WO2003044980A1

WO2003044980A1 - Data transmission system on power lines and the computerized management method for this system

Info

Publication number: WO2003044980A1
Application number: PCT/EP2002/012987
Authority: WO
Inventors: Francesco Tato'
Original assignee: Enel.It S.P.A.
Priority date: 2001-11-21
Filing date: 2002-11-20
Publication date: 2003-05-30
Also published as: ITRM20010689A0; ITRM20010689A1; AU2002356687A1

Abstract

Data transmission and processing apparatus with a device (19) for connection to an electrical energy distribution network, a communication receiver/transmitter two-way interface (17), an IMP interface (18) for processing the transmission message, a microprocessor (10) including a permanent memory (22), device drivers (11), a random access memory (12'), a flash memory flash (12'), a module (12'') for creating a clock/date display, a data viewing screen (13), peripherals (20, 21), a device for interfacing with peripherals (16), a keyboard.

Description

DATA TRANSMISSION SYSTEM ON POWER LINES AND THE COMPUTERIZED MANAGEMENT METHOD FOR THIS SYSTEM

Field of the invention

The present invention refers to a data transmission system, in particular using an electricity conductors network and to a computerized management and processing method for the data created with such a system. Background art

With the ever-growing diffusion of electronic processors that can process and memorize amounts of data and information that are by far higher than what was possible with the traditional information distribution methods, information and data transmission services using telecommunications networks that can connect these processors are also becoming of common use. The diffusion of wide area networks (WAN) that has taken place in the last few years, especially the Internet network, has made it so that the possibility of exchanging data, especially data using this type of network, is in continuous expansion. The wide area networks (WAN) integrated into the Internet network use metal or optic cables or radio channels, that were at the beginning created, and are still mainly used for traditional voice telecommunications, and for radio and television channels. The capacity available in these channels has been one of the main reasons for the reduction in the price of data and signal transmissions and there has consequently been an expansion of the telecommunications market and an increase in the number of users who, thanks to the use of processors that are decreasing in price, can access the Internet network more easily. However, Internet access is still a long way from being distributed in all homes; on the contrary, in spite of its rapid diffusion, only a small percentage of homes possess an Internet connection. Some of the reasons for this slow diffusion of access may include the high cost of electronic processors or dedicated terminals and the difficulty in using them, which remains a serious problem for a large section of the population, mostly in certain age groups, the lack of flexibility of the system for connecting to the wide area network that is obviously tied to the telephone sockets in a given household, which are generally only in a few points of the house and rarely in each room. The installation of at least one telephone socket in each room is in any case a costly investment.

On the other hand, attempts have already been made in the past to use the electricity distribution network in buildings as a distribution means for information or as a communication network, using, for example, simple interphones to communicate between the various points in one household. The advantages given by using the electrical distribution network as a connection network between data processors, terminals or telecommunications apparatus for both transmitting data, information or telecommunications apparatus and for transmitting data, information or voice communication are evident . The electricity distribution network is diffused in most countries of the world and for years now, houses have been supplied with one or more electricity sockets in each room at the time of building or renovation. Data or information transmission devices that are connected to the domestic low voltage electricity distribution network to inform people of the functioning status of household electrical appliances are already known. These devices, that include an electrical and/or electronic circuit with a screen, that can be linked to the electrical sockets inside homes and that can supervise and provide information about any breakdowns that occur in the electrical household appliances. These devices are still at an experimental stage and are not very diffused on the market due to their high purchase, the difficulty in using them for users inexperienced in the electronics sector and the lack of flexibility which does not make them suitable for supplying a wide range of services that would make such a device extremely useful and commercially attractive.

A further significant disadvantage of these devices is that their action is limited to use in households. They have no possibility of communicating with other remote systems to which they could transmit data or from which it is possible to receive data.

Summary of the invention

The primary purpose herein is that of overcoming the problems explained above, by creating a data transmission system that can provide a series of information, data transmission and telecommunications services that can be used by all the users who have only a minimum of familiarity with the use of electrical household equipment, that reduces manufacturing costs and that is not bulky. A no lesser important purpose of the data transmission system herein is that of creating a simple and reliable means of connecting to the public electrical distribution network, by making it into a wide area network that can link a higher number of users to each other and/or to electronic processors, by using normal telecommunications networks., which are able to receive and exchange data and information.

A further purpose herein is to create a computerized data transmission method that can allow the transmission data system to work simply, rapidly, and user- friendly even for those users that have little familiarity with computer systems, offering a simple and intuitive use and navigation of the services, and a large interface with various types of peripherals, that are easy to integrate with data distribution networks, either cable or radio channels.

These purposes and others that will become apparent in the following description, are reached via a data transmission and processing apparatus, including a coupling device for an electricity distribution network, a transmitting and receiving two-way interface, an IMP interface for processing transmission messages, a microprocessor that includes a ROM memory, device drivers, a random access memory (RAM), a flash memory, a module for creating a clock/date display, a data viewing screen, peripherals, a peripheral interface device, and a keyboard. Thanks to the characteristics of the data processing and transmission device, made up of a processing unit connected to the network or household electrical distribution system, or more generally thanks to the characteristics of the network or internal distribution circuit of any building, combined with an electronic device that connects to the electricity distribution network, which in this way also becomes a wide area network for communications, one has an inexpensive data transmission system, spread throughout a country or a certain geographical area and which is extremely flexible as it is available in practically all the buildings in most countries in the world. In this way, the system according to the invention offers a valid alternative to other existing data transmission means and consequently to other communication or information channels, which it joins, offering an increased capacity of the distribution networks, to the benefit of the suppliers of already existing services and making more channels available.

Being able to use the already existing electricity distribution structure as a data transmission or telecommunications network without the need for expensive modifications provides considerable economic advantages. The data processing unit can be linked to a domestic electrical socket, just like any other electrical appliance, whenever the user wishes to make use of the available services and this does not imply any intervention for switching on the unit, and starting up the software that makes it function. List of drawings Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be recognised in view of the detailed description of preferred embodiments shown by way of non limitative examples, of the data transmission system shown below by means of the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan of the data transmission network incorporated into the electricity distribution network, where the data transmission system is used according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan of the electronic circuits that make up the electronic data processing unit according to the invention, Description of the preferred embodiments of the invention With particular reference fo" Figure 1 , an electrical energy distribution network for various domestic uses is shown, which are schematically represented by houses. The household uses include various types of electrical appliances and other known equipment commonly used in homes that use electricity or needed to manage the distribution system. A supplier of services, for example a service provider who uses Internet, schematically shown in the plan as reference 1, communicates using the data transmission line 2, that can be of varied types: cable, radio channel, electrical distribution line, etc. with a conversion device 3 that transmits the data in the terminal part of the electrical distribution network. This device is connected to a number of gateways 6 advantageously but not necessarily placed near to a respective electrical meter 4.

For a low voltage domestic electricity distribution plant, a data processing system 5 according to the invention is connected to a normal electrical socket in the house. The plan of the electronic circuit of the device 5 is shown in detail in Figure 2.

The exchanging of data on the electrical network takes place by using PLC (acronym for Power Line Communication) conveyed waves, that transport the data along the electrical network and arrive at a central data processing centre of the electrical network manager. From this processing device, the data is transported to the processors 1 that manage the data or the information from the service providers. The exchanging of data and information can be two-way, as it can be between the devices 5 of different houses. The data processing device 5 includes a series of peripherals of a known type that can be connected to it depending on the type of services that the processor must provide. Thus a display viewer, or more generally speaking a screen is foreseen, for viewing the information received and optionally the information that one wishes to enter in the electrical network or even any messages that one wishes to send using the data transfer system of the invention. A keyboard is foreseen for writing the commands, that may be connected to the processor via cable, infrared rays or any other known means, in addition to the basic command-entering device including a series of command keys that interact with a menu of commando that can be seen on the processor's screen. For these cases, the processor possesses suitable communication ports for the type of peripherals foreseen.

The device 5 includes a microprocessor 10, such as, for example, 16 or 32 bit, to control the system. This microprocessor has a random access memory (RAM) 12' with an appropriate capacity, a flash memory 12" for preserving a pre-set quantity of information in the event that the power supply fails or if the device itself is reset. An RTC (Real Time Clock) 12'" module is foreseen, that is an electronic module that has a clock with a precise date setting, that can be adjusted externally and centrally, using software. The microprocessor 10 also foresees a memory for the drivers 11 for the various main or additional peripheral devices. In the permanent part of its memory 22, the software developed for the application is also stored. Dynamic reprogramming has been planned for updating or modification, and software additions every time they are needed, which are also controlled centrally by sending the updated versions of the software via data transmission. The software allows the system to operate advantageously using a series of functions such as automatic loading of functions, automatic search for network nodes and variables, system diagnostics, reading and writing of configuration and node variables, the periodical interrogation of the peripherals, i.e. polling, with notification of the variables' data status, compound functions of networking and supervision.

The peripherals foreseen comprise a display system 14 that can be a known common screen, for example with liquid crystals, colour or black and white, and an external and/or integrated keyboard 13 in the device 15, of a simple type with a limited number of keys, for example 8, although it is possible to use a greater or small number of keys according to the number of services that need to be distributed. Optionally, it is foreseen that the keyboard 13 is connected via a cable or infrared rays system to allow the writing of texts or numbers, if the system is used by more expert users. The process device has a communication port 16, for ex. a serial port RS232 with an adequate number of Baud to transmit data through the network. A network interface is planned in the device that includes two elements: a communication receiver/transmitter 17 via electrical band C cable (standard CENELEC), and an IMP interface 18 (Acronym for Interface Message Processor), which is preferably but /hot necessarily a neuron chip, that is an electronic component for the managing of LonTalk-type transmission protocol, it also connects the network interface 17, 18 with the microprocessor 10. The device also includes an electrical power supply 19 that uses the household network electricity, and preferably a reserve battery, not shown in detail, in the event that the network power supply is cut off.

Other auxiliary peripherals 21 can comprise a reader for information memory cards, e.g. the so-called smart cards, that can serve to authorise access to certain services. It is also possible to arrange for a loud speaker and a microphone for the reproduction or the recording of voice messages, music etc. The electrical energy transportation and distribution network is now uniformly spread throughout the world, and in many regions of the world, the electrical networks are connected to each other. There is a wide area network for communications that is comparable in size to the existing telecommunications network. In this way, each user linked to the electrical network can set up a connection with another user connected to the same network, wherever he may be, thanks to the transmission system of the herein invention. By means of this system, a series of services can be distributed to users, including, for example, advertising, services, information provision coming from both the electrical network manager and other operators who may request to use this system, messaging services, data and information concerning electrical consumption or the state of electrical appliances, connections to alarm services or centralised emergency aid services etc.

Claims

1. Data transmission and processing apparatus including a connection device (19) to an electricity distribution network, a transmitting and receiving two-way interface (17), an IMP interface (18) an interface for processing transmission messages, a microprocessor (10) including a permanent memory (22), device drivers (11), a random access memory (12'), a flash memory (12"), a module (12"') creating a clock/ date display, a data viewing screen (14), peripherals (20, 21), a peripheral interface device (16), a keyboard (13, 15).

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the IMP interface is a neuron chip.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the transmitting and receiving two- way interface (17) transmits in C band (standard CENELEC).

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the peripherals include a smart card reader.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the keyboard has eight keys that are set around the edge of the viewing screen (14).

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 , in which there is a keyboard (13) connected to the apparatus by means of infrared communication.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the device for interfacing with the peripherals (16) is a serial one.

8. Apparatus according to' "claim 1 , in which the transmitting and receiving two- way interface (17) is a PLC one.