Device and method for providing high speed data transfer through a drop line of a power line carrier communication system

#I. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to a communication system wherein communication signals are transmitted to and received from a terminal device over a power drop line. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a device for use in a communication system utilizing an existing power system drop line as a conduit for local communication data. Most particularly, the present invention relates to a device and method for increasing the capacity of communication data that is transmitted and received over a power system drop line.

#II. Description of the Related Art

#The FIGURE depicts a block diagram of a section of a communications network including a device constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

#With reference to the FIGURE, a block representation of a local section of a communications network 5 in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention is there depicted. As shown, the local section 5 supplies a residence 34 or other location, such as a house or business, with power and communication services from a power company and a communications company, respectively, via a common conductor drop line 12. Power and communication data are provided to the residence 34 via a pair of connections or trunks 14 comprising a power line 16, typically a copper cable, carrying high voltage signals which, in the United States, are on the order of 6,000 volts, and a pair of fiber optic cables 18 carrying communication data to and from the local section 5.

#As is widely known, power line 16 connects a main power or generator station to a local transformer 20, typically supported on a utility pole 22, which transforms the high voltage to a low voltage signal having a low frequency, i.e. 120 volts at 60 Hz. The local transformer 20 usually services numerous residences or businesses in a general location by supplying the 120 volt power to each residence via separate conductor drop lines such as drop line 12. It will, of course, be recognized by those skilled in the art that in more recently constructed neighborhoods, the local transformer 20 may be pad mounted and links 14 and 16 buried.

#In accordance with the present invention, utility pole 22 also supports a local communications node 24 which provides a general location with communication services to and from businesses and/or residences, such as residence 34. Fiber optic cables 18 carry a plurality of high-frequency signals between a local switching network such, for example, as an AT&T 5ESS network switch (not shown) and the communications node 24. The signals carried by cables 18 are multiplexed, as is known in the art, as by frequency shift keying, amplitude shift keying, quadraphase shift keying, time division multplexing, etc. The fiber optic cables 18 may comprise a portion of the power system wherein it may carry power system signals in addition to communication signals, or it may be part of the communications network and used solely as a conduit for communication data. As is known in the art, the communications node 24 demultiplexes the digital information which corresponds to different address locations (phone numbers) corresponding to the various residences serviced by the communications node. The digital information may (for example) correspond to telephone information, computer data intended for or generated by computers, as well as television information such as for digital television applications.