Rim Semiconductor Company (fka RSMI)

[spokeshave]

Patent Info Now Online!!!!!

See:
http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/s...

Method and system for sending information over metal wire

Abstract
In a system and method of transmitting information over metal wire, a plurality of base band encoded frequencies are combined to create a single complex, modulated signal that will produce a desired throughput. The various digital signals are encoded using phase shifting to represent logic changes. At the receiver, the signals are separated and each signal is decoded by considering several sidebands for each baseband signal, covering 180.degree. of phase. Synchronicity is ensured by transmitting a pilot frequency.

United States Patent Application 20020067772
Kind Code A1
Shepperd, Michael B. ; et al. June 6, 2002


Claims


1. A method of sending information over metal wire comprising encoding binary information onto each of a plurality of predefined frequencies using a base band process, and combining the frequencies into a single complex signal.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the encoding of each frequency involves BPSK.

3. A method of sending information over metal wire comprising combining a plurality of predefined frequencies, wherein each frequency is base band encoded with binary data to carry a different amount of information in a given period of time.

4. A method of claim 3, wherein a highest frequency is chosen by determining a practical maximum frequency for a desired distance; selecting a desired information throughput, and dividing the desired throughput by an integer divisor that will provide a highest frequency not exceeding the maximum frequency.

5. A method of claim 4, wherein subsequent lower frequencies are the result of dividing the desired throughput or a multiple thereof by ever increasing higher integer or non-integer divisors or by subtracting a predetermined frequency value from each preceding frequency to arrive at the next lower frequency.

6. A method of claim 5, wherein the base band encoded frequencies are combined by means of at least one summation amplifier.

7. A method of claim 6, wherein each base band encoded frequency is decoded by analyzing the power inherent in each base band signal.

8. A method of claim 6, wherein each base band encoded frequency is decoded by analyzing a plurality of its sidebands.

9. A method of claim 8, wherein one of the sidebands is the sideband having half the frequency of the base band frequency being analyzed.

10. A method of claim 9, wherein the number of sidebands considered provide frequency variation information across 180.degree. of the spectrum.

11. A method of claim 10, wherein the sidebands are considered for positive and negative excursions of the signal, and wherein: a positive excursion exceeding a pre-determined positive threshold corresponds to a digital one; a negative excursion exceeding a predetermined negative threshold corresponds to a digital zero; and, two opposite excursions within a 180.degree. portion of the spectrum define a digital one if the negative excursion precedes the positive excursion and define a digital zero if the positive excursion precedes the negative excursion.

12. A transmitter for sending information over metal wire comprising a multiple frequency clock source; a data encoder for creating a plurality of BPSK encoded data-carrying baseband signals; and, a combiner for merging the signals, wherein the clock source produces a different frequency clock signal for each of a plurality of data-carrying baseband signals and for a pilot signal.

13. A transmitter of claim 12, further comprising a buffer capable of storing at least two frames of data, wherein a frame is an integer divisor of the highest frequency multiplied by the period of a cycle of said highest frequency.

14. A receiver for decoding a multiple frequency signal comprised of a plurality of predetermined data carrying frequencies that are each base band encoded using BPSK techniques, comprising a set of filters tuned to the frequencies of a plurality of sidebands for each of the data carrying frequencies, and means for analyzing the plurality of sidebands of each data carrying frequency to decode the data.

15. A receiver of claim 14, further comprising a data buffer capable of storing at least two frames of incoming data, wherein a frame of incoming data is defined as an integer divisor of the highest frequency multiplied by the period of a cycle of said highest frequency.

16. A receiver of claim 14, wherein the plurality of sidebands cover 180.degree. of phase.

17. A receiver of claim 14, wherein, for each data carrying frequency, one of the filters for the sideband signals is tuned to the sideband having half the frequency of the data carrying signal.

18. A method of sending information over metal wire comprising encoding binary information onto at least one predefined frequency using a base band process; defining a frame for the information, and combining the at least one frequency with a pilot frequency to achieve end to end synchonization.

19. A method of claim 18, wherein the pilot frequency is encoded with information to identify the beginning of each frame.