Data communication over a power line
View Patent ↗Data signals are communicated between a power line and a computer, wherein the power line provides power to the computer via a distribution transformer and the computer is in communication with a wireless communication path. A first data signal is communicated with the power line. A conversion is made between the first data signal and a second data signal capable of being communicated wirelessly. The second data signal is wirelessly communicated with the wireless communication path.
1. A system for communicating over a power line having a voltage greater than one thousand volts, the power line forming part of a power distribution system that supplies power to a plurality of customer premises via a plurality of external low voltage power lines, the system comprising:
a first device comprising:
a coupler configured to couple data to and from the power line;
a first modem configured to communicate data over the power line via said coupler; and
a wireless transceiver communicatively coupled to said first modem and configured to communicate with a plurality of remote transceivers disposed in one or more of the plurality of customer premises thereby bypassing the external low voltage power lines.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said wireless transceiver is configured to form a wireless local area network with said plurality of remote transceivers.
3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a router in communication with said first modem.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein said router is configured to monitor usage data.
5. The system of claim 3 , wherein said router is configured to perform throughput control functions.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said coupler comprises:
a conductor having a first end and a second end; and
wherein said first end is coupled to the power line at a first location and the second end is coupled to the power line at a second location spaced apart from the first location.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein said coupler comprises a magnetically permeable toroid configured to be disposed substantially around the entire circumference of the power line.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein said coupler couples data via capacitance.
9. The system of claim 1 , where said coupler includes a dielectric configured to prevent the power from the power line from passing therethrough while permitting data signals to pass therethrough.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein said wireless transceiver comprises an IEEE 802.11 transceiver.
11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second device, comprising a second modem configured to communicate with said first modem over the power line.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein said first modem and said second modem are configured to communicate via orthogonal frequency division multiplexing.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein said first modem and said second modem are configured to communicate via a wideband signal.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first device further comprises a power supply configured to inductively draw power from the power line.
15. A method of communicating data over a power line having a voltage greater than one thousand volts, the power line forming part of a power distribution system that supplies power to a plurality of customer premises via a plurality of external low voltage power lines, the system comprising:
receiving first data in a first data signal from power line;
demodulating the first data signal;
wirelessly transmitting the first data to a first remote transceiver disposed in a customer premises thereby bypassing the external low voltage power lines;
wirelessly receiving second data from a remote transceiver disposed in a customer premises to thereby bypass the external low voltage power line;
modulating one or more carriers with the second data to form a second data signal; and
coupling the second data signal onto the power line.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising establishing a wireless local area network with a plurality of remote transceivers.
17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising routing the first data prior to wirelessly transmitting the first data.
18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising monitoring data usage.
19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising controlling data throughput.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein said receiving first data is performed with a coupler that comprises:
a conductor having a first end and a second end; and
wherein said first end is coupled to the power line at a first location and the second end is coupled to the power line at a second location spaced apart from the first location.
21. The method of claim 15 , wherein said receiving first data comprises inductively coupling the first data from the power line.
22. The method of claim 15 , wherein said receiving first data comprises capacitively coupling the first data from the power line.
23. The method of claim 15 , wherein said wirelessly transmitting the first data comprises wirelessly transmitting the first data with an IEEE 802.11 signal.
24. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second data signal comprises an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed data signal.
25. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first data signal comprises a wideband signal.
26. The method of claim 15 , further comprising inductively drawing power from the power line to power a wireless transceiver.
27. The method of claim 15 , further comprising providing authorization functions.
28. The method of claim 15 , further comprising wirelessly transmitting third data to a second remote transceiver disposed in the customer premises thereby bypassing the external low voltage power lines.
29. The method of claim 15 , wherein said second data comprises utility usage data.
30. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first data comprises Internet Protocol (IP) telephony data.
31. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first data comprises video data.
32. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first data comprises video conferencing data.
33. A method of communicating data over a power line having a voltage greater than one thousand volts, the power line forming part of a power distribution system that supplies power to a plurality of customer premises via a plurality of external low voltage power lines, the system comprising:
receiving a plurality of downstream data packets from the power line;
determining destinations for at least some of the plurality of downstream data packets, wherein the destinations include one or more remote transceivers in one or more customer premises; and
wirelessly transmitting the plurality of downstream data packets to the one or more remote transceivers thereby bypassing the external low voltage power lines.
34. The method of claim 33 , further comprising:
wirelessly receiving upstream data from one of the one or more remote transceivers; and
coupling the upstream data onto the power line.
35. The method of claim 33 , further comprising establishing a wireless local area network with a plurality of remote transceivers.
36. The method of claim 33 , further comprising monitoring data usage.
37. The method of claim 33 , further comprising controlling data throughput.
38. The method of claim 33 , wherein said receiving is performed with a coupler comprising:
a conductor having a first end and a second end; and
wherein said first end is coupled to the power line at a first location and the second end is coupled to the power line at a second location spaced apart from the first location.
39. The method of claim 33 , wherein said receiving comprises inductively coupling the first data from the power line.
40. The method of claim 33 , wherein said receiving comprises capacitively coupling the first data from the power line.
41. The method of claim 33 , wherein said wirelessly transmitting comprises wirelessly transmitting the downstream data with a substantially IEEE 802.11 compatible signal set.
42. The method of claim 33 , wherein the plurality of downstream data packets are received in orthogonal frequency division multiplexed data signals.
43. The method of claim 33 , wherein the plurality of downstream data packets are received in wideband signals.
44. The method of claim 33 , further comprising inductively drawing power from the power line.
45. The method of claim 33 , further comprising providing authorization functions.
46. The method of claim 33 , wherein said second data comprises utility usage data.
47. The method of claim 33 , wherein at least some of the plurality of downstream data packets comprises Internet Protocol (IP) telephony data.
48. The method of claim 33 , wherein at least some of the plurality of downstream data packets comprises video data.
49. The method of claim 33 , wherein at least some of the plurality of downstream data packets comprises video conferencing data.