Home network system and method

• US 20030066082A1
• Filed: 09/04/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kliger, Avi, Shtern, Alon, Wassermann, Amir, Avishay, Nachum, Kopelman, Rami
• Granted Patent: US 9,094,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42607 for processing the incoming bitstream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/102 Circuits therefor, e.g. noise reducers, equalisers, amplifiers H04N7/108 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution

Abstract

A demarcation point unit connected between a home network backbone and an external network. The demarcation point unit includes a blocking filter and splitter. The blocking filter receives a home network signal from the home network backbone and an external signal from the external network. The blocking filter separates the home network signal from the external signal, and returns the home network signal back to the home network backbone. The splitter has an input and at least two outputs. The input of the splitter receives the home network signal from the blocking filter.

Claims

1. A demarcation point unit connected between a home network backbone and an external network, the demarcation point unit comprising:

a blocking filter receiving a home network signal from the home network backbone and an external signal from the external network, the blocking filter separating the home network signal from the external signal, and returning the home network signal back to the home network backbone; and

a splitter, the splitter having an input and at least two outputs, the input of the splitter receiving the home network signal from the blocking filter.

2. A demarcation point unit connected between a home network backbone and an external network, the demarcation point unit comprising:

a diplexer receiving a home network signal from the home network backbone and an external signal from the external network, the diplexer separating the home network signal from the external signal; and

a signal reflector unit located separate from the diplexer, the signal reflector unit receiving the home network signal from the diplexer and returning the home network signal back to the home network backbone.

3. The demarcation point unit of claim 2 wherein the signal reflector unit is co-located with the diplexer and is in communication with therewith.

4. The demarcation point unit of claim 2 further comprising a splitter, the splitter having an input and at least two outputs, the input of the splitter in communication with an output of the diplexer, and the signal reflector unit in communication with at least one of the outputs of the splitter.

5. The demarcation point unit of claim 2 wherein the signal reflector unit includes a RF converter that changes a frequency of the home network signal before the home network signal returns to the home network backbone.

6. The demarcation point unit of claim 5 wherein the home network signal passing to the diplexer from the home network backbone is an upstream signal, the home network signal returning to the home network backbone from the signal reflector unit is a downstream signal, and the diplexer is a first diplexer, and

wherein the signal reflector unit includes a second diplexer having an input/output (110) in communication with the first diplexer and an input in communication with the RF converter, the second diplexer separating the upstream signal received by the I/O from the downstream signal received by the input.

7. The demarcation point unit of claim 6 wherein the second diplexer returns the downstream signal to the first diplexer over the I/O.

8. The demarcation point unit of claim 6 further comprising an output in communication with the RF converter, and wherein the second diplexer passes the upstream signal to the RF converter over the output.

9. The demarcation point unit of claim 5 wherein the RF converter includes a RF down-converter in communication with a RF up-converter, the RF down-converter changing the frequency of the upstream signal to an intermediate frequency and the RF up-converter changing the intermediate frequency to the frequency of the downstream signal.

10. The demarcation point unit of claim 6 wherein the frequency of the upstream signal is higher than the frequency of the downstream signal.

11. The demarcation point unit of claim 6 wherein home network signal passing to the blocking filter from the home network backbone is an upstream signal, and the home network signal returning to the blocking filter from the signal reflector unit is a downstream signal, and

further comprising a splitter connected between the blocking filter and the home network backbone, the splitter receiving the downstream signal from the blocking filter and passing the returned downstream signal to the home network backbone over a plurality of coax cables.

12. The demarcation point unit of claim 11 wherein the splitter receives the upstream signal from the home network backbone for transmission to the blocking filter.

13. The demarcation point unit of claim 2, wherein the blocking filter combines the home network signal received from the signal reflector unit with the external signal received from the external network and transmits the combined signal to the home network backbone.