# US 8,541,903 B2 · Power line communication system and method

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- Number: US 8,541,903 B2
- Document ID: US8541903B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/658,123
- Filed: 2010-02-03
- Published: 2011-08-04
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2010-02-03
- Assignees: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
- Applicants: Michael T. Burk
- Inventors: Michael T. Burk
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8541903B2

## CPC

- H04B 3/54: Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
- B60L 1/003: {to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors}
- B60L 1/02: to electric heating circuits
- B60L 3/12: Recording operating variables {; Monitoring of operating variables}
- B60L 53/18: Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
- B60L 53/53: Batteries
- B60L 53/65: involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
- B60L 53/665: {Methods related to measuring, billing or payment}
- H04B 3/542: {the information being in digital form}
- B60L 2200/32: Waterborne vessels
- B60L 2200/36: Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
- B60L 2210/30: AC to DC converters
- B60L 2210/40: DC to AC converters
- B60L 2240/12: Speed
- B60L 2240/34: Cabin temperature
- B60L 2240/441: Speed
- B60L 2240/445: Temperature
- B60L 2240/622: by satellite navigation
- B60L 2250/16: by display
- H04B 2203/545: Audio/video application, e.g. interphone
- H04B 2203/5458: Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
- H04B 2203/547: via DC power distribution
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility
- Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations
- Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles
- Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
- Y02T 90/167: Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
- Y04S 30/14: Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing
- H04B: TRANSMISSION
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS

## Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a power line communication (PLC) system. For example, the PLC system may include a PLC server configured to provide electrical power and electronic communications through a PLC bus to a number of electronic devices, such as an instrument cluster, infotainment interface, rear-seat entertainment console, aftermarket accessories, and the like. The PLC system may also include a power system that may be coupled to an electrical grid for charging a battery associated with one or more of the electronic devices. The power system may be communicatively coupled to the PLC bus, enabling the devices coupled to the PLC bus to communicate with a service provider through the electrical grid. The communications between the devices coupled to the PLC bus and remote devices coupled through the electrical grid may be conducted using a common communication protocol.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A power line communication (PLC) system, comprising:
a PLC server configured to provide electrical power and electronic communications through a PLC bus to an electronic device; and
a power system coupled to an electrical grid for charging a battery associated with the electronic device and communicatively coupled to the PLC bus;
wherein the electronic device is configured to communicate electronically with a remote service provider through the electrical grid, and wherein the PLC server comprises an HD-PLC coupler that includes a first communications port coupled to the PLC bus and a second communications port coupled to a multimedia server.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The PLC system of claim 1, wherein the multimedia server is configured to send audio signals to an audio subsystem configured to provide audio signals to one or more speakers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The PLC system of claim 1, wherein the multimedia server is configured to receive radio frequency (RF) signals from an RF subsystem configure to receive RF signals from at least one of an FM broadcaster, AM broadcaster, digital radio broadcaster, satellite radio broadcaster, and a global positioning system (GPS) satellite.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The PLC system of claim 1, wherein the multimedia server is communicatively coupled to a network gateway configured to provide network communications over at least one of a local-area network and a wide area network.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The PLC system of claim 4, wherein the multimedia server is configured to provide data communication between the electronic device coupled to the PLC bus and another remote service provider through the wide area network.

### Claim 6

A method of providing electronic communications in a vehicle comprising:
coupling a power system of the vehicle to an electrical grid, the power system configured to receive electrical power from the electrical grid to charge a battery included in the vehicle;
receiving electronic communications through the electrical grid;
transmitting the electronic communications over a power line communications (PLC) bus communicatively coupled to the power system;
receiving electricity rates from an electrical utility through the electrical grid and switching the power system to a charge mode based, at least in part, on the electricity rates; and
receiving travel data from an electronic device coupled to the PLC bus, and determining a charge/generation schedule based, at least in part, on the travel data.

### Claim 7

A method of providing electronic communications in a vehicle comprising:
coupling a power system of the vehicle to an electrical grid, the power system configured to receive electrical power from the electrical grid to charge a battery included in the vehicle;
receiving electronic communications through the electrical grid;
transmitting the electronic communications over a power line communications (PLC) bus communicatively coupled to the power system;
receiving electricity rates from an electrical utility through the electrical grid and switching the power system to a charge mode based, at least in part, on the electricity rates; and
receiving digital media from a remote service provider through the electrical grid, wherein the digital media includes a GPS navigation map.

### Claim 8

A method of providing electronic communications in a vehicle comprising:
coupling a power system of the vehicle to an electrical grid, the power system configured to receive electrical power from the electrical grid to charge a battery included in the vehicle;
receiving electronic communications through the electrical grid;
transmitting the electronic communications over a power line communications (PLC) bus communicatively coupled to the power system
receiving electricity rates from an electrical utility through the electrical grid and switching the power system to a charge mode based, at least in part, on the electricity rates; and
generating a search query for a point of interest, transmitting the search query to a remote service provider through a wide area network communicatively coupled to the PLC bus, receiving a location of the point-of-interest from the remote service provider, and displaying the location on a display of a GPS navigation system.

### Claim 9

A method of providing electronic communications in a vehicle comprising:
coupling a power system of the vehicle to an electrical grid, the power system configured to receive electrical power from the electrical grid to charge a battery included in the vehicle;
receiving electronic communications through the electrical grid;
transmitting the electronic communications over a power line communications (PLC) bus communicatively coupled to the power system;
receiving electricity rates from an electrical utility through the electrical grid and switching the power system to a charge mode based, at least in part, on the electricity rates; and
coupling an aftermarket device to the PLC bus through a PLC port included in the vehicle.

### Claim 10

A method of providing electronic communications in a vehicle comprising:
coupling a power system of the vehicle to an electrical grid, the power system configured to receive electrical power from the electrical grid to charge a battery included in the vehicle;
receiving electronic communications through the electrical grid;
transmitting the electronic communications over a power line communications (PLC) bus communicatively coupled to the power system;
receiving electricity rates from an electrical utility through the electrical grid and switching the power system to a charge mode based, at least in part, on the electricity rates; and
sending data corresponding to a serviceable condition of the vehicle from an instrument cluster coupled to the PLC bus to an automotive service provider through the electrical grid.

### Claim 11

A vehicle, comprising:
a power line communications (PLC) bus configured to carry electrical power to a plurality of electronic devices in the vehicle and to carry electronic communications between the plurality of electronic devices; and
a power system coupled to an electrical grid for charging a battery of the vehicle and communicatively coupled to the PLC bus for providing electronic communication through the electrical grid between one of the plurality of electronic devices coupled to the PLC bus and a remote service provider;
wherein the power system comprises an energy management system configured to switch the power system between a charge mode and a generation mode based, at least in part, on data received from an electrical utility through the electrical grid and travel data received from one of the plurality of electronic devices coupled to the PLC bus.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The vehicle of claim 11, comprising a power source configured to power the plurality of electronic devices coupled to the PLC bus and a power conditioner coupled in series between the power source and the PLC bus and configured to reduce electrical noise in the PLC bus.