Home power distribution with multiphase bridging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11212876-B2
Application number	US-201916697775-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2019
Priority date	Nov 29, 2018
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

Methods and devices for a home power networking system including a first wireless access point (AP) configured to perform wired communications over a first circuit connected to the first wireless AP. The first wireless AP further performs wireless communications with a second wireless AP, wherein the second wireless access point is connected to a second circuit and is not connected to the first circuit. The first wireless AP provides wireless transport through the second wireless AP to bridge communications between the first circuit and the second circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A home power distribution system, comprising:
a primary power drop branching into a plurality of circuits, wherein each of the plurality of circuits powers one or more entities in a home, and wherein each of the plurality of circuits operates according to a distinct power phase; and
a plurality of wireless access points each associated with a respective circuit of the plurality of circuits, wherein each wireless access point of the plurality of wireless access points provides wireless transport to bridge between its respective circuit and one or more other circuits of the plurality of circuits, wherein in bridging between the respective circuit and a respective second circuit, each wireless access point is configured to provide a respective alien bridge from a wired domain associated with the respective circuit and a wireless domain associated with a respective second wireless access point of the respective second circuit, and wherein providing wireless transport to bridge between circuits enables internetworking between disparate power phases.

2. The home power distribution system of claim 1 ,
wherein each wireless access point further provides wireless communication services to one or more wireless devices.

3. The home power distribution system of claim 1 ,
wherein each wireless access point is configured to automatically detect a phase of a power distribution of its respective circuit.

4. The home power distribution system of claim 1 ,
wherein each wireless access point operates according to one or more of:
WiFi;
Bluetooth;
Z-Wave;
Zigbee; or
Wi-SUN.

5. The home power distribution system of claim 1 ,
wherein each wireless access point is configured to advertise its availability to a wireless access point designated as domain master, and
wherein the wireless access point designated as domain master is configured to route traffic based at least in part on the advertised availability to accomplish one or both of reduced internetworking latency and increased overall system throughput.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium comprising program instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause a first wireless access point to:
perform wired communications over a first circuit connected to the first wireless access point, wherein the first circuit operates according to a first power phase;
perform wireless communications with a second wireless access point, wherein the second wireless access point is connected to a second circuit and is not connected to the first circuit, wherein the second circuit operates according to a second power phase different from the first power phase; and
provide wireless transport through the second wireless access point to bridge communications between the first circuit and the second circuit, wherein in bridging communications between the first and second circuits, the first wireless access point is configured to provide an alien bridge from a wired domain of the first circuit and a wireless domain of the second wireless access point, wherein providing wireless transport to bridge communications between the first and second circuits enables internetworking between the first and second power phases.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 6 ,
wherein each of the first and second wireless access points further provide wireless communication services to one or more respective wireless devices.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 6 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the first wireless access point to:
automatically detect a phase of a power distribution of the first circuit.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 6 ,
wherein each of the first and second wireless access points operate according to one or more of:
WiFi;
Bluetooth;
Z-Wave;
Zigbee; or
Wi-SUN.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 6 ,
wherein the first wireless access point is designated as domain master,
wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the wireless access point to:
receive an advertised availability from the second access point; and
route traffic based at least in part on the advertised availability to accomplish one or both of reduced internetworking latency and increased overall system throughput.

11. A home power distribution system, comprising:
a circuit configured to power one or more entities in a home;
a first wireless access point wired to the circuit;
a second wireless access point wired to the circuit, wherein the first wireless access point is out of wireless communication range with the second wireless access point; and
an alien bridge comprised within the first wireless access point, wherein the alien bridge is configured to establish communication between the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point through a wired domain associated with the circuit, wherein in establishing communication between the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point through the wired domain associated with the circuit, the alien bridge is provided from the wired domain associated with the circuit to a wireless domain associated with the second wireless access point.

12. The home power distribution system of claim 11 ,
wherein the first and second wireless access points are configured to provide wireless communication services to one or more respective wireless devices.

13. The home power distribution system of claim 11 ,
wherein each of the first and second wireless access points operate according to one or more of:
WiFi;
Bluetooth;
Z-Wave;
Zigbee; or
Wi-SUN.

14. The home power distribution system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a primary power drop branching into a plurality of circuits including the circuit,
wherein each circuit of the plurality of circuits operates according to a separate power phase.

15. The home power distribution system of claim 11 ,
wherein the first wireless access point is designated as domain master, wherein the first wireless access point is further configured to:
receive an advertised availability from the second access point; and
route traffic based at least in part on the advertised availability to accomplish one or both of reduced internetworking latency and increased overall system throughput.

Assignees

• Coherent Logix Inc

Inventors

• Shelby Kevin A
• Doerr Michael B
• Solka Michael B
• Yasha Yama

Classifications

• H02J13/1337

  involving the use of Internet protocols · CPC title

• H02J13/1335

  involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi®, ZigBee® or Bluetooth® · CPC title

• H02J13/1331 Primary

  using wireless data transmission · CPC title

• H04L12/4625 Primary

  Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge · CPC title

• H04W88/08 Primary

  Access point devices · CPC title