KR100714544B1 - Radio frequency modem for home network system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wireless modem for a home network system, and more particularly, to a wireless modem for a home network system for wirelessly implementing a home network in a home network system.

The wireless modem for a home network system according to the present invention includes a power supply unit which receives external power from an electrical device, transforms and supplies it to an operating voltage of a predetermined size, a wireless transceiver for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data, and A communication unit performing communication with a control unit, receiving power from the power supply unit, controlling the wireless transmission / reception unit and the communication unit, receiving data received from the control unit from the communication unit, and transmitting the data through the wireless transmission / reception unit, The microcomputer receives data from a wireless transceiver and transmits the data to the controller through the communication unit.

Description

Wireless modem for home network system {RADIO FREQUENCY MODEM FOR HOME NETWORK SYSTEM}             

1 is a conceptual diagram of a general home network system.

2 is a block diagram of a home network system to which a wireless modem according to the present invention is applied.

3 is a block diagram of a wireless modem for a home network system according to the present invention.

4 is an embodiment of a wireless transceiver of FIG. 3.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10, 40: electrical equipment 11, 41: control device

12, 42: power line 13, 43: signal line

20: modem 21: power supply

22: Micom 23: RS-232

30: wireless transceiver

The present invention relates to a wireless modem for a home network system, and more particularly, to a wireless modem for a home network system for wirelessly implementing a home network in a home network system.

At present, home automation for automatic control of home appliances in each home or remote is almost commercialized. In the early days of home automation, each device was controlled separately using a telephone or infrared ray, and there was no linkage between the devices, but now there is a controller that controls the network by establishing a network between home appliances using communication means. A method for integrated management is used.

1 is a conceptual diagram of a general home network system. As shown, a home network means that various digital home appliances can be connected to each other to enjoy convenient, safe and economical living services at home and at any time.

In the background of the appearance of the home network, refrigerators and washing machines, which have been called white household appliances, have been gradually digitized due to the development of digital signal processing technology. Also, due to the rapid development of home appliance operating system technology and high-speed multimedia communication technology, This is because these technologies are emerging as a form of integrated new information appliances.

Here, the IT network refers to a network type established for exchanging data or providing Internet services between a personal computer and peripheral devices, and the AV network refers to a network type between home appliances that handle audio or video information. And, the living network is a network constructed for the purpose of simple control of home appliances, such as home automation or remote meter reading, and may include a refrigerator, a washing machine, a microwave oven, a light gas alarm, an air conditioner, a telephone, and the like.

A home network system configured in such a home is a master device, which is an electric device capable of controlling or monitoring the operation of other electric devices, and a function of responding to a request of the master device by the characteristics or other factors of the electric device, and its status. It consists of a slave device, which is an electrical appliance having a function of notifying information about a change. As used herein, the electric appliance is meant to include not only home appliances for living network services described above, such as a washing machine and a refrigerator, but also home appliances for IT network services and AV network services.

In such a conventional home network system, a method in which an Internet refrigerator equipped with a personal computer (PC) performs a master function and controls individual electric devices through a power line has been applied. In a home network system, a power line is used as a network medium in a home, but this power line communication significantly reduces the reliability of data transmission when there is noise in the power line. In addition, when a separate load is connected to the power line, power flowing to the power line becomes unstable, which causes a problem in that data is not smoothly transmitted.

In order to solve this problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wireless modem for a home network system utilizing a radio that is easy to handle noise.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a wireless modem for a home network system that achieves reliable data transmission regardless of a change in load in a home (change in the number of electrical devices).

The wireless modem for a home network system according to the present invention includes a power supply unit which receives external power from an electrical device, transforms and supplies it to an operating voltage of a predetermined size, a wireless transceiver for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data, and A communication unit performing communication with a control unit, receiving power from the power supply unit, controlling the wireless transmission / reception unit and the communication unit, receiving data received from the control unit from the communication unit, and transmitting the data through the wireless transmission / reception unit, The microcomputer receives data from a wireless transceiver and transmits the data to the controller through the communication unit.

In this case, the wireless transceiver unit, an antenna, a reception path for transmitting a radio frequency signal from the antenna to the transceiver, a transmission path for transmitting a radio frequency signal from the transceiver to the antenna, and the reception path under control of the transceiver And a switch for selectively transmitting a transmission path to the antenna, and modulating data received from the microcomputer to generate a predetermined radio frequency signal and transmit the predetermined radio frequency signal to the antenna through the transmission path. The transceiver may be configured to receive a signal through the reception path, demodulate predetermined data, and transmit the signal to the microcomputer, and an oscillator for providing a clock signal to the transceiver.

In addition, it is preferable that the reception path and the transmission path each include a matching circuit.

In addition, the receiving path preferably further includes a low noise amplifier which reduces noise while amplifying the radio frequency signal.

In addition, the microcomputer preferably controls the low noise amplifier according to the state of transmitting and receiving data.

In addition, the transmission path preferably further includes a filter for passing the radio frequency signal in a predetermined frequency band.

In addition, the wireless transceiver preferably further includes a phase-locked loop filter for fixing or accurately varying the phase of the clock signal of the oscillator for generating a carrier frequency used for modulation and / or demodulation by the transceiver.

In addition, the carrier frequency is preferably 424.7MHz.

In the following, the invention is explained in detail on the basis of the embodiments of the invention and the accompanying drawings. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited by the following embodiments and drawings, and the scope of the present invention should be limited only by the contents described in the claims to be described later.

2 is a block diagram of a home network system to which a modem according to the present invention is applied.

As shown in FIG. 2, a home network system includes electrical devices 10 and 40 (master devices and / or slave devices) that perform inherent functions, and power lines that supply power to these electrical devices 10 and 40. FIG. (100, 101, 102).

In detail, the electric device 10 is supplied with power through the power line 101 to operate the control device 11, and the power line 12 is connected to the power line 101 to be supplied with power to the control device 11. Modem 20 for transmitting and receiving data to perform radio frequency (RF) communication. The modem 20 and the control device 11 are connected and communicated by a signal line 13. The modem 20 may be internal or external, and as necessary, an external power source (eg, 220V) may be input as it is and supply necessary power (eg, 3V or 5V), and a control device ( 11) Do not receive rectified or transformed power.

Here, the control device 11 is to perform the original function of the electric device 10, it is a generic name including a power supply, a control unit (not shown). Accordingly, the modem 20 performs RF communication and independently performs data processing related to network management (for example, setting of addresses, transmitting and receiving dummy signals, and checking transmission errors of transmitted signals). Data related to control and / or status check of the electric device 10 is transmitted to the control device 11 for processing.

Correspondingly, the electrical device 40 has the same configuration, and RF communication is performed between the modem 20 and the modem 50. Therefore, it is not necessary to install a separate transmission medium in the house, thereby reducing installation costs and the like. In addition, even if a large number of electric devices equipped with a modem operate in a home network system, overload is not caused in wireless communication, thereby improving reliability during transmission.

3 is a block diagram of a wireless modem for a home network system according to the present invention. As shown, the modem 20 receives an external power supply (AC power supply) from the electric device 10 through the power line 12, and converts the external power supply into a DC power supply (for example, 5V) ( 21) and transmits data received from the control device 11 to another electric device through wireless communication, transmits data transmitted from the other electric device to the control device 11, and independently performs control related to the network. RS-232 (23) for performing data conversion and transmission and reception through the UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter) for the network between the microcomputer 22 and the microcomputer 22 and the control device 11, and the microcomputer 22 And a radio transmitter / receiver 30 for converting the data to be transmitted from the radio frequency signal to another electric machine, converting the radio frequency signal received from the other electric device into data, and transmitting the data to the microcomputer 22.

In detail, the power supply unit 21 receives an external power supply (for example, 220V) that is alternating current through the power line 12 to supply a voltage having a predetermined magnitude for all components requiring power supply in the modem 20. For example, it is rectified and transformed to 5V) and supplied. Here, the power line 12 is connected to the power line 101, the power line 101 is connected to the power line 100 through an outlet (not shown). That is, the electric device 10 has one plug (not shown), and the plug is coupled to an outlet to supply power, and the applied power is directly supplied to the power supply unit 21 through the power line 12. . Therefore, due to the separation of the power supply unit 21 and the power supply unit (not shown) of the control apparatus 11, the power consumption of the modem 20 and the power consumption of the control apparatus 11 do not have any influence on each other. 20 may be designed to have various power consumptions.

The microcomputer 22 transmits the data transmitted from the wireless transceiver 30 to the control device 11, and transmits the data received from the controller 11 to the wireless transceiver 30 to transmit the other electronic device 40. To be sent to. In addition, the microcomputer 22 reads the contents of the data transmitted from the wireless transmission / reception unit 30 to process such data (for example, data directly related to network management) independently of the control device 11. It may be. Here, an RS-232 (23) for data communication between the microcomputer (22) and the control device (11) is provided and connected to the signal line (13), which is responsible for data transmission and reception between them.

Next, the wireless transceiver 30 performing wireless communication of data modulates the data received from the microcomputer 22 according to a predetermined method to generate a radio frequency signal, and transmits it to a transmission path to be transmitted to another electric device. The RF transceiver 31 for transmitting and demodulating the radio frequency signal received from another electric device through a reception path according to a predetermined method, and transmitting the demodulated data to the microcomputer 22, and the RF transceiver 31. An oscillator 32 providing a clock of a predetermined frequency, and a phase locked loop (PLL) filter 33 that locks or accurately varies the phase of the carrier frequency.

In addition, the wireless transceiver 30 may include a matching circuit 34 for minimizing an error in amplitude and / or phase of a transmitted radio frequency signal, and a predetermined frequency band for matching the transmitted radio frequency signal. A transmission path composed of an LC filter 35 passing through the circuit, a low noise amplifier (LNA) for reducing noise while amplifying the received radio frequency signal, an amplitude of the amplified received radio frequency signal, and And / or a receiving path comprising a matching circuit 39 which minimizes phase error, and selectively selects the transmitting path and the receiving path so as to be connected to the antenna 37, thereby transmitting or receiving. And switch 36 to perform the operation.

In detail, the RF transceiver 31 operates according to the clock of the oscillator 32, modulates the data received from the microcomputer 22 to a predetermined carrier frequency depending on the clock to generate a radio frequency signal to match the transmission path. And transmits the generated radio frequency signal through the antenna 37 by controlling the switch 36 so that the transmission path is connected to the antenna 37. In addition, when there is no data received from the microcomputer 22, the RF transceiver 31 causes the switch 36 to operate the reception path so that the matching circuit 39 is received when the radio frequency signal is received through the antenna 37. Receiving the radio frequency signal, demodulating at a predetermined carrier frequency depending on a clock to generate data, and transmitting the generated data to the microcomputer 22. Here, the carrier frequency at the time of transmission and the carrier frequency at the time of reception may be the same or different from each other.

Here, the oscillator 32 preferably uses a temperature compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO) that limits the output frequency change according to the change in operating temperature by using a temperature compensation circuit to improve the operation performance of the quartz. Do. The RF transceiver 31 receives a clock (reference frequency) (for example, 19.68 MHz) generated by the oscillator 32 and generates a carrier frequency (for example, 424.7 MHz) of a predetermined frequency ( At this time, a pulse-to-voltage converter (not shown) data implemented in the RF transceiver 31 is modulated or demodulated. If such a clock (reference frequency) is not stabilized, the carrier frequency, which is its output frequency, becomes unstable. The wireless transceiver 30 further includes a phase locked loop filter 33 to fix the phase of the clock (reference frequency) or to accurately change the signal to a predetermined size.

Next, matching circuits 34 and 39 are impedance matching networks, which are circuits for minimizing errors that may occur in the magnitude or phase of a received radio frequency signal and a transmitted radio frequency signal.

In addition, the LC filter 35 constituting the transmission path together with the matching circuit 34 is a device composed of a combination of an inductor and a capacitor, and has a carrier frequency (for example, 424.7 MHz) or a carrier frequency for transmitting data. It performs a function of filtering a predetermined frequency domain including.

In addition, the switch 36 causes the transmission path and the antenna 37 to form one path when the radio frequency signal is transmitted by the control signal from the RF transceiver 31, and receives when the radio frequency signal is received. The path and the antenna 37 form one path to perform transmission and reception of radio frequency signals. Here, the antenna 37 is a helical antenna is used.

Next, since the power of the radio frequency signal received in the reception path has a very low power level due to the attenuation and the influence of noise, the LNA 38 needs to be amplified. Because it is a radio frequency signal, it is equipped with an amplifier function that minimizes noise. The LNA 38 is designed by catching the operating point and the matching point so that the NF (noise index) is low. In addition, the LNA 38 is an element operated by the control of the microcomputer 22, and for this control, a separate switch (not shown) for blocking the power supply from the power supply unit 21 to the LNA 38 is provided. When the switch is mounted, the switch is operated by the microcomputer 22 to supply and cut off power, thereby driving the LNA 38.

4 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of a wireless transceiver of FIG. 3.

As shown, the RF transceiver 31 is connected to the microcomputer 22 through terminals 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9 and 32, and the clock (base frequency) from the oscillator 32 is connected to the terminal. Supplied through (10). The RF transceiver 31 is implemented in a single chip form, and modulates and demodulates a radio frequency signal according to a program in the chip.

The RF transceiver 31 is connected to the power supply 21 through the terminals 5 and 31 to receive DC power, and to supply the supplied DC power to the terminals 12, 13, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24. Supplies power to the required components.

In addition, the PLL filter 33 is composed of circuits R10, R12, C27, C30, and C34 connected to the terminals 24 and 28.

In addition, the matching circuit 34 is composed of circuits R4, C15 and L2 connected to the terminal 21, and the LC filter 35 connected to the matching circuit 34 is composed of circuits L4, C25 and C24. And is connected to the switch 36.

The switch 36 is connected to terminals 14 and 15 of the RF transceiver 31, respectively, so that the reception process of the radio frequency signal is performed in accordance with the control signal uRxC from the terminal 14, and the terminal 15 In accordance with the control signal (uTxC) from) to perform the radio frequency signal transmission process. The terminal 5 of the switch 36 is connected to the antenna 37 and causes the terminal 5 to conduct with the terminal 1 or the terminal 3 according to a control signal received through the terminals 14 and 15.

In addition, the LNA 38 is composed of circuits L1, R6, and Q2, and a switch Q1 for controlling the supply of power to the LNA 38 is formed. The switch Q1 is turned on / off in accordance with the control signal uEnLNA from the microcomputer 22, so that power is supplied to the LNA 38 and cut off. This LNA 38 is connected to a matching circuit 39 consisting of circuits L3 and C17, which is connected to the terminal 19 of the RF transceiver 31.

In addition, the circuits B1, R11, C35 to C40 on the lower right side are circuits for blocking noise.

The present invention having such a configuration has an effect of facilitating noise processing.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of achieving a reliable data transmission irrespective of changes in the load of the house (change in the number of electrical devices).

Claims (8)

A power supply unit which receives external power from an electric device and rectifies and transforms the voltage to a predetermined operating voltage; A wireless transceiver for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data by receiving the operation voltage; A communication unit for communicating with a control unit in the electric device; Receiving an operating voltage from the power supply unit, controlling the wireless transceiver and the communication unit, receiving data received from the controller from the communication unit and transmitting the data through the wireless transceiver, and receiving data from the wireless transceiver; Wireless modem for a home network system, characterized in that consisting of a microcomputer to transmit to the control unit via a communication unit. The method of claim 1, The wireless transceiver includes an antenna, a reception path for transmitting a radio frequency signal from the antenna to a transceiver, a transmission path for transmitting a radio frequency signal from the transceiver to the antenna, and the reception path and transmission under control of the transceiver. A switch for selectively connecting a path to the antenna, modulating data received from the microcomputer to generate a predetermined radio frequency signal, and transmitting the predetermined radio frequency signal to the antenna through the transmission path; A wireless modem for a home network system, comprising: a transceiver configured to receive through a receiving path, demodulate predetermined data, and transmit the demodulated data to the microcomputer; and an oscillator for providing a clock signal to the transceiver. The method of claim 2, And the reception path and the transmission path each include a matching circuit. The method of claim 3, And said receive path further comprises a low noise amplifier for reducing noise while amplifying said radio frequency signal. The method of claim 4, wherein The micom wireless modem for home network system, characterized in that for controlling the low noise amplifier in accordance with the state of transmission and reception of data. The method of claim 3, And said transmission path further comprises a filter for passing said radio frequency signal in a predetermined frequency band. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the wireless transceiver further comprises a phase-locked loop filter that locks or accurately varies a phase of a clock signal of the oscillator for generating a carrier frequency used for modulation and demodulation by the transceiver. Wireless modem for home network system. The method of claim 7, wherein And said carrier frequency is 424.7 MHz.

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