NZ522219A - Using polymers, polymer composites, and polymer blends selectively conducting at radio frequencies in broadband communications system - Google Patents

Abstract

An outdoor powerline bridge for use in a power distribution system for linking lines of differing voltages over transformers or an indoor powerline bridge for use in a power distribution system for use with distribution panels linking low voltage circuits includes polymer composites and polymer blends which selectively conduct at radio frequencies appropriate for the carriage of communications data by providing linkages between and among electricity conducting cabling in networks also transmitting alternating or direct current electricity. The polymer blends and composites include partially or fully doped polymer derivatives or copolymers such as polyacetylene, polythiophene or polyaniline which can be blended or loaded with undoped conductive polymers such as polyphenylene or can include conducting nanoparticles juxtaposed within the polymer matrix such as polymethylmethacrylate. The conducting nanoparticles can be elemental metals such as copper, silver, gold, iron, and aluminum, alloys of elemental metal, steel or can be ceramics such as LaSrCuO or can be polymers, such as doped polyaniline. The polymer composites are so formulated to enable the transmission of frequencies in the range of 1 MHz to 50 MHz. A communications system containing the powerline bridge as described above includes: (a) facilities for bridging over and bypassing transformers and/or distribution panels that would degrade the transmission of said radio frequencies; (b) facilities for impeding the transmission of frequencies associated with the carriage of alternating or direct electric current; (c) facilities for filtering out unwanted interfering emissions; (d) facilities for minimizing attenuation of the communications signals on electricity cables. The powerline bridge can have impedance matching elements on each side of an inherently conducting polymer coupling element comprising a polymer blend or composite as described above which is surrounded by a ceramic insulator or casing.

Description

Patents Form 5 New Zealand 5222 19 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION THE PATENTS ACT 1953 A BROADBAND COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM UTILISING POLYMERS, POLYMER COMPOSITES AND POLYMER BLENDS SELECTIVELY CONDUCTING AT RADIO FREQUENCIES ARTHUR JOSEPH EPSTEIN of 55 South Merkle Road Bexley Ohio 43209, USA, ALAN GRAHAM MACDIARMID of 635 Drexel Avenue, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania 19206 USA both citizens of the United States of America, and JOHN GORDON RUTHERFORD of 2 Crest Lane, Christchurch 8008, New Zealand, New Zealand Citizen, do hereby declare this invention to be described in the following statement: The invention relates to the need to transmit cost effective broadband communications services the "last mile" to end users utilising infrastructure and equipment that are existing or affordable in developing countries, in homes, offices, educational and similar institutions, by utilising electricity cabling within and near commercial, institutional, community and domestic buildings.

New Zealand Patent 235810 Australian Patent 642110 and United Kingdom Patent GB2278254B {Rutherford) addressed this need a decade ago and the invention described therein has been utilised in the low cost transmission of multiple channels of television from cellular points to proximate communities without the need to add wires to poles or dig up the streets for broadband cabling. The present invention develops the theme of this prior art by more extensive use of the electricity cabling referred to in those patents, which is already in place in most communities. Such is in contrast to the cost and inconvenience of installing new equipment (such as Digital Subscriber Line) designed to upgrade the narrowband twisted pair telephone cabling that also exists within the homes and commercial buildings in most places. The cabling carrying the electricity to end users is more robust and capable of providing a wide range of communications services with the addition of appropriate modems and other equipment at cellular processing points close to end users as is the theme of the patents referred to above.

The cellular point referred to above, in respect to siting so as best to utilise said electricity cabling supplying end users, is preferably located at the transformer point which converts medium voltage electricity as conveyed from substations, more directly related to generating plant, to the alternating current as used in the homes and businesses by appliances manufactured for use with 1 lOvolts -230volts a.c., as prevails in most countries. Alternatively the cellular point can be located anywhere within or outside buildings that are on the same low voltage circuit created by said transformer and the data injected at such cellular point will flow through the power lines (which are generally the property of the building or land owner), out on to the electricity grid in the adjoining streets and 2 so serve the proximate community without interference with the electricity being supplied by the electricity network operator to that community. In such case the data so transmitted on such powerlines both within the building or private land where the data is introduced can be managed by addressing the necessary modems that enable the end user to access the data.

Such transformers in metropolitan locations are conventionally connected to between 100 and 200 end users in domestic premises utilising cabling to provide connectivity for single phase appliances at 230 volts a.c. While lesser numbers are connected to 110 volt systems, the ability to spread the cost of processing equipment at the transformer point across many users can be a very cost effective system. Such can be contrasted with the many computer users having an individual satellite terminal and Broadlogic digital receive card in each computer to enable high speed Internet data to be delivered direct from satellite. Only one such Broadlogic or similar card would be required in the equipment installed at the transformer or other point of entry of the data, to serve many users, and the same applies to one shared dish at each cell site as is referred to in the above described patents.

The prior art referred to above did not deal with the medium voltage lines that convey electricity substantial distances from electrical substations and which can also carry communications data from such points, but when these medium voltage lines of conventionally 10 - 20,000 kilovolts pass low voltage transformers that transform the higher voltages down to that used in the homes and offices as referred to above, it becomes necessary to by-pass the low voltage transformer (which would otherwise degrade or obliterate the data) and form a bridge over that transformer. Presently such a bridge is provided by a capacitive coupler comprising a voltage divider which includes a transformer to lower the voltage, and modems to modulate and demodulate the data for onward ansmission past the low voltage transformer to the end user power points. 3 Such couplers are cost effective when there is a large number of users as in a city situation as referred to above, as the cost can be spread over a significant number of end user premises but in rural areas, especially in countries where the domestic electricity is 110 volts of alternating current, there may be only five or even only one home supplied by the low voltage transformer and accordingly the present style of coupler is prohibitively expensive.

It is the intent of the present invention to provide coupler ingredients that are low cost in respect to material and fabrication. Either conducting or non conducting polymers are an appropriate substrate for the selective conduction at radio frequencies that are well removed from the frequencies associated with alternating current at 50 - 60 hertz.

The International Telecommunications Union ("ITU") has recommended the radio frequency band of 1 - 30 MHz as an appropriate band for the conveyance of broadband communications on power lines both within buildings and on external electricity grids. Such frequencies are so far removed from the alternating current frequencies that it is possible to utilise polymers with appropriate infusion or coating with conductive materials or doped with positive and negative ions in manner that is conducive to conduction at the desired frequencies and yet inhibit the passage of the lower electrical frequencies referred to above.

Suitable polymer composites for such couplers include partially or fully doped polyacetylene, polyphenylene, polyaniline, polythiophene., polypyrrole, and similar polymer derivatives and copolymers. For example, redox polymers exhibit conductivity only over a very narrow potential range. By manipulation through doping, the frequency response is controllable to a degree that assists in transmission of the desired frequencies. Alternatively poorly conducting polymers such as polyimide, nylon, and polyethylene, can be coated on to conductive materials such as carbon fibres. Electro active polymers can physically respond to the application of electric current. The permittivity and 4 permeability of the host resins can be tailored using materials such as nickel zinc ferrite, manganese zinc ferrite, strontium ferrite, barium tetratitanate, graphite, carbon blacks, carbon nanotubes, and similarly conductive powders comprised of transition metals such as iron or nickel, noble metals such as aluminium, copper, and gold, rare earth metals such as gadolinium, and their alloys. Further conductive materials that may, as nanoparticeles, be juxtaposed within a polymer matrix include platinum, ferrous oxide and ceramics such as LaSrCuO.

Conversely polymers that do not conduct the undesired frequencies can be used to provide a capacitive response. Such materials can be fabricated by loading dielectric powders into them. Such dielectric filtering material can absorb and dissipate as heat, unwanted frequencies.

Polymers that do not conduct the undesired frequencies also can be used to provide capacitive response through loading with conductive powders comprised of transition metals such as iron or nickel, noble metals such as aluminium, silver, copper, and gold, rare earth metals such as gadolinium, and their alloys. They also may be blended or loaded with undoped conductive polymers including polyacetylene, polyphenylene, polyaniline, polythiophene. polymide, polypyrrole, and similar polymer derivatives and copolymers. The relative concentration of loadant in host material will determine the frequency response of the material and its effectiveness in enabling broad band communications.

It is noted that these conductive and nonconductive polymer hosts can have the conductive or dielectric loadant either randomly or regularly dispersed throughout the medium. Random dispersion can be achieved through conventional blending of particulate loadants. Regularly dispersed systems with the loadant at nearly periodic intervals can be prepared by a number of methods, including, but not limited to use of segmented block copolymers (SBCs) of alternating conductive and nonconductive polymers. A bulk film of such SBCs would phase segregate to form controlled regions of high conductivity or high dielelectric strength embedded in a host of low dielectric strength.

An alternative fabrication technique would use either soft or hard lithography methods to produce a regular conductive or dielectric pattern on an insulating film. The spacing of said pattern and composition of the material would determine the relative transmission of broadband frequencies and unwanted frequencies. A wide choice of substrates for such patterns exist ranging from insulating and poorly conductive polymers to glasses to crystalline insulators such as quartz or sapphire.

At the substation where the medium voltage line originates or at any intermediate point before the low voltage transformer connects to such a line, the data is introduced from a communications source that is preferably a broadband source such as fibreoptic or coaxial cabling, terrestrial wireless or satellite downlink to a receiving satellite terminal which may also include a transmit capability to return the signals to the satellite and provide a duplex mode.

At the cellular low voltage transformer point processing similar to that described in the above patents can take place but with the addition of a modem and related equipment designed to transmit the data to and from the cell site along the electricity cabling at frequencies that will not conflict or create interference with the characteristics of the electricity transmissions or any control systems present on those cables as imposed by the electricity utility for signalling, and purposes such as "ripple" control for the turning on and off of electrical services for water heating or similar applications. The selectively conducting polymers included at the coupler points must also facilitate the passage of such network control frequencies.

The selectively conducting polymers referred to above can also be used for bridging over distribution panels within buildings, particularly high rise office or apartment buildings where there are multiple circuits to differing occupants and such cabling requires connectivity between and among circuits so as to distribute the communications to multiple occupants and so spread the cost of the infrastructure amongst numerous end users. Such buildings often also have their own internal low voltage transformers which also require the use of the couplers.

Such in-building selectively conducting polymer bridges are fabricated in similar manner to the preferred embodiment subsequently described herein for use in the outdoor bridging between higher to lower voltage lines but without the need for ceramic casing designed to avoid high voltage breakdown and for water proofing.

In multi tenant or ownership buildings such as apartments, high rise office buildings, unit factories and the like, the individual units conventionally have individual meters for reading the electricity supply. In such circumstances any bridging between circuits with copper or similar wire that connected to active conductors for the purpose of communications could cause interference with the meter reading and incorrect charging for electricity consumption. The advantage of the polymer bridge is that as there is no coupling at mains frequencies, communications networking throughout a building can be achieved without interference to the electricity supply to the individual units.

Broadband communications transmissions are frequently compressed in the interest of conserving available bandwidth and decompression in such circumstances may either take place at the cellular processing point in association with the modem or at the end user outlet or outlets with corresponding modems connected to computers, television sets and the like. In particular the compression format known as MPEG4 is particularly suited to use with the invention as it is very conservative of the bandwidth transmitted along the electricity cabling that connects to multiple electrical outlets in homes and offices and can accordingly be used for multiple connections to computers and the like to provide an Ethernet style of connectivity without the need to lay new communications cabling for such broadband services.

The use of the selectively conducting polymer couplers or "bridges" in association with electricity cabling carrying varying voltages in buildings, urban and rural 7 communities, creates a range of communications capabilities, in association with cable infrastructure, which can be extended by interfacing with short and long range wireless technologies. Such wireless technologies can include satellite and spread spectrum transmissions, transmitting between individual communications systems of the type described herein, in manner that does not interfere with the users of spread spectrum or other frequency hopping formats in other wireless transmission devices.

In some cases older medium or high voltage lines create inherent noise through use of cracked or otherwise defective insulators on transmission poles or towers and in such case the couplers may be used to by-pass such electricity circuits and direct the communications data on to wireless transmission systems that enable the low or medium voltage grids that do not have such impediments to be linked together to serve communities within sections of such electricity grids.

The said polymer composite materials can carry a range of two way transmissions that are useful in returning via the low voltage lines and over the transformers connected to the higher voltage long distance lines, back to substations, central or subsidiary electricity offices, data from end users to the management offices of the electricity utilities for network management and similar purposes, including energy conservation. Particularly the relationship with consumers known as demand side management (DSM) can be implemented via such polymer couplers whereby the user of the electricity can monitor and adjust by the use of computer, TV set or telephone, the amount of electricity they consume.. Similarly automated meter reading (AMR) the technique of reading electricity meters in end user premises without the need for a person to read the meter, can be supported by the use of the invention, and such information can be made available on a continuous basis to the consumer by computer, TV set, or telephone, to enable him to check the electricity consumption, and if desired vary it at any time.

Security is an important aspect of communications systems, particularly those related to funds transfer and in this regard, in addition to supporting transmission 8 of compressed data as referred to above, the polymer couplers form the basis of both in-building and outdoor secure networks that can include Secure Socket Layer (SSL) transmission for funds transfers, plus the transmission of finger prints, retina scans, and data that is secured from intervention by an encryption and error correction technology that also offers a handshaking capacity to ensure previously identified parties are linked and in the case of a financial transfer that such takes place between the appropriate parties securely and free from errors.

There are a range of modulation, multiplexing, channelling and other communications, filtering, display, and storage techniques that can be deployed in association with a communications system utilising the polymer couplers such as: (a) Packetised multiplexing; (b) Time division multiplexing; (c) Frequency division multiplexing; (d) Code division multiplexing; (e) Two or more carrier means; (f) Separate carriers for carrying data to and from an end user; (g) More than one data channel being modulated onto each carrier to enable multiple connections to end user communications equipment; (h) Carrier and digital symbol rate frequencies being determined in manner not to interfere with other traffic on said communications system; (i) Avoiding use of lower frequencies to enable AC power to be carried by said electricity cabling to signalling or other devices for electricity network management; (j) Transfer of data bi-directionally by infrared, Bluetooth or 802.11 wireless transmissions from handpieces or keyboards in end user premises to and from said multiplexing interface; (k) Storage of data on a card, with or without integrated circuit chip in association with said remote control handpiece or wireless keyboard prior to transmission to or from said handpiece or keyboard; (1) Display of all or any said data on a television or computer monitor in end user premises; (m)Display of all or any of said data on a display panel integrated with said handpiece or cellular phone; (n) Scanning means on or in association with said handpiece, cellular phone or wireless keyboard; (o) Activation of printing means in association with said interface by remote control handpiece, cellular phone or wireless keyboard.

Such transmission techniques may be used individually or in combination depending on the requirements of the system and its location in relation to sources of interference that can be more attenuating on unshielded powerlines than would be the case in respect to a communications cabling system fabricated with shielding before installation. For the avoidance of interference and degradation of signals, a multiplexing system utilising Orthagonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is appropriate in communications systems of the type disclosed herein.

Particularly in relation to the use of the polymer coupler as shown in the following example for use in distribution panels in buildings or at cellular points serving a hotel, hospital, or multi party accommodation or apartments, digitally modulated data transmitted on said system may be downloaded for storage at the site of the communications system from remote sources for the purpose of providing data that can be selectively retrieved by end users connected to said communications system for audio or video purposes, and replayed through a TV set or computer, or stored in a recorder, or printed out by a printer in end user premises.

Of relevance in such multi party dwellings or commercial premises is the ability to have data transmitted on said communications system from end user premises or parts thereof using one coding system between end user and said cellular processing point, and another coding or encryption when said data is further relayed to a service provider to give a two stage dual security system for transmission in whole or in part on electricity cabling. Further, the polymer couplers at the point of transmission on to low voltage circuits external to a building or buildings can have yet a further different coding system and at the point where the external coupler transfers the data from the low voltage AC circuit to the higher voltage long distance power lines yet a further different coding can be used to effectively give multiple layers of security at various points along a long distance transmission path utilising electricity cabling as part or all of the delivery method in association with one or more polymer couplers.

There are many communities in developing countries that do not have wired phone service. One estimate is that there are 364,000 small towns in India that do not have such services but most have electricity. Carrying out referenda, auctions, lotteries, gaming, and quiz activities are possible by the use of the communications system herein described, utilising the powerlines and the couplers and covering many or all towns or communities served by electricity cabling, in a province, state or country. Such extensive networks can be utilised for monitoring the medical condition of patients whereby the data is transmitted from the patient's monitoring equipment to the hospital or other medical service provider. Likewise the cellular sites can have global positioning equipment or aggregating equipment to accumulate packets of data from meter readings of electricity consumption which are relayed once there is an economic volume, via satellite or some other medium, back to the service provider and the same aggregation equipment can be utilised for other small packets of information as might be appropriate for referenda and the like, when the information contained therein is not time sensitive and necessitating transmission in "real" time.

Also suited to the use of the communications system described herein is the transmission of point to multipoint data to end users as is appropriate for lectures, delivered in a distance learning format. Such distance learning or similar instructional or entertainment data that in some cases needs occasional responses from the listeners or viewers can also utilise video or audio conferencing with students or other attendees, responding with questions first to the cellular processing points which can aggregate or queue the responses to avoid overloading of the system where large numbers are participating, and direct 11 communication from attendees long distances from the lecturer might otherwise be sent direct by satellite and overload an expensive transmission medium.

The communications system herein described and particularly in relation to the coupler bridging over distribution circuits within a building such as a department store, includes the use of wireless data recording devices such as those that read bar codes and transmit the data by short range wireless transmission through such formats as Bluetooth or 802.11 or similar, only as far as the electricity cabling in the walls of the building whereby the data is then routed via the coupler in one or more distribution panels to the data entry point in the computer system or similar.

An equally important aspect of utilising the electricity cabling in the walls of a building and thence through the relevant polymer couplers, is the use of mobile phones that have more than one transmission power level. Transmitting to and from powerlines in the walls of a building requires a fraction of the transmission power necessary to connect directly with a mobile phone repeater several kilometres distant. Due to the concern that holding a powerful radio transmitter against the ear may lead to brain tumours and similar health risks, such can be avoided by users within a building connecting to powerlines and thence through the polymer couplers to exterior cable and switching sources to route the call to the number of the phone dialled.

The various uses and versions of the invention as set out above, which have a common element in the use of the polymer couplers in association with the electricity cabling, utilise modems that can conveniently be incorporated, prior to sale, by the manufacturers in the consumer appliances that connect to such communications systems and such include telephones, television sets, computers and the other end user items referred to above, in the interest of saving space and cost. 12 In particular the invention: (1) Assists in creating an extremely low cost method of delivering high quality Internet data, video, and voice services utilising medium voltage electricity lines over long distances and bridging the same across the low voltage transformers, to secondary (receiving) sites; (2) Can transport, in association with appropriate modems, various data formats for services such as Internet, television programming, telephony, security monitoring, network management and meter reading (3) Can deliver the information to digital or analogue appliances as required by the user of the system and the parameters of the system; (4) Can deliver the information/data by multicasting to all reception points or to selected receiving sites in association with low cost conditional access, encryption and/or firewall systems, via the above described polymer couplers; (5) Provides a transmission in frequencies acceptable to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) without creating interference with electrical or communications equipment in the vicinity of the service., and creates much cheaper and more reliable services than wireless systems that use spread spectrum in unlicensed bands, or microwave transmissions that require line of sight conditions. (6) Utilises existing cabling over long distances that is more robust than the traditional copper pairs used for telephone service and which is generally already approved to a high standard of safety for electrical purposes. Such can be amended between the transformer and the end user premises as required by linesmen already approved by electrical authorities, in contrast to the installation of wireless systems requiring expertise in broadcasting by microwave transmission; (7) Within a geographic area enables numerous totally independent, non-aligned and not-cooperative users to co-exist with simultaneous use of the same communications transmission system, yet not present any objectionable level of interference between co-existing systems in the same geographic region (something only possible at microwave frequencies because of the use of shaped 13 and controlled radiation beams and polarisation offsets); (8) Avoids the cost, disruption and environmental problems associated with laying new communications cabling in streets and other public places and negates the concerns felt by some in respect to increasing radio emissions from long range wireless devices. (9) Maximises system coverage by utilising existing infrastructure that already penetrates man made objects (building walls), natural barriers (hills, mountains, trees) in contrast to the line of sight problems encountered by microwave transmission (10) Creates a transmission - reception system which is as impervious to human mistake and installation error as is possible with current technology, thereby reducing the level of skill required to install and operate the system, where the additions to the existing cable reticulation are mainly of a "plug and play" nature (11) Avoids the need to overlay existing cabling in buildings with new wiring to create communications networks. (12) Utilises existing electrical outlets and plugs that are already connected to end user computers and similar appliances for delivering the electricity to those items. (13) Enables the use of very low power wireless transmission devices (such as Bluetooth or FM transmissions with milliwatts of power) to connect end user equipment wirelessly to the electricity cabling system in buildings without the interference potential endemic in longer range wireless transmissions. (14) Spreads the cost of transmitting IP and similar data amongst many users on cabling that in most cases has been installed many years ago at lower cost than current alternatives, and thereby assures speed of deployment without disruption to existing structures or the environment. (15) In utilising the above described polymers, polymer composites and polymer blends enables low cost easily manipulated materials, to provide very cost effective transmission at the desired frequencies. (16) Enables transmission of telephone services in Voice Over Internet Protocol fex (VOIP) Q\ -T\ (17) Provides a coupling between the medium to high voltage lines and the low voltage lines in an electricity reticulation grid that does not occur at the fundamental frequency (50 or 60 Hz) nor at harmonics of the fundamental frequency typical on a power distribution system, namely the 2nd to 20th harmonic. (18) Acts as a high pass filter suppressing frequencies less than a predetermined frequency, for example 100kHz to 1 MHz (19) Unlike existing art in respect to couplers which rely on a capacitive voltage divider and iron cored transformer to achieve coupling between electricity lines of differing voltages, and operate at mains frequencies, thereby necessitating the use of compensators to cancel the effect of both capacitive and inductive resistances, the invention requires no such compensators as no coupling occurs at mains frequencies. (20) Simplifies impedance matching through enabling choice of a suitable shunt resistance. (21) Avoids the danger of lightning strikes as lightning transients have a maximum frequency of less than 200kHz and so are not conducted by the invention. (22) Enables simple tuning of the cutoff frequency by varying the ratios of the impedance matching elements to coupling elements. (23) In comparison with existing devices constructed by existing art, is simpler in design and cheaper to manufacture.

The following preferred embodiment of the invention as also depicted in the drawings as Figuresl, 2 and 3 is offered as an illustration. However many variations and modifications may be made while remaining within the scope of the present invention which is hereafter referred to in said example as the "Polymer Bridge" and further configurations of such polymer bridges utilising a wide range of polymers, polymer composites and polymer blends selectively conducting at radio frequencies appropriate for the carriage of communications data in networks also transmitting alternating or direct current electricity, follow the preferred embodiment described below.

The cross section of the Polymer Bridge is depicted in Figure 1 of the drawings and such consists of an inherently conducting polymer (ICP) coupling element separated by two impedance matching elements. Generally the conducting polymer will be poly-methyl-methacrylate (PMMA) doped with gold, nickel, oxides of iron or other metallic compounds. The impedance matching elements are purely resistive and allow matching of the source and load impedances to ensure maximum power transfer. Materials suitable for such impedance matching elements which are purely resistive and include ruthenium dioxide, carbon composition, carbon film, metal film and similar materials traditionally used for resistive purposes.

The coupling and impedance matching elements are sandwiched between two insulated conductors encased in a ceramic or similar insulator. One side of the Powerline Bridge connects to the high voltage and the other to the low voltage powerlines. The ceramic insulator provides a water tight seal to prevent the ingress of moisture and has a convoluted outer shape. The convoluted outer shape is designed to increase the tracking length thereby minimising the risk of high voltage breakdown.

Figure 1 of the drawing depicts the convoluted ceramic casing of the outdoor polymer bridge for use in linking lines of differing voltages and bridging over transformers where the ICP coupling element is shown as 1, the ceramic insulator as 2, the insulated conductors as 3,, and the impedance matching element as 4 .

Figure 2 of the drawings depicts the indoor powerline bridge for use with distribution panels for linking low voltage circuits where the ICP coupling element is 1, the casing (which may be ceramic or other insulating material) shown as 2, the insulated conductors 3, and the impedance matching elements 4. 16 Figure 3 of the drawings is a graph showing an AC analysis of the Powerline Bridge demonstrating a typical range of suppressed or conducted frequencies, which can be varied to suit individual applications.

Variants of the Polymer Bridge within the scope of the invention include the use of one or more impedance matching and ICP elements as suited to the materials used and the transmission parameters required in varying circumstances.

By way of further example, using a different configuration as a sandwich panel, a film of poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) m,ay be placed between two electrically conducting plates. The film of PMMA may range from a few hundred nm to 10mm in thickness. The electrically conducting plates may be an elemental metal or alloy such as copper, aluminium, iron, or steel, or an electrically conducting polymer such as camphor sulfonic acid doped polyaniline or sulfonated polyaniline. PMMA between two appropriate conducting layers can transmit frequencies in the desired range of 1 - 2GHz and other polymers, polymer composites and polymer blends can be so structured and configured to transmit likewise and demonstrate the tunability of such materials.

Claims (47)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A communications system utilising polymers, polymer composites and polymer blends selectively conducting at radio frequencies appropriate for the carriage of communications data by providing linkages between and among electricity conducting cabling in networks also transmitting alternating or direct current electricity and including: (a) facilities for bridging over and bypassing transformers and/or distribution panels that would degrade the transmission of said radio frequencies; (b) facilities for impeding the transmission of frequencies associated with I the carriage of alternating or direct electric current; (c) facilities for filtering out unwanted interfering emissions; (d) facilities for minimising attenuation of the communications signals on electricity cables.

2. A communications system as claimed in claim 1, where the communications data is bridged over electricity distribution panels within a building to provide communications services within that building to individual rooms or areas of commercial, industrial or residential premises on different circuits of the electricity cabling, in manner that does not transfer electricity mains frequencies between or among electricity circuits also used for communications networking.

3. A communications system as claimed in claim 1, where the transmitted signals comprise Internet data transmitted via the electricity cabling to and from end users by bridging over said transformers or distribution panels and thence via cable or wireless means to Internet data sources.

4. A communications system as claimed in claim 1, whereby the transmitted signals are television programming transmitted in compressed or uncompressed format to end users by bridging over transformers or distribution panels and thence via the electricity cabling, to end users.

5. A communications system as claimed in claim 1, whereby the transmitted signals are telephone services in Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) to end users by bridging over transformers or distribution panels and thence via the electricity cabling to end users for that part of the transmission that is not otherwise carried on telephone cabling.

6. A communications system as claimed in claim 5, where said telephone services extend over one or more low or medium voltage electricity grids and serve the communities connected to such grids independently of the public switched network of a telephone company.

7. A communications system as claimed in claim 5 where the low or medium voltage grids are linked together by wireless means to serve the communities within such electricity grids.

8. A communications system as claimed in claim 1 whereby the signals transmitted on the electricity cabling and bridged by said polymer materials over transformers and distribution panels are electronic funds transfers. 18

9. A communications system as claimed in claim 1 whereby the signals transmitted on the electricity cabling and bridged by said polymer materials over transformers and distribution panels are satellite signals.

10. A communications system as claimed in claim 1, where the signals transmitted on the electricity cabling and bridged by said polymer materials over transformers and distribution panels are connected by fibreoptic cabling to remote communications sources.

11. A communications system as claimed in claim 1, whereby the signals transmitted on the electricity cabling and bridged by said polymer materials over transformers and distribution panels are connected by low voltage alternating current electricity circuits of the voltages used for supplying electricity to consumer equipment, to medium voltage cabling as used for long distance electricity reticulation, for the purpose of transmitting communications services to remote communications sources.

12. A communications system as claimed in claim 1, whereby the transmitted signals are to and from automated meter reading equipment (AMR) via said electricity reticulation and polymer composite transmission facilities.

13. A communications system as claimed in claim 1, whereby the polymer composite materials bridging over transformers and distribution panels carry details of electricity consumption and enable demand side management by consumers to enable them to adjust by use of computer, TV set, or telephone the amount of electricity they consume.

14. A communications system as claimed in claim 1, whereby the polymer composite includes conducting platinum nanoparticles juxtaposed within the polymer matrix in manner appropriate to provide the desired frequency response to enable carriage of the communications services.

15. A communications system as claimed in claim 1, whereby the polymer composite includes conducting nickel nanoparticles juxtaposed within the polymer matrix in manner appropriate to provide the desired frequency response to enable carriage of the communications services.

16. A communications system as claimed in claim 1,whereby the polymer composite includes ferrous oxide nanoparticles juxtaposed within the polymer 19 matrix in manner appropriate to provide the desired frequency response to enable carriage of the communications services.

17. A communications system as claimed in claim 1, whereby the conducting nanoparticles are selected from varying conductive materials including elemental metals such as copper, silver, gold, iron, and aluminium, alloys of elemental metal, steel, conducting ceramics such as LaSrCuO, and conducting polymers, such as doped polyaniline, and so mixed and juxtaposed as to be tuneable to provide permittivity of the passage of the desired frequencies and impede the transmission of undesired or interfering frequencies.

18. A communications system as claimed in claim 1 whereby the polymer composites are so formulated to enable the transmission of frequencies in the range of lMhz to 50 Mhz.

19. A communications system as claimed in any previous claim where the transmitted signals are duplex, audio, video or graphics signals.

20. A communications system as claimed in any preceding claim where the data transmitted on said system is secured from intervention or interception by an encryption and error correction technology that also offers a handshaking capacity to ensure previously identified parties are correctly linked and in the case of a financial transfer that such takes place between the appropriate parties securely and free from errors.

21. A communications system as in any preceding claim where data signalling information transmitted on the system includes one or any combination of the following modulation, multiplexing, channelling and other communications, security, filtering, display, and storage techniques: (a) Packetised multiplexing; (b) Time division multiplexing; (c) Frequency division multiplexing; (d) Code division multiplexing; (e) Two or more carrier means; (f) Separate carriers for carrying data to and from and end user; W \ (g) More than one data channel being modulated onto each carrier, to enable multiple connections to end user communications equipment; (h) Carrier and digital symbol rate frequencies being determined in manner not to interfere with other traffic on said communications system; (i) Avoiding use of lower frequencies to enable AC power to be carried by said electricity cabling to signalling or other devices for electricity utility network management; (j) Transfer of data bi-directionally by infrared, Bluetooth or 802.11 wireless transmissions from handpieces or keyboards in end user premises to and from said multiplexing interface; (k) Storage of data on a card, with or without integrated circuit chip in association with said remote control handpiece or wireless keyboard prior to transmission to or from said handpiece or keyboard. (1) Display of all or any said data on a television or computer monitor in end user premises; (m) Display of all or any of said data on a display panel integrated with said handpiece or cellular phone (n) Scanning means on or in association with said handpiece, cellular phone or wireless keyboard; (o) Activation of printing means in association with said interface by remote control handpiece, cellular phone or wireless keyboard.

22. A communications system as described in any previous claim where the multiplexing system is Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM)

23. A communications system as described in any previous claim where digitally modulated data transmitted on said system is downloaded for storage at the site of the communications system from remote sources for the purpose of providing data that can be selectively retrieved by end users connected to said communications system for printing out by a printer in end user premises.

24. A communications system as in claim 23 where digitally modulated data is retrieved by an end user connected to said system and stored as video signals and stored in a recorder in end user premises.

25. A communications system as in claim 23 where said digitally modulated data is retrieved by an end user and replayed through a television set or computer in end user premises.

26. A communications system as described in any preceding claim where data transmitted on said system is relayed from end user premises using one coding system for security between end user and said cellular processing point, and another coding or encryption when said data is further relayed to a service provider to give a two stage dual security system for transmissions in whole or in part on electricity cabling.

27. A communications system as in any preceding claim where recording of transmissions transmitted on said system from end users enables service providers to verify time of transmission signals from end users to individual communications system sites and correlate these into times of responses of end users connected to multiple communications system sites.

28. A communications system as in any previous claim where said communications system operating on an electricity conducting circuit or network is linked to other such communications system sites by electricity cabling, or by satellite, or by wireless low power communications systems including spread spectrum transmissions for the purpose of transmitting between such individual communications systems in manner that does not cause interference to other radio spectrum users, and links communities served by low and medium voltage electricity grids.

29. A communications system as in claim 28 where the sites referred to have global positioning system equipment for location purposes.

30. A communications system as in any previous claim where the communications system site and end users can, either in their own premises or remotely, control the operation of home appliances and other systems connected to electricity cabling. 22

31. A communications system as claimed in any preceding claim where the powerline used for communications transmission is the neutral conductor connected to power outlets within a building, and/or active conductors.

32. A communications system as claimed in any preceding claim where the powerline used for communications transmission is the protective earth conductor connected to power outlets within a building.

33. A communications system as claimed in any preceding claim where polymer composites conducting or non conducting at radio frequencies are laminated into conducting and dielectric layers as appropriate for varying conducting or impedance purposes for transmission of desired radio frequencies or attenuation of undesired frequencies in a network.

34. A communications system as claimed in any preceding claim which includes one or more cellular telephones of low transmission power and short range that transmit and receive data to and from electricity cabling connected to low voltage electricity grids.

35. A communications system as claimed in any claim preceding claim 34 which includes one or more cellular telephones of dual transmission power switchable to lower power when used to transmit and receive data to and from proximate electricity cabling connected to low or medium voltage electricity grids.

36. A communications system as claimed in any preceding claim where equipment for monitoring the medical condition of a patient is connected to the electricity cabling which is used for data transmission to or from such monitoring equipment.

37. A communications system as claimed in any preceding claim where video conferencing equipment is connected to electricity cabling for transmission of audio and video for conferences.

38. A communications system as described in claim 1 which is a point to multipoint transmission system.

39. A communications system as described in claim 1 which enables a portable data collection or transmission device to connect wirelessly with the electricity cabling in the walls of a building. -n\ n! 23

40. A communications system as described in any preceding claim where the modems necessary to interface end user equipment to the powerline transmissions are built into telephones, televisions, computers, and similar equipment, by manufacturers, prior to being marketed to end users.

41. A communications system as claimed in claim 11 whereby the coupling between the medium or high voltage cabling and the low voltage circuits does not occur at the fundamental frequencies of alternating current distribution systems of 50 - 60 Hz nor at the 2nd to 20th harmonics of such frequencies typical in such systems.

42. A communications system as claimed in claim 11 whereby the bridge created by said polymer materials, acts as a high pass filter suppressing frequencies less than a predetermined frequency or frequencies.

43. A communications system as claimed in claim 11 whereby no compensators of the type required in conventional couplers operating at mains frequencies so as to cancel the effect of capacitive and inductive reactances, are necessary, as bridging achieved by said polymer materials does not occur at mains frequencies.

44. A communications system as claimed in claim 11 where impedance matching is simplified by the ability to select appropriate shunt resistance.

45. A communications system as claimed in claim 11 which is resistant to lightning strike, as lightning transients having a maximum frequency of less than 200kHz are not conducted by said polymer materials.

46. A communications system as claimed in claim 11 whereby varying the ratios of the impedance matching elements to the coupling elements enables the cutoff frequencies to be tuned to suit frequencies selectively chosen for the desired frequency use or suppression.

47. A communications system substantially as herein described and with reference to the diagrams included in the examples given in the body of this Complete Specification. INTELLECTUAL KH0PERTY OFFICE OF N.Z 3 1 JAN 2005 RECFsyp-