Apparatus and method for extending DOCSIS cable modem service over wireless links

• US 20040255332A1
• Filed: 06/16/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chartoleaux KG LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Arcowv Wireless LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Bertonis, James G., Nash, Terrence R., Melzig, Alfred F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,596,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/123
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/97 using uplink of the CATV systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/437 Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server flow control in data networks H04L47/10; streaming protocols, e.g. RTP or RTCP, H04L65/65; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests in data packet switching networks H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

An apparatus and method are presented to allow the extension of a DOCSIS cable modem service over a wireless link. According to the invention a wireless hub transceiver is connected to a distribution coax cable of a DOCSIS based system. The downstream data are transferred over a wireless link to a remote subscriber radio frequency (RF) unit connected to a cable modem that provides the downstream data to the subscriber. Similarly, upstream data are sent from the subscriber cable modem over the wireless link to the wireless hub transceiver where such data are inserted back to the distribution coax cable.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless upstream and downstream access to a cable television service comprising:

a splitter;

an embedded cable modem controller connected to said splitter;

a downstream channel unit connected to said splitter and further connected to an automatic gain control (AGC);

an upstream channel unit connected to said splitter and further connected to a programmable gain unit (PGU); and

an antenna connected to an up converter transmitting unit and further connected to a down converter receiving unit, said up converter further connected to said AGC and said down converter further connected to said PGU.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said splitter is capable of passing through power required to operate said apparatus from a distribution coax cable.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said embedded cable modem controller further controls at least one of said downstream channel unit, said upstream channel unit, said up converter transmitting unit, said down converter receiving unit, and said PGU.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein control of said downstream channel unit by said embedded cable modem controller is of at least the downstream frequency.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein control of said upstream channel unit by said embedded cable modem controller is of at least one of upstream frequency and upstream bandwidth.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein control of said up converter transmitting unit by said embedded cable modem controller is of at least mapping a cable frequency a DOCSIS transmission into a wireless air frequency.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said air frequencies are integer intervals of 6 MHz.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said wireless air frequency is a frequency mapped by adding said DOCSIS cable frequency and the wireless air frequency.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a DOCSIS intermediate frequency of downstream data is between 50 and 870 MHz.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a wireless air frequency for a downstream transmission is between 5.725 and 5.825 GHz.

11. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein control of said down converter receiving unit by said embedded cable modem controller is of at least selecting one of at least two non-license bearing wireless channels.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said one of at least two non-license bearing channels is one of 5.252 GHz and 5.348 GHz, and 5.472 GHz and 5.568 GHz.

13. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein control of said PGU by said embedded cable modem controller adjusts an upstream power level in a long loop.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said long loop is a loop that begins at headend of a CATV system.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein gain control of said PGU is performed under control of a cable modem termination system (CMTS) equipment located at said headend.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein gain control span of said PGU is approximately 50 dB.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein gain control of said PGU compensates for power variations in air link radio frequency (RF) levels.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said gain control comprises means for:

determining an upstream transmit level;

calculating a desired upstream gain;

setting said PGU to said desired upstream gain.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said antenna is capable of transmitting downstream to a plurality of wireless subscribers.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said antenna is capable of receiving upstream from a plurality of wireless subscribers.

21. A system for adding upstream and downstream wireless data transmission to a cable television (CATV) network comprising:

a splitter unit (SU) connected to a distribution coax cable of said CATV;

a wireless hub transceiver (WHT) connected to said SU; and

an antenna connected to said WHT and further capable of wireless transmission of downstream data to at least one subscriber radio frequency unit (SRFU) and reception of upstream data from said at least one SRFU.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said distribution coax cable provides operation power to said WHT.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said WHT further comprises:

a splitter;

an embedded cable modem controller connected to said splitter;

a downstream channel unit connected to said splitter and further connected to an automatic gain control (AGC);

an upstream channel unit connected to said splitter and further connected to a programmable gain unit (PGU); and

an antenna connected to an up converter transmitting unit and further connected to a down converter receiving unit, said up converter further connected to said AGC and said down converter further connected to said PGU.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said splitter supplies power to operate said apparatus from said distribution coax cable.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said embedded cable modem controller further controls operation of at least one of said downstream channel unit, said upstream channel unit, said up converter transmitting unit, said down converter receiving unit, and said PGU.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein control of said downstream channel unit by said embedded cable modem controller is of at least a downstream frequency.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the control of said upstream channel unit by said embedded cable modem controller is of at least one of an upstream frequency and an upstream bandwidth.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein control of said up converter transmitting unit by said embedded cable modem controller is of at least mapping an intermediate frequency of a DOCSIS transmission into a wireless air frequency.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said air frequencies are integer intervals of 6 MHz.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein said wireless air frequency is a frequency mapped by adding said DOCSIS intermediate frequency and the wireless air frequency.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein said DOCSIS intermediate frequency of downstream data is between 50 and 870 MHz.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein said wireless air frequency for a downstream transmission is between 5.725 and 5.825 GHz.

33. The system of claim 25, wherein control of said down converter receiving unit by said embedded cable modem controller is of at least selecting one of at least two non-license bearing wireless channels.

34. The system of claim 28, wherein said one of at least two non-license bearing channels is one of 5.252 GHz and 5.348 GHz, and 5.472 GHz and 5.568 GHz.

35. The system of claim 25, wherein control of said PGU by said embedded cable modem controller adjusts an upstream power level in a long loop.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein said long loop is a loop that begins at a headend of a CATV system.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein gain control of said PGU is performed under control of a cable modem termination system (CMTS) equipment located at said headend.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein gain control of said PGU is approximately 50 dB to account for large variations in cable plant gain.

39. The system of claim 35, wherein gain control of said PGU is designed to compensate for power variations in air link radio frequency (RF) levels.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein said gain control comprises means for:

determining an upstream transmit level;

calculating a desired upstream gain;

setting said PGU to said desired upstream gain.

41. The system of claim 21, wherein said SRFU comprises:

an antenna for receiving downstream data and transmitting upstream data at non-license bearing wireless frequencies;

a down converter for transferring a wireless downstream frequency to a DOCSIS downstream frequency range; and

,

an up converter for transferring a DOCSIS upstream frequency to a wireless upstream frequency.

42. The system of claim 35, wherein said wireless frequencies are integer intervals of 6 MHz.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein said SRFU is further connected to a cable modem.

44. The system of claim 41, wherein said non-license bearing wireless frequencies are in the range of 5.725 to 5.825 GHz for downstream data.

45. The system of claim 41, wherein said non-license bearing wireless frequencies are in the range of one of 5.252 to 5.348 GHz, and 5.472 GHz and 5.568 GHz for upstream data.

46. A method for transmitting upstream data from a cable television (CATV) network over a wireless link, comprising the steps of:

selecting a wireless receive channel;

receiving upstream data from said receive channel;

converting a wireless frequency to a respective DOCSIS upstream frequency;

adjusting signal gain to levels required for cable system operation;

filtering signals to respective DOCSIS upstream frequency and bandwidth; and

returning DOCSIS upstream data to a distribution coax cable of said CATV network.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein said wireless receive channel is non-license bearing.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein said non-license bearing channel is in the range of 5.252 to 5.348 GHz.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein said respective DOCSIS upstream frequency is in the range of 5 to 48 MHz.

50. The method of claim 46, wherein said signal gain is adjusted in a long loop that begins at a headend of said CATV system.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein said adjusting signal gain step comprises the steps of:

determining an upstream transmit level;

calculating a desired upstream gain; and

setting a Programmable Gain Unit (PGU) to said desired upstream gain.

52. The method of claim 46, wherein said signal gain adjustment is about 50 dB to account for large variations in cable plant gain.

53. The method of claim 46, wherein said bandwidth is a DOCSIS standard bandwidth.

54. A method for transmission of downstream data from a cable television (CATV) network to a wireless link, comprising the steps of:

intercepting downstream data from a distribution coax cable of said CATV network;

filtering downstream traffic on a DOCSIS channel;

adjusting a signal to a required transmission level; and

converting a DOCSIS transmission to a wireless air frequency.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein said wireless air frequency is an integer intervals of 6 MHz.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein said DOCSIS channel is in a frequency range between 50 and 870 MHz.

57. The method of claim 54, wherein said adjusting signal is performed by an automatic gain control unit.

58. The method of claim 54, wherein said wireless air frequency is a non-license bearing frequency range.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein said non-license bearing frequency is in a range of 5.725 to 5.825 GHz.

60. The method of claim 54, wherein said air frequency is a result of adding a DOCSIS intermediate frequency of said DOCSIS channel and a wireless carrier frequency.

61. A method for determining an air frequency of downstream data for wireless communication between a DOCSIS cable television (CATV) upstream and downstream signal and a wireless device, comprising the steps of:

receiving a DOCSIS intermediate frequency;

determining a wireless frequency; and

adding said intermediate frequency to said wireless frequency to obtain said air frequency.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein said wireless air frequency is an integer intervals of 6 MHz.

63. The method of claim 61, wherein said DOCSIS intermediate frequency is in a range of 50 to 870 MHz.

64. The method of claim 61, wherein said air frequency is in a non-license bearing frequency range.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein said non-license bearing frequency range is between 5.725 and 5.825 GHz.

66. A method for adjusting gain of an upstream signal for cable level variations in a system for DOCSIS cable television (CATV) upstream wireless connectivity, method comprising the steps of:

determining an upstream transmit level;

calculating a desired upstream gain; and

setting a Programmable Gain Unit (PGU) to said desired upstream gain.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein said gain is adjusted for a long loop that begins at a headend of said CATV system.

68. The method of claim 66, wherein said gain is adjusted to compensate for gain variation up to a subscriber radio frequency unit (SRFU).

69. The method of claim 66, further comprising the step of:

providing a wireless hub transceiver (WHT) that comprises an antenna for receiving upstream wireless signals from said SRFU, wherein said antenna provides a point of constant level for a plurality of wireless subscribers.