Hybrid PLC Wireless MIMO Signal Recovery
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power line communication systems suffer from low signal transmission quality and reliability due to frequency selective fading, large-scale fading, and strong interferences, especially in short and long distance power line channels.
Innovation Solution
A power line communication system that employs multiple PLC modems connected through a power line link and wireless interfaces, using MIMO technology to combine power line and wireless communication, enabling simultaneous signal reception and transmission to improve signal quality and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If power line communication is used to transmit signals over long distances, then coverage area is extended, but signal energy becomes less than minimum receiving threshold due to large-scale fading
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines power line communication and wireless communication into a hybrid system. The PLC modem receives signals through both power line link and wireless link, then combines these signals to improve reception quality. This merging allows long-distance transmission while maintaining signal energy above threshold by utilizing multiple transmission paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a wireless communication link as an intermediary to assist power line signal transmission. When power line signals experience large-scale fading over long distances, the wireless link provides an alternative transmission path, acting as a mediator to deliver the signal to the destination with sufficient energy.
2Area of stationary object
If power line communication is used in multi-path environments, then communication coverage is expanded, but frequency selective fading occurs causing deep fading areas even at short distances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges power line communication and wireless communication channels to create a hybrid system. In multi-path environments where PLC signals experience frequency selective fading, the wireless channel provides an alternative path that is less susceptible to such fading, thereby maintaining signal quality across the expanded coverage area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a redundant copy of the communication channel by using both power line and wireless links. The wireless link serves as a backup and alternative path, allowing the system to overcome deep fading areas in the power line channel by switching to or combining with the wireless channel copy.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional power line communication system is used, then infrastructure cost is reduced, but system reliability is low due to strong interferences on power line channel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges power line communication (which uses existing infrastructure) with wireless communication (which provides interference resistance). This combination maintains the cost advantage of using existing power line infrastructure while adding the reliability benefit of wireless communication that is less susceptible to strong interferences on the power line channel.
Data Source
AI summary
The present application provides a power line communications system and method. The system comprises a power line network, a sending apparatus, and a receiving apparatus. The receiving apparatus comprises at least two PLC modems connected through a power line link. The sending apparatus sends a signal to a target PLC modem in the receiving apparatus through a power line network. The target PLC modem is at least one PLC modem in the receiving apparatus. The PLC modems in the receiving apparatus simultaneously receive a signal, the PLC modems except the target PLC modem respectively send the received signal to the target PLC modem through a wireless link, and the target PLC modem restores the signal sent by the sending apparatus according to the signal received through the power line network and the signal received through the wireless link. According to the power line communications system and method provided in the present application, the signal transmission quality is improved, and the data transmission rate and the system reliability are improved.