Power-line communication apparatus

Claim 2

The communication apparatus of claim 1, characterized by - said air-core transformer means (36) including a primary winding (38) having a first diameter and coupled to said capacitor means (34), and - a secondary winding (40) having a second smaller diameter and extending coaxially within said primary winding (38) such that an air gap is created between said primary winding and said secondary winding.

Claim 3

The communication apparatus of claim 1 characterized by - said air-core transformer means (36) functioning as a phase linear inductively and capacitively coupled transformer.

Claim 4

The communication apparatus of claim 1, further characterized by - second coupler means (22) connected to said electrical line (12), - demodulator means (28) for demodulating said preselected carrier frequency signal, and - receiver means (26) coupled to said second coupler means (22) for conducting said modulated carrier signal to said demodulator means (28), - said second coupler means (22) including in combination a second air-core transformer means (44) and a second capacitor means (42) forming a second LC circuit (32) that provides an input impedance which corresponds to the characteristic output impedance of the electrical line (12) at said preselected high band carrier frequency.

Claim 5

The communication apparatus according to claim 2, characterized - by the ratio of the number of turns of said primary winding (38) to said secondary winding (40) is about one to one.

Claim 6

The communication apparatus according to claim 2, characterized by - the combination of the capacitance created between said primary winding (38) and said secondary winding (40) of said air-core transformer means (36) functioning as a high-pass filter.

Claim 7

The communication apparatus of claim 4 characterized by - said second air-core transformer means (44) having a primary winding (46) having a first diameter, said primary winding (46) being coupled to said capacitor means (42) and - a secondary winding (48) having a second smaller diameter, said secondary winding (48) extending coaxially within said primary winding (46) such that an air gap is created between said primary winding (46) and said secondary winding (48).

Claim 8

The communication apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by - said high band frequency being less than about 1 MHz.

Claim 9

The communication apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by - said high band frequency being less than about 160 KHz.

Claim 10

The communication apparatus according to claim 4, characterized by - said high band frequency, measured at a point between said receiver means (26) and said second coupler means (22) comprising noise reduction of about twenty decibels at the bandwidth.

Claim 11

The communication apparatus according to claim 2 characterized by - said air-coils (36,44) comprising impedance matching means such that the primary winding (38) resistivity for transmission and reception at a preselected carrier frequency is about equal to the smallest known characteristic impedance of the electrical line (12).

Claim 12

The communication apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by - said coupler means (14,22) resonating at said preselected carrier frequency.

Claim 13

The communication apparatus of claim 1 characterized by - said transmitter means (16,24) simultaneously transmitting at least a second carrier signal having a second frequency through said coupler means (14,22).

Claim 14

The communication apparatus according to claims 1 to 4, characterized by - said first coupler means (14) including two LC circuits (34,42), coupled to said electrical line (12), - both said LC circuits (34,42) including an RC circuit comprised of a capacitor means (34) and a resistor means (35), each consisting of at least one capacitor and at least one resistor, connected in parallel to each other, - said primary winding (38) of said air-core transformer means (36) being connected in series with said RC circuit and said electrical line (12), - said first transmitter means (16) being coupled to said first coupler means (14) at the secondary winding (40) of said air-core transformer means (36) for transmitting signals carried by a first carrier frequency across said electrical line (12), - said first receiver means (26) being coupled to said first coupling means (14) at the secondary winding (48) of the air-core transformer means (44), that is not connected to said transmitter means (16) for receiving signals carried by a second carrier frequency from the electrical line (12), - a first modem means (21) coupled between said first transmitter means (16) and said first receiver means (26) for modulating signals to be carried by said first carrier frequency and for demodulating said signals carried by said second carrier frequency, - said second coupler means (22) including two LC circuits (34,42), coupled to said electrical line (12), - both said LC circuits (34,42) including capacitor means (34) and resistor means (35), consisting of at least one capacitor and at least one resistor, connected in parallel to each other and in series between the electrical line (12) and the primary induction winding (46) of said air-core transformer means (44), - second transmitter means (24), coupled to said second coupling means (22) of the secondary induction winding (48) of said air-core transformer means (44) for transmitting signals carried by a second carrier frequency across the electrical line (12), - second receiver means (18), connected to said second coupling means (22) at the secondary winding (40) of said air-core transformer means (36) that is not connected to said transmitter means (24) for receiving signals carried by a first carrier frequency from the electrical line (12), - a second modem means (23), coupled between said second transmitter means (24) and said second receiver means (18) for demodulating said signals to be carried by said first carrier frequency and modulating said signals carried by said second carrier frequency.

Claim 15

The communication apparatus according to claim 14, characterized by - said LC circuits of said first and second coupler means (14,22) comprising a first plurality of capacitors and a first air coil including primary and secondary windings - the diameter of said primary winding being greater than the diameter of said secondary winding thereby creating an air core between said primary and secondary windings, - the other LC circuit being connected in parallel to the electrical line (12) and comprises a second plurality of capacitors and a second air coil including primary and secondary windings, the diameter of said primary winding being greater than the diameter od said secondary winding thereby creating an air-core between said primary and secondary windings, - wherein said first plurality of capacitors are connected together in parallel between one of the power-lines of the electrical line (12) and said primary winding of said first air coil, - said primary winding of said first air coil thereafter being serially connected to the other power-line of said electrical line (12), and said secondary winding of said first air coil is connected to its respective transmitter means, and - wherein said second plurality of capacitors are serially connected together between said one of the power-lines of said electrical line (12) and said primary winding of said second air coil, said primary winding of said second air coil thereafter serially connected to the other power-line.

Claim 16

The communication apparatus according to claim 14, characterized by - said first and second coupler means (14,22) each having a bandwidth of less than about 200 KHz.

Claim 17

The communication apparatus according to claim 14, characterized by - said first and second coupler means (14,22) each having a bandwidth of less than about 20 KHz.

Claim 18

The communication apparatus according to claim 14, characterized by - the induction component of said LC circuits in each of said first and second coupler means (14 and 22) being characterized as comprising two air-core inductors (36 and 44) combined to act as a capacitive air-core transformer which is inductively and capacitively coupled and phase shift linear.

Claim 19

The communication apparatus according to claim 14 characterized by - the primary and secondary windings of said first and second air-core transformer means (36,44) functioning as an inductively and capacitively coupled transformer.

Claim 20

The communication apparatus according to claim 14 characterized by - the ratio of the number of turns of said primary winding (38) to said secondary winding (40) in said first air-core transformer means (36) being about one to one.

Claim 21

The communication apparatus according to claim 14 characterized by - the ratio of the number of turns of said primary winding (46) to secondary winding (48) in said second air-core transformer means (44) being about one to one.

Claim 22

The communication apparatus according to claim 14 characterized by - the capacitance created between the respective primary windings (38,46) and secondary windings (40,48) of said air-core transformers (36 and 44) functioning as a high-pass filter with the secondary windings (40,48).

Claim 23

The communication apparatus according to claim 14 characterized by - the primary windings (38,46) of said first and second coupler means (14,22) with said capacitors functioning as a band-pass filter.

Claim 24

The communication apparatus according to claim 14 characterized by - said resistors of the first coupler means (14) dividing down the AC/DC voltages over said capacitor and resistor circuit.

Claim 25

The communication apparatus according to claim 14 characterized by - said resistor(s) of the second coupler means (22) dividing down the AC/DC voltages over said capacitor and resistor circuit.

Claim 26

The communication apparatus according to claim 24 characterized by - said capacitors of the first coupler means (14) resonating with the primary winding (38) of said first air-core transformer means (36).

Claim 27

The communication apparatus according to claim 24 characterized by - said capacitors of the second coupler means (22) resonating with the primary winding (46) of said second air-core transformer (44).

Claim 28

The communication apparatus of claim 1 characterized by - said capacitor (34) consisting of at least one capacitor and said coupler means (14) further comprising a resistor means (35) which in combination with said LC circuit (30) forms first LC means, said resistor means (35) consisting of at least one resistor, said capacitor means (34) and said resistor means (35) connected in parallel to each other and in series to said electrical line (12).

Claim 29

The communication apparatus of claim 28 characterized by - said coupler means (14,22) further comprising a second LC means.

Claim 30

The communication apparatus of claim 4 characterized by - said capacitor means (34) of said second coupler means (22) consisting of at least one capacitor and said second coupler means (22) further comprising a resistor means (35) which in combination with second LC circuit (32) forms a third LC means, said resistor means (35) consisting of at least one resistor, said capacitor means (34) and said resistor means (35) connected in parallel to each other and in series to said electrical line (12).

Claim 31

The communication apparatus of claim 30 characterized by - said second coupler means (22) further comprising a fourth LC means.

Claim 32

The communication apparatus of claim 29 characterized by - said first LC means and said second LC means connected in parallel to said electrical line (12).

Claim 33

The communication apparatus of claim 32 characterized by - said third LC means and said fourth LC means connected in parallel to said electrical line (12).

Claim 34

The communication apparatus of claim 32 characterized by - said third LC means and said fourth LC means connected in parallel to said electrical line (12).

Claim 35

The communication apparatus of claim 14 characterized by - said two LC circuits (34,42) of said first coupler means (14) connected in parallel to said electrical line (12).

Claim 36

The communication apparatus of claim 14 characterized by - said two LC circuits (34,42) of said second coupler means (22) connected in parallel to said electrical line (12).