KR20030004688A - A data communication system using indoor power line - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An information communication system using an indoor power line is provided to perform information communication using the indoor power line without installing specific information communication dedicated line in a subscriber premise. CONSTITUTION: A dedicated line modem(20) demodulates a signal received from an information communication network connected through an information communication dedicated line(10), and outputs the demodulated signal. The dedicated line modem(20) modulates transmitting data, and transmits the modulated data to the information communication network through the information communication dedicated line(10). An MDU(Multi Dwelling Unit)(30) receives the receiving data outputted from the dedicated line modem(20), modulates the receiving data into a power line communication signal, and outputs the power line communication signal. The MDU(30) demodulates an inputted power line communication signal, and inputs the demodulated power line communication signal to the dedicated line modem(20). An indoor power line(50) is connected from a watt hour meter according to each consumption house to a premise of the consumption house. A connection device(60) connects the indoor power line(50) to the MDU(30). A power line communication modem(70) separates the power line communication signal from the indoor power line(50), demodulates the power line communication signal, and outputs the demodulated power line communication signal. The power line communication modem(70) modulates the transmitting data into the power line communication signal, and transmits the power line communication signal to the indoor power line(50). A subscriber terminal(80) receives the data demodulated from the power line communication modem(70) and transmits the transmitting data to the power line communication modem(70) according to an operation command of a subscriber.

Description

Information communication system using indoor power line {A data communication system using indoor power line}

The present invention relates to an information communication system, and more particularly, to an information communication system using an indoor power line.

In general, an information communication system includes a subscriber station or server, a communication line and a switching device, and an information communication network in which each terminal and the server are connected to one network, and a plurality of subscriber stations are connected via the communication line and the switching device. It is a communication system that exchanges information with each other by connecting to an information communication network (eg, Internet).

The communication lines and switching devices are usually provided and serviced by an information and communication service provider (e.g., "Internet Service Provider (ISP)", and subscribers are exchanged with communication lines provided and serviced by the information and communication service provider. The subscriber station is connected to the information communication network through the device to exchange information.

Recently, high-speed communication services in which data transmission between an information communication network and a subscriber terminal through a communication line are performed at high speed are rapidly spreading. Such high-speed communication services are well known as optical communication, xDSL, cable modem service, and leased line service.

The optical communication is a method of enabling communication using light, unlike an electrical signal as an information transmission means in telecommunications. In other words, it converts an electric signal representing information into an optical signal, transmits it through an optical fiber, and converts the transmitted optical signal into an electrical signal to reproduce desired information. All communication methods using light are referred to as optical communication. Also, some of the xDSL, cable modem service, and leased line service described later may use the above-described optical communication method.

The xDSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a communication method proposed for transmitting video, video, high-density graphics, and Mbps data rate information using a conventional copper wire pair (for example, a telephone line) in 1989, a conventional modem. While using only the Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) band up to 3.4KHz, xDSL uses a much wider frequency range (e.g. up to 1MHz for ADSL), resulting in transmission rates ranging from several Mbps to tens of Mbps over copper pairs. Can provide. For reference, there are various formats of xDSL depending on the data transmission speed and method between the host and the client. Representative examples of the xDSL include a high data rate digital subscriber line (HDSL), an asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL), and a high data rate (VDSL). Digital Subscriber Line).

The cable modem service is a communication service using a cable TV network, which uses a cable TV network instead of a telephone line as a passage for data, and a cable modem plays a role of a dial-up modem.

The leased line service is a service mainly provided to a company, and connects a backbone network of an information communication network provider to a subscriber's home, and connects the backbone network and a subscriber's terminal to a local area network; ") Is a communication service for transmitting data between a subscriber station and an information communication network using a local area network protocol such as Ethernet.

However, all of the above communication services have a common point that an information communication dedicated line for connecting a subscriber station to a communication line and a switching device of an information communication network provider in a subscriber's home is required.

Accordingly, in order for subscribers to use the telecommunication service of the telecommunication network provider and access the telecommunication network, it was inconvenient to additionally install a dedicated telecommunication line of a suitable standard that is compatible with the telecommunication service provided by each telecommunication network provider. In case of changing the communication service or moving the subscriber terminal from the room where the terminal was originally installed, there was a problem of additionally installing the same type or another type of information communication line in addition to the information communication line already installed. .

Although xDSL uses a telephone line as a communication line in the conventional communication service, when there is no landline telephone and a corresponding telephone line in a room where a subscriber terminal is installed, additional telephone lines must be installed for communication. As in the communication service, additional information communication lines were installed for subscriber terminals, which was cumbersome and inconvenient to use and install.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, by using the indoor power line as a communication line in the subscriber premises, it is possible to perform information communication without installing a separate information communication dedicated line in the subscriber premises An object of the present invention is to provide an information and communication system using indoor power lines.

1 is a schematic diagram of an information communication system using an indoor power line according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a connection state between the electricity meter and the power line data concentrator shown in FIG. 1;

3 is a schematic block diagram of the power line data concentrator shown in FIG. 1;

4 is an external view of the connecting means shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

5 is a circuit diagram of the connection means shown in FIG.

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

10: dedicated telecommunication line 20: dedicated line modem

30: power line data concentrator 32-1 to 2: Ethernet communication unit

33: signal switching unit 34-1: first memory

34-2: second memory 35: power line communication unit

37: remote meter communication unit 40: power meter

50: indoor power line 60: connection means

61: low pass filter 62: coupling part

70: power line modem 80: subscriber station

In the information communication system using the indoor power line according to the present invention for achieving the above object, an information communication dedicated line connected to the information communication network, and a signal received from the information communication network connected through the information communication dedicated line is demodulated and output and the transmission data is A dedicated line modem for modulating and transmitting to the information communication network through the dedicated network line, and receives received data outputted from the dedicated line modem, modulates and outputs the power line communication signal, and demodulates the input power line communication signal to demodulate the input line. A power line data concentrator input through a modem, an indoor power line from each customer's electricity meter to the customer's indoors, connecting means for connecting the indoor power line and the power line data concentrator, and connecting the indoor power line to the power line from the indoor power line Split communication signal Demodulate it, and transmit data is modulated into a power line communication signal and transmitted to the indoor power line, and receives demodulated data from the power line communication modem according to a user's operation command, and transmits the transmission data to the power line communication modem. Characterized in that composed of a user terminal.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic diagram of an information communication system using an indoor power line according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As can be seen from the drawing, the information communication system using an indoor power line of the present invention includes an information communication dedicated line 10. It consists of a dedicated line modem 20, power line data concentrator 30, power meter 40, indoor power line 50, connecting means 60, power line modem 70 and subscriber station 80.

The dedicated information communication line 10 includes a communication line and an exchange device provided by an information communication service provider, and mediates information exchange between a dedicated line modem and an information communication network (N) such as the Internet. Here, the communication line of the information communication dedicated line 10 may be a telephone line, a cable TV network, an Ethernet cable, an optical communication cable, or the like.

The dedicated line modem 20 demodulates a signal received from the information communication network N to the information communication dedicated line 10 and transmits the demodulated signal to the power line data concentrator 30 and the transmission data input from the power line data concentrator 30 is It modulates according to the communication protocol corresponding to the communication service provided by the information communication service provider and transmits the information to the information communication network (N) via the dedicated information communication line (10).

The power line data concentrator (MDU) 30 receives received data output from the dedicated line modem 20 and modulates it into a power line communication signal that can be transmitted through the power line to the indoor power line. The power line communication signal outputted from the indoor power line is converted into transmission data and transmitted to the dedicated line modem 20.

Here, the power line data concentrator 30 allocates a channel for each subscriber's customer CH to perform power line communication with a plurality of customers CH and is included in the received data applied from the dedicated line modem 20. Identify the target audience (CH) by the Media Access Control ("MAC") address, convert the received data to powerline communication through the assigned channel according to the identification result, and send it to the subscriber CH. Power line communication signals received from each customer (CH) are also processed through the assigned channel.

In addition, the power line data concentrator 30 receives a remote metering signal output from an existing measuring instrument (for example, a power meter, a gas meter, a water meter, etc.) that transmits a remote metering signal, and stores it on the information communication network N previously stored therein. Send to a network path (Uniform Resource Location; "URL").

As shown in FIG. 3, the power line data concentrator 30 of the present invention has a signal with a plurality of Ethernet input / output ports 31-1 and 31-2 and a plurality of Ethernet communication units 32-1 and 32-2. A switching unit 33, first and second memories 34-1 and 34-2, a plurality of power line communication units 35, a plurality of power line communication signal input / output ports 36, a remote meter reading communication unit 37 and a plurality of Remote meter reading communication signal input terminal 38 is configured.

One of the plurality of Ethernet input / output ports 31-1 and 31-2 is used for data communication with the dedicated line modem 20, and the other 31-2 is an external device that is added or temporarily connected. It is used as a spare and auxiliary communication port for inputting and outputting data.

Accordingly, one of the plurality of Ethernet communication units 32-1 and 31-2 32-1 performs data communication with the dedicated line modem 20 by Ethernet switching, and the other 32-2 by Ethernet switching. Perform data communication with external devices added or temporarily connected.

The signal switching unit 33 receives the received data from the leased line modem 20 by using the medium access control (MAC) address included therein to identify the receiver CH of the receiving target and receives the received data according to the identification result. It transmits to the power line communication unit 35 of the channel assigned to the target customer CH, and transmits the transmission data input from each power line communication unit 350 and the remote meter reading data input from the remote meter communication unit 37 to the Ethernet communication unit 32-. 1) and the input / output port 31-1 is transmitted to the dedicated line modem 30.

The first memory 34-1 is a nonvolatile memory device that stores various data necessary for the operation of the signal switching unit 33. For example, a media access control (MAC) address and a remote meter reading of a customer assigned to each channel are stored. The network path (URL) of the counterpart server to transmit the signal may be stored. For example, "EEP ROM" may be used as the first memory 34-1.

The second memory 34-2 stores temporary data necessary for the operation of the signal switching unit 33 as a volatile memory device. For example, "SGRAM" may be used.

The plurality of power line communication units 35 are provided with the number of channels supported by the power line data concentrator 30, and one power line communication unit 35 corresponds to each channel, and each power line communication unit 35 has each customer CH. And one-to-one correspondence.

The power line communication unit 35 modulates the received data applied from the signal switching unit 33 into a power line communication signal, and transmits the received data to the indoor power line 50 through the power line communication signal input / output port 36 and from the indoor power line 50 to the power line. The power line communication signal inputted through the communication signal input / output port 36 is demodulated, converted into transmission data, and applied to the signal switching unit 32-2. For example, the power line communication unit 35 may perform data communication with the power line modem 70 using a power line communication signal of a frequency shift keying (FSK) modulation scheme.

The remote reading communication unit 37 demodulates the remote reading communication signal input through the remote reading communication signal input terminal 38 and applies demodulated remote reading data to the signal switching unit 33.

Here, the power line data concentrator 30 receives the operating power from the power distribution line or the indoor power line 50. When the power line data concentrator 30 receives power from the power distribution line, which is the primary side of the electricity meter 40, the power line data concentrator 30 receives a cost for the used power. When paying to the power supplier and receiving power from the indoor power line 50, which is the secondary side of the electricity meter 40, the cost of the used power is charged by the customer CH, and thus each customer CH and the electric power. Optionally connecting the power input terminal of the data concentrator 30 to the power distribution line or the indoor power line 50 in accordance with the agreement with the supplier to prevent the occurrence of civil complaints and prevent legal conflicts It would be desirable to avoid it.

The electricity meter 40 is connected to a power line that is distributed from a power supplier and is connected to a power line that detects and displays the amount of power consumed by the customer. The meter used in the present invention displays the detected power consumption. An electronic power meter that outputs a remote meter reading signal corresponding to the detected power consumption through the signal output terminal is used.

The indoor power line 50 is a power line from the electricity meter 40 to the electrical outlet CC of the customer CH indoor.

The connecting means 60 is a device for connecting the power line data concentrator 30 to the indoor power line 50 for each customer, and transmits the power line communication signal output from the power line data concentrator 30 to the indoor power line 50. The power line communication signal input from the indoor power line 50 is input to the power line data concentrator 30.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the connection means 60 is directly connected to the indoor power line 50 from the electricity meter 40 to the customer CH, and the power line communication signal input / output port of the power line data concentrator 30. 36 is connected via a communication cable 39.

4 and 5, the connection means 60 is composed of a low pass filter 61 and the coupling portion 62, the low pass filter 61 is a customer from the electricity meter 40 A plurality of inductors, each of which is connected to a pair of indoor power lines 40 by passing high-frequency components and passing only low-frequency commercial alternating currents, are separated from the indoor power line 40 leading to the indoor of CH. It consists of a plurality of capacitors C1 and C2 connected in parallel between L1 to L6 and each inductor L1 to L6.

The coupling part 62 includes an input / output port P to which a communication cable 39 is connected, a primary winding connected to the input / output port P, and a secondary winding connected to a pair of indoor power lines 40. T and a low frequency cut filter 62-1 provided in the secondary winding of the transformer T. Here, the low frequency cut filter 62-1 is a secondary AC winding of the transformer T. This is to block the incoming, as shown in Figure 5, may be composed of a pair of capacitor (C3, C4).

The power line modem 70 is connected to the indoor power line 50 via an electrical outlet (CC), demodulates the power line communication signal received through the indoor power line 50 to convert into data, and then to the subscriber station 80 Input and output data transmitted from the subscriber terminal 80 is converted into a power line communication signal and transmitted to the indoor power line 50. For example, the power line modem 70 may perform data communication with the power line data concentrator 30 using the power line communication signal of the FSK modulation method.

For reference, the power line modem 70 may be connected to the indoor power line 50 through a plug and a concentric plug.

The subscriber station 80 receives information input from the power line modem 70 according to a user's operation, displays or stores the information, and displays the information from the subscriber station 80 through the power line modem 70 through the information communication network N. To send.

The operation of the present invention configured as described above will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The user operates the subscriber station 80 while the leased line modem 20, the power line data concentrator 30, and the power line modem 70 are on, thereby providing predetermined information from the subscriber station 80. When transmitting to the communication network (N), the data output from the subscriber terminal 80 is modulated into a power line communication signal in the power line modem 70 and then the power line data concentrator via the indoor power line 40 and the connecting means 60 Is sent to (30).

In this case, the signal transmission process through the connection means 60 is as follows.

Since the power line communication signal applied from the power line modem 70 to the connecting means 60 is a high frequency component, it is blocked by the low pass filter 61 of the connecting means 60 and does not flow into the electricity meter 40, but the coupling part 62. It is introduced into the transformer T of the secondary winding and is output to the primary winding of the transformer T and is input to the power line data concentrator 30 through the input / output port P and the communication cable 39.

Here, the low frequency cut-off filter 62-1 is installed in the secondary winding of the transformer T so that the low frequency components of the commercial AC power flowing through the indoor power line 61 do not flow into the transformer T, Since the primary winding and the secondary winding transmit signals by the flow of magnetic flux through the iron core, there is no danger that high voltage components of the commercial AC power flowing into the indoor power line 40 may be introduced into the power line data concentrator 30. Will be prevented.

The power line communication signal input from the power line modem 70 to the power line data concentrator 30 via the connection means 60 is demodulated as data for transmission by the power line communication unit 35 of the power line data concentrator 30. The transmission data transmitted to the signal switching unit 33 and transmitted to the signal switching unit 33 is relayed by Ethernet switching of the Ethernet communication unit 32-1 and input to the dedicated line modem 31-1.

The dedicated line modem 31-1 modulates the transmission data inputted from the power line data concentrator 30 and uses the information communication network N through the information communication dedicated line 10 provided by the information communication service provider to modulate the modulated signal. Is sent to the specified network path (URL). Here, the information on the designated network path (URL) is included in the transmission data transmitted from the leased line modem 31-1.

On the other hand, a signal transmitted from a server or a terminal located in a predetermined network path (URL) on the information communication network (N) is received by the dedicated line modem 20 via the information communication dedicated line 10 and then demodulated and demodulated into received data. The received data is delivered to the power line data concentrator 30.

The received data transmitted to the power line data concentrator 30 is relayed to the signal switching unit 33 by the Ethernet communication unit 32-1 therein, and the signal switching unit 33 is a medium access control included in the received data. The recipient CH is identified by the MAC address, and the received data is transmitted to the power line communication unit 35 of the channel allocated to the identified CH.

The power line communication unit 35 modulates the received data transmitted from the signal switching unit 33 into a power line communication signal, applies the connection means 60 to the indoor power line 50 through the connection means 60, and the power line applied to the indoor power line 50. The communication signal is received by the power line modem 70 and demodulated into received data by the power line modem 70.

The received data demodulated by the power line modem 70 is transferred to the subscriber terminal 80 and stored, and is displayed or output as a voice signal according to a user's operation.

In addition, the power line data concentrator 30 of the present invention is to be able to perform a remote meter, the electronic measuring instrument for outputting the measured value in the form of a remote meter reading signal through the communication terminal of the power line data concentrator 30 When connected to the remote meter reading signal input terminal 38 transmits the received remote meter reading signal to a predetermined network path (URL) on the information communication network (N). Here, the electronic measuring instrument may be any existing type of measuring instrument that outputs a remote metering signal such as a power meter, a gas meter, a water meter, or the like.

Hereinafter, a case in which a power meter 40 capable of outputting a remote metering signal is connected to an operation process related to the remote metering of the power line data concentrator 30 will be described as an example.

The electricity meter 40 having its own remote meter reading signal output function detects the amount of electricity at a predetermined predetermined time and outputs a remote meter reading signal including information on the detected amount of electricity through an output terminal. The remote meter reading signal is received by the remote meter reading communication unit 37 through the remote meter reading signal input terminal 38 of the power line data concentrator 30.

The received remote reading signal is demodulated by remote reading data by the remote reading communication unit 37 of the power line data concentrator 30 and transmitted to the signal switching unit 33, and the signal transmitting unit 33 is demodulated remote reading The data is transmitted to the Ethernet communication unit 32-1 by including information on the network path (URL) of the target to receive it.

Here, the information on the network path (URL) of the target to receive the remote reading data is stored in the first memory 34-1, and the signal switching unit 33 is the remote reading data from the remote reading communication unit 37. When is transmitted, the network path (URL) of the target to receive the remote reading data is read from the first memory 34-1.

The Ethernet communication unit 32-1 transmits the remote meter reading data transmitted from the signal switching unit 33 to the dedicated line modem 30.

The dedicated line modem 31-1 modulates the remote meter reading data input from the power line data concentrator 30 and uses the information communication network N through the information communication dedicated line 10 provided by the information communication service provider to modulate the modulated signal. Is sent to the specified network path (URL). Here, the designated network path (URL) is an address on the information communication network (N) for a server or a terminal that will receive the remote metering data, and the information is included in the remote metering data transmitted from the leased line modem 31-1. have.

Accordingly, a power supplier, a gas supplier, a water supplier, and the like, connect a power meter, a gas meter, a water meter, and the like with the remote meter reading signal output to the power line data concentrator 30, By connecting a server or a terminal for receiving meter reading data and storing the network path (URL) of the server in the power line data concentrator 30, there is no need for a separate dedicated communication means for receiving remote meter reading data. Since remote meter reading data can be received through the information communication network (N), remote meter reading can be performed at a lower installation and maintenance cost.

The present invention is described above by illustrating specific embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Those skilled in the art can easily make various changes and modifications to the present invention, and it should be noted that such variations or modifications are included within the scope of the present invention as long as the features of the present invention are used.

As described above, the present invention uses the indoor power line as a communication line in the subscriber's premises, so that the information communication can be performed without installing a separate information communication dedicated line in the subscriber's premises, so the installation and use are very simple. . In addition, even when the subscriber terminal is moved to another room indoors, the power line modem should be connected to the outlet of the room where the power line modem has been moved, and only the modem line for the telecommunication line needs to be replaced when changing the communication service. No further installation or replacement is necessary.

In the present invention, since a plurality of subscribers can use the information communication service through one information communication dedicated line, a dedicated line modem, and a power line data concentrator, a plurality of subscribers are concentrated in a small area such as an apartment, a building, a multi-family house, a shopping mall, and the like. This is especially useful for places where you are.

Claims (6)

A dedicated telecommunication line connected to the telecommunication network; A modem for a dedicated line for demodulating and outputting a signal received from an information communication network connected through the information communication dedicated line, modulating the transmission data, and transmitting the signal to the information communication network via the communication network dedicated line; A power line data concentrator for receiving the received data outputted from the dedicated line modem, modulating the received data into a power line communication signal, demodulating the input power line communication signal, and inputting the demodulated power line communication signal to the dedicated line modem; An indoor power line from each customer's electricity meter to the customer's indoors, Connecting means for connecting the indoor power line and the power line data concentrator; A power line communication modem connected to the indoor power line to separate a power line communication signal from the indoor power line and demodulate it, and transmit data to the indoor power line by modulating the transmission data into a power line communication signal; And a user terminal configured to receive demodulated data from the power line communication modem in response to a user's operation command and to transmit transmission data to the power line communication modem. 2. The power line data concentrator of claim 1, further comprising: a communication unit for relaying data communication with the dedicated line modem; A plurality of power line communication units for modulating and outputting data received from the communication unit into power line communication signals and converting input power line communication signals into transmission data; According to the media access control address included in the received data transmitted from the communication unit, selectively apply the received data to the power line communication unit connected to the indoor power line of the receiving target of the plurality of power line communication units and input from the plurality of power line communication units. An information communication system using an indoor power line comprising a signal switching unit for transmitting the transmission data to the communication unit. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the power line data concentrator further comprises a remote meter reading communication unit configured to receive a remote meter reading signal output from an electronic electricity meter and to modulate the meter reading into remote meter reading data. The signal switching unit is configured to further perform a control operation for transmitting the remote meter reading data modulated by the remote meter reading communication unit to the communication unit by including the network path information of the target of receiving the remote meter reading data stored in advance. Information communication system used. The low pass filter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the connection means comprises: a low pass filter for separating and removing high frequency components from an indoor power line from the wattmeter to indoors and passing only a low-frequency commercial AC power supply; A power line communication signal output from the power line data concentrator connected to the indoor power line from the low pass filter to the indoor unit to transmit to the power line communication modem or to transmit a power line communication signal received from the power line communication modem to the power line data concentrator. An information communication system using an indoor power line comprising a coupling part. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the coupling unit comprises: an input / output port connected to an output terminal of the power line data concentrator; A transformer having a primary winding connected to the input / output port and a secondary winding connected to an indoor power line between the low pass filter and the power line modem; An information communication system using an indoor power line, characterized in that the low frequency cut-off filter is installed in the secondary side winding of the transformer. 6. The information communication system using an indoor power line according to claim 5, wherein the low frequency cut-off filter is a pair of capacitors connected in series to both ends of the transformer secondary winding.