Transmission of power and data with frequency modulation
AssigneeRedwood Systems, Inc.
InventorsMark Covaro, Dave Leonard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a circuit coupled to a line, where the circuit may power a device, and where the power is transmitted to the device over the line as a pulse-width modulated signal. The circuit may set a duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal in order to transmit a determined power level to the device. The apparatus may vary a frequency of the pulse-width modulated signal to transmit data to the device while the duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal is fixed in order to continue to transmit the determined power level to the device. A variation in the frequency of the pulse-width modulated signal may be detectable by the device and represents at least a portion of the data.
Claims22
An apparatus comprising a circuit coupled to a line, wherein the circuit is configured to:
- power a device by transmitting the power over the line as a pulse-width modulated signal;
- set a duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal in order to transmit a determined power level to the device;
- and
- vary a frequency of the pulse-width modulated signal as a function of data while the duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal is fixed to continue to transmit the power at the determined power level to the device, wherein a variation in the frequency of the pulse-width modulated signal represents at least a portion of the data.
An apparatus comprising a circuit coupled to a line, wherein the circuit is configured to:
- receive power over the line as a pulse-width modulated signal having a determined duty cycle, wherein the pulse-width modulated signal powers the apparatus;
- and
- detect data in the pulse-width modulated signal, wherein the pulse-width modulated signal has the determined duty cycle but has different ones of a plurality of frequencies over time, and each one of the frequencies corresponds to a portion of the data.
A method comprising:
- powering a device by transmitting power to the device in a form of a pulse-width modulated signal;
- maintaining a duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal to transmit a determined power level to the device;
- and
- transmitting data to the device by frequency-shift keying the pulse-width modulated signal while maintaining a constant duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal, wherein a variation in the frequency of the pulse-width modulated signal is detectable by the device and represents at least a portion of the data.
A system comprising:
- a control device;
- a load device, wherein the control device is electrically coupled to the load device over a line, the control device powers the load device, and the load device is configured to:
- receive power over the line from the control device;
- and
- alter impedance of the load device to transmit information to the control device, wherein the control device includes a power converter and the control device detects a change in an operating frequency of the power converter to receive the information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.