Method and Apparatus for Providing Wireless Communications Within a Building

• US 20100080203A1
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optical Cable Corporation, Superior Modular Products Incorporated (Optical Cable Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Superior Modular Products Incorporated (Optical Cable Corporation)
• Inventors: Reynolds, William R., Seo, Sumio, Timmins, Ian J., Yanik, James, Vaden, Sterling
• Granted Patent: US 8,325,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A wireless distribution secured cabling system includes faceplates, each of which contains an antenna or other radiating element and an active amplifier, which serves as a bi-directional repeater for the wireless communication system. The system further includes a patch panel or distribution module which connects multiple cables, which may be either twisted pair or coaxial, to amplifier, acting as a power divider and/or an impedance matching device. An antenna, which may be mounted either outside of a building structure or inside the building structure, provides communications between the structured cabling system and a service provider base station.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a lightning protection element;

a distribution module;

a plurality of wall outlet assemblies; and

a plurality of conduit stems, each conduit stem being connected to a respective wall outlet assembly and being operable to carry signals between the respective wall outlet assembly and a location at which the distribution module obtains the signals, the distribution module and each wall outlet assembly having an operating relationship between each other such that both a bridging signal and a separate task signal can be carried between the distribution module and the respective wall outlet assembly with the particular signal being carried on the respective conduit stem connected to the wall outlet assembly, the distribution module and the lightning protection element being operatively connected to one another such that bridging signals pass therebetween, the lightning protection element being operable to transmit or receive wireless signals, each wall outlet assembly having a capability to transmit a wireless signal to, or receive a wireless signal from, a wireless signal device and, in the event that the wall outlet assembly transmits a wireless signal, the wall outlet assembly generates the wireless signal in response to a bridging signal provided to the wall outlet assembly via the distribution module, and, in the event that the wall outlet assembly receives a wireless signal, the wall outlet assembly sends a corresponding bridging signal along its conduit to ultimately reach the distribution module, and each wall outlet assembly having an access portion for access between the wall outlet assembly and a separate task executing device such that separate task signals can be passed between the wall outlet assembly and the separate task executing device.

2. A communication system according to claim 1 and further comprising a direct current (DC) power injector component operatively coupled to the distribution module for processing both separate task signals in the form of DC power signals and bridging signals such that the DC power signals and the bridging signals are isolated from one another during their transmission to a wall outlet assembly.

3. A communication system according to claim 2, wherein the direct current (DC) power injector component includes a signal input arrangement for accepting for processing DC power signals transmitted by a power supply and bridging signals transmitted by the distribution module.

4. A communication system according to claim 2 and further comprising a signal output arrangement for distribution of combined DC power signals and bridging signals to the wall outlet assemblies.

5. A communication system according to claim 2, wherein the DC power injector component includes at least one filter arrangement for isolating DC power signals from the bridging signals.

6. A communication system according to claim 5, wherein the at least one filter arrangement includes an inductor.

7. A communication system according to claim 5, wherein the at least one filter arrangement includes a high frequency choke.

8. A communication system according to claim 2, wherein the DC power injector component is configured for receiving, processing, and distributing DC power signals and bridging signals while preventing contamination of the DC power signals and the bridging signals with one another via operation of a filter operatively disposed between a signal input arrangement for receiving the DC power signals and the bridging signals and a signal output arrangement for transmission of the DC power signals and the bridging signals.

9. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the distribution module includes a first signal power booster for increasing the power of bridging signals on a first frequency band received from the lightning protection element.

10. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the distribution module includes a second signal power booster for increasing the power of bridging signals on a second frequency band received from the lightning protection element.

11. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the distribution module includes a first signal power booster for increasing the power of bridging signals on a first frequency band received from the lightning protection element, a second signal power booster for increasing the power of bridging signals on a second frequency band received from the lightning protection element, and an isolating device for isolating the first signal power booster and the second signal power booster from one another.

12. A communication system according to claim 11, wherein the isolating device includes a diplexer having a common input port and a pair of output ports, the common input port of the diplexer being operable to receive both bridging signals on the first frequency band and bridging signals on the second frequency band, one of the pair of output ports being operable to permit bridging signals on the first frequency band to exit the diplexer but not bridging signals on the second frequency band, and the other of the pair of output ports being operable to permit bridging signals on the second frequency band to exit the diplexer but not bridging signals on the first frequency band.

13. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the lightning protection element is an antenna operable to receive and transmit wireless signals, the distribution module is a patch panel, and each of the conduit stems interconnects the patch panel and a wall outlet assembly and is formed of a twisted wire pair.

14. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the lightning protection element is an antenna operable to receive and transmit wireless signals, the distribution module is a patch panel, and each of the conduit stems interconnects the patch panel and a wall outlet assembly and is formed of a coaxial cable.

15. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the lightning protection element is an antenna operable to receive and transmit wireless signals, each of the conduit stems interconnects the distribution module and a wall outlet assembly, and is formed of a twisted wire pair or a coaxial cable, and at least one of the wall outlet assemblies is powered via a power source that supplies power to the wall outlet assembly independently of the respective conduit stem connected to the wall outlet assembly.

16. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the lightning protection element is an antenna operable to receive and transmit wireless signals, each of the conduit stems interconnects the distribution module and a wall outlet assembly and is formed of a twisted wire pair or a coaxial cable, and at least one of the wall outlet assemblies is powered via a power source that supplies power to the wall outlet assembly via the respective conduit stem connected to the wall outlet assembly.

17. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the lightning protection element is an antenna operable to receive and transmit wireless signals, each of the conduit stems interconnects the distribution module and a wall outlet assembly, and at least one of the wall outlet assemblies includes a first signal power booster for increasing the power of bridging signals.

18. A communication system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one of the wall outlet assemblies includes a first diplexer operatively connected with the first signal power booster.

19. A communication system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one of the wall outlet assemblies includes a second signal power booster for increasing the power of bridging signals and a second diplexer operatively connected with the second signal power booster.

20. A communication system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one of the wall outlet assemblies includes a resistive trimming function for manually adjusting an output power of a signal processed by one of the associated pairs of the first signal power booster and the first diplexer and the second signal booster and the second diplexer.

21. A communication system according to claim 1 and further comprising a television (TV) injector component operatively coupled to the distribution module for processing both separate task signals in the form of DC power signals and bridging signals such that the DC power signals and the bridging signals are isolated from one another during their transmission to a wall outlet assembly.

22. A communication system according to claim 21, wherein the TV injector component includes a signal input arrangement for accepting TV signals from a cable TV signal distribution assembly and bridging signals transmitted by the distribution module.

23. A communication system according to claim 21 and further comprising a signal output arrangement for distribution of combined TV signals and bridging signals to a cable-based TV signal distribution system.

24. A wall outlet assembly system according to claim 21, wherein the TV injector component is configured to combine the TV signals and the bridging signals for transmission to the wall outlet assemblies.

25. A communication system according to claim 21, wherein the bridging signals are associated with predetermined frequencies and the TV injector component includes at least one filter arrangement for removing TV signals that may be present on the bridging signal frequencies.

26. A communication system according to claim 21, wherein the bridging signals are associated with predetermined frequencies and the TV injector component includes a plurality of filter arrangements for rejecting TV signals that may be present on the bridging signal frequencies.

27. A communication system according to claim 26, wherein at least one of the plurality of filter arrangements includes a low-pass filter circuit.

28. A communication system according to claim 21 and further comprising a signal power booster for increasing the power of the bridging signals operatively coupled to the TV injector component and the TV injector component includes at least one filter circuit for preventing the TV signals from being directed into an operating band of the signal power booster.

29. A communication system according to claim 21, wherein the TV injector component is configured for receiving, processing, and distributing a plurality of TV signals and the bridging signals while preventing contamination of the TV signals and the bridging signals with one another via operation of a filter operatively disposed between a signal input arrangement for receiving the TV signals and the bridging signals and a signal output arrangement for distribution of the TV signals and the bridging signals.

30. A communication system according to claim 21, wherein at least one wall outlet assembly includes a filter arrangement for discerning TV signals and bridging signals for selective dissemination.

31. A wall outlet assembly, comprising:

a signal handling element;

a regional antenna; and

an access portion, the wall outlet assembly being connectable to a conduit stem that is operable to carry signals between the wall outlet assembly and a location at which a distribution module of a communication system obtains the signals, the signal handling element being operable in coordination with the distribution module such that both a bridging signal and a separate task signal can be carried between the distribution module and the signal handing element with the distribution module further forwarding bridging signals to a lightning protection element of the communication system or further forwarding bridging signals to the signal handling element, the signal handling element being operable to handle bridging signals derived from wireless signals received by the lightning protection element and further forwarded to the signal handling element by the distribution module as bridging signals, the antenna being operable to transmit a wireless signal to, or receive a wireless signal from, a wireless signal device and, in the event that the wall outlet assembly transmits a wireless signal, the wall outlet assembly generates the wireless signal in response to a bridging signal provided to the wall outlet assembly via the distribution module, and, in the event that the wall outlet assembly receives a wireless signal, the wall outlet assembly sends a corresponding bridging signal along its conduit to ultimately reach the distribution module, and the access portion providing access between the wall outlet assembly and a separate task executing device such that separate task signals can be passed between the wall outlet assembly and the separate task executing device.

32. A communication port, comprising:

a conduit stem; and

a wall outlet assembly including a signal handling element;

a regional antenna, and, an access portion, the wall outlet assembly being connected to the conduit stem and the conduit stem being operable to carry signals between the wall outlet assembly and a location at which a distribution module of a communication system obtains the signals, the signal handling element being operable in coordination with the distribution module such that both a bridging signal and a separate task signal can be carried between the distribution module and the signal handing element with the distribution module further forwarding bridging signals to a lightning protection element of the communication system or further forwarding bridging signals to the signal handling element, the signal handling element being operable to handle bridging signals derived from wireless signals received by the lightning protection element and further forwarded to the signal handling element by the distribution module as bridging signals, the antenna being operable to transmit a wireless signal to, or receive a wireless signal from, a wireless signal device and, in the event that the wall outlet assembly transmits a wireless signal, the wall outlet assembly generates the wireless signal in response to a bridging signal provided to the wall outlet assembly via the distribution module, and, in the event that the wall outlet assembly receives a wireless signal, the wall outlet assembly sends a corresponding bridging signal along its conduit to ultimately reach the distribution module, and the access portion providing access between the wall outlet assembly and a separate task executing device such that separate task signals can be passed between the wall outlet assembly and the separate task executing device.