HOME NETWORK SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20080037589A1
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wassermann, Amir, Kliger, Avi, Shtern, Alon, Avishay, Nachum, Kopelman, Rami
• Granted Patent: US 9,160,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/485
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• 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 12/40071 Packet processing; Packet format adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific network H04N21/2381, H04N21/4363, H04N21/4381; packet switches H04L49/00; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40078 Bus configuration home automation networks H04L12/2803; arrangements for maintenance or administration H04L41/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40084 Bus arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40091 Bus bridging LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; single bridge functionality H04L12/462
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40097 Interconnection with other networks LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; single bridge functionality H04L12/462
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/445 with switching in a hub, e.g. ETHERNET switch
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42607 for processing the incoming bitstream
• 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 21/4382 : Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 : involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/102 : Circuits therefor, e.g. noise reducers, equalisers, amplifiers H04N7/108 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 : for domestic distribution

Abstract

A home network, in one embodiment including a home wiring system; a demarcation point unit in electrical communication with the home wiring system; and a home network module in electrical communication with the home wiring system. The home network module is adapted for connection to a home electronic device. The demarcation point unit passes data to and receives data from the home electronic device through the home network module.

Claims

1. In a home network having a plurality of network modules connected to a network backbone, the network modules communicating with each other over the network backbone using bursts having a plurality of burst types, a burst comprising:

a preamble signifying a start of the burst and the type of the burst;

a header providing at least one parameter for decoding the burst; and

a data portion carrying QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) symbol data.

2. The burst of claim 1 wherein the preamble includes a periodic preamble portion having a length, the length of the periodic preamble determining the type of the burst.

3. The burst of claim 1 wherein the preamble includes a periodic preamble portion having symbols that periodically alternate in sign, wherein the alternating symbols determine the type of the burst.

4. In a home network having a plurality of network modules connected to a network backbone, the network modules communicating with each other over the network backbone using bursts having a plurality of burst types, a burst comprising:

a preamble signifying a start of the burst and the type of the burst;

a header providing at least one parameter for decoding the burst; and

a data portion carrying DMT (Discrete Multitone) symbol data.

5. The burst of claim 4 wherein the preamble includes a periodic preamble portion having a length, the length of the periodic preamble determining the type of the burst.

6. The burst of claim 4 wherein the preamble includes a periodic preamble portion having symbols that periodically alternate in sign, wherein the alternating symbols determine the type of the burst.

7. The burst of claim 4 further comprising an allocation burst that allocates a transmission opportunity to each of the modules to transmit bursts.

8. The burst of claim 7 wherein the allocation burst that allocates a transmission opportunity that depends at least in part on the amount of data ready for transmission in a selected transmission cycle.

9. The burst of claim 4, wherein one of the modules is designated to be a master module.

10. The burst of claim 7 further comprising a synchronization burst that synchronizes the modules to a predetermined burst transmitted by one of the modules.

11. A method for communicating in a home network having a plurality of network modules connected to a network backbone, the network modules communicating with each other over the network backbone using bursts having a plurality of burst types, the method comprising:

signifying a start of the burst and the type of the burst in a preamble of a burst;

decoding the burst using at least one parameter provided in a burst header; and

carrying QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) symbol data in a data portion of the burst.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the preamble includes a periodic preamble portion having a length, the method further comprising using the length of the periodic preamble to determine the type of the burst.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the preamble includes a periodic preamble portion having symbols that periodically alternate in sign, the method further comprising using the alternating symbols to determine the type of the burst.

14. A method for communicating n a home network having a plurality of network modules connected to a network backbone, the network modules communicating with each other over the network backbone using bursts having a plurality of burst types, the method comprising:

using a burst preamble to signify a start of the burst and the type of the burst;

using a header to provide at least one parameter for decoding the burst; and

carrying DMT (Discrete Multitone) symbol data in a data portion of the burst.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the preamble includes a periodic preamble portion having a length, the method further comprising determining the type of the burst using the length of the periodic preamble.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the preamble includes a periodic preamble portion having symbols that periodically alternate in sign, the method further comprising using the alternating symbols to determine the type of the burst.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising using an allocation burst to allocate a transmission opportunity to each of the modules to transmit bursts.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the allocation burst that allocates a transmission opportunity depends at least in part on the amount of data ready for transmission in a selected transmission cycle.

19. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising designating one of the modules to be a master module.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising synchronizing the modules using a predetermined burst transmitted by one of the modules.