Power line communication system and method of auto-commissioning system nodes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10122412-B2
Application number	US-201815883678-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2018
Priority date	Jan 30, 2017
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A power line communication system and method permit auto-commissioning of multiple device control modules on a DC power line during the power up of the system. Device control modules associated with the peripheral devices are powered up sequentially and a unique address is assigned to each device controller when it is powered up. The device control modules have a unique circuit configuration that allows the use of inexpensive and mostly passive components. The cost effectiveness of the device controller design becomes particularly significant in applications, such as multi-panel OLED lighting fixtures, with high node counts.

First claim

We claim:

1. An addressable device control module connectable to a DC power line of a power line communication system for powering and communicating with at least one device associated with the device control module, said device control module comprising:
an analog input circuit for receiving both DC power from the DC power line and sequences of voltage pulses transmitted on the DC power line with DC power, wherein said sequences of voltage pulses represent a serial digital data or control signal, said analog input circuit having a DC power path and a digital signal communication path configured to meet the following conditions:
i) DC power received from the DC power line passes through the DC power path,
ii) voltage pulses transmitted on the DC power line and received by the analog input circuit are rejected in the DC power path,
iii) voltage pulses transmitted on the DC power line pass through the digital signal communication path, and
iv) DC power from the DC power line is rejected in the digital signal communication path,

a central processing unit for receiving and processing serial digital data and control signals and for communicating with a device associated with the device control module,
wherein the central processing unit receives and responds to serial digital data and control signals through the digital signal communication path of the analog input circuit and wherein the device associated with the device control module is powered from DC power transmitted through the DC power path.

2. The addressable device control module of claim 1 wherein the central processing unit is also powered from DC power transmitted through the DC power path of the analog input circuit.

3. The addressable device control module of claim 2 further comprising a voltage regulator in the DC power path, said voltage regulator being configured to regulate the voltage supplied to the central processing unit.

4. The addressable device control module of claim 1 wherein the sequences of voltage pulses transmitted on the DC power line are AC modulated, and wherein the DC power path of the analog input circuit is configured to block the AC modulated sequences of voltage pulses received from the DC power line, and wherein the digital signal communication path is configured to remove the AC modulation from the sequences of voltage pulses.

5. The addressable device control module of claim 4 wherein the digital signal communication path of the analog input circuit is further configured to restore and balance the DC component of the sequence of voltage pulses after the AC modulation has been removed from the sequences of voltage pulses.

6. The addressable device control module of claim 4 wherein the digital signal communication path of the analog input circuit is further configured to restore each of the voltage pulses of the sequence of voltage pulses passing therethrough to a shape detectable by the central processing unit after the AC modulation has been removed from the sequences of voltage pulses.

7. The addressable device control module of claim 1 wherein the device control module further comprises:
an input connected to the DC power line through which DC power and sequences of voltage pulses on the DC power line are received by said analog input,
an output; and
a power line switch in the output of the device control module, said switch being configured to connect the output of the device control module to the DC power line when the switch is activated, wherein DC power and serial digital data and control signals on the DC power line upstream of the device control module are only available on the DC power line downstream of the device control module upon activation of said power line switch.

8. The addressable device control module of claim 1 wherein the power line switch in the output of the device control module is responsive to commands from the central processing unit, wherein DC power and serial digital data or control signals on the DC power line upstream of the device control module are only available on the DC power line downstream of the device control module upon receipt of a command from the central processing unit.

9. An addressable device control module connectable to a DC power line of a power line communication system for powering and communicating with at least one device associated with the device control module, said communication system comprising:
an analog input circuit for receiving both DC power from the DC power line and sequences of AC modulated voltage pulses transmitted on the DC power line with DC power, wherein said sequences of AC modulated voltage pulses represent a serial digital data or control signal, said analog input circuit having a DC power path and a digital signal communication path configured to meet the following conditions:
i. DC power received from the DC power line passes through the DC power path,
ii. AC modulated voltage pulses transmitted on the DC power line and received by the analog input circuit are rejected in the DC power path,
iii. voltage pulses transmitted on the DC power line pass through and are conditioned in the digital signal communication path, the conditioning of the voltage pulses including the removal of the AC modulation from the voltage pulses, and
iv. DC power from the DC power line is rejected in the digital signal communication path,

a central processing unit for receiving and processing serial digital data and control signals and for communicating with a device associated with the device control module,
wherein the central processing unit receives and responds to serial digital data and control signals through the digital signal communication path of the analog input circuit and wherein both the device associated with the device control module and the central processing unit are powered from DC power transmitted through the DC power path.

10. The addressable device control module of claim 9 further comprising a voltage regulator in the DC power path, said voltage regulator being configured to regulate the voltage supplied to the central processing unit.

11. The addressable device control module of claim 9 wherein the device control module further comprises:
an input connected to the DC power line through which DC power and sequences of voltage pulses on the DC power line are received by said analog input,
an output; and
a power line switch in the output of the device control module, said switch being configured to connect the output of the device control module to the DC power line when the switch is activated, wherein DC power and serial digital data and control signals on the DC power line upstream of the device control module are only available on the DC power line downstream of the device control module upon activation of said power line switch.

12. The addressable device control module of claim 11 wherein the power line switch in the output of the device control module is responsive to commands from the central processing unit, wherein DC power and serial digital data or control signals on the DC power line upstream of the device control module are only available on the DC power line downstream of the device control module upon receipt of a command from the central processing unit.

13. An addressable device control module connectable to a DC power line of a power line communication system for powering and communicating with at least one device associated with the device control module, said communication system comprising:
an input connected to the DC power line through which DC power and sequences of voltage pulses on the DC power line are received, said sequences of voltage puls

Assignees

• Abl Ip Holding Llc

Inventors

• Scott Jeffrey Michael
• Miu Michael

Classifications

• H04B3/546

  Combination of signalling, telemetering, protection (circuits for remote indication of supply or distribution network condition H02J13/00) · CPC title

• H04B3/548

  the power on the line being DC (arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02) · CPC title

• H04B3/58

  Repeater circuits · CPC title

• H05B47/185

  via power line carrier transmission · CPC title

• H04B3/542 Primary

  the information being in digital form · CPC title