Process and method for wide band transmission, particularly for data transmission over an electricity distribution network

A method for wideband transmission and reception of data over an electricity distribution network for use by a least a data transmitter and a data receiver thereon, the data taking the form of words made up of information elements which may take one of several values, comprising the steps of:

• (a) coding each information element for transmission by assigning a sequence of several different predetermined coding frequencies with a particular frequency combination being associated with each information element value, wherein the predetermined coding frequencies are divided into at least two distinct frequency bands which are spaced apart from each other and particular coding combinations are chosen such that frequencies ranking the same sequence place in the combinations occupy different frequency bands, and wherein at least some pairs of frequencies in corresponding sequence places of different information element values, and further wherein each information value contains frequencies in both said frequency bands;
• (b) transmitting said coded information elements at said predetermined frequencies as an information signal over a communications channel on said network;
• and
• (c) receiving said transmitted signal over said communications channel, comprising the steps of:
• (i) applying the received signal to a pair of demdoulators, the demodulators being assigned to each of one of said respective frequency bands,
• (ii) generating local signals, said locally generated signals reproducing, with a substantially constant frequency shift, said particular frequency combinations,
• (iii) applying said locally generated signals to the demodulators, and
• (iv) correlating said received signal with said locally generated signals to determine the value of the received information element as a function of said correlation.