Method and system for providing broadband multimedia services

• US 20040174900A1
• Filed: 03/05/2004
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Incucomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Incucomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Volpi, John P., Moore, John A., Bowers, Matthew N., Kulkarni, Sanjay
• Application Number:
  US10/794,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20040174900A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless router access point for use with a mesh network employing a mesh protocol and a point-to-multipoint network employing a point-to-multipoint protocol, and a multimedia system employing the same. In one embodiment, the wireless router access point includes a mesh access point subsystem configured to translate between a point-to-multipoint protocol and a mesh protocol to communicate with the mesh network. The wireless router access point also includes a point-to-multipoint access point subsystem configured to translate between a mesh protocol and a point-to-multipoint protocol to communicate with a user of the point-to-multipoint network.

Claims

1. A wireless router access point for use with a mesh network employing a mesh protocol and a point-to-multipoint network employing a point-to-multipoint protocol, comprising:

a mesh access point subsystem configured to translate between a point-to-multipoint protocol and a mesh protocol to communicate with said mesh network; and

a point-to-multipoint access point subsystem configured to translate between a mesh protocol and a point-to-multipoint protocol to communicate with a user of said point-to-multipoint network.

2. The wireless router access point as recited in claim 1 wherein said point-to-multipoint network is one of a wideband fidelity network employing a 802.11 protocol and a wideband maximum network employing a 802.16 protocol.

3. The wireless router access point as recited in claim 1 wherein said point-to-multipoint network operates at a different frequency from said mesh network.

4. The wireless router access point as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a mesh antenna configured to transmit and receive signals to and from said mesh network;

a mesh conditioning input/output filter configured to filter said signals; and

a mesh amplifier configured to amplify said signals for said mesh access point subsystem.

5. The wireless router access point as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a mesh receive antenna configured to receive signals from said mesh network;

a mesh receive conditioning filter configured to filter said signals; and

a mesh receive amplifier configured to amplify said signals for said mesh access point subsystem.

6. The wireless router access point as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a mesh transmit amplifier configured to amplify signals from said mesh access point subsystem;

a mesh transmit conditioning filter configured to filter said signals; and

a mesh transmit antenna configured to transmit said signals to said mesh network.

7. The wireless router access point as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a point-to-multipoint antenna configured to transmit and receive signals to and from said point-to-multipoint network;

a point-to-multipoint conditioning input/output filter configured to filter said signals; and

a point-to-multipoint amplifier configured to amplify said signals for said point-to-multipoint access point subsystem.

8. The wireless router access point as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a point-to-multipoint receive antenna configured to receive signals from said point-to-multipoint network;

a point-to-multipoint receive conditioning filter configured to filter said signals; and

a point-to-multipoint receive amplifier configured to amplify said signals for said point-to-multipoint access point subsystem.

9. The wireless router access point as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a point-to-multipoint transmit amplifier configured to amplify signals from said point-to-multipoint access point subsystem;

a point-to-multipoint transmit conditioning filter configured to filter said signals; and

a point-to-multipoint transmit antenna configured to transmit said signals to said point-to-multipoint network.

10. The wireless router access point as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a battery back-up configured to provide back-up power for said wireless router access point;

protection subsystems configured to protect said wireless router access point; and

a power conditioning supply configured to condition power to operate said wireless router access point.

11. A method of operating a wireless router access point for use with a mesh network employing a mesh protocol and a point-to-multipoint network employing a point-to-multipoint protocol, comprising:

translating between a point-to-multipoint protocol and a mesh protocol to communicate with said mesh network; and

translating between a mesh protocol and a point-to-multipoint protocol to communicate with a user of said point-to-multipoint network.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said point-to-multipoint network is one of a wideband fidelity network employing a 802.11 protocol and a wideband maximum network employing a 802.16 protocol.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said point-to-multipoint network operates at a different frequency from said mesh network.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting and receiving signals to and from said mesh network;

filtering said signals; and

amplifying said signals associated with said mesh network.

15. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

receiving signals from said mesh network;

filtering said signals; and

amplifying said signals from said mesh network.

16. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

amplifying signals from said translating between said point-to-multipoint protocol and said mesh protocol to communicate with said mesh network;

filtering said signals; and

transmitting said signals to said mesh network.

17. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting and receiving signals to and from said point-to-multipoint network;

filtering said signals; and

amplifying said signals associated with said point-to-multipoint network.

18. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

receiving signals from said point-to-multipoint network;

filtering said signals; and

amplifying said signals from said point-to-multipoint network.

19. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

amplifying signals from said translating between a mesh protocol and a point-to-multipoint protocol to communicate with a user of said point-to-multipoint network;

filtering said signals; and

transmitting said signals to said point-to-multipoint network.

20. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

providing back-up power for said wireless router access point;

protecting said wireless router access point; and

conditioning power to operate said wireless router access point.

21. A multimedia system for use with a mesh network employing a mesh protocol and a point-to-multipoint network employing a point-to-multipoint protocol, comprising:

a plurality of wireless router access points, including;

a mesh access point subsystem configured to translate between a point-to-multipoint protocol and a mesh protocol to communicate with said mesh network; and

a point-to-multipoint access point subsystem configured to translate between a mesh protocol and a point-to-multipoint protocol to communicate with a user of said point-to-multipoint network; and

a concentrator wireless router access point, including

a wireless router access point subsystem configured to provide a wireless interface and functionality to communicate with ones of said plurality of wireless router access points, and

a control/interface subsystem configured to provide control functions to manage said plurality of wireless router access points.

22. The multimedia system as recited in claim 21 wherein said plurality of wireless router access points and said concentrator wireless router access point form a cluster.

23. The multimedia system as recited in claim 21 further comprising a cluster feeder configured to provide a bridging function between said user and one of said plurality of wireless router access points or said concentrator wireless router access point.

24. The multimedia system as recited in claim 23 wherein said cluster feeder includes:

a plurality of antennas configured to transmit and receive signals employing said point-to-multipoint protocol;

a plurality of amplifiers configured to amplify ones of said signals; and

a signal sense and gain set module configured to reduce a gain of ones of said plurality of amplifiers.

25. The multimedia system as recited in claim 23 wherein said cluster feeder includes:

a plurality of antennas configured to transmit and receive signals employing said point-to-multipoint protocol;

a plurality of point-to-multipoint network transceivers; and

a channel sense and select module configured to selects a quality substantially non-interfering channel to be used by one of said plurality of point-to-multipoint network transceivers.

26. The multimedia system as recited in claim 23 wherein said cluster feeder includes:

a first antenna coupled to a mesh network transceiver configured to establish a communication link with ones of said plurality of wireless router access points or said concentrator wireless router access point;

a point-to-multipoint network transceiver, coupled to said mesh network transceiver, configured to provide an interface to said user via a second antenna; and

a channel sense and select module configured to select a quality substantially non-interfering channel to be used by said point-to-multipoint network transceiver.

27. The multimedia system as recited in claim 21 wherein said concentrator wireless router access point is configured to provide an interface to a point-to-multipoint subscriber unit and an area concentrator of a back haul/aggregation network.

28. The multimedia system as recited in claim 21 wherein said point-to-multipoint network is one of a wideband fidelity network employing a 802.11 protocol and a wideband maximum network employing a 802.16 protocol.

29. The multimedia system as recited in claim 21 wherein said point-to-multipoint network operates at a different frequency from said mesh network.

30. The multimedia system as recited in claim 21 further comprising another concentrator wireless router access point.