Meter Collar Powerline Communication Signal Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current powerline communication systems require extensive installation and provisioning by technicians, involving custom wiring and equipment, making them time-consuming and resource-intensive, and typically rely on pre-existing internet and data services, limiting their deployment flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A meter collar system that utilizes a meter collar device with a powerline interface and transceiver to transmit and receive data signals over existing electrical wiring, enabling the provisioning of data, voice, and video services without the need for additional wiring, by coupling to a meter socket and utility power cables, and including a processor with software to convert signals for transmission over load lines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional powerline communication systems are deployed with custom wiring and technician installation, then network connectivity can be established, but installation time and resource requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The meter collar device automatically provisions powerline communication services by interfacing with the meter socket and existing electrical wiring. The system self-configures by detecting the electrical infrastructure and establishing communication pathways without requiring technician intervention or custom wiring, thereby eliminating installation time while maintaining reliable network connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The meter collar device serves multiple functions: it interfaces with the meter socket, connects to existing electrical wiring, provides powerline communication, and enables network services. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate installation equipment and custom wiring, resolving the contradiction between reliable connectivity and installation time.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional powerline communication systems require pre-existing internet and data services, then service provisioning can occur, but deployment flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The meter collar device is pre-configured with the capability to interface with meter sockets and electrical wiring before deployment. It contains embedded software and hardware that automatically detect and adapt to the existing electrical infrastructure, enabling service provisioning without requiring pre-existing internet or data services, thus achieving both ease of provisioning and deployment flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts its operational parameters by detecting the characteristics of the existing electrical wiring and meter socket configuration. This adaptive parameter adjustment enables the device to provision services flexibly across different deployment scenarios without requiring pre-configured infrastructure.
3Reliability
If technician access to customer premises is required for installation, then equipment can be properly installed, but resource requirements and installation complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The meter collar device automatically installs and configures itself by interfacing with the meter socket and detecting the electrical wiring configuration. The embedded software performs self-diagnosis and self-configuration, eliminating the need for technician access and complex manual installation procedures while ensuring reliable equipment installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The meter collar device acts as an intermediary between the electrical infrastructure and network services. It automatically mediates the connection by interfacing with the meter socket and adapting to the existing wiring, thereby simplifying installation complexity while maintaining reliable equipment installation without technician intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
Novel tools and techniques for a meter collar system for powerline communications are provided. The system includes a meter socket coupled to a utility power cable and a supply cable of the customer premises, and a meter collar device coupled to the meter socket. The meter collar device may include a powerline interface coupled to one or more load lines of the subscriber cable, and a line transceiver, coupled to the powerline interface. A physical layer transceiver may be coupled to a subscriber line. The meter collar device may be configured to receive, from the physical layer transceiver, a first data signal from the subscriber line, and convert the first data signal into a powerline data signal for transmission over the one or more load lines, and transmit the powerline data signal, via the line transceiver, over the one or more load lines.