Wireless cable networking gateway and Wi-Fi system incorporating the same

• US 20040132403A1
• Filed: 01/02/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alba, Joseph N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,657,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A wireless cable networking gateway, a method of wireless cable networking and a Wi-Fi system incorporating the gateway or the method. In one embodiment, the gateway includes: (1) a wireless transceiver for transferring data between wireless and wireline domains, (2) wide-area and premises cable interfaces for coupling the wireless cable networking gateway to respective wide-area and premises cable networks and (3) channel insertion and extraction circuitry, coupling the wireless transceiver, the wide-area cable interface and the premises cable interface, that routes the data between the wireless transceiver and at least a portion of a television channel to be transmitted across at least the premises cable interface, remaining television channels being transmitted from the wide-area cable interface to the premises cable interface.

Claims

1. A wireless cable networking gateway, comprising:

a wireless transceiver for transferring data between wireless and wireline domains;

wide-area and premises cable interfaces for coupling said wireless cable networking gateway to respective wide-area and premises cable networks; and

channel insertion and extraction circuitry, coupling said wireless transceiver, said wide-area cable interface and said premises cable interface, that routes said data between said wireless transceiver and at least a portion of a television channel to be transmitted across at least said premises cable interface, remaining television channels being transmitted from said wide-area cable interface to said premises cable interface.

2. The gateway as recited in claim 1 wherein said wireless transceiver is IEEE 802.11 compliant.

3. The gateway as recited in claim 1 further comprising digital/analog conversion circuitry, interposing said wireless transceiver and said channel insertion and extraction circuitry, for converting said data between digital and analog domains.

4. The gateway as recited in claim 1 further comprising processing circuitry, coupled to said channel insertion and extraction circuitry, that allows said television channel to be remotely selectable.

5. The gateway as recited in claim 1 further comprising a buffer, interposing said wireless transceiver and said channel insertion and extraction circuitry, for buffering said data.

6. The gateway as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least said portion of said television channel is further transmitted across said wide-area cable interface.

7. The gateway as recited in claim 1 wherein said channel insertion and extraction circuitry routes said data between said wireless transceiver and at least portions of multiple television channels.

8. A method of wireless cable networking, comprising:

transferring data between wireless and wireline domains;

routing said data to and from at least a portion of a television channel to be transmitted across at least a premises cable interface; and

transmitting remaining television channels from a wide-area cable interface to said premises cable interface.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said transferring is carried out in compliance with IEEE 802.11.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising converting said data between digital and analog domains.

11. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising allowing said television channel to be remotely selectable.

12. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising buffering said data.

13. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising further transmitting said at least said portion of said television channel across said wide-area cable interface.

14. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said routing comprises routing said data to and from at least portions of multiple television channels.

15. A Wi-Fi system, comprising:

a premises cable network, including;

a television cable backbone, and

at least one television set coupled to said television cable backbone;

a wireless cable networking gateway coupled to said premises cable network and including;

a Wi-Fi transceiver for transferring digital data to and from an IEEE 802.11 domain,

digital/analog conversion circuitry, coupled to said Wi-Fi transceiver, for converting data from and into said digital data,

a wide-area cable interface for coupling said wireless cable networking gateway to a wide-area cable network, and

channel insertion and extraction circuitry, coupling said digital/analog conversion circuitry, said wide-area cable interface and said premises cable network, that routes said data between said wireless transceiver and at least a portion of a television channel to be transmitted across at least said premises cable network, remaining television channels being transmitted from said wide-area cable interface to said premises cable network; and

at least one Wi-Fi device, wirelessly coupled to said Wi-Fi transceiver, for communicating said digital data therewith and to said at least one television set.

16. The Wi-Fi system as recited in claim 15 wherein said Wi-Fi device is selected from the group consisting of:

a computer,

a video cassette recorder,

a video camera,

a digital versatile disk player,

a gaming system console,

a gaming system controller, and

a digital camera.

17. The Wi-Fi system as recited in claim 15 further comprising processing circuitry, coupled to said channel insertion and extraction circuitry, that allows said television channel to be remotely selectable.

18. The Wi-Fi system as recited in claim 15 further comprising a buffer, interposing said wireless transceiver and said channel insertion and extraction circuitry, for buffering said data.

19. The Wi-Fi system as recited in claim 15 wherein said at least said portion of said television channel is further transmitted across said wide-area cable interface.

20. The Wi-Fi system as recited in claim 15 wherein said channel insertion and extraction circuitry routes said data between said wireless transceiver and at least portions of multiple television channels.