Home Gateway Expansion

• US 20120204216A1
• Filed: 04/18/2012
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Connelly, Michael, Cook, Michael, Poder, Jim, Herscovici, Daniel, Pedaprolu, Hari Venkatram
• Granted Patent: US 8,995,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• 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 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

As described herein, a gateway device may include one or more expansion ports to add functionality. The added functionality can be of any desired type, such as adding telephone call routing capabilities, or high-definition radio capabilities. The added functionality can include new wireless communication abilities, such as adding Bluetooth capability, and the combination may allow greater networked communication.

Claims

1. A modem, comprising:

an external physical connector interface;

a first local network interface;

a processor, configured to control communications to allow local devices communicatively coupled with the first local network interface to communicate with an external device via the external physical connector interface;

a plurality of network communication expansion ports configured to accept respective network communication expansion modules to allow the modem to use a new network interface on the expansion module to communicate with other devices instead of, or in addition to, the first local network interface.

2. The modem of claim 1, wherein the external physical connector interface is a coaxial cable interface.

3. The modem of claim 1, wherein the external physical connector interface is a fiber optic interface.

4. The modem of claim 1, wherein the plurality of network communication expansion ports are color-coded according to communication capability.

5. The modem of claim 1, wherein the plurality of network communication expansion ports are color-coded according to whether the corresponding port has a battery backup or alternative power supply, different from a primary power supply of the modem.

6. The modem of claim 1, further comprising a first expansion module, inserted in a first one of the plurality of expansion ports, wherein the new network interface of the first expansion module is a wireless radio interface.

7. The modem of claim 6, wherein the first expansion module includes a universal serial bus (USB) connector connected to a corresponding USB connector of the first one of the plurality of expansion ports.

8. The modem of claim 6, wherein the first expansion module is configured to communicate with Bluetooth telephones.

9. The modem of claim 6, wherein the first expansion module is configured to communicate with wireless telephones, and to relay telephone calls with the wireless telephones via the external physical connector interface.

10. The modem of claim 9, wherein the first expansion module is configured to automatically detect and register wireless telephones upon entry to a premises of the modem.

11. The modem of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to detect an incoming telephone call that includes caller identification information, and route caller identification information to a device via the first local network interface, and to route audio portions of the call to the first expansion module.

12. The modem of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to automatically exchange authorization and identification information with an expansion module upon insertion of the expansion module into one of the plurality of expansion ports.

13. The modem of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to automatically copy a program from an expansion module upon insertion of the expansion module into one of the plurality of expansion ports, and to execute the program.

14. The modem of claim 1, wherein the other devices are local to a premises of the modem.

15. The modem of claim 1, wherein the other devices are remote from a premises of the modem.

16. The modem of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to allow one or more local devices to use the new network interface to communicate with devices remote from the premises.

17. A method, comprising:

inserting a cellular telephone network expansion module into an expansion port of a cable modem, the cellular telephone network expansion module including a wireless interface;

receiving a call request at the expansion module from a local device; and

attempting to establish a cell phone call using the expansion module'"'"'s wireless interface.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

detecting a call setup failure in response to the attempt; and

in response to the call setup failure, using a wired interface of the cable modem to make a second attempt at establishing the cell phone call.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the wired interface of the cable modem is a coaxial cable interface.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

communicatively coupling the expansion module with a cell phone via the wireless interface;

communicatively coupling the cable modem to a computing device; and

receiving a request from the computing device to send a text message using the cell phone and expansion module wireless interface.