Multi-Wideband Communications over Multiple Mediums within a Network

• US 20070229231A1
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Europe Ltd (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruiz, David, Riveiro, Juan, Hurwitz, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,213,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/310.110
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5437 Wired telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/545 Audio/video application, e.g. interphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5466 using three phases conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5479 using repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5491 using filtering and bypassing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5495 having measurements and testing channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form

Abstract

A powerline communications device comprises a powerline communications interface and at least one other communications interface configured to communicate over a computing network. The powerline communications interface is further configured to receive electrical power. The computing network may comprise mediums including powerlines, telephone lines, and/or coaxial cables. In some embodiments, the powerline communications interface may communicate with a network apparatus, such as a personal computer, via an Ethernet interface. The powerline interface, the telephone line interface, and/or the coaxial cable interface may all be associated with the same media access control (MAC) address. The powerline communications device may receive a message via a first medium and repeat the message via a second medium based on a quality of service (QoS) metric. In some embodiments, the powerline communications device may communicate using multiple frequency bands.

Claims

1. A powerline communications device, comprising:

a powerline communications interface configured to transmit a message via a powerline;

a second communications interface configured to transmit the message via a second medium; and

a processor configured to determine, in the alternative, whether to transmit the message via the powerline or the second communications interface based on a quality of service metric associated with the powerline network.

2. The powerline communications device of claim 1, wherein the second communications interface comprises a coaxial interface.

3. The powerline communications device of claim 1, wherein the second communications interface comprises a telephone interface.

4. The powerline communications device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine, in the alternative, whether to transmit the message via the powerline or the second communications interface based on a second quality of service metric associated with the second medium.

5. The powerline communications device of claim 1, wherein there is more than one frequency band associated with the powerline communications interface, one of which is common to the second frequency band associated with the second communications interface.

6. A powerline communications device, comprising:

a network processor comprising logic configured to determine whether to alternatively communicate a message via a powerline communications interface or a second communications interface, the second communications interface being configured to communicate via a telephone line or a coaxial cable, both the powerline communications interface and the second communications interface being associated with a same media access control address; and

a host interface controller configured to be shared by communications received through the powerline communications interface and the second communications interface.

7. The powerline communications device of claim 6, wherein the second communications interface comprises a telephone communications interface.

8. The powerline communications device of claim 6, wherein the second communications interface comprises a coaxial cable interface.

9. The powerline communications device of claim 6, wherein the logic is further configured to determine whether to communicate the message via a third communications interface associated with a second media access control address.

10. A network comprising:

a first section of mains cable configured to provide AC power;

a second section of mains cable configured to provide AC power and connected to the first section of mains cable main via a junction box;

a telephone network;

a first device configured to receive a message via the first section of mains cable and forward the message via the telephone network; and

a second device configured to receive the message from the first device via the telephone network, and to forward the message via the second section of mains cable.

11. The network of claim 10, wherein the first device is configured to shift the message from a first frequency band to a second frequency band.

12. The network of claim 10, wherein the first section of mains cable is on a first alternating current (AC) phase and the second section of mains cable is on a second alternating current (AC) phase.

13. The network of claim 10, wherein the first section of mains cable comprises a ring main.

14. The network of claim 10, wherein the first section of mains cable comprises a spur.

15. A method comprising:

generating a message;

transmitting the message via a first section of mains cable connected to a second section of mains cable via a junction box;

receiving the message at a first device;

transmitting the message from the first device, via a telephone line or a coaxial cable;

receiving the message from the first device, at a second device; and

transmitting the message from the second device, via the second section of mains cable.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising shifting the message from a first frequency band to a second frequency band at the first device or the second device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first section of mains cable and the second section of mains cable are on different AC phases.

18. A network comprising:

a first section of mains cable configured to provide AC power;

a second section of mains cable configured to provide AC power and connected to the first section of mains cable via a junction box;

a coaxial cable network;

a first device configured to receive a message via the first section of mains cable and forward the message via the coaxial cable network; and

a second device configured to receive the message from the first device via the coaxial cable network, and to forward the message via the second section of mains cable.

19. The network of claim 18, wherein the first device is configured to shift the message from a first frequency band to a second frequency band.

20. The network of claim 18, wherein the first section of mains cable is on a first AC phase and the second section of mains cable is on a second AC phase.

21. The network of claim 18, wherein the first section of mains cable comprises a ring main.

22. The network of claim 18, wherein the first section of mains cable comprises a spur.