Broadband data reception system for WorldNet.TM. access

• US 5,930,247 A
• Filed: 02/27/1997
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, II, Robert Raymond, Rudrapatna, Ashok N., Russell, Jesse Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGO, RICKY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US08/807,527
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/400, 370/401, 370/420, 370/463, 370/480, 370/489, 370/490, 455/3.1, 455/3.2, 455/4.1, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 348/6, 348/10, 348/12, 345/552
• US Class Current: 370/338
• 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 21/437 Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server flow control in data networks H04L47/10; streaming protocols, e.g. RTP or RTCP, H04L65/65; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests in data packet switching networks H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

Termination equipment for a WorldNet™ wireless network receives packet data from a data terminal of a DirecTV™ Settop Box. This data is directed to a recipient through a router and transmitted by wireless or coax LAN to customer premises data equipment. Replies to the network by customer premises equipment are transmitted by wireless or coax LAN to the router to a CDPD radio modem for transmission, via CDPD, to a remote termination connected to the network.

Claims

1. A customer premises termination system for receiving data, via wireless communications, from a remote data network through a customer premises data terminal of a Settop Box and communicating data to a CDPD network, comprising:

a data receiving interface device coupled to the data terminal of the Settop Box;

a data processor/router connected to the interface device and directionally processing incoming data packets to go to a router specified output of the data processor/router, in that packet direction is controlled within the router to be from an input port to an output port irrespective of header address of the packet;

a wireless broadband duplex packet LAN, including an antenna, for two way wireless coupling of the data processor/router with a customer premises LAN/data processor; and

a CDPD radio modem connected to the data processor/router for receiving packets from the router and transmitting wireless CDPD packets generated by the customer premises LAN data processor.

2. A customer premises termination system for receiving data, as claimed in claim 1, including

an EtherNet™

station/interface unit coupled to a cable modem and to the data processor router for transmitting data signals from the cable modem to the data processor router and from the router to the modem wherein the EtherNet™

station/interface is an active LAN station.

3. A customer premises termination system for receiving data, as claimed in claim 1, including

a status indicator panel connected to the data processor router.

4. A termination system as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

a control card connected to the Settop Box and a TV set and having and having an IR interface for receiving IR control signals from a user.

5. A method of receiving and transmitting data from a wireless network through a data terminal of a Settop Box and communicating data to a CDPD network through a wireless transmit terminal and to a wireless LAN via a router, comprising the steps of:

receiving a wideband data signal in packet format through a Settop Box;

coupling the received wideband data packet signal to a directionally sensitive router, in which packet direction is controlled within the router to be from a designated input port to a designated output port irrespective of header address of the packet, and directing the data packet to a LAN according to router directionality control;

receiving packets from the LAN at the router and coupling them according to router directionality control to a CDPD modem for transmission to a CDPD wireless network.

6. A method of receiving and transmitting data, as claimed in claim 5, comprising the steps of:

directing packets received by the router to a radio for radio transmission to a LAN; and

receiving packets from the LAN for application to the router by radio transmission.

7. A method of receiving and transmitting data, as claimed in claim 6, comprising the steps of:

receiving data by DirecTV™

Settop Box and directly coupling the data to a CDPD modem for transmission to a CDPD cellular network.