Ultra-wideband communication through a wired network

• US 20030235235A1
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Holding 81 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Pulse-Link Incorporated
• Inventors: Santhoff, John
• Granted Patent: US 6,782,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/130
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7163 using impulse radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5416 by adding signals to the wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/69 Optical systems

Abstract

A method to increase the available bandwidth across a wired network is provided. The method includes transmitting an ultra-wideband signal across the wired network. One embodiment of the present invention may transmit a multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals through a community access television network. The present invention may transmit an ultra-wideband signal across an optical network, a cable television network, a community antenna television network, a community access television network, a hybrid fiber-coax network, an Internet service provider network, and a PSTN network.

Claims

1. An ultra-wideband communication system for a wired network, comprising:

an ultra-wideband transmitter structured to transmit an ultra-wideband signal through the wired network; and

an ultra-wideband receiver structured to receive the ultra-wideband signal from the wired network.

2. The ultra-wideband communication system of claim 1, wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises an impulse radio signal.

3. The ultra-wideband communication system of claim 1, wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds.

4. The ultra-wideband communication system of claim 1, wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds and a power that can range between about 30 power decibels to about −

90 power decibels, as measured at a single frequency.

5. The ultra-wideband communication system of claim 1, wherein the ultra- wideband transmitter comprises an ultra-wideband pulse modulator that is structured to transmit a multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals.

6. The ultra-wideband communication system of claim 1, wherein the ultra-wideband receiver comprises an ultra-wideband pulse demodulator that is structured to receive a multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals.

7. The ultra-wideband communication system of claim 1, wherein a wire employed in the wired network is selected from a group consisting of:

an optical fiber ribbon, a fiber optic cable, a single mode fiber optic cable, a multi-mode fiber optic cable, a twisted pair wire, an unshielded twisted pair wire, a plenum wire, a PVC wire, a coaxial cable, and an electrically conductive material.

8. The ultra-wideband communication system of claim 1, wherein the wired network is selected from a group consisting of:

a power line, an optical network, a cable television network, a community antenna television network, a community access television network, a hybrid fiber coax system network, a public switched telephone network, a wide area network, a local area network, a metropolitan area network, a TCP/IP network, a dial-up network, a switched network, a dedicated network, a nonswitched network, a public network and a private network.

9. A method of transmitting data through a community access television network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the community access television network; and

transmitting an ultra-wideband signal through the community access television network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the community access television network is selected from the group consisting of:

an optical network, a cable television network, a community antenna television network, and a hybrid fiber coax television network.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises an impulse radio signal.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds and a power that can range between about 30 power decibels to about −

90 power decibels, as measured at a single frequency.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultra-wideband signal is used to transmit data selected from a group consisting of:

telephony data, high-speed data, digital video data, digital television data, Internet communication data and audio data.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultra-wideband signal is transmitted substantially simultaneously with a community access television signal.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the community access television signal is used to transmit data selected from the group consisting of:

telephony data, high-speed data, digital video data, digital television data, Internet communication data and audio data.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultra-wideband signal and a community access television network signal use a substantially common portion of an electromagnetic radiation spectrum.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultra-wideband signal and a community access television network signal are transmitted in a frequency band that can range from between about 100 KHz to about 3 GHz.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultra-wideband signal and a community access television network signal use separate portions of an electromagnetic radiation spectrum.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultra-wideband signal is transmitted in a frequency band that can range from between about 880 MHz to about 3 GHz and a community access television network signal is transmitted in a frequency band that can range from between about 100 KHz to about 3 GHz.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultra-wideband signal is transmitted in a frequency band that can range from between about 1 GHz to about 3 GHz and a community access television network signal is transmitted in a frequency band that can range from between about 1 MHz to about 900 MHz.

22. A method of increasing a bandwidth of a community access television network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a community access television network;

combining a multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals representative of data with a community access television network signal prior to a signal transmission;

receiving a combined signal comprising the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals representative of data and the community access television network signal; and

separating the combined signal into the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals representative of data and the community access television network signal.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the ultra-wideband signals representative of data comprise a multiplicity of pulse quadrature amplitude modulated signals.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the ultra-wideband signals representative of data comprise a multiplicity of pulse position modulated signals.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the ultra-wideband signals representative of data comprise a multiplicity of pulse amplitude modulated signals.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the ultra-wideband signals representative of data are modulated at a fixed pulse rate frequency.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the ultra-wideband signals representative of data are modulated at a variable pulse rate frequency.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the ultra-wideband signals representative of data are modulated at a pseudo-random pulse rate frequency.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the community access television network is selected from the group consisting of:

an optical network, a cable television network, a community antenna television network, and a hybrid fiber coax television network.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals comprise an impulse radio signal.

31. The method of claim 22, wherein the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals comprise a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds.

32. The method of claim 22, wherein the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals comprise a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds and a power that can range between about 30 power decibels to about −

90 power decibels, as measured at a single frequency.

33. The method of claim 22, wherein the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals are used to transmit data selected from a group consisting of:

telephony data, high-speed data, digital video data, digital television data, Internet communication data and audio data.

34. The method of claim 22, wherein the community access television network signal is used to transmit data selected from the group consisting of:

telephony data, high-speed data, digital video data, digital television data, Internet communication data and audio data.

35. A method of transmitting and receiving data through a hybrid fiber-coax television network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a hybrid fiber-coax television network;

combining a multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals representative of data with a hybrid fiber-coax television network signal prior to a signal transmission;

receiving a combined signal comprising the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals representative of data and the hybrid fiber-coax television network signal; and

separating the combined signal into the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals representative of data and the hybrid fiber-coax television network signal.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals comprise an impulse radio signal.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals comprise a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals comprise a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds and a power that can range between about 30 power decibels to about −

90 power decibels, as measured at a single frequency.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals are used to transmit data selected from a group consisting of:

telephony data, high-speed data, digital video data, digital television data, Internet communication data and audio data.

40. The method of claim 35, wherein the hybrid fiber-coax television network signal is used to transmit data selected from the group consisting of:

telephony data, high-speed data, digital video data, digital television data, Internet communication data and audio data.

41. The method of claim 35, wherein the ultra-wideband signal and the hybrid fiber-coax television network signal use a substantially common portion of an electromagnetic radiation spectrum.

42. The method of claim 35, wherein the ultra-wideband signal and the hybrid fiber-coax television network signal are transmitted in a frequency band that can range from between about 100 KHz to about 3 GHz.

43. The method of claim 35, wherein the ultra-wideband signal and the hybrid fiber-coax television network signal use separate portions of an electromagnetic radiation spectrum.

44. The method of claim 35, wherein the ultra-wideband signal is transmitted in a frequency band that can range from between about 880 MHz to about 3 GHz and the hybrid fiber-coax television network signal is transmitted in a frequency band that can range from between about 100 KHz to about 3 GHz.

45. The method of claim 35, wherein the ultra-wideband signal is transmitted in a frequency band that can range from between about 1 GHz to about 3 GHz and the hybrid fiber-coax television network signal is transmitted in a frequency band that can range from between about 1 MHz to about 900 MHz.

46. An ultra-wideband system structured to transmit and receive data through a network that includes a wired medium, the ultra-wideband system comprising:

an ultra-wideband transmitter positioned at a first location on the network, the ultra-wideband transmitter structured to transmit an ultra-wideband signal through the wired medium; and

an ultra-wideband receiver positioned at a second location on the network, the ultra-wideband receiver structured to receive the ultra-wideband signal from the wired medium.

47. The ultra-wideband system of claim 46, wherein the network is selected from a group consisting of:

a power line, an optical network, a cable television network, a community antenna television network, a community access television network, a hybrid fiber coax system network, a public switched telephone network, a wide area network, a local area network, a metropolitan area network, a TCP/IP network, a dial-up network, a switched network, a dedicated network, a nonswitched network, a public network and a private network.

48. The ultra-wideband system of claim 46, wherein the wired medium is selected from a group consisting of:

an optical fiber ribbon, a fiber optic cable, a single mode fiber optic cable, a multi-mode fiber optic cable, a twisted pair wire, an unshielded twisted pair wire, a plenum wire, a PVC wire, a coaxial cable, and an electrically conductive material.

49. The ultra-wideband system of claim 46, wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises an impulse radio signal.

50. The ultra-wideband system of claim 46, wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds.

51. The ultra-wideband system of claim 46, wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises a pulse of electromagnetic energy having a duration that can range between about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 100 nanoseconds and a power that can range between about 30 power decibels to about −

90 power decibels, as measured at a single frequency.

52. The ultra-wideband system of claim 46, wherein the ultra-wideband transmitter comprises an ultra-wideband pulse modulator that is structured to transmit a multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals.

53. The ultra-wideband system of claim 46, wherein the ultra-wideband receiver comprises an ultra-wideband pulse demodulator that is structured to receive a multiplicity of ultra-wideband signals.