Full duplex wideband communications system for a local coaxial network

• US 20050030910A1
• Filed: 08/23/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magnolia Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta LLC (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fernandez, Jose M., Robertson, Neil C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,094,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/276
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/143 for modulated signals H04L5/1469 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42676 for modulating an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information or demodulating it to decode digital information, e.g. ADSL or cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/438 Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. retrieving encoded video stream packets from an IP network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/104 Switchers or splitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for a full duplex wideband communications system for a local (e.g. in-home) coaxial network. The system employs a Frequency-division duplex (FDD) scheme that allows identical wideband modems to communicate with each other. To achieve this, the wideband modems contain a duplexer and a switch that allows reversing the connection of the wideband transmitter and receiver to the duplexer. Each wideband modem includes a control modem that is used to control access to the wideband channels. A wideband transmitter, which may be included in a modem associated with a server set-top terminal (STT), transmits a video presentation to a wideband receiver, which may be included in a modem associated with a client STT.

Claims

1. A full duplex wideband modem, comprising:

a wideband transmitter for transmitting high data rate communications;

a wideband receiver for receiving high data rate communications;

a band select switch coupled to the transmitter and receiver for selecting one of a high band or a low band in accordance with a first frequency associated with the transmitted high data rate communications and a second frequency associated with the received high data rate communications.

2. The full duplex wideband modem of claim 1, further comprising:

a control transmitter for sending control information, wherein the control information includes controlling the first frequency of at least one connected full duplex wideband modem; and

a control receiver for receiving control information from the at least one connected full duplex wideband modem.

3. The full duplex wideband modem of claim 2, wherein a high frequency band includes a plurality of frequencies in which to transmit and receive the high data rate communications, and wherein a low frequency band includes a plurality of frequencies in which to transmit and receive the high data rate communications.

4. The full duplex wideband modem of claim 1, wherein the high data rate communications is a video presentation.

5. The full duplex wideband modem of claim 1, the wideband modem further comprising:

a duplexer for isolating the wideband receiver from the wideband transmitter, wherein the band select switch reverses the connection of the wideband transmitter and the wideband receiver to a high-pass and a low-pass port of the duplexer, thereby allowing two wideband modems with the band select switch set in opposite positions to communicate with each other.

6. A coaxial network for communicating high data rate signals, the coaxial network comprising:

a plurality of wideband modems for transmitting and receiving high data rate communications between two or more of the plurality of modems in the coaxial network, a wideband modem comprising;

a transmitter for transmitting the high data rate communications;

a receiver for receiving the high data rate communications; and

a band select switch coupled to the transmitter and receiver for selecting one of a high band or a low band in accordance with a first frequency associated with the transmitted high data rate communications and a second frequency associated with the received high data rate communications.

7. The coaxial network of claim 6, wherein the band select switch of one of the plurality of wideband modems and a band select switch of a second of the plurality of wideband modems communicate with each other when the band select switch is set in opposite positions.

8. The coaxial network of claim 7, wherein the high data rate communications include a video presentation.

9. The coaxial network of claim 7, the wideband modem further comprising:

a duplexer for isolating the transmitter from the receiver, the duplexer coupled to the band select switch for receiving and providing the transmitted high data rate communications to the coaxial network, and for receiving and providing the received high data rate communications to the band select switch, wherein the high data rate communications are isolated from other signals by the high pass filter.

10. The coaxial network of claim 9, the wideband modem further comprising:

a control modem for providing information regarding the first frequency associated with the transmitted high data rate communications.

11. The coaxial network of claim 9, the wideband modem further comprising a control modem, wherein the control modem comprises:

a control transmitter for providing information regarding the first frequency associated with the transmitted high data rate communications; and

a control receiver for receiving information from another of the plurality of wideband modems.

12. The coaxial network of claim 11, wherein a high frequency band includes a plurality of frequencies in which to transmit and receive the high data rate communications, and wherein a low frequency band includes a plurality of frequencies in which to transmit and receive the high data rate communications.

13. A system for receiving a video presentation over a local network, the system comprising:

a server set-top terminal (STT) including a wideband modem, the server STT for storing video presentations;

a client set-top terminal (STT), comprising;

a control transmitter for requesting a stored video presentation from the server STT; and

a wideband receiver for receiving the requested video presentation over a first frequency.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the received video presentation is provided to a television for viewing.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the wideband receiver is a tuner included in the client STT, and wherein the tuner receives one of cable television signals from a communications system or the stored video presentations from the server STT depending upon a receive switch.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the server STT comprises:

a control receiver for receiving the request for a stored video presentation from the control transmitter; and

a wideband transmitter for transmitting the requested video presentation.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the server STT further comprises:

a control transmitter for providing information to other modems in the local network regarding a transmission frequency associated with the transmitted video presentation, wherein the frequency can be in one of a high band or a low band.

18. The system of claim 13, the client STT further comprising:

a wideband transmitter for transmitting high data rate communications;

a control receiver for receiving information regarding the first frequency of the requested video presentation; and

a band select switch that selects between the high band and the low band depending upon the first frequency associated with the requested video presentation.

19. A set-top terminal (STT), comprising:

a control transmitter for requesting a stored video presentation from a server STT, wherein the request includes a requesting STT address;

at least one tuner for receiving one of cable television signals or high data rate communications, wherein the high data rate communications is a transmitted video presentation; and

a receive switch for receiving a routing one of the cable television signals or the high data rate communications to the at least one tuner,

wherein the received video presentation is subsequently provided to a viewing device for display.

20. The STT of claim 19, wherein the STT requests the stored video presentation from a server STT in a coaxial network, the server STT comprising:

a control receiver for receiving the request for the stored video presentation;

a control transmitter for providing information regarding the frequency in accordance with an optimized frequency in one of the high band or the low band;

a modulator for modulating the video presentation to the optimized frequency; and

a wideband transmitter for transmitting the modulated video presentation,

wherein the modulated video presentation includes the address of the requesting STT.

21. The STT of claim 20, wherein the server STT further comprises a band select switch;

wherein the server STT sets the band select switch to transmit the modulated video presentation in one of the high band or the low band; and

wherein the control transmitter associated with the server STT sends a control signal to a processor in the STT for setting the band select switch of the STT to receive in the server STT selected high band or low band.