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US6668058B2 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Power line telephony exchange

Assignee: TELKONET COMMUNICATIONS Inc A Corp OF MARYLAND
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Filing: 2001-03-07
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Granted: 2003-12-23
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Expires: 2021-03-07
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Abstract

Abstract Method steps and component combinations for establishing a telephony exchange, with benefits of hardwiring, free of a requirement for first installing telephone copper wire service to a concentration of electric power consumers. An operations center for the telephony exchange provides worldwide access by means of a public-switched telephone network and an Internet service provider. Communications received are converted to packetized data signals which are routed for sorting at a transformer service unit (TSU) for electrical power-line transfer with the output of a local transformer. The consumer voltage level transformer output is reactance coupled by the transformer service unit (TSU) to transfer packetized data signals, with transformer output electrical power to a plurality of subscriber service units (SSU's) served by the TSU. Each SSU sorts packetized data signals for an individual subscriber, selectively providing for plain old telephone service, digital phone service, and worldwide Internet service.

Inventors

  • 👤 David W. Grimes

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 07:53
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04B; H04B3/00; H04B3/54; H04B2203/00; H04B2203/54; H04B2203/5429; H04B2203/5437

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 332 words
Method for providing hardwired telephony service, comprising the steps of: (A) laying out a concentration of electrical power consumer premises selected from the group consisting of individual users and multiple-user apartment buildings, office buildings, and industrial complexes, with existing electrical power wiring; (B) preparing a pattern, within the concentration of electrical power consumer premises, for estimating potential subscribers for telephony exchange service, by: (i) determining the number and location of transformers supplying consumers with electrical power within such concentration, (ii) determining the number of such consumers supplied with electrical power by each respective transformer with electrical power consumers being located within a selected preferred radius of each such respective transformer; (C) establishing an operations center, selectively located with relation to such concentration, for control of reception and re-transmitting of telecommunications for potential telephony exchange subscribers in such pattern; (D) providing public-switched telephone access means and a worldwide Internet service provider at such operations center; (E) extending a packetized data signal carrier, of predetermined capacity, from such operations center to a location for at least one electrical power transformer connected for delivery of transformer output by means of an electrical power line to respective consumers within such preferred radius, from such at least one transformer; (F) electrically connecting a transformer service unit, for potential telephony exchange subscribers, to such transformer output by reactance coupling, so as to enable transferring both electrical power and packetized data signals, for such power and telephony exchange subscribers; (G) sorting packetized data signals, being carried by such reactance coupled connection between such transformer and such TSU, for transfer on such existing electrical power wiring extending from such respective transformer unit to such power consumers and telephony exchange subscribers; (H) installing a subscriber server means connected to a power outlet, at such electrical power consumer's premises, for receiving packetized data signals; (I) converting packetized data signals for subscriber use selected from the group consisting of (i) plain old telephone communications, (ii) digital phone communications, and (iii) worldwide Internet communications.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 332 words
Method for providing hardwired telephony service, comprising the steps of: (A) laying out a concentration of electrical power consumer premises selected from the group consisting of individual users and multiple-user apartment buildings, office buildings, and industrial complexes, with existing electrical power wiring; (B) preparing a pattern, within the concentration of electrical power consumer premises, for estimating potential subscribers for telephony exchange service, by: (i) determining the number and location of transformers supplying consumers with electrical power within such concentration, (ii) determining the number of such consumers supplied with electrical power by each respective transformer with electrical power consumers being located within a selected preferred radius of each such respective transformer; (C) establishing an operations center, selectively located with relation to such concentration, for control of reception and re-transmitting of telecommunications for potential telephony exchange subscribers in such pattern; (D) providing public-switched telephone access means and a worldwide Internet service provider at such operations center; (E) extending a packetized data signal carrier, of predetermined capacity, from such operations center to a location for at least one electrical power transformer connected for delivery of transformer output by means of an electrical power line to respective consumers within such preferred radius, from such at least one transformer; (F) electrically connecting a transformer service unit, for potential telephony exchange subscribers, to such transformer output by reactance coupling, so as to enable transferring both electrical power and packetized data signals, for such power and telephony exchange subscribers; (G) sorting packetized data signals, being carried by such reactance coupled connection between such transformer and such TSU, for transfer on such existing electrical power wiring extending from such respective transformer unit to such power consumers and telephony exchange subscribers; (H) installing a subscriber server means connected to a power outlet, at such electrical power consumer's premises, for receiving packetized data signals; (I) converting packetized data signals for subscriber use selected from the group consisting of (i) plain old telephone communications, (ii) digital phone communications, and (iii) worldwide Internet communications.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 63 words
The method of claim 1 , including extending such packetized data signal carrier to a plurality of sequential combinations of a power transformer, with a respective transformer service unit for sequentially sorting of packetized data signals, for telephony exchange subscribers receiving transformer output power from each such respective sequential power transformer for power line delivery with packetized data signals, to its respective TSU.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 34 words
The method of claim 2 , including sorting such packetized data signals carrier supplied to at least one TSU, with remaining packetized data signals being directed to sequential TSU's for other subscriber server means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 30 words
The method of claim 2 , in which such subscriber server means enables selecting from such group consisting of plain old telephone service, digital phone service, and worldwide Internet communication.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 49 words
The method of claim 1 , including the step of selecting from the group consisting of (a) end-user location within about a half-mile radius of each such respective transformer, and (b) adding a transponder/repeater for an end-user located at a distance greater than about one-half mile from such transformer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 243 words
Apparatus for providing hardwired telephone services to a concentration of electrical power consumer premises selected from the group consisting of individual users and multiple-user apartment buildings, office buildings, and industrial complexes, with existing electrical power wiring, comprising (A) means for establishing an operations center, selectively located with relation to such concentration of electrical power consumers, for control of reception of telecommunications and re-transmitting for potential telephony exchange subscribers; (B) means for providing public-switched telephone access means and a worldwide Internet service provider at such operations center; (C) packetized data signal means extending from such operations center to a location for at least one electrical power transformer with power line for delivery of transformer output by means of an electrical power line to respective consumers within such preferred radius, from such at least one transformer; (D) reactance means electrically connecting a transformer service unit, for potential telephony exchange subscribers, to such transformer so as to be capable of transferring both electrical power and packetized data signals for potential telephony exchange subscribers; (E) means for sorting packetized data signals for transfer on such transformer power line to such electrical power consumers and telephony exchange subscribers; (F) subscriber server means connected to a power outlet, at such electrical power consumer's premises, for receiving packetized data signals; (G) means for converting packetized data signals for subscriber use selected from the group consisting of (i) plain old telephone communications, (ii) digital phone communications, and (iii) worldwide Internet communications.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 243 words
Apparatus for providing hardwired telephone services to a concentration of electrical power consumer premises selected from the group consisting of individual users and multiple-user apartment buildings, office buildings, and industrial complexes, with existing electrical power wiring, comprising (A) means for establishing an operations center, selectively located with relation to such concentration of electrical power consumers, for control of reception of telecommunications and re-transmitting for potential telephony exchange subscribers; (B) means for providing public-switched telephone access means and a worldwide Internet service provider at such operations center; (C) packetized data signal means extending from such operations center to a location for at least one electrical power transformer with power line for delivery of transformer output by means of an electrical power line to respective consumers within such preferred radius, from such at least one transformer; (D) reactance means electrically connecting a transformer service unit, for potential telephony exchange subscribers, to such transformer so as to be capable of transferring both electrical power and packetized data signals for potential telephony exchange subscribers; (E) means for sorting packetized data signals for transfer on such transformer power line to such electrical power consumers and telephony exchange subscribers; (F) subscriber server means connected to a power outlet, at such electrical power consumer's premises, for receiving packetized data signals; (G) means for converting packetized data signals for subscriber use selected from the group consisting of (i) plain old telephone communications, (ii) digital phone communications, and (iii) worldwide Internet communications.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 54 words
The apparatus of claim 6 , further including means for extending such packetized data signal carrier to a plurality of sequential combinations of a power transformer with a respective transformer service unit for sorting of packetized data signals, for delivery with electrical power, to subscribers of each transformer with its respective transformer service unit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 45 words
The apparatus of claim 7 , further including means for sorting such packetized data signals supplied for at least one transformer service unit electrical power to telephony exchange subscribers (TSU), with remaining packetized data signals being directed to sequential TSU's for other subscriber server means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 30 words
The apparatus of claim 7 , including means for enabling a subscriber to select from such group consisting of plain old telephone service, digital phone service, and worldwide Internet communication.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US6091722A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2006-12-22 2007-06-23 2007-12-23 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2010-12-22 2011-06-23 2011-12-23 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2014-12-22 2015-06-23 2015-12-23 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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