving a first data signal from a first segment of the power line;    amplifying said first data signal via the first amplification; and    coupling the amplified first data signal to a second segment of the power line with a first amplification power.    
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said determining comprises setting a first amplification based, at least in part, on the power of a received signal.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the received signal comprises a training signal that does not comprise data communicated to or from data a user device.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising: 
 receiving a second data signal from the second segment of the power line;    demodulating the second data signal to provide second data; and    transmitting the second data over a low voltage power line.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising: 
 receiving user data; and    transmitting the user data over the second segment of the power line with a transmission power substantially the same as the first amplification power.    
     
     
         37 . A method of using a plurality of communication device to provide communications over a power line having a plurality of segments of differing lengths that cause differing attenuations at communication frequencies, the power line carrying a power signal having a voltage greater than one thousand volts and the plurality of communication devices each being coupled to two segments of the power line, the method comprising at each of the plurality of communication devices: 
 determining a first amplification for data signals;    receiving a first data signal from one of the two segments of the power line;    amplifying the first data signal via the first amplification;    coupling the amplified first data signal to the second of the two segments of the power line with a first amplification power; and    wherein the first amplification power is different for at least some of the plurality power line communication devices.    
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising at each of the plurality of communication devices: 
 receiving user data; and    transmitting the user data over the second of the two segments of the power line with a transmission power substantially the same as the first amplification power of that device.

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