Abstract: A system for operating a power line communications system is provided. One embodiment is comprised of a plurality of network elements, which may take the form of repeaters, bypass devices, backhaul devices, wireless backhaul devices, enhanced bypass device, communication interface devices and others. In one embodiment, two groups of network elements in the same electrical distribution system are isolated except selected communication link. The network elements respond to requests for data and send out of limit notifications to a remote computer.

Abstract: A versatile power line communication device is provided. One embodiment of the device includes a controller having memory, a first modem in communication with the controller, and a first power line interface including a second modem, wherein the second modem is in communication with the controller. The embodiment may also include a switch communicatively coupled to the controller and having an upstream port and a downstream port. The switch may be configured to communicate data from one of the upstream port to the downstream port, and vice versa, without the data being supplied to the controller. The switch may also have a data port configured to be coupled to high data rate devices such as mobile telephone cell sites.

Abstract: A method of designing a power line communication system networks is provided. One embodiment of the present invention may include identifying a position of a backhaul point on a medium voltage power line, identifying positions for a plurality of bypass devices on the medium voltage line that are configured to communicate with the backhaul point, determining an anticipated attenuation for a communication link associated with each of the bypass devices, and comparing the anticipated attenuations with a link budget value. If the anticipated attenuation of any of the communication links is greater than the link budget, the method may include further improving the network by changing the coupling conductor or employing lower through loss couplers for select devices.

Abstract: A system for detecting the contact of vegetation or other objects with a power line conductor and that may provide an automated notification thereof is provided. In one embodiment, the system may assess one or more power line communication links to determine baseline performance parameters thereof and set associated communication thresholds. The system may also include sensors for measuring wind speed, power line voltages, and/or other data. In one embodiment, the measured data may continuously be time stamped and stored in memory. Sensed data such as voltage and/or wind speed is analyzed during the time of a degradation of a communication link. If there is a correlation in the occurrence of increased wind speed or decrease in voltage and one or more degradations of a communication channel, a notification may be transmitted.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a power line communication system network element is provided that provides communications to one or more user devices. The device may also receive data from one or more sensors, such as current sensors, a voltage sensor, a video camera, a temperature sensor, a barometer, a motion sensor, a level sensor, and/or a vibration sensor. The device may include a controller that receives commands that relate to the collection and transmission of the sensed data via a medium voltage power line.

Abstract: A power line communications device that may provide rate limiting and quality of service control is provided. The device may include a first modem in communication with one or more user devices via a low voltage power line subnet and a second modem communicatively coupled to a second communications medium. The device also may include a controller in communication with the first and second modems and a computer readable medium encoded with instructions to control the operation of the controller. The controller may rate limit data to and/or from a destination and/or source based one or more parameters such as the destination address, the source address, the type of data, temporal parameters, and other criteria. In addition, the controller may implement QoS for data and transmit QoS parameters to power line modems to allow the power line modems to perform QoS.

Abstract: A system for operating a power line communications system is provided. One embodiment is comprised of a plurality of network elements, which may take the form of repeaters, bypass devices, backhaul devices, wireless backhaul devices, enhanced bypass device, communication interface devices and others. In one embodiment, two groups of network elements in the same electrical distribution system are isolated except selected communication link. The network elements respond to requests for data and send out of limit notifications to a remote computer.

Abstract: A system for operating a power line communications system is provided. One embodiment is comprised of a plurality of network elements, which may take the form of repeaters, bypass devices, backhaul devices, wireless backhaul devices, enhanced bypass device, communication interface devices and others. In one embodiment, two groups of network elements in the same electrical distribution system are isolated except selected communication link.

Abstract: The present invention provides a device for providing communications over power lines that includes a backhaul modem, a power line modem, and a user port modem. The device may provide communications for one or more network elements via the power line modem and may provide communications for one or more user devices via the user port modem wirelessly or via low voltage power lines.

Abstract: A method of communicating utility usage data is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises transmitting real-time utility usage data from a plurality of utility meters, receiving the real-time utility usage data from the plurality of utility meters, storing the real-time utility usage data in a memory, storing address information of the plurality of utility meters in memory, receiving requests from a plurality of utility users for real-time utility usage information and wherein the requests traverse a communication path that includes the Internet, processing the utility usage data of the utility users to provide the real-time utility usage information for each utility user, and transmitting the real-time utility usage information to the utility users over a communication path that includes the Internet.

Abstract: A versatile power line communication device is provided. One embodiment of the device includes a controller having memory, a first modem in communication with the controller, and a first power line interface including a second modem, wherein the second modem is in communication with the controller. The embodiment may also include a switch communicatively coupled to the controller and having an upstream port and a downstream port. The switch may be configured to communicate data from one of the upstream port to the downstream port, and vice versa, without the data being supplied to the controller. The switch may also have a data port configured to be coupled to high data rate devices such as mobile telephone cell sites.

Abstract: The repeater of the present invention communicates data signals over power lines. The repeater of one embodiment includes at least one modem that receives a data packet and attempts to decrypt the data packet with a first and/or second encryption key. If the packet is successfully decrypted using the first encryption key, the packet is encrypted using the second encryption and transmitted over the power line. If the packet is successfully decrypted using the second encryption key, the packet is encrypted using the first encryption and transmitted over the power line.

Abstract: The present invention provides a device for providing communications through power lines comprised of multiple conductors by transmitting the data signals through a plurality of the conductors. One embodiment of the present invention may be comprised of a transmit circuit communicatively coupled to a first energized conductor for applying a first voltage signal representing the data to the first energized conductor; the transmit circuit being communicatively coupled to a second energized conductor for applying a second voltage signal representing the data to the second energized conductor; and wherein the second voltage signal is opposite in polarity to said first voltage signal.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for operating a power line communications system that employs surface wave communications and conducted communications. The system is comprised of a plurality of network elements, which may take the form of repeaters, communication interface devices, backhaul devices, medium voltage transducers, distribution points, aggregation points, and others. In one embodiment, surface waves are communicated over the medium voltage power lines and the conducted communications are communicated via the low voltage power lines to and from customer premises.

Abstract: A system that includes low voltage power line subnet coupler that provides bi-directional communications between multiple power line subnets while substantially preventing the flow of power is provided. The system may include a power line communications device coupled to a first LV power line subnet, and a low voltage power line subnet coupler providing a data communications path between the first low voltage power line subnet and a second low voltage power line subnet. Additionally, some embodiments include a low voltage repeater communicatively coupled to the second LV power line subnet.

Abstract: A communication device for use with a power line communication system is provided. One embodiment forms a bypass device and comprises a low voltage coupler, a low voltage signal conditioner, a controller, a medium voltage modem, a first medium signal conditioner, an isolator, a second medium voltage signal conditioner, and a medium coupler. The controller may provide routing functions to give priority to certain types of data, control access to the network, filter data packets, process software upgrades, and provision new subscriber devices. In addition, the controller may monitor, process, and transmit traffic data, measured power data, errors, and other collected data.

Abstract: The present invention provides a device for providing communications through power lines comprised of multiple conductors by transmitting the data signals through a plurality of the conductors. One embodiment of the present invention may be comprised of a transmit circuit communicatively coupled to a first energized conductor for applying a first voltage signal representing the data to the first energized conductor; the transmit circuit being communicatively coupled to a second energized conductor for applying a second voltage signal representing the data to the second energized conductor; and wherein the second voltage signal is opposite in polarity to said first voltage signal.

Abstract: A system for operating a power line communication system is provided. One embodiment is comprised of a plurality of network elements, which may take the form of repeaters, bypass devices, backhaul devices, wireless backhaul devices, enhanced bypass devices, communication interface devices and others. In one embodiment, two groups of network elements in the same electrical distribution system are isolated except for a selected communication link.

Abstract: The invention includes a method, system, and device for communicating a data signal on an electric power system. The inventive method includes communicating the data signal to the electric power system, and modifying the characteristics of the electric power system to reduce the data signal communicated to an electrical component located on the electric power system without substantially reducing a voltage signal. The method further includes communicating the data signal to a customer premise. The electrical component may include, for example, an electrical transformer.

Abstract: A communication device for use with a power line communication system is provided. One embodiment forms a bypass device and comprises a low voltage coupler, a low voltage signal conditioner, a controller, a medium voltage modem, a first medium voltage signal conditioner, an isolator, a second medium voltage signal conditioner, and a medium voltage coupler. The controller may provide routing functions to give priority to certain types of data, control access to the network, filter data packets, process software upgrades, and provision new subscriber devices. In addition, the controller may monitor, process, and transmit traffic data, measured power data, errors, and other collected data.