Method for Transmitting and Receiving Signals Over Transmission Power Lines

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an improved method for transmitting and receiving signals having data such as electrical power metering information over power lines. The invention uses a transmission signal such as either a phase modulated, frequency modulated or amplitude modulated signal that is is superimposed onto the transmission AC voltage wave, transmitted over a low voltage power distribution line and a leased line.

2. The Prior Art

The conventional transmission system using a power distribution line as shown in FIG. 5, has superimposed, as shown in FIG. 5, only the data transmission signals D.sub.o .about.D.sub.n for every several cycles to several tens of cycles of the commercial frequency voltage 1 (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-12291). In the former case, since the level and phase of data transmission signals D.sub.o .about.D.sub.n change due to the load fluctuation of the power distribution lines, these signals are not stable when finally received. Therefore, in the latter case, the data transmission signals D.sub.o .about.D.sub.n are monitored by comparing the reference transmission signal R received in the receiving side with the following data transmission signals D.sub.o .about.D.sub.n, but it has been difficult to ensure highly reliable communication due to the change in level and phase of data transmission signals D.sub.o .about.D.sub.n in every cycle of commercial frequency voltage 1.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for transmitting and receiving signals which ensures reliable communication even if the level and phase of transmission signal change from time to time.

According to the present invention, communication can be conducted reliably even if the level and phase of the transmission signal change, from time to time, by setting a reference channel and data channels in each cycle of the AC voltage wave for transmission in the sending and receiving means, superposing a reference transmission signal on to the reference channel, and providing modulated data transmission signals to the data channels in the sending means, receiving the reference transmission signal and data transmission signals by being separated from the AC voltage wave for transmission in the receiving means, and monitoring the data transmission signals by comparing the level and phase of the reference transmission signal received by the reference channel with those of data transmission signals received in the data channels, and thereby comparing the reference transmission signal with the data transmission signals received in each cycle of the AC voltage wave for transmission.

FIG. 1 shows an example of channel separations in the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows an example of a waveform of reference transmission and data transmission signals in the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows another example of channel separations in the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram indicating an example of the receiving means embodying the present invention; and,

FIG. 5. shows the conventional transmission system by the power distribution line.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a diagram for explaining the setting of channels in the present invention. In both sending and receiving means, the reference channel CH.sub.a, and data channels CH.sub.1, CH.sub.2, CH.sub.3 are set in the low noise region 2a in the vicinity of the zero cross point in which the commercial frequency voltage 1 (AC voltage wave for transmission) crosses the zero line from the positive to negative value. The reference channel CH.sub.b, and data channels CH.sub.4, CH.sub.5, CH.sub.6 are set in the low noise region 2b in the vicinity of zero cross point in which the commercial frequency voltage 1 crosses the zero line from the negative to positive value. When phase modulation is used, the sending means superposes the reference transmission signal 3 having the reference phase to the reference channel CH.sub.a as shown in FIG. 2 and the data transmission signals 4 phase-modulated by data to the data channels CH.sub.1 .about.CH.sub.3, respectively. Moreover, the sending means also superposes such signals to the reference channel CH.sub.b and data channels CH.sub.4 .about.CH.sub.6. The receiving means defines the signals in reference channels CH.sub.a, CH.sub.b as the reference transmission signals 3, while the signals in the data channels CH.sub.1 .about.CH.sub.6 as the data transmission signals 4 and monitors and demodulates the waveform of the reference transmission signal 3 and the waveforms of data transmission signals 4 by comparing level and phase of them with each other.

As shown in FIG. 3, it is also possible to set the reference channels CH.sub.a, CH.sub.b and data channels CH.sub.1 .about.CH.sub.6 for each half cycle. Moreover, the reference channel may be set for each cycle in place of setting the reference channel for each half cycle.

FIG. 4 is an example of the receiving means. A filter 6 separates the reference transmission signal 3 and data transmission signals 4 from the commercial frequency voltage 1 input from the input terminal 5 connected to the low voltage power distribution line and an A/D converter 7 digitalizes the analog waveforms of these signals 3, 4 to store these signals into a memory 8. A phase angle reference circuit 9 detects the phase angle reference point (zero cross point or phase angle .pi./2) of the commercial frequency voltage 1 and a control circuit 10 detects, based on the phase angle reference point, the reference channels CH.sub.a, CH.sub.b, data channels CH.sub.1 .about.CH.sub.6, and phase units obtained by further dividing these channels into small sections. Circuit 10 controls the operation of A/D converter 7 in synchronization with the detected channel and phase unit, and writes the detected channels and phase units into the memory 8 together with digital values of the reference transmission signal 3, and data transmission signals 4. A processing circuit 11 compares the levels and phases of reference transmission signal 3 and data transmission signals 4, while a detecting circuit 12 detects and demodulates data transmission signals 4 based on the result of comparing the signals of the processing circuit 11 to output the signals from output terminal 13.

While only a single embodiment has been shown and described it is obvious that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.