System and method for high speed data communications

• US 20080124086A1
• Filed: 11/27/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Matthews, Adrian S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,391,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/115
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/16 Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/61 for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/69 Optical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/84 combined with power distribution network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08

Abstract

A method is disclosed for delivering data to an end user device, the method including receiving an optical signal containing broadband digital data; converting the optical signal to a first radio frequency signal; transmitting the first radio frequency (RF) signal from an RF transmitter to a first RF receiver in a first local region associated with the end user device; and converting the received radio frequency signal to a digital data signal. A system and computer program for performing the method are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for delivering data to an end user device comprising:

receiving an optical signal containing broadband digital data;

converting the optical signal to a first radio frequency signal;

transmitting the first radio frequency (RF) signal from an RF transmitter to a first RF receiver in a first local region associated with the end user device; and

converting the received radio frequency signal to a digital data signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

placing the converted radio frequency digital data signal on electrical power wiring associated with the end user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF signal comprises a band of RF frequencies and wherein a first subset of the band of RF frequencies is associated with a first end user device and a second subset of the band of RF frequencies is associated with a second end user device, wherein the first subset of frequencies and the second subset of frequencies do not overlap.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a second RF signal to a second RF receiver in a second local region, wherein the first RF signal and the second RF signal do not interfere with each other in their local regions.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first and second RF signals share the same frequency band.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the first subset of RF frequencies are encrypted using a first encryption key associated with the first end user device and the second subset of RF frequencies are encrypted using a second encryption key associated with the second end user device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the optical signal further comprises converting the optical signal using a uni-traveling carrier photodiode.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising using a phase of the carrier signal for one of the group consisting of link management and enhanced power when link degradation occurs.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the received radio frequency signal further comprises sampling the received signal using electro optic sampling.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF transmitter is placed at a location selected from the group consisting of an electric power distribution substation, a residential power transformer, a residence and a triple play network node.

11. A system for delivering data to an end user device comprising:

an optical converter in data communication with an optical signal containing broadband digital data, wherein the optical converter converts the optical signal to a first radio frequency signal; and

a first RF receiver in a first local region associated with the end user device, wherein the optical converter transmits the first radio frequency (RF) signal from an RF transmitter to the RF receiver and the RF receiver converts the received RF signal to a digital data signal.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

an electrical power modem that places the converted radio frequency digital data signal on electrical power wiring associated with the end user device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the RF signal comprises a band of RF frequencies and wherein a first subset of the band of RF frequencies is associated with a first end user device and a second subset of the band of RF frequencies is associated with a second end user device, wherein the first subset of frequencies and the second subset of frequencies do not overlap.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the transmitter transmits a second RF signal to a second RF receiver in a second local region, wherein the first RF signal and the second RF signal do not interfere with each other in their respective local regions.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first and second RF signals share the same frequency band.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the first subset of RF frequencies are encrypted using a first encryption key associated with the first end user device and the second subset of RF frequencies are encrypted using a second encryption key associated with the second end user device.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the optical converter further comprises a uni-traveling carrier photodiode that converts the optical signal the optical signal using the uni-traveling carrier photodiode.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the converter uses a phase of the carrier signal for one of the group consisting of link management and enhanced power when link degradation occurs.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the receiver further comprises an electro optic sampling device for converting the received radio frequency using electro optic sampling.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the RF transmitter is placed at a location selected from the group consisting of an electric power distribution substation, a residential power transformer, a residence and a triple play network node.

21. A computer readable medium containing a computer program of executable instructions, the computer program performing a method for delivering data to an end user device, the computer program comprising:

instructions to receive an optical signal containing broadband digital data;

converting the optical signal to a first radio frequency signal;

instructions to transmit the first radio frequency (RF) signal from an RF transmitter to a first RF receiver in a first local region associated with the end user device; and

instructions to convert the received radio frequency signal to a digital data signal.

22. The medium of claim 21, the computer program further comprising:

instructions to place the converted radio frequency digital data signal on electrical power wiring associated with the end user device.

23. The medium of claim 21, wherein the RF signal comprises a band of RF frequencies and wherein a first subset of the band of RF frequencies is associated with a first end user device and a second subset of the band of RF frequencies is associated with a second end user device, wherein the first subset of frequencies and the second subset of frequencies do not overlap.

24. The medium of claim 21, the computer program further comprising:

instructions to transmit a second RF signal to a second RF receiver in a second local region, wherein the first RF signal and the second RF signal do not interfere with each other in their local regions.

25. The medium of claim 24, wherein the first and second RF signals share the same frequency band.

26. The medium of claim 23, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to encrypt the first subset of RF frequencies using a first encryption key associated with the first end user device and encrypt the second subset of RF frequencies using a second encryption key associated with the second end user device.

27. The medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions to convert the optical signal further comprises instructions to convert the optical signal using a uni-traveling carrier photodiode.

28. The medium of claim 27, the computer program further comprising instructions to use a phase of the carrier signal for one of the group consisting of link management and enhanced power when link degradation occurs.

29. The medium of claim 21, wherein converting the received radio frequency signal further comprises sampling the received signal using electro optic sampling.

30. The medium of claim 21, wherein the RF transmitter is placed at a location selected from the group consisting of an electric power distribution substation, a residential power transformer, a residence and a triple play network node.