TWI387231B - Multi-wideband communications over power lines - Google Patents

Description

Multiple broadband communication over power lines Related application cross-reference

This application claims the benefit and priority of the European Patent Application No. EP 05 256 179.2, entitled "Power Line Communication Devices and Methods", dated October 4, 2005. The present application also claims the benefit and priority of the U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 11/467, 141, filed on Aug. 24, 2006, and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 11/536,539, filed on Sep. 28, 2006. The disclosure of the above patents is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for power line communication, and more particularly to systems and methods for broadband power line communication.

With the growth in the use of digital content (eg, MP3 sound, MPEG4 video, and digital photo), there is a broad cognitive need to improve digital communication systems. Power Line Communication (PLC) is a technology that encodes data within a signal and transmits it over existing power lines in a frequency band that is not used to provide power. Therefore, power line communication implements the ubiquitous existing power network to provide a wide range of network coverage. Furthermore, because power line communication enables data to be accessed from conventional power outlets, there is no need to place new wiring in a building (or a different part of a building). Therefore, power line communication provides an additional advantage of reduced equipment costs.

Referring to Figure 1, a home 10 typically has a decentralized power wiring system that includes one or more ring power supplies, a plurality of conductor bars, and some wiring back to a junction box 12. For the purposes of the example, assume that the home 10 series contains four rooms 14, 16, 18, and 20. Each room 14-20 series can have a different number of outlets and other power connections. For example, room 14 may have only one joint 22, room 16 may have two joints 24, 26, room 18 may have three joints 28, 30 and 32, and room 20 may have six joints 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 and 44.

Therefore, there are many different distances and paths between different power outlets within the home 10. In particular, the sockets closest to each other are sockets on multiple socket strips, and the sockets furthest from each other are sockets on the ends of the conductive rods of different ring power sources (for example, power sockets in garden sheds and lofts) ). Communication between these furthest outlets typically passes through junction box 12. However, most of the outlets associated with a particular application (eg, a home theater) are fairly close to each other.

Since the channel capacity of a power line and connector is particularly attenuated based on the frequency of a transmitted signal, the current generated power line communication system has been developed to at a relatively low frequency (ie, below 30 megahertz). The signal is transmitted below, and thereby a suitable transmission distance is obtained. However, the use of such low transmission frequencies limits the maximum amount of data that can be obtained by a power line communication system.

The processing of receiving analog signals and injecting modulated signals is handled differently by different power line communication standards. The current approach is to implement some analog adjustments to the signal-path (eg, low-pass filtering for anti-aliasing or smoothing, or AC coupling for removing the low-frequency content of the high-voltage content of the power supply ( 1KHz) part). However, there is no comparable system for combining two or more broadband power line communication technologies that can operate simultaneously.

Many standards for power line communication have been defined. These include the Homeplug 1.0/1.1 standard, the Homeplug AV standard, the CEPCA standard, and the digital home standard.

As with most communication systems, one of the major problems with prior art power line communication systems is to achieve high throughput and broad coverage at reasonable implementation costs while maintaining compatibility with existing technologies. Although some power line communication systems that provide transmission rates of hundreds of millions of bits per second are currently available, these systems have high implementation costs because they employ high bps/Hz modulation mechanisms (eg, approximately 10 bps/Hz), which requires high accuracy data converters, extremely linear interface electronics, and increases the cost of digital implementations due to the computational complexity of modulation. Therefore, there is a need for an improved power line communication system that overcomes the above and other problems.

Many embodiments include systems and methods for communicating over a power line that simultaneously transmit and/or receive data over a plurality of broadband frequency ranges. Many different embodiments include a power line communication network that includes at least one power line communication device configured to use a plurality of broadband frequency ranges.

Some embodiments include: a system for communicating over a power line, including a device for communicating over a power line; a system for connecting to the power line; and for transmitting data from the device to a suitable application or A system that transmits data from the appropriate application devices to the device.

In some embodiments, the power line communication device is configured to be transmitted by expanding data to a plurality of independent broadband bands capable of simultaneous and/or independent operation, as compared to current generation power line communication networks. Improve the output/coverage/cost performance of a powerline network.

Moreover, the power line communication device can also selectively promote interoperability by using one or more frequency bands to facilitate communication with nodes employing prior power line technologies. In this manner, the power line communication device provides a method of generating a scalable implementation of a network in which prior art nodes and new generation power line technologies can operate together without compromising performance.

More specifically, the power line communication device is capable of enabling frequencies above 30 megahertz while maintaining compatibility with current global electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) regulations and standards. This is achieved by using a signal of less than 30 megahertz (as currently used by power line standards and/or regulations) and at least one other signal above 30 megahertz without detracting from these Any of the signals due to the effectiveness of the interference.

This result is a new power line communication system that facilitates interoperability with a pre-existing power line communication technology over a wide frequency (currently in the frequency range of 1 megahertz to 30 megahertz) and provides Extend the system's ability to new, much higher frequency bandwidths (eg, frequencies between 30 megahertz and 1 billion Hz) to improve the overall throughput of the resulting communication system while simplifying the implementation of any given broadband the way.

The power line communication device includes a network interface device that uses an analog signal separation device (eg, an analog filter) to separate the different broadband signals received from the power line before they are converted to digital representations. The path of some different broadband signals. The analog signal separating means also separates the path of the different wideband signals (after the digital representation conversion thereof) to be transmitted on the power line. The network interface device optionally uses Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) and/or Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) for enabling coexistence and synchronization. Mechanism of and/or two-way transmission.

The analog signal separation device is constructed as a block element that includes separate and/or integrated electronic components and the natural characteristics of the wiring and/or printed circuit board traces used to interconnect the components.

In some embodiments, the power line communication device is configured to be expandable to provide a larger overall bandwidth and to have substantially different injection power levels in different frequency ranges and/or coexist with other pre-existing technologies. And interacting with each other on the same network.

In many different embodiments, each of the pre-existing and new generation power line technologies is configured to implement different modulation mechanisms (eg, OFDM, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and/or Or a separate mechanism or combination mechanism of Orthogonal Wavelet Domain Modulation (OWDM). The power line communication device is capable of transmitting data via any or all of the broadband frequencies depending on its channel status. Moreover, depending on other network functions, the power line communication device can distribute the material from a single source or mix the data with data relayed from another node on the network.

In many different embodiments, each node on the power line communication network is an integrated analog signal separation device and a modulation and demodulation converter (eg, Digital Front End (DFE), media access control ( Media Access Control (MAC), etc.) as part of the power line network interface device; and a device such as a computer, mass storage device, display device, speaker, digital video disc (DVD) player, personal video recorder ( Personal Video Recorder, PVR, etc.; and/or an interface to an application device, such as a digital audio interface, digital video interface, analog audio interface, analog video interface, Ethernet interface, IEEE1394/FireWire/ iLink interface, a universal serial bus (USB) interface and/or the like.

In some embodiments, the power line communication device is constructed to use a signal having a frequency of less than 30 megahertz (in accordance with current standards and injected power regulations) and at least one other signal having a frequency greater than 30 megahertz. Without detracting from any of these signals due to the effectiveness of the interference. This feature enables the power line communication device to increase throughput while enabling interoperability with previous power line communication technologies.

The advantage of using a low frequency band is the possibility of a higher coverage range (eg, communication over larger distances) than is achievable with a high frequency band, because of the larger injections allowed by the regulations. Power and lower channel attenuation. The advantage of using a high frequency is that a higher throughput can be achieved due to the larger usable bandwidth.

In some embodiments, the power line communication device is constructed to utilize a natural topology of a home power line network, wherein a group of related devices and outlets are typically grouped together (eg, in a living room) Plasma screens, digital audio CD players and speakers), and clusters of other devices and outlets are clustered elsewhere (for example, desktop printers, scanners and asymmetrics in a home office) Digital Subscriber Loop (ADSL) router). Such a home topology can benefit from the high throughput short-range coverage provided by the high frequency (which is simultaneously and independently available in each cluster), while the low frequency system can be used to carry most of the clusters. Data communication. It should also be recognized that some communication nodes can benefit from communication at high and low frequencies.

In some embodiments, the parallel use of a plurality of broadband frequencies enables modulation of different injection power levels, receiver sensitivity, number of transmissions, character length, and modulation techniques that optimize the performance and cost of each broadband. This leads to a better cost performance, even if more than one analog and digital front end needs to be provided. Part of the cost advantage of implementation is due to the ability to reduce bps/Hz within each wideband, while still maintaining throughput performance due to the additional usable bandwidth. This effect nonlinearly compensates for the cost of implementing more than one broadband communication technology. Furthermore, the reduction in high frequency coverage is compensated for by using low frequencies in parallel (with a larger allowable injection power). For example, in many embodiments, the power line communication device can be used on a plurality of broadband frequencies by using a lower bps/Hz modulation mechanism (about 5 bps/Hz instead of 10 bps/Hz). One provides 1 billion bits per second at a lower cost than the current 200 million bps system.

In many embodiments, a network interface device is constructed using analog signal separation and includes a plurality of analog front ends. The use of analog signal separation based on frequency enables each broadband technology to be selectively operated independently and may include one or more of the following features: (a) the network interface device is constructed for analog to digital converters, digital To analog converters and PGAs or line drivers used in signals from a given frequency band, where optimization is performed for the required bandwidth, linearity and dynamics of the frequency band, and for matching bands The electromagnetic compatibility specification and/or the power level required for coverage is optimized; (b) the network interface device is constructed for use in the power line communication device to maintain the current standard using one of the frequency bands Compatibility and interoperability, while independently (and without causing interference with another band), utilize another frequency band for additional communication (for example, the Homeplug AV standard, which uses two hundred Frequencies in the range of 10,000 to 28 megahertz can operate simultaneously with another standard using frequencies greater than 30 megahertz; (c) the network interface device is constructed to allow for inclusion Do not To increase the capacity of the power line communication device using the additional broadband of the same modulation technique, however, it is possible to use a modulation technique that best matches the power line channel characteristics of the new frequency band; and (d) the network interface device architecture Allow different broadband to operate without being synchronized with other broadband or independent of other broadband.

In many embodiments, the power line communication device is also constructed to allow other network technologies to be layered independently at the top, for example: (a) in many different communication layers, whether or not in the digital front end, media storage Taking control or application layers, combining data from different frequency bands; (b) using notch filters in the modulation mechanism to limit the emission of certain frequencies within one of the broadband frequencies defined by the analogy; (c) Using a repeater in one node for retransmission in the same or different frequency bands; (d) using a range of modulation mechanisms such as OFDM, CDMA, and/or ODWM; and/or (e) forming a point-to-point, Point-to-multipoint and/or multi-point to multi-point communication.

In some embodiments, the network interface device is capable of combining and segmenting data communicated over different paths to maximize performance, coexistence, and interoperability while minimizing system cost.

Many different embodiments of the present invention comprise a method comprising: receiving digital data from one or more applications; encoding a first portion of the digital data into a first in a first broadband frequency range a signal, at least a portion of the first broadband frequency range being less than 30 megahertz; encoding a second portion of the digital data into a second signal in a second broadband frequency range, at least a portion of the second broadband frequency range The system is greater than 30 megahertz; the first signal and the second signal are combined to generate a combined signal; and the combined signal is transmitted through a power line.

Many different embodiments of the present invention comprise a method comprising: receiving a signal through a power line; separating the received signal into a first signal component and a second broadband frequency in a first broadband frequency range a second signal component in the range, the first broadband frequency range and the second broadband frequency range are each at least 10 megahertz wide; separately processing the first signal component and the second signal component to extract digital data And provide the digital data to one or more applications.

Many different embodiments of the present invention comprise a communication network comprising: a first communication node configured to use a first broadband frequency range of at least 10 megahertz wide and a width of at least 5 megahertz The second broadband frequency range communication; a second communication node configured to communicate with the first communication node through a power line by simultaneously using the first broadband frequency range and the second broadband frequency range.

Many different embodiments of the present invention comprise a communication device comprising: a coupler configured to communicate over a power line communication material, a first portion of the data being communicated using a first broadband frequency range, and A second portion of the data is communicated using a second broadband frequency range separate from the first broadband frequency range, the first portion of the data being independent of the second portion of the data; the first logic circuit, the system Forming the first portion of the data; and the second logic circuit constituting the second portion of the processing data.

Many different embodiments of the present invention comprise a communication network comprising: a first communication node configured to communicate using a first broadband frequency range; and a second communication node configured to use a The first broadband frequency range is separated by a second broadband frequency range communication; and a third communication node is configured to simultaneously and independently receive and use the first broadband frequency range from the first communication node through a power line The second broadband frequency range is used to communicate from the second communication node through the power line.

Many different embodiments of the present invention comprise a method comprising: transmitting a first data between a first communication node and a second communication node over a power line using a first broadband frequency range; and using a a second broadband frequency range separated from the first broadband frequency range, the second data is transmitted between the first communication node and a third communication node through the power line, and the first data and the second data are simultaneously transmitted .

Many different embodiments of the present invention comprise a method comprising: transmitting a first communication material from a first communication node through a power line using a first broadband frequency range, the first communication data comprising a built-in identification a data constituting a second communication node constituting the communication in the first broadband frequency range; receiving a response from the second communication node for the first communication data; using a second broadband frequency range through the power line The first communication node transmits a second communication data, and the second communication data includes data configured to identify a third communication node formed in the second broadband frequency range; received from the third communication node Responding to a response to the second communication material; and determining a communication strategy based on the response to the first communication material and the response to the second communication material.

Many different embodiments of the present invention comprise a method comprising: receiving a command and control signal over a power line over a first broadband frequency range, at least a portion of the first broadband frequency range being less than 30 megahertz And in a second broadband frequency range, the received command and control signals are used to receive or process data signals transmitted through the power line, at least a portion of the second broadband frequency range being greater than 30 megahertz.

For the sake of brevity, the term "power line" will be used herein to refer to a low voltage home power distribution cable (typically 100 to 240 volts AC) or any other distribution capable of transmitting power to a device connected thereto. Conductor cable (ie, AC or DC). Furthermore, the term "power line technology" will be used herein to mean that when implemented as a series of network interface devices connected to a power line, the devices are enabled to use overlapping power distribution signals already present on the power line. The signal, and the specifications of two-way communication with each other.

The term "network interface device" will be used herein to describe a communication technology, in whole or in part, such as a power line technology that enables the device to communicate with other devices connected to the same network, such as a power line. Whether or not the device is integrated with other devices or functions within a single enclosure. For the sake of brevity, a device connected to a power line network will be referred to herein as a "node."

The term "coverage" is used herein to refer to the maximum distance that data transmitted between two nodes can still be detected by any node. In addition, the term "output" will be understood as the rate at which a node transmits or receives data over a network.

For the sake of brevity, a wide frequency band used in a power line communication device having a frequency less than about 30 megahertz will be referred to herein as a "low frequency" by way of illustration of the operation of the power line communication device of current power line technology. Similarly, a wide frequency band used in a power line communication device having a frequency greater than about 30 megahertz will be referred to herein as a "high frequency."

For the sake of completeness and because the present invention relates to broadband communication, the term "broadband" will be used herein to refer to a frequency band or range used by a power line technology signal characterized by having the first of the frequency bands (lowest The frequency to the last (highest) frequency is greater than or equal to the bandwidth of 5 megahertz, regardless of whether or not the notch exists. However, in many embodiments, the broadband system can have a bandwidth of at least 7, 10, 12, 15, 20, 100 or 250 megahertz. Similarly, the term "narrowband" will be used herein to refer to a frequency band or range used by a power line technology signal characterized by having a bandwidth of less than 5 megahertz. A broadband system may be included for transmission. Many different carrier channels of data. For example, in many embodiments, the broadband system contains more than 25, 50, 100 or 200 data channels.

The term "transfer time" will be used herein to describe the maximum amount of time it takes to transmit a single co-existing message. The transmission time includes, but is not limited to, the transmission start tag time (if any), a synchronization time (if any), a channel access resolution time (if any), a coordination time (if there is , a message transmission time (if any), a confirmation transmission time (if any) and a transmission end marker time (if any).

The term "notch" is used herein to reduce the energy level of a power line technology signal to a frequency band that prevents interference with other users of the spectrum (whether on or off the power line). The notch system is characterized by having a narrower bandwidth than its own power line technique and is implemented substantially by a single digital signal processing block or a digital or analog signal separation device within the analog front end.

For the sake of brevity, the term "subband" will be used herein to refer to a frequency band in which a power line technology signal characteristic is different from the characteristics of the power line technology signal in the remainder of the signal bandwidth. Such a difference can include the selection or forcing of the sub-band, the signal power level of the sub-band and the directivity of the sub-band. The sub-band is characterized as having a narrower bandwidth than the power line technology signal itself. A sub-band system enabled trapping band for use in OFDM is generated, wherein if a sub-band reception system is severely damaged or a sub-band is capable of interfering with another service, the sub-band is Disabled. Furthermore, OWDM is able to simplify the notch of the carrier due to its small side leaves.

For the sake of brevity, the term "transmitter signal path" will be used herein to refer to the path from a device to the signal transmitted by the power line. Similarly, the term "receiver signal path" will be used herein to refer to the path of a signal received by a device from a power line. On a related heading, it may not be necessary to isolate both the receiver and the transmitter signal path (according to the specifications of the analog components and modulation techniques used herein).

For the sake of brevity, the power line communication device of the present invention will sometimes be referred to herein as an "improved power line communication device." Similarly, an improved network interface device for a power line communication device would be referred to herein as an "improved network interface device." Finally, the power line communication network that includes the nodes of the improved communication device will sometimes be referred to herein as an "improved power line communication network."

The term "separation" as used herein with respect to broadband is not used for communication data or commands unless inadvertently, the same frequency of broadband. Broadband systems can be separated and interlaced, for example, overlapping.

The term "simultaneously" is used herein to communicate information to indicate that at least a portion of the first material or command using a first broadband is associated with at least a portion of the second material or command using a second broadband communication. Communication at the same time. At the same time, the transmission is compared to a system that alternates or interleaves the frequency, one frequency followed by another, or jumps from one frequency to another.

The term "independent" is used herein with respect to the material being transmitted to indicate that the data transmitted using one broadband is not based on data transmitted in parallel using another broadband. An independent data transfer system can include, for example, data transmitted to different locations and received from different locations. The data in the replacement bits transmitted using different frequencies is not independent because the bits are dependent on each other to form a useful byte. The data transmitted in a first broadband and containing the communication setting information, the decryption key or the like is considered to be independent of the data transmitted in a second broadband, even when the data transmitted in the second broadband is received. And the processing system can use the data in the first broadband. This is because the transmission of communication setting information, decryption key or the like is not based on the data transmitted in the second broadband.

It should be appreciated that the specific networks and other examples described in these paragraphs are for illustrative purposes only. In particular, the examples described in these paragraphs should not be used to explain power line communication devices that limit this improvement.

Some embodiments of the improved power line communication network include a plurality of nodes, some of which employ a network interface device that enables the transmission of two or more broadband frequencies to similar multiple broadband nodes. Simultaneous and independent communication of traditional nodes. A first broadband system optionally includes: a frequency less than 30 megahertz, which is in accordance with current standards and injected power levels (and will be recognized as a low frequency); and other broadband frequencies, which are greater than The frequency of 30 megahertz (and will be recognized as a high frequency here). Alternatively, both the first and second broadband frequencies may comprise frequencies greater than 30 megahertz. This system enables power line technology to optimize for each broadband, so that the trade-off between cost, coverage and throughput will be better than the cost, coverage and throughput achieved by a purely single broadband approach.

In particular, the modulation mechanism for each of the techniques used in the improved power line communication network is optimized for cost. For example, a particularly high modulation density (bps/Hz) may not be required at low frequencies to increase throughput because the low frequency system can operate in parallel with the inherently high throughput high frequencies.

The improved power line communication network also supports communication between multiple broadband nodes and a single broadband node (which uses one of the power line technologies supported by low or high frequencies and communicates at low or high frequency frequencies). Providing interoperability with prior art power line technologies.

The improved network interface device can be part of an external modem device or built into another device (eg, a computer, television, etc.). However, regardless of the manner in which an improved network interface device is contained within a node, the device is physically connected to the conductive cable (which is via AC or DC) and is capable of using low frequency and high frequency. Any one or all of the digital data is transmitted on the cable.

According to current regulatory standards, low frequency signals can be transmitted at approximately -50 dBm/Hz, while high frequency signals can be transmitted at powers that are only transmitted at -80 dBm/Hz at this frequency. Therefore, the signal at low frequencies can be transmitted at approximately 1000 times greater power than the high frequency signal. Therefore, if the signals in these low frequencies are transmitted simultaneously without using a form of analog frequency isolation, the dynamic range and voltage compliance of the high frequency signals are greatly increased.

However, the possibility of interference or saturation of a lower power signal can be even more problematic. In particular, if one of the bands is used to receive a line attenuation signal with a power level close to the noise on the power line (ie, -150 dBm/Hz), while another band is used at its maximum. Allowing a signal to be transmitted at the transmission power prevents the isolation signals from the two frequency bands from interfering with each other by about 100 dB. However, this is outside the scope of the prior art analogy and has a high implementation cost.

In short, the isolation required to effectively allow both high frequency and low frequency simultaneous and independent communication falls into three main categories: (1) the strength of a signal received through a network at a wide frequency. Isolating the saturation of another broadband receiver; (2) preventing the transmission of one band from interfering with the reception of another band; and (3) preventing the degradation of the transmitter of the other band when one band is being transmitted .

In view of this, the improved network interface device employs an analog signal separation device to isolate the path to each broadband data converter and the power line connection to a device. One of the most effective ways to provide this isolation is to filter high frequency signals by high pass filtering or band pass filtering while minimizing out-of-band signals in low frequencies (using high linear components and possibly analog low pass smoothing or Anti-aliasing).

Signals in the high and low frequencies can use the same or different modulation techniques (such as OFDM, CDMA, and/or ODWM) or time-sharing mechanisms to facilitate co-existence and/or two-way communication. In one possible scenario, the low frequency system can employ a modulation mechanism that can interoperate with one of the existing power line modem standards or recommended standards while the high frequency system is used outside of the previous standard range. The data and/or control system can be transmitted simultaneously through one or both of the broadband and through a plurality of nodes in the form of a repeater (e.g., relay element) network.

There are many different ways of implementing this improved power line communication device. For example, the improved power line communication device can be implemented on one or more integrated circuits (whether or not dedicated to the modulation demodulator function or as part of an application system on a wafer), in combination with passive components And the characteristics of the interconnect components. However, analog signal separation devices separate low frequency and high frequency implementations using a combination of components within different signal paths, whether the components are passive or active, integrated or separated. In particular, for broadband, the following are possible: (a) a part of the path (for example, passing through a coupling unit); (b) only added at the power line; and/or (c) At the opposite end of the device.

It is also possible to extend the improved power line communication device to communicate over more than two broadband frequencies. Similarly, for broadband, it is also possible to overlap slightly if needed and to differ from the frequency range or bandwidth specified in the particular description.

In some embodiments, different forms of signals are communicated at different broadband frequencies. For example, in one embodiment, the communication setting information, the node discovery signal, the path discovery signal, the encryption or decryption key, the communication command, and/or other forms of command and control signals are communicated in the first broadband, and the other Formal information (eg, non-command and control) is communicated in a second wide frequency band. The first broadband system can include a low frequency broadband having a data throughput rate that is low relative to the second broadband. Another form of data communicated over the second broadband may include video, sound, and/or text, and the like.

Referring to Figure 2A, a network 50 representing the improved power line communication network includes a plurality of nodes 54-76. Some nodes include the improved power line communication device and thus implement more than one Power Line Communication (PLC) technology. A node that does not include the improved network interface device can only implement one power line communication technology. For the sake of simplicity, a node system that can only implement one power line communication technology will be recognized herein as a "single broadband node." Similarly, a node system capable of implementing more than one power line communication technology will be recognized herein as a "multi-wideband node."

Three different power line communication technologies are used to communicate on the network, namely Tech _A , Tech _B and Tech _C. Nodes 54 and 76 include the improved network interface device and are capable of implementing power line communication technologies Tech _A and Tech _B . Nodes 58 and 66 are comprised of the improved network interface device and are capable of implementing power line communication technologies Tech _B and Tech _C. Finally, nodes 60 and 68 are comprised of the improved network interface device and are selectively capable of implementing all three power line communication technologies.

The remaining nodes (i.e., nodes 56, 62, 64, 72, and 74) do not include the improved network interface device, and thus are only capable of implementing one of these power line communication technologies. In particular, nodes 62 and 70 are only implementing power line communication technology Tech _A , nodes 56 and 72 are only implementing power line communication technology Tech _B and nodes 64 and 74 are only implementing power line communication technology Tech _C . Alternatively, all of the communication between the nodes on the network 50 is generated by a common power line 52.

In some embodiments, the improved power line communication network supports communication between nodes implementing different power line communications. In contrast, prior art power line communication systems are only capable of supporting communication between nodes implementing the same power line communication technology (eg, nodes 56 and 72), even if the nodes in question are nodes that implement other power line communication technologies ( For example, nodes 64 and 74) coexist on one network.

Figure 2B shows two simultaneous and bidirectional and non-interfering communication links within network 50 of Figure 2A. A first communication link L1 is a point-to-point communication link between nodes 54 and 68. The nodes 54 and 68 use both high frequency and low frequency to enable Tech _A and Tech _B between the two nodes. Simultaneous communication of messages.

It should be noted that although node 68 is optionally capable of implementing all three technologies (i.e., Tech _A , Tech _B, and Tech _C ), only the capabilities of Tech _A and Tech _B of node 68 are used for the first communication link. Among the L1. Furthermore, it should be noted that the first communication link L1 is capable of redistributing data from Tech _A and Tech _B technologies via high frequency and low frequency in accordance with current network characteristics (eg, channel impairments).

A second communication link L2 is connected to nodes 68, 58, 60, 74 and 64. Since the nodes 64 and 74 are only capable of implementing the power line communication technology Tech _C , the second communication link L2 only supports the communication of the power line communication technology Tech _C.

The presence of the two communication links L1 and L2 allows the nodes 68, 58, 60, 74 and 64 to communicate with the node 56 (via the first communication link L1) at the same time (via the second communication link) Road L2) establish communication. In other words, the network configuration shown in Figure 2B enables two simultaneous and parallel communications to be implemented, wherein the first communication link L1 enables the use of power line communication technology Tech _A and/or power line communication technology. The dynamic data transmission and reception of Tech _B , and the second communication link L2 enables the transmission and reception of dynamic data using the technology Tech _C.

Figure 2C shows three parallel and simultaneous communication links L3, L4 and L5 in network 50 of Figure 2A. The first communication link L3 provides a bidirectional point-to-multipoint connection between node 54 and nodes 68 and 70. Since the node 70 is only capable of implementing the power line communication technology Tech _A , the first communication link only supports the communication of the power line communication technology Tech _A . At the same time, a second communication link L4 enables communication between nodes 56 and 72 of power line communication technology Tech _A and power line communication technology Tech _B using a co-existing strategy, such as time sharing. Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) (ie, a multiple access technology that transmits only one transmitter on a particular channel at any given time).

Finally, a third communication link, L5, supports Tech _C communication, which is implemented in a different wideband that does not interfere with other communication links.

Referring to Figure 2D, assume that there is a first communication link L6 between nodes 68, 58 and 60 of network 50 shown in Figure 2A. The first communication link L6 is bidirectional and supports communication between Tech _B and Tech _C. Furthermore, assume that there is a simultaneous second communication link L7 between nodes 70 and 62 of network 50. The second communication link L7 supports the communication of Tech _A.

For purposes of example, assume that a message originates from node 58 and will be distributed to nodes of network 50. Nodes 68, 60, and 66, such as supporting Tech _B and Tech _C , are capable of demodulating and receiving a message from node 58. However, the remaining nodes on the network 50 are not able to receive the message. To address this issue, a two-phase communication method is implemented in which: (i) in the first phase, the message is transmitted from node 58 using power line communication techniques Tech _B and Tech _C to node 68; and (ii) In the second phase, the message is retransmitted (e.g., relayed) by the node 68 using its technical capabilities such that the nodes on the network 50 are selectively capable of receiving and demodulating the message.

Repeater systems can also be used to increase the coverage of a given technology (when a node is able to detect its neighbors, and then there are no further nodes).

Figure 2E is a block diagram showing a second stage of a packet data transfer method shown in Figure 2D. This second phase optionally includes a broadcast that is implemented simultaneously over more than one broadband. As such, the broadcast system can contain more than one communication standard.

Referring to Figure 3, a modem 802 in an improved network interface device includes N blocks 82A-82N corresponding to each of the power line communication technologies supported by the node. In other words, block 82A corresponds to power line communication technology Tech _A , block 82B corresponds to power line communication technology Tech _B , and so on, up to block 82N, which corresponds to power line communication technology Tech _N .

Each block 82A-82N contains a first layer (physical layer PHY) and a second layer (media access control layer MAC) for each system's Open System Interconnection (OSI) stack. For example, block 82A includes blocks PHY _A and MAC _A . Similarly, block 82B includes blocks PHY _B and MAC _B . Modulation demodulator 80 further includes a data distribution block 84 that distributes data between blocks 82A and 82N based on the signal technology and current network data volume characteristics.

When used for transmission, signals from each technology supported by a node are processed by an analog filter bank (not shown). The operation of this analog filter bank will be described in more detail below. The processed signals 86 are forwarded to the data distribution block 84 for distribution between blocks 82A-82N. The outputs from blocks 82A-82N are combined in a coupling/decoupling stage 88 from which a coupling/decoupling stage 88 is injected into a power line 90.

When used for receiving a signal from the power line 90, the coupling/decoupling stage 88 decouples the component signals for each of the supported power line communication techniques. The decoupled signals are processed by blocks 82A-82N and transmitted through the data distribution block 84 to a suitable application executing on the node.

Each physical layer block (PHY _{A -} PHY _N ) may have a feedback signal 92A-92N that provides information about the usage of each of the technical signal paths. This information is used by the data distribution block 84 to redistribute the data stream within the N usable blocks 82A-82N. It should also be noted that one of the media access control block (MAC _{A -} MAC _N ) and the physical block (PHY _{A -} PHY _N ) may be able to share resources.

Referring to FIG. 4A, in a first form of a prior art power line transmission system, a power line 100 is coupled to a first coupling unit 102 having a high pass transmission characteristic to enable the AC line frequency of the power line 100. Rejected. Next, the coupling unit 102 is coupled to the receiver and transmitter paths 104, 106 that are isolated during the half duplex phase using a receive/transmit switch 108.

Typically, the receiver path 104 includes a band-limited anti-aliasing filter 110, a Programmable Gain Amplifier (PGA) 112, and an analog to digital converter 114. The resulting digital signal 116 is then demodulated 118. The anti-aliasing filter 110 can be in a different order and can be provided, in part or in whole, by the bandwidth of the programmable gain amplifier.

Typically, the transmitter path 106 includes a line driver 120 (which may or may not be capable of operating in a high impedance mode) and a band limiting smoothing filter 122. The band limiting smoothing filter 122 limits the power of harmonics within the analog signal (out of band) (the harmonics are received by a digit to analog converter 124 for previously modulated 128) The digital signal 126 operation is generated). It will be appreciated that one of the modulation and demodulation mechanisms 118, 128 can also be implemented within the analog domain.

Referring to Figure 4B, a slightly different form of a prior art single broadband system utilizes separate transmitter and receiver coupling units 130, 136. A transmit/receive switch of this prior art power line The form of the delivery system is not required because the impedance of the line driver 137 does not significantly represent an additional impedance of the power line 100, or the line driver 120 itself can be turned into a high impedance mode.

Referring to FIG. 4C, the improved network interface device includes two or more analog front ends separated into two low frequency analog paths LB ₁ and LB ₂ and two by coupling units 142, 148, 154 and 160, respectively. High frequency analog paths HB ₁ and HB ₂ .

The analog filtering characteristics of the different paths (including the coupling units 142, 148, 154, 160 and the active components) are designed to simultaneously reject signals of other frequency bands by signals of a given frequency band. The modulation mechanisms of each of the techniques 159, 164 may be the same or different, depending on the demodulation mechanisms 147, 152.

Referring to FIG. 4D, in a second embodiment of the improved network interface device, there are two coupling units 166 and 176, wherein the coupling unit 166 is used for low frequency communication, and the coupling unit 176 is used for high. Frequency communication. In addition to the optimization of the low frequency paths (167-171 and 172-175) and the high frequency paths (177-181 and 182-185) for the power, frequency and modulation mechanisms of different power line communication technologies, the coupling unit The 166 and 176 series can be optimized to have different pass frequency characteristics.

Referring to FIG. 4E, in a third embodiment of the improved network interface device, there are two coupling units 186 and 190, wherein the coupling unit 186 is for receiving and the coupling unit 196 is for transmitting. However, each high frequency path (188-191 and 203 -206) is isolated from the low frequency paths (192-195 and 197-201) by careful placement of filters 187, 202 with high pass or band pass characteristics.

Referring to Figure 4F, a fourth embodiment of the improved network interface device is shown for use in two different broadband technologies, as in Figure 4E. Although there are many other possible combinations, in the receiver or transmitter, separate paths and converters are not required for high frequency and low frequency paths because the communication system in one direction can be compared to the other. Communication gained more benefits from the improved network interface device.

The improved network interface device includes a coupling unit 218 for transmitting and a coupling unit 208 for receiving. The high frequency is isolated from the low frequencies on the receiver path by a carefully placed filter 209 having high pass or band pass characteristics. However, the transmitter modulation mechanisms are combined within the digital fields 222A, 222B and then passed through a very high performance digital to analog converter 221, smoothing filter 220, and line driver 219.

Referring to FIG. 5A, an exemplary integrated circuit 250 of the improved network interface device includes two analog front ends AFE _A and AFE _{B for} two wide frequency bands of the improved power line communication device. The exemplary integrated circuit 250 also includes a logic component 226 that is configured to implement different power line modulation and demodulation techniques (including Digital Front End (DFE) and media access control) and provides a digital interface. The next level of application 228 within the device is applied.

The high frequency analog front end (AFE _B ) includes high frequency converters 230, 232 and active interface electronics (ie, a programmable gain amplifier 234 and line driver 236) and is coupled through a coupling unit along path 238. Connect to the power line. The low frequency analog front end (AFE _A ) includes low frequency converters 240, 242 and active interface electronics (ie, a programmable gain amplifier 244 and line driver 246) and is coupled through a coupling unit along path 248 to The power line.

A digital representation of the signal to be transmitted at the low frequency and high frequency is generated within the logic element 226 and appears on the interfaces 250, 252 of the analog front end AFE _A and AFE _B.

Referring to FIG. 5B, in an alternative integration portion 300 of the integrated circuit interface device of the improved network interface device, there are two integrated circuits, that is, a digital modulation demodulation integrated circuit 302 and a The analog modulation demodulation integrated circuit 304, the digital modulation demodulation integrated circuit 302 and the analog modulation demodulation integrated circuit 304 comprise two front ends AFE _A and AFE _B . The analog modulation demodulation integrated circuit 304 can be constructed in several parts, as shown in Figure 5B, or alternatively constructed as a single component.

Referring to FIG. 5C, in another integrated portion 400 of the integrated circuit implementation of the improved network interface device, each of the broadband front ends is divided into data converters CONV _A , CONV _B and interface circuit I . /Face _A , I/Face _B. In this case, the converters CONV _A and CONV _B are integrated with the digital logic 401 of the power line modulation demodulator in the integrated circuit 402, and the higher frequency current/voltage interface circuit is disposed at In another integrated circuit 404.

It should be appreciated that there are many other possible ways, including incorporating all or a portion of the active electronic device into other devices within the system, or using separate blocks for many different blocks.

As discussed elsewhere herein, a coupling unit can have frequency characteristics. Referring to FIG. 6A, a capacitive coupling unit 500 includes an X1 type capacitor 502 that is used to couple a signal source 504 (through an isolation transformer 506) to a power line 508. In this case, the implementation of transformer 506, capacitor 502, signal source 504, and power line 508 determines the frequency response of the capacitive coupling unit 500.

Referring to FIG. 6B, an inductive coupling unit 520 includes a signal transformer 522 that inductively couples a signal 524 that is coupled to a Y1 type capacitor 526. The inductive coupling unit 520 is roughly equal to the capacitive coupling unit 500 (shown in FIG. 6A), and the individual impedances of the transformer 522, the capacitor 526, the signal source 524, and the power line 528 determine the frequency of the inductive coupling unit 520. response.

Moreover, the low pass filtered version of the power lines 508, 528 can be used within the improved network interface device to provide power. It is also possible to implement higher order filters within the coupling unit with more passive components. However, it should be appreciated that many other types of coupling units (e.g., optical coupling units) are possible within the power line network interface device.

Figures 7A through 7C show exemplary spectra of many different power line technologies and demonstrate how an analog signal separation device can be used to separate signals of a given technology into a particular signal path (from signals of other technologies).

Referring to Figure 7A, a first technique, Tech _A , has a transmit power P _A and a wide frequency band 540 defined by frequencies f _A1 and f _A2 . The broadband band 540 has an internal notch 542 to comply with Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) regulations. A second technology Tech _B has a transmit power P _B and a wide frequency band 544 defined by frequencies f _B1 and f _B2 . The wide frequency band 544 also has an internal notch 546 to comply with electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) regulations. It should be noted that f _B1 is greater than f _A2 to avoid band overlap. Finally, a third technology Tech _N has a transmit power P _N and a wide frequency band 548 defined by frequencies f _N1 and f _N2 . The broadband band 548 also has an internal notch 550 to comply with regulations.

Referring to Figure 7B, a first, second, and third analog filter (named Filt _A , Filt _B, and Filt _C , respectively) are isolated from each of Tech _A , Tech _B, and Tech _N. Signals from other technologies. These analog filter characteristics are applicable to transmitters and/or receivers of each technology within a node.

The first filter Filt _A is defined by the start and end frequencies f _A3 and f _{A4 of} the passband. Similarly, the second filter Filt _B is defined by the start and end frequencies f _B3 and f _{B4 of} the pass band. Finally, the third filter Filt _N is defined by the start and end frequencies f _N3 and f _{N4 of} the pass band.

In one embodiment, at least one of the passbands of the analog signal separation device of the power line communication device is between 1 megahertz and 30 megahertz and has a system width of at least 10 megahertz. Optionally, at least one other broadband system comprises a signal having a frequency greater than 30, 40, 50, 75, 100, 200 or 500 megahertz, and optionally less than 1 billion Hz. The difference between the passband and the stopband of any of the components of the analog signal separation device may exceed 6 decibels.

It should be noted that for different analog filters, they may overlap (for example, f _A4 >f _B3 ) or not ( f _B4 <f _N3 ). It should also be noted that for all analog filter passbands, it is not necessary to have the same transmit power, attenuation function or other characteristics. The product of the analog filter characteristics and the modulation mechanism of a given power line communication technique determines the isolation of each analog filter. The absolute transmission of the filters in their individual passbands is less important than the ratio of passbands to stopbands, since any attenuation difference within these filters can usually be compensated for more injections at the prefilter stage. Power and / or increased receiver sensitivity.

Figure 7C shows an example of the isolation provided by the second analog filter Filt _B for the Tech _B signal. In use, the second analog filter passes a signal Path _B which is the product of the transmit power (PF _B ) of the passband of the second analog filter and the transmit power (P _B ) of the Tech _B signal. . The signals of other technologies (Tech _A and Tech _N ) are attenuated by the stop band of Filt _B to a power level P _nf that is sufficiently smaller than P _B to ensure that it does not significantly interfere with the Path _B signal.

In some embodiments, the improved power line communication network includes The ability to increase the number of nodes within the network to provide increased throughput. In particular, such increased throughput requirements typically overlap with the number of nodes added, as more data needs to be transmitted when multiple devices share the network.

Figure 8A shows a simple initial setup of a single service, which is transmitted over the Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) to a home 600 via a digital subscriber circuit 602. A digital subscriber loop modem 602 (using a modified power line communication network) from the office is assigned to a television set 604 in the living room. Since the distance between the digital subscriber loop modem 602 and the television 604 is relatively long, the connection C1 between them mainly uses low frequencies because of its inherently large coverage. For televisions, the bandwidth provided by the low frequencies is sufficient because only a single television channel is transmitted.

As an improved power line communication network grows (ie, more nodes join the network), the average distance between nodes tends to decrease. When a very complicated situation is set, as shown in Figure 8B (which shows a complex in-home multimedia network with multiple simultaneous video and audio streams), the C2-C7 is connected by using High frequencies (due to their large throughput) are significantly implemented by the relatively short distances that occur. When the efficiency of the low frequency connection C8, C9 is higher than the multiple jumps using the high frequency link, the low frequency connections C8, C9 will still be used. In addition, many links (eg, C10) will be provided using high frequency and low frequency communications.

When used, a node on the network will typically pass through a shape Synchronization is found to find other nodes on the power line that are typically defined within the power line technology used within the frequencies. The node will also identify the technical capabilities of the detected nodes and the actual network members to determine what communication will be possible and/or allowable (for example, although a detected node is There may be certain technical capabilities that may be impaired by interference or limited in use). After the communication that is actually possible and permissible has been identified, the transmitting node will determine the best path for transmitting/receiving data according to factors, such as how the type of data to be transmitted is sorted within the quality of service, and The channel capacity that can be used.

Figure 9 shows a way for a communication node to discover other communication nodes on a network that use different broadband frequency ranges. In a transmitting step 910, a first communication system is transmitted from a first communication node using a first broadband frequency range through a power line, and the first communication system includes a built-in identification and a built-in broadband configuration. The data of the second communication node for communication in the frequency range. The first communication system constitutes a response requesting from other communication nodes, and the other communication nodes are, for example, the second communication node, and the system is configured to communicate through the first broadband frequency.

In a receiving step 920, a response from the second correspondent node for the first communication is received.

In a step 930, a second communication system is transmitted from the first communication node using a second broadband frequency range through the power line, and a first communication node is transmitted through a power line using a first broadband frequency range. The second communication system consists of constructing a structure to identify a construct A data of a third communication node that communicates in the second broadband frequency range. The second communication system constitutes a response requesting from other communication nodes, and other communication nodes are, for example, a third communication node, and the system is configured to communicate through the second broadband frequency.

In a receiving step 940, a response from the third correspondent node for the second communication is received. If the second communication node is further configured to use the second broadband communication, the receiving step 940 can include communications received from both the second and third communication nodes.

In a decision step 950, a communication policy is based on the response to the first communication and the response to the second communication. This decision can include a choice of broadband or standard to be used. This decision may include a communication strategy for communication between the third and second communication nodes, for example, should the communication be direct? Or should the first correspondent node act as a repeater? . In some embodiments, steps 910 and 930 include the use of different standards in addition to or in addition to using different broadband.

The communication in a further step of the optional communication is performed in accordance with the communication strategy of the decision.

Figure 10 shows a method for simultaneously communicating a first communication node with a second communication node and a third communication node. The communication is optionally independent. The first communication node is selectively operable as a repeater between the second communication node and the third communication node.

In a first communication step 1010, the first data is used between a first communication node and a second communication node using a first broadband The frequency range is transmitted through a power line. In a second communication step 1020, the second data is transmitted between the first communication node and a third communication node by using a second broadband frequency range separated from the first broadband frequency range, and transmitted through the power line. The first data and the second data are simultaneously communicated.

The method shown in Figure 10 is optionally employed where the second correspondent node acts as the second and third correspondent nodes. In these embodiments, a first portion of the material can be transmitted using the first broadband frequency and a second portion of the data can be transmitted using the second broadband frequency. In these embodiments, the use of the two different broadband frequencies is selectively constructed to maximize the overall data bandwidth.

Figure 11 shows a method for a communication node to simultaneously receive signals using at least two different broadband frequencies. The data encoded in these signals is optionally independent and can be received from different communication nodes on a network. This information can also be transmitted and/or decoded using different communication standards.

In a step 110 of receiving a first signal, a signal is received through a power line. This signal contains the encoded data. The encoding system can include any of a variety of methods known to encode data on a time dependent signal.

In a separate component step 1120, a first component of the signal in a first broadband frequency range is separated from a second component of the signal in a second broadband frequency range. In many different embodiments, each of the first broadband frequency range and the second broadband frequency range At least 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 20, 100 and / or 200 megahertz wide. For example, in one embodiment, the first broadband frequency range is at least 10 megahertz wide and the second broadband frequency range is at least 5 megahertz wide. In one embodiment, the first broadband frequency range is at least 10 megahertz wide and the second broadband frequency range is at least 200 megahertz wide. In some embodiments, the separation of the signal components is performed using an analog bandpass filter. For example, a bandpass filter can be constructed to isolate the first broadband frequency range, and another bandpass filter can be constructed to isolate the second broadband frequency range.

In a processing step 1130, the first signal component and the second signal component separated in the separation component step 1120 are each separated. This process is typically done in parallel. For example, one signal component can be processed using the low frequency analog path LB ₁ and the other signal component can be processed using the high frequency analog path HB ₁ . Alternatively, the low frequency analog path LB ₁ and the high frequency analog path HB ₁ share one or more components. Process step 1130 results in two sets of digital data.

In a providing step 1140, the two sets of digital data are provided to one or more applications. The two sets of digital data can be used independently.

Figure 12 shows a method for a communication node to simultaneously transmit signals using at least two different broadband frequencies. The data encoded in these signals is optionally independent and can be intended for use with different communication nodes on a network. The data can be transmitted and/or encoded using different communication standards.

In a received data step 1210, the digital data is received from one or more applications. In a coding step 1220, a first portion of the digital signal is encoded into a first signal in a first broadband frequency range. Optionally, at least a portion of the first broadband frequency range is less than 30 megahertz. . This encoding can be implemented using, for example, the low frequency analog path LB ₂ .

In a coding step 1230, a second portion of the digital signal is encoded into a second signal in a second broadband frequency range. Optionally, at least a portion of the second broadband frequency range is less than 30 million. He. This encoding can be implemented using, for example, the high frequency analog path HB ₂ . Encoding step 1230 and encoding step 1220 can be implemented in parallel.

In a combining step 1240, the first signal and the second signal are combined to generate a combined signal. Alternatively, this step is implemented using transmit coupler 196 or high frequency transmit coupler 154 and low frequency transfer coupler 160. For example, using high frequency transmit coupler 154 and low frequency transfer coupler 160, the combination can occur when the two signals are coupled into a power line.

In a transfer step 1250, the combined signal is transmitted over a power line. Different parts of the combined signal can be transmitted simultaneously and can be intended for different destinations. Several embodiments are explicitly shown and/or described herein. However, it should be understood that many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims and the scope of the appended claims. For example, the teachings described herein can be used in home, industrial, and/or vehicle power systems. System. Many further different components shown and described herein can be embodied using software, firmware, and/or hardware (stored on a computer readable medium). These component forms are referred to herein generally as "logic."

The embodiments described herein are illustrative of the invention. Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the examples, many variations and modifications of the methods and/or specific structures described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. All such modifications, adaptations, and variations of the teachings of the present invention are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. The description and the drawings are not to be considered as limiting, as the invention is not limited to the only embodiments shown.

10‧‧‧Home

12‧‧‧ junction box

14, 16, 18 and 20‧ ‧ rooms

22‧‧‧Connectors

24, 26‧‧‧ joints

28, 30 and 32‧‧‧ joints

34, 36, 38, 40, 42 and 44‧‧‧ joints

50‧‧‧Network

52‧‧‧Power line

54‧‧‧ nodes

56‧‧‧ nodes

58‧‧‧ nodes

60‧‧‧ nodes

62‧‧‧ nodes

64‧‧‧ nodes

66‧‧‧ nodes

68‧‧‧ nodes

70‧‧‧ nodes

72‧‧‧ nodes

74‧‧‧ nodes

76‧‧‧ nodes

Tech _A ‧‧‧Power Line Communication Technology

Tech _B ‧‧‧Power Line Communication Technology

Tech _C ‧‧‧Power Line Communication Technology

L1‧‧‧ communication link

L2‧‧‧ communication link

L3‧‧‧ communication link

L4‧‧‧ communication link

L5‧‧‧ communication link

L6‧‧‧ communication link

L7‧‧‧ communication link

80‧‧‧Modulation demodulator

82A-82N‧‧‧Box

84‧‧‧ data distribution block

86‧‧‧Processed signals, data application

88‧‧‧Coupling/Decoupling Stage

90‧‧‧Power line

92A-92N‧‧‧ feedback signal

100‧‧‧Power line

102‧‧‧Coupling unit

104‧‧‧Receiver path

106‧‧‧Transmitter path

108‧‧‧Receive/transfer switch

110‧‧‧Band-limited anti-aliasing filter

112‧‧‧Programmable Gain Amplifier

114‧‧‧ Analog to Digital Converter

116‧‧‧Digital signal

118‧‧‧Demodulation

120‧‧‧Line driver

122‧‧‧Band Limit Smoothing Filter

124‧‧‧Digital to analog converter

128‧‧‧Transformation

126‧‧‧ digital signal

130, 136‧‧‧transmitter and receiver coupling unit

142‧‧‧Coupling unit

148‧‧‧Coupling unit

154‧‧‧Coupling unit

160‧‧‧Coupling unit

166‧‧‧Coupling unit

176‧‧‧Coupling unit

167-171 and 172-175‧‧‧ low frequency path

177-181 and 182-185‧‧‧ high frequency path

186‧‧‧Coupling unit

190‧‧‧Coupling unit

188-191 and 203-206‧‧‧ high frequency path

187‧‧‧ filter

202‧‧‧ filter

192-195 and 197-201‧‧‧ low frequency path

218‧‧‧Coupling unit

208‧‧‧Coupling unit

209‧‧‧ filter

222A, 222B‧‧‧ digital domain

221‧‧‧Digital to analog converter

220‧‧‧Smoothing filter

219‧‧‧Line driver

250‧‧‧ integrated circuit

AFE _A and AFE _B ‧‧‧ analog front end

226‧‧‧Logical components

228‧‧‧Application

230, 232‧‧ ‧ high frequency converter

234‧‧‧Programmable Gain Amplifier

236‧‧‧Line driver

238‧‧‧ Path

240, 242‧‧‧ low frequency converter

244‧‧‧Programmable Gain Amplifier

246‧‧‧Line driver

248‧‧‧ Path

250, 252‧‧" interface

300‧‧‧ Integration section

302‧‧‧Digital Modulation Demodulation Integrated Circuit

304‧‧‧ analog modulation demodulation integrated circuit

400‧‧‧ Integration section

CONV _A , CONV _B ‧‧‧Data Converter

I/Face _A , I/Face _B ‧‧‧ interface circuit

402‧‧‧Integrated circuit

401‧‧‧Digital Logic

404‧‧‧Integrated circuit

500‧‧‧Capacitive coupling unit

502‧‧‧ capacitor

504‧‧‧Signal source

506‧‧‧Isolation transformer

508‧‧‧Power line

520‧‧‧Inductive coupling unit

522‧‧‧ Signal Transformer

526‧‧‧ capacitor

524‧‧‧ signal

528‧‧‧Power line

f _A1 and f _A2 ‧‧‧ frequencies

540‧‧‧Broadband

542‧‧‧ Notch

f _B1 and f _B2 ‧‧‧ frequencies

544‧‧‧Broadband

546‧‧‧ Notch

f _N1 and f _N2 ‧‧‧ frequencies

548‧‧‧Broadband

550‧‧‧ Notch

Filt _A ‧‧‧ analog filter

Filt _B ‧‧‧ analog filter

Filt _N ‧‧‧ analog filter

f _A3 and f _A4 ‧‧‧ start and end frequencies

f _B3 and f _B4 ‧‧‧ start and end frequencies

f _N3 and f _N4 ‧‧‧ start and end frequencies

Path _B ‧‧‧ Signal

PF _B ‧‧‧ transmit power

P _B ‧‧‧ transmit power

PF _N ‧‧‧power level

602‧‧‧Digital User Circuit

600‧‧‧Home

604‧‧‧TV

C2-C7‧‧‧ link

C8, C9‧‧ links

C10‧‧‧ link

The present invention is described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a prior art home; FIG. 2A is an exemplary network according to many different embodiments. A block diagram of a road, the exemplary network comprising a plurality of nodes, some of which have a plurality of broadband capabilities; and FIG. 2B is a block diagram of an exemplary network according to FIG. 2A of the plurality of embodiments. , which shows two simultaneous and bidirectional communication links; 2C is a block diagram of an exemplary network according to Figure 2A of many embodiments, showing three simultaneous Communication link; FIG. 2D is a block diagram of a first stage of a packet data transmission procedure implemented on the network of FIG. 2A according to many different embodiments; FIG. 2E is a diagram according to many different embodiments A block diagram of a second stage of the packet data transmission procedure implemented on the network of FIG. 2A; and FIG. 3 is a modulation demodulator in a power line communication apparatus according to many different embodiments. A block diagram of a body architecture; FIG. 4A is a block diagram of a signal path in a prior art power line transmission system in accordance with a plurality of different embodiments in a single coupling unit; FIG. 4B is a diagram in accordance with many different embodiments. A block diagram of a signal path in a prior art power line transmission system of a dual coupling unit; FIG. 4C is a block diagram of a signal path in a first embodiment of the power line communication device; FIG. 4D is a block diagram of a signal path in a second embodiment of the power line communication device; FIG. 4E is a block diagram of a signal path in a third embodiment of the power line communication device; FIG. 4F is a block diagram of a signal path in a fourth embodiment of the power line communication device; FIG. 5A is a block diagram of a first integrated circuit embodiment of the power line communication device; FIG. 5B is a diagram of the power line communication device A block diagram of an alternative integrated second integrated circuit embodiment; Figure 5C is a further alternative to the power line communication device A block diagram of a third integrated circuit embodiment; FIG. 6A is a circuit diagram of an exemplary capacitive coupling unit for use in the power line communication device in accordance with many different embodiments; FIG. 6B is based on a number of A circuit diagram of an exemplary inductive coupling unit used in the power line communication device of the different embodiments; FIG. 7A is an exemplary power transmission spectrum of three power line technologies according to many different embodiments; FIG. 7B shows Frequency characteristics for an exemplary set of analog filters used to separate broadband used by the three power line techniques shown in FIG. 7A in accordance with many different embodiments; FIG. 7C is shown in accordance with many different embodiments Signal isolation provided by Tech _B (shown in Figure 7A) by a second analog filter Filt _B (shown in Figure 7B); Figure 8A is a third state of the invention according to one of many different embodiments A block diagram of a simple starting installation of the power line communication network; FIG. 8B is a diagram of the power according to one of many different embodiments A block diagram of a more complex installation of a communication network; Figure 9 shows a method by which a communication node can discover other communication nodes using different broadband frequency ranges on a network according to many different embodiments; A method of simultaneously communicating a first communication node with a second communication node and a third communication node according to many different embodiments is shown; Figure 11 is a diagram showing a communication node using at least two different broadband frequencies according to many different embodiments. Method of receiving a signal; Figure 12 is a diagram showing a method in which a communication node transmits signals simultaneously using at least two different broadband frequencies in accordance with many different embodiments.

50. . . network

52. . . power line

54. . . node

56. . . node

58. . . node

60. . . node

62. . . node

64. . . node

66. . . node

68. . . node

70. . . node

72. . . node

74. . . node

76. . . node

Tech _A . . . Power line communication technology

Tech _B . . . Power line communication technology

Tech _C . . . Power line communication technology

Claims (47)

A communication network comprising: a first communication node configured to communicate using a first broadband frequency range; a second communication node configured to use a second separated from the first broadband frequency range Broadband frequency range communication; and a third communication node configured to simultaneously and independently receive and use the first broadband frequency range from the first communication node through a power line and use the second broadband frequency range to transmit through the power line Communication from the second communication node, wherein the first broadband frequency range includes a frequency higher than the second broadband frequency range, and the third communication node is further configured to pass through the power line without passing through a connection The box transmits a signal to communicate with the first communication node, and communicates with the second communication node by transmitting a signal through the junction box. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the third communication node is further configured to communicate with the first communication node using the second broadband frequency range. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the third communication node is further configured to simultaneously communicate with the second communication node using the first broadband frequency range and the second broadband frequency range. A communication network as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first broadband frequency range is less than 30 megahertz and at least a portion of the second broadband frequency range is greater than 30 megahertz. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the first communication node and the third communication node are configured to use a third broadband frequency separated from the first broadband frequency range and the second broadband frequency range. Range communication. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the first communication node is configured to use a first standard communication, and the second communication node is configured to use a second standard communication, the first standard and the At least one of the second different standards is included in a collection consisting of the Homeplug 1.0/1.1 standard, the Homeplug AV standard, the CEPCA standard, and the digital home standard. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the third communication node is further configured to determine which broadband frequency range is used to communicate with the first communication node and the second communication node. The communication network of claim 7, wherein the third communication node is configured to determine a standard to use when communicating using the first broadband frequency range, and to determine a communication when using the second broadband frequency range communication Different standards are used. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the third communication node is configured to relay data from the first communication node to the second communication node. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the third communication node comprises an analog frequency filter, and the system is configured to separate the signal in the first broadband frequency range and the signal in the second broadband frequency range. . The communication network of claim 10, wherein the analog frequency filter is configured to transmit a signal in the first broadband frequency to the first processing electronic device, and transmit a signal in the second broadband frequency to the second Processing electronic devices. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the third communication node is further configured to automatically detect the first communication node and the second using the first broadband frequency range and the second broadband frequency range respectively Communication node. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the first broadband frequency range and the second broadband frequency range are each at least 5 megahertz wide. A method for power line communication, comprising: transmitting a first data between a first communication node and a second communication node through a power line using a first broadband frequency range; and using a first broadband a second wide frequency range in which the frequency range is separated, the second data is transmitted between the first communication node and a third communication node through the power line, and the first data and the second data are simultaneously transmitted, wherein the first data a broadband frequency range includes a frequency higher than the second broadband frequency range, and the third communication node is further configured to communicate with the first communication node through the power line without transmitting a signal through a junction box, by The junction box transmits a signal to communicate with the second communication node. The method of claim 14, wherein the communication between the first communication node and the second communication node uses a first The communication standard, and the communication between the first communication node and the third communication node uses a second communication standard. The method of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the first broadband frequency range is less than 30 megahertz and at least a portion of the second broadband frequency range is greater than 30 megahertz. The method of claim 14, wherein the transmitting the first data and transmitting the second data comprises relaying information from the second communication node to the third communication node through the first communication node. A method for power line communication, comprising: transmitting a first communication data from a first communication node through a power line using a first broadband frequency range, wherein the first communication data comprises Information of a second communication node communicating in the first broadband frequency range; receiving a response from the second communication node for the first communication data; using a second broadband frequency range from the power line from the first communication node Transmitting a second communication data, the second communication data comprising: constructing a data identifying a third communication node formed in the second broadband frequency range; receiving the second communication node for the second a response to the communication; and a communication strategy based on the response to the first communication and the response to the second communication. For example, the method of applying for the scope of patent item 18, wherein A communication strategy includes determining whether the communication between the second communication node and the third communication node should be relayed through the first communication node. The method of claim 18, wherein determining a communication policy includes determining which of the plurality of alternative communication protocols is used to communicate between the first communication node and the second communication node. For example, the method of claim 20, wherein the plurality of alternative communication protocols includes at least one set of a combination of the Homeplug 1.0/1.1 standard, the Homeplug AV standard, the CEPCA standard, and the digital home standard. The method of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the first broadband frequency range is less than 30 megahertz and at least a portion of the second broadband frequency range is greater than 30 megahertz. The method of claim 18, further comprising simultaneously using the first broadband frequency range to communicate between the first communication node and the second communication node and using the second broadband frequency range in the first communication Communication between the node and the third communication node. A communication device comprising: a coupler configured to communicate data through a power line, a first portion of the data being communicated using a first broadband frequency range, and a second portion of the data being used The first broadband frequency range is separated by a second broadband frequency range communication, the first portion of the data being independent of the second portion of the data; the first logic circuit is configured to form the first portion of the data And a second logic circuit configured to process the second portion of the data, wherein the first broadband frequency range comprises a frequency higher than the second broadband frequency range, and the communication device is further Forming the first portion of the data transmitted through the power line without passing through a junction box, the second portion of the data being transmitted through the junction box. The communication device of claim 24, wherein the communication system constitutes transmitting the first portion of the data using a first communication standard and transmitting the second portion of the data using a second communication standard. For example, the communication device of claim 25, wherein at least one of the first communication standard and the second communication standard is included in one of the Homeplug 1.0/1.1 standard, the Homeplug AV standard, the CEPCA standard, and the digital home standard. Within the collection. The communication device of claim 24, wherein the communication device is configured to simultaneously transmit the first portion of the data and the second portion of the data. The communication device of claim 24, wherein the communication device is configured to simultaneously transmit the first portion of the data and the second portion of the data to a first destination and a second destination. The communication device of claim 24, wherein the first broadband frequency range and the second broadband frequency range are each at least 5 megahertz wide. For example, the communication device of claim 24, wherein At least a portion of the first broadband frequency range is below 30 megahertz and at least a portion of the second broadband frequency range is above 30 megahertz. The communication device of claim 24, further comprising: constructing for automatically recognizing which of the first broadband frequency range and the second broadband frequency range should be used with a special network communication node The logic circuit of communication. The communication device of claim 24, further comprising a logic circuit configured to automatically identify a communication standard used by a communication node on a network. The communication device of claim 24, wherein the coupler comprises an analog frequency filter, and the system is configured to separate the signal in the first broadband frequency range and the signal in the second broadband frequency range. . The communication device of claim 24, further comprising logic circuitry configured to transmit information received using the second broadband frequency using the first broadband frequency. The communication device of claim 24, wherein the first portion of the material is independent of the second portion of the data. The communication device of claim 24, wherein the first broadband frequency range does not overlap with the second broadband frequency range. The communication device of claim 24, further comprising a logic circuit constituting the first portion of the data and the second portion of the data to the one or more data applications. For example, if the communication device of claim 24 is applied for, One step includes constructing a third logic circuit constituting a third portion of the data, wherein the coupler is further configured to communicate the third portion of the data using a third broadband frequency. A communication network comprising: a first communication node configured to communicate using a first broadband frequency range of at least 10 megahertz wide and a second broadband frequency range of at least 5 megahertz wide; and a a second communication node configured to communicate with the first communication node through a power line by simultaneously using the first broadband frequency range and the second broadband frequency range, wherein the first broadband frequency range includes a ratio The second broadband frequency range is a high frequency, and a third communication node is further configured to communicate with the first communication node through the power line without transmitting a signal through a junction box, and the signal is transmitted through the junction box. The second communication node communicates. The communication network of claim 39, wherein the first communication node is configured to use different communication standards for respectively communicating using the first broadband frequency range and the second broadband frequency range. A communication network as claimed in claim 39, wherein at least a portion of the first broadband frequency range is less than 30 megahertz and at least a portion of the second broadband frequency range is greater than 30 megahertz. A method for power line communication, comprising: receiving a signal through a power line; separating the received signal into a first broadband frequency range a first signal component and a second signal component in a second broadband frequency range, each of the first broadband frequency range and the second broadband frequency range being at least 10 megahertz wide; separately processing the first signal And the second signal component to extract digital data; and provide the digital data to one or more applications. A method for power line communication, comprising: receiving digital data from one or more applications; encoding a first portion of the digital data into a first signal in a first broadband frequency range, the first At least a portion of the broadband frequency range is less than 30 megahertz; encoding a second portion of the digital data into a second signal in a second broadband frequency range, at least a portion of the second broadband frequency range being greater than 30 million Here, the first signal is transmitted through the power line without passing through a junction box, and the second signal is transmitted through the junction box. A method for power line communication, comprising: receiving a command and a control signal through a power line in a first broadband frequency range, wherein at least a portion of the first broadband frequency range is less than 30 megahertz; In the second wide frequency range, the received command and control signals are used to receive or process data signals transmitted through the power line, at least a portion of the second broadband frequency range being greater than 30 megahertz. The signal of the first broadband frequency range is transmitted through the power line without passing through a junction box, and the signal of the second broadband frequency range is transmitted through the junction box. The method of claim 44, wherein the second broadband frequency range is at least 10 megahertz wide. The method of claim 44, wherein the data signal transmitted through the power line includes an audio or video signal. The method of claim 44, wherein the first broadband frequency range is separate from the second broadband frequency range.