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US 2003/0156013 A1Published application
Power line communications method
AssigneePacific Solar Pty Limited
InventorsStephen Leonard Bub, William Douglas Rannard
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AssigneePacific Solar Pty Limited
InventorsStephen Leonard Bub, William Douglas Rannard
Estimating the term…
A method of communicating over a power line is disclosed, the method comprising the step of modulating a current component of an AC power signal present on the power line. Also disclosed is a communications protocol for communication between a monitoring unit and an appliance, the protocol having two modes of operation, the first mode being an on-line single direction protocol for communications from the appliance to the monitoring unit via modulation of a current component of an AC power signal between the monitoring unit and the appliance, and the second mode being an off-line protocol for communications at least from the monitoring unit to the appliance, the second mode being operable only when the power signal is not present between the monitoring unit and the appliance.
A method of communicating over a power line comprising the step of modulating a current component of an AC power signal present on the power line.
The method of any preceding claim further comprising the step of correcting the inserted DC.
The method of any preceding claim wherein the step of modulating is such that power is shifted between half sines of the AC power signal.
The method of any preceding claim wherein the step of modulating is in accordance with a CRC error detection code.
The method of any preceding claim wherein the step of modulating the current component of the AC power signal is a differential form of modulation.
The method of any preceding claim wherein the step of modulating is performed by amplitude modulation.
The method of any preceding claim further comprising a preliminary step of transmitting a preamble to allow a receiver to determine commencement of a sent message.
A communications protocol for communication between a monitoring unit and an appliance, the protocol having two modes of operation, the first mode being an on-line single direction protocol for communications from the appliance to the monitoring unit via modulation of a current component of an AC power signal between the monitoring unit and the appliance, and the second mode being an off-line protocol for communications at least from the monitoring unit to the appliance, the second mode being operable only when the power signal is not present between the monitoring unit and the appliance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.