Methods and apparatus to self-configure a flexible residential gateway

• US 20060239425A1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Wollmershauser, Steven Michael, Multach, Jeffrey, Hurst, William Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,616,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/93.10
• 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 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to self-configure a flexible residential gateway providing access to an external communications network, and providing communications with an in home network. An example flexible residential gateway may include an xDSL (“x” variety of Digital Subscriber Line) processor that processes xDSL signals communicated with the external network via a first telephone line, a Home PhoneLine Networking Alliance (HomePNA) processor that processes HomePNA signals communicated with the in home network using at least one of the first or additional telephone lines, and a switch controller capable of disconnecting the HomePNA processor from at least one telephone line if Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) signals that interfere with the HomePNA signals are present on at least one telephone line.

Claims

1. A flexible residential gateway apparatus providing access to an external communications network, and providing communications with an in home network, the flexible residential gateway comprising:

an xDSL (“

x”

variety of Digital Subscriber Line) processor for providing access to the external communications network through a first telephone line, and processing xDSL signals communicated with the connected external communications network;

a Home PhoneLine Networking Alliance (HomePNA) processor for providing HomePNA communications with the in home network through at least one of the first or additional telephone lines, and processing HomePNA signals communicated with the connected in home network; and

a switch controller capable of disconnecting the HomePNA processor from at least one of the telephone lines if Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) signals that interfere with the HomePNA signals are present on at least one of the telephone lines.

2. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

at least one configurable switch capable to disconnect the HomePNA processor from at least one telephone line; and

at least one VDSL sensor configured to detect the presence of VDSL signals on at least one telephone line;

wherein the switch controller uses at least one VDSL sensor output to determine whether to disconnect the HomePNA processor from at least one telephone line, and disconnects the HomePNA processor from at least one telephone line by configuring at least one configurable switch.

3. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 2 implementing only one VDSL sensor that is associated with the first telephone line.

4. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein one configurable switch disconnects the HomePNA processor from all the telephone lines.

5. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 3 implementing a configurable switch associated with each telephone line.

6. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the one VDSL sensor is implemented by the xDSL processor.

7. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 2 implementing a configurable switch associated with each telephone line and implementing a VDSL sensor associated with each telephone line.

8. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein the switch controller controls the configurable switch associated with a telephone line to disconnect the HomePNA processor from the telephone line if VDSL signals that interfere with the HomePNA signals are present on the telephone line.

9. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein the switch controller controls the configurable switches to disconnect the HomePNA processor from all telephone line if VDSL signals that interfere with the HomePNA signals are present on at least one telephone line.

10. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the switch controller disconnects the HomePNA processor from all telephone line if VDSL signals are present on at least one telephone line regardless of whether or not the VDSL signals interfere with the HomePNA signals.

11. For a flexible residential gateway providing access to an external communications network through a first telephone line, and providing Home PhoneLine Networking Alliance (HomePNA) communications between a HomePNA processor and an in home network through at least one of the first or additional telephone lines, a self-configuration method comprising:

detecting the presence of Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) signals on at least one telephone line, and

disconnecting the HomePNA processor from at least one telephone line if VDSL signals that interfere with HPNA communications are detected on at least one telephone line.

12. A self-configuration method as defined in claim 11 wherein detecting the presence of VDSL signals uses at least one VDSL sensor configured to detect the presence of VDSL signals on at least one telephone line, and wherein disconnecting the HomePNA processor uses at least one configurable switch capable to disconnect the HomePNA processor from at least one telephone line.

13. A self-configuration method as defined in claim 12 wherein detecting the presence of VDSL signals uses only one VDSL sensor that is associated with the first telephone line, and wherein disconnecting the HomePNA processor disconnects the HomePNA processor from all telephone line if VDSL signals that interfere with HomePNA communications are detected by the VDSL sensor.

14. A self-configuration method as defined in claim 13 wherein the xDSL processor implements the VDSL sensor.

15. A self-configuration method as defined in claim 12 wherein detecting the presence of VDSL signals uses one VDSL sensor associated with each telephone line, and wherein the disconnecting the HomePNA processor disconnects the HomePNA processor from a telephone line if VDSL signals that interfere with HomePNA communications are detected by the VDSL sensor associated with the telephone line.

16. A self-configuration method as defined in claim 11 wherein disconnecting the HomePNA processor from at least one telephone line if VDSL signals are present on at least one telephone line is performed regardless of whether or not the VDSL signals interfere with the HomePNA communications.

17. An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

detect the presence Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) signals on at least one telephone line, and

disconnect a Home PhoneLine Networking Alliance (HomePNA) processor from at least one telephone line if VDSL signals that interfere with HPNA communications are detected on at least one telephone line.

18. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 17 wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to detect the presence of VDSL signals on only one telephone line, and disconnect the HomePNA processor from all telephone line if VDSL signals that interfere with HomePNA communications are detected on the one telephone line.

19. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 18 wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to implement the VDSL sensor using an xDSL processor.

20. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 17 wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to detect the presence of VDSL signals on each telephone line, and disconnect the HomePNA processor from a telephone line if VDSL signals that interfere with HomePNA communications are detected on the telephone line.