Packet energy transfer in-line communications

A method for communicating data between a digital power transmitter and one or more digital power receivers over a transmission line comprising positive and negative conductors, wherein the transmission line has electrical properties that include at least a finite line-to-line capacitance and at least a finite line-to-line resistance, the method comprising:

• a) if the transmitter is sending data to the receiver, selectively operating a first transmitter electrical switch to increase electrical charge in the transmission-line capacitance by connecting the transmission-line to a transmitter voltage source through a finite resistance or by operating a second transmitter electrical switch to decrease electrical charge by connecting the positive and negative conductors of the transmission line to each other through a finite resistance such that a rate of change in transmission-line voltage alternates between a first voltage slope value and a second voltage slope value, wherein a change in voltage slope is detected and decoded by the receiver to reproduce data being sent by the transmitter;
• and
• b) if the receiver is sending data to the transmitter, selectively operating a first receiver electrical switch to increase electrical charge in the transmission-line capacitance by connecting the transmission lines to a receiver voltage source through a finite resistance or by operating a second receiver electrical switch to decrease electrical charge by connecting the positive and negative conductors of the transmission line to each other through a finite resistance such that a rate of change in transmission-line voltage alternates between a first voltage slope value and a second voltage slope value, wherein a change in voltage slope is detected and decoded by the transmitter to reproduce data being sent by the receiver.