Wireless link for power line communications system
View Patent ↗One embodiment of the present invention may include of plurality of wireless hops that provide a multi-hop wireless link for facilitating the communication of voice, video, audio, and other data in a packet based network between a broadband power line communications network and a conventional telecommunications link (such as a fiber optic link), which may be connected to another network such as the Internet via a point-of-presence.
1. A communications system, comprising:
a first power line communications system (PLCS) subnet;
an upstream communications device in communication with a point-of-presence;
a multi-hop wireless link providing a communications path between said PLCS subnet and said upstream communication device;
wherein said multi-hop wireless link comprises a first and second wireless hop communicatively coupled to each other via a first wireless link;
wherein said first wireless link includes a wireless downstream link in which data travels from said first wireless hop toward said second wireless hop;
wherein said first wireless link includes a wireless upstream link in which data travels from said second wireless hop toward said first wireless hop;
wherein said wireless upstream link and said wireless downstream link are orthogonal to each other; and
wherein said first wireless link comprises a full duplex wireless link.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first wireless hop is communicatively coupled to said PLCS subnet via a second wireless link.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein said second wireless hop is communicatively coupled to said upstream communications device via a third wireless link.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said second wireless hop is communicatively coupled to said upstream communications device via a second wireless link.
5. The system of claim 2 , wherein said first wireless hop is configured to not demodulate data signals communicated via said first wireless link.
6. The system of claim 2 , wherein said first wireless hop is configured to not perform error detection on data communicated via said first wireless link.
7. The system of claim 3 , wherein said first and second wireless hops are configured to not perform error detection on data communicated via said first wireless link.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first and second wireless hops are configured to communicate with each other via an IEEE 802.11 protocol.
9. The system of claim 2 , wherein said first wireless link and said second wireless link are orthogonal to each other.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first wireless hop is coupled to said PLCS subnet via a wired connection and said second wireless hop is communicatively coupled to said upstream communications device via a second wireless link.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first wireless link includes a third wireless hop communicatively coupled to said first wireless hop and said second wireless hop.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first and second wireless hops are configured to communicate with each other via a Data Over Cable System Interface Specification (DOCSIS) protocol.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first wireless link includes a frequency band at about sixty gigahertz.
14. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third wireless hop communicatively coupled to said second wireless hop via a second wireless link; and
wherein said third wireless hop is communicatively coupled to a second PLCS subnet.
15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distance between said first wireless hop and said second wireless hop is less than one thousand feet.
16. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first wireless hop is communicatively coupled to a second PLOS subnet and said first wireless hop includes a router.
17. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first and second wireless links comprise licensed frequency bands.
18. A system for providing communications over a portion of an electrical distribution network comprising a power line carrying power, comprising:
a first medium voltage interface device (MVID) comprising a backhaul wireless transceiver and a first power line port in communication with said backhaul wireless transceiver and configured to communicate via the power line;
a first wireless communications device in wireless communication with said first MVID via a first wireless link;
a second wireless communications device in wireless communication with said first wireless communications device via a second wireless link;
wherein said second wireless link includes a wireless downstream link in which data travels from said second wireless communications device toward said first wireless communications device;
wherein said second wireless link includes a wireless upstream link in which data travels from said first wireless communications device toward said second wireless communications device;
wherein said wireless upstream link and said wireless downstream link are orthogonal to each other; and
wherein said second wireless link comprises a full duplex wireless link.
19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising a third wireless communications device in wireless communication with said first wireless communications device via a third wireless link.
20. The system of claim 18 , wherein said second wireless communications device includes a wired port for communications with a second MVID.
21. The system of claim 20 , wherein said second wireless communications device further comprises a router in communications with said wired port.
22. The system of claim 18 , wherein said first MVID further comprises a router in communication with said backhaul wireless transceiver.
23. The system of claim 18 , wherein the first and second wireless links comprise unlicensed orthogonal frequency bands.
24. The system of claim 18 , wherein the first and second wireless links comprise licensed frequency bands.
25. The system of claim 18 , wherein said first wireless communications device is configured to not demodulate data signals.
26. The system of claim 18 , further comprising:
a third wireless communications device in wireless communication with said second wireless communications device via a third wireless link; and
wherein said second wireless communications device comprises a router.
27. The system of claim 18 , wherein said first wireless communications device includes a first radio configured to communicate via said first wireless link, a second radio configured to communicate via said second wireless link; and a router in communication with said first radio and said second radio.
28. A method of providing communications over an electrical distribution network comprising at least one medium voltage (MV) power line and at least one low voltage power line, the method comprising:
receiving first data from the MV power line at a first device;
wirelessly transmitting the first data from the first device via a first wireless link;
wirelessly receiving the first data transmitted from the first device at a second device;
wirelessly transmitting the first data from the second device via a second wireless link; and
wirelessly receiving the first data transmitted from the second device at a third device;
wherein said second wireless link includes a wireless downstream link in which data travels from said second device toward said first device;
wherein said second wireless link includes a wireless upstream link in which data travels from said first device toward said second device;
wherein said wireless upstream link and said wireless downstream link are orthogonal to each other; and
wherein said second wireless link comprises a full duplex wireless link.
29. The method of claim 28 , further comprising:
wirelessly transmitting the first data from the third device via a third wireless link; and
wirelessly receiving the first data transmitted from the third device at a fourth device.
30. The method of claim 28 , wherein said first and second wireless links are orthogonal to each other.
31. The method of claim 28 , wherein the second device is configured to not perform error detection of one or more data packets carrying the first data.
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the third device is configured to not perform error detection of one or more data packets carrying the first data.
33. The method of claim 29 , wherein the fourth device is configured to not perform error detection of one or more data packets carrying the first data.
34. The method of claim 28 , further comprising routing the first data at the first device.
35. The method of claim 28 , further comprising routing the first data at the second device.
36. The method of claim 29 , wherein the time for data to be communicated from said second device to said fourth device is less than six milliseconds for ninety-nine percent of the data.
37. The system of claim 28 , wherein said second communications device is configured to not demodulate received data signals carrying the first data.
38. The system of claim 28 , wherein the first and second wireless links comprise licensed frequency bands.
39. The method of claim 28 , further comprising:
wirelessly receiving second data wirelessly transmitted from a fourth device at the second device;
wirelessly transmitting the second data from the second device via the second wireless link; and
wirelessly receiving the second data transmitted from the second device at the third device.
40. The method of claim 39 , further comprising routing the first data and the second data at the second device.