Residential communication system

• US 20040204040A1
• Filed: 04/24/2001
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Heijnen, Antonius Ludovicus Johannes Cornelis
• Application Number:
  US09/840,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204040A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/554.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1215 where a cable TV network is used as an access to the PSTN/ISDN

Abstract

The residential communication system (2) according to the invention comprises a telephone gateway (4), at least one station (6) and a communication network (10) for interconnecting the telephone gateway (4) and the station (6). The telephone gateway (4) receives via the communication network (10) out-going telephone signals from the station (6) and supplies these out-going telephone signals to a non-residential telephone network (12). The residential communication system (2) comprises a further telephone gateway (8), which is connected to the communication network (10). The telephone gateway (4) can transmit part of the out-going telephone signals via the communication network (10) to the further telephone gateway (8), which supplies them to a further non-residential telephone network (14). In this way, least cost routing can be implemented in a in-home network where separate telephone gateways (4,8) are available for connection to separate telephone networks (12,14).

Claims

1. A residential communication system (2) comprising a telephone gateway (4) and at least one station (6), the telephone gateway (4) and the station (6) being interconnected via a communication network (10), the telephone gateway (4) being arranged for receiving via the communication network (10) out-going telephone signals from the station (6) and for supplying the out-going telephone signals to a non-residential telephone network (12), characterized in that the residential communication system (2) comprises a further telephone gateway (8), the further telephone gateway (8) being interconnected with the telephone gateway (4) and the station (6) via the communication network (10), the telephone gateway (4) being arranged for transmitting at least part of the out-going telephone signals via the communication network (10) to the further telephone gateway (8), the further telephone gateway (8) being arranged for receiving the at least part of the out-going telephone signals via the communication network (10) from the telephone gateway (4) and for supplying the at least part of the out-going telephone signals to a further non-residential telephone network (14).

2. A residential communication system (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the telephone gateway (4) comprises a least cost router.

3. A residential communication system (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the communication network (10) comprises a phoneline network.

4. A residential communication system (2) according to claim 3, characterized in that the residential communication system (2) comprises a HomePNA communication system.

5. A residential communication system (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the further telephone gateway (8) is comprised in a set-top box.

6. A residential communication system (2) according to claim 5, characterized in that the further non-residential telephone network (14) is a CATV-network.

7. A telephone gateway (4) for use in a residential communication system (2) comprising at least one station (6), the telephone gateway (4) and the station (6) being interconnected via a communication network (10), the telephone gateway (4) being arranged for receiving via the communication network (10) out-going telephone signals from the station (6) and for supplying the out-going telephone signals to a non-residential telephone network (12), characterized in that the telephone gateway (4) is arranged for transmitting at least part of the out-going telephone signals via the communication network (10) to a further telephone gateway (8).

8. A further telephone gateway (8) for use in a residential communication system (2) comprising a telephone gateway (4) and at least one station (6), the further telephone gateway (8), the telephone gateway (4) and the station (6) being interconnected via a communication network (10), the telephone gateway (4) being arranged for receiving via the communication network (10) out-going telephone signals from the station (6) and for supplying a first part of the out-going telephone signals to a non-residential telephone network (12), the telephone gateway (4) being further arranged for transmitting a second part of the out-going telephone signals via the communication network (10) to the further telephone gateway (8), the further telephone gateway (8) being arranged for receiving the second part of the out-going telephone signals via the communication network (10) from the telephone gateway (4) and for supplying the second part of the out-going telephone signals to a further non-residential telephone network (14).