In-home communication system

• US 6,081,519 A
• Filed: 03/25/1996
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Next Level Communications, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Next Level Communications
• Inventors: Petler, Scott C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): YAO, KWANG BIN
• Application Number:
  US08/621,573
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 370/321, 370/326, 370/336, 370/337, 370/395, 370/397, 370/399, 370/401, 370/404, 370/409, 370/396, 370/398, 370/422, 370/425, 370/442, 370/458, 370/498, 370/356, 370/485 , 370/486, 370/487, 370/489, 370/490
• US Class Current: 370/356
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/69 Optical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/561 Star, e.g. cross-connect, concentrator, subscriber group equipment, remote electronics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5615 Network termination, e.g. NT1, NT2, PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5616 Terminal equipment, e.g. codecs, synch.
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A method and apparatus for an in-home communication system based on the use of a telecommunications terminal of a Fiber-to-the-Curb (FTTC) network is described. In this system signals are sent from a first device in a home to the FTTC terminal over a subscriber coaxial cable network, and routed from the telecommunications terminal back to the home, where they are received by a second device in the same home. Signals are routed back to the home at the telecommunications terminal by recognizing a particular address which corresponds to in-home signals or by timing information. In the event that the information is contained within Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) cells, the Virtual Path Identifier (VPI) field of the ATM cells can be used to indicate that cells are to be redirected back to the home.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications access platform capable of providing local data services simultaneously with telecommunications services from a Public Switched, Telecommunications Network (PSTN), a method for in-home communications which does not necessitate use of said Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN), said method comprising:

(a) receiving a first signal from said Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN) at a first terminal;

(b) transmitting said first signal from said first terminal to a second terminal via a fiber optic link;

(c) receiving said first signal at said second terminal;

(d) transmitting said first signal to a subscriber residence over a transmission medium;

(e) receiving said first signal at said subscriber residence;

(f) transmitting a second signal from a first in-home device in said subscriber residence over said transmission medium, wherein said second signal contains a routing indicator;

(g) receiving said second signal from said first in-home device at said second terminal;

(h) routing said second signal from said first in-home device within said second terminal for subsequent transmission to a second in-home device, wherein said routing is determined by said routing indicator, and wherein said routing does not make use of said Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN);

(i) transmitting said second signal from said second terminal over said transmission medium to said second in-home device; and

(j) receiving a second signal from said second terminal over said transmission medium at said second in-home device.

2. The method described in claim 1 wherein said transmission medium is a twisted pair cable.

3. The method described in claim 1 wherein said medium is a subscriber coaxial cable network comprising at least one coaxial cable and at least one splitter.

4. In a telecommunications access platform capable of providing local data services simultaneously with telecommunications services from a Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN), an apparatus for in-home communications which does not necessitate use of said Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN), said apparatus comprising:

(a) means for receiving a first signal from said Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN) at a first terminal;

(b) means for transmitting said first signal from said first terminal to a second terminal via a fiber optic link;

(c) means for receiving said first signal at said second terminal;

(d) means for transmitting said first signal to a subscriber residence over a transmission medium;

(e) means for receiving said first signal at said subscriber residence;

(f) means for transmitting a second signal from a first in-home device in said subscriber residence over said transmission medium, wherein said second signal contains a routing indicator;

(g) means for receiving said second signal from said first in-home device at said second terminal;

(h) means for routing said second signal from said first in-home device within a second terminal for subsequent transmission to a second in-home device, wherein said routing is determined by said routing indicator, and wherein said routing does not make use of said Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN);

(i) means for transmitting said second signal from said second terminal over said transmission medium to said second in-home device; and

(j) means for receiving said second signal from said second terminal over said transmission medium at said second in-home device.

5. The apparatus described in claim 4 wherein said transmission medium is a twisted pair cable.

6. The apparatus described in claim 4 wherein said medium is a subscriber coaxial cable network comprising at least one coaxial cable and at least one splitter.

7. In a telecommunications access platform capable of providing local data services simultaneously with telecommunications services from a Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN), a method for in-home communications which does not necessitate use of said Public Switched Telecommunications Network, said method comprising:

(a) receiving a first signal from said Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN) at a first terminal;

(b) transmitting said first signal from said first terminal to a second terminal via a fiber optic link;

(c) receiving said first signal at said second terminal;

(d) transmitting said first signal to a subscriber residence over a transmission medium;

(e) receiving said first signal at said subscriber residence;

(f) transmitting a second signal from a first in-home device in said subscriber residence onto a subscriber coaxial cable network in a time slot wherein said subscriber coaxial cable network is comprised of at least one coaxial cable and at least one splitter;

(g) receiving said second signal from said first in-home device over said subscriber coaxial cable network at a said second terminal;

(h) routing said second signal from said first in-home device within said second terminal for subsequent transmission, wherein said routing is determined by said time slot, and wherein said routing does not make use of said Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN);

(i) transmitting said second signal from said second terminal to a second in-home device over said subscriber coaxial cable network; and

(j) receiving said second signal from a broadband network unit over said subscriber coaxial cable network at said second in-home device.

8. The method described in claim 7 wherein said second signal is transmitted from said second terminal to said second in-home device using time division multiplexing.

10. The apparatus described in claim 7 wherein said second signal is transmitted from said broadband network unit to said second in-home device using time division multiplexing.

9. In a telecommunications access platform capable of providing local data services simultaneously with telecommunications services from a Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN), an apparatus for in-home communications which does not necessitate use of said Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN), said apparatus comprising:

(a) means for receiving a first signal from said Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN) at a first terminal;

(b) means for transmitting said first signal from said first terminal to a second terminal via a fiber optic link;

(c) means for receiving said first signal at said second terminal;

(d) means for transmitting said first signal to a subscriber residence over a transmission medium;

(e) means for receiving said first signal at said subscriber residence;

(f) means for transmitting a second signal from a first in-home device in said subscriber residence onto a subscriber coaxial cable network in a time slot wherein said subscriber coaxial cable network is comprised of at least one coaxial cable and at least one splitter;

(g) means for receiving said second signal from said first in-home device over said subscriber coaxial cable network at a said second terminal;

(h) means for routing said second signal from said first in-home device within said second terminal for subsequent transmission, wherein said routing is determined by said time slot, and wherein said routing does not make use of said Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN);

(i) means for transmitting said second signal from said second terminal to a second in-home device over said subscriber coaxial cable network; and

(j) means for receiving said second signal from a broadband network unit over said subscriber coaxial cable network at said second in-home device.

11. In a telecommunications access platform capable of providing local data services simultaneously with telecommunications services from a Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN), a method for in-home communications which does not necessitate use of said Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN), said method comprising:

(a) receiving a first signal from said Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN) at a first terminal;

(b) transmitting said first signal from said first terminal to a second terminal via a fiber optic link;

(c) receiving said first signal at said second terminal;

(d) transmitting said first signal to a subscriber residence over a transmission medium;

(e) receiving said first signal at said subscriber residence;

(f) transmitting a second signal having asynchronous transfer mode cells containing information from a first in-home device in said subscriber residence onto a subscriber coaxial cable network comprising at least one coaxial cable and at least one splitter located in said subscriber residence, wherein said second signal is a digital signal modulated onto a first carrier frequency;

(g) receiving said second signal from said first in-home device over said subscriber coaxial cable network at a said second terminal;

(h) routing said second signal from said first in-home device within said second terminal for subsequent transmission, wherein said routing does not make use of said Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN);

(i) transmitting said second signal from said second terminal to a second in-home device over said coaxial cable wherein said transmission is a digital signal modulated onto a second carrier frequency; and

(j) receiving said second signal from said second terminal over said coaxial cable at said second in-home device in said subscriber residence.

12. The method described in claim 11 wherein said second signal from said first in-home device is transmitted to said second terminal using a time division multiple access protocol.

13. The method described in claim 11 wherein said second signal is transmitted from said second terminal to said second in-home device using time division multiplexing.

14. The method described in claim 11 wherein said first frequency is in the range of 5-50 MHz and said second frequency is in the range of 50-1000 MHz.

15. The method described in claim 12 wherein said first frequency and said second frequency are in the range of 5-50 MHz.

16. In a telecommunications access platform capable of providing local data services simultaneously with telecommunications services from a Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN), an apparatus for providing in-home communications which does not necessitate use of said Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN), said apparatus comprising:

(a) means for receiving a first signal from said Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN) at a first terminal;

(b) means for transmitting said first signal from said first terminal to a second terminal via a fiber optic link;

(c) means for receiving said first signal at said second terminal;

(d) means for transmitting said first signal to a subscriber residence over a transmission medium;

(e) means for receiving said first signal at said subscriber residence;

(f) means for transmitting a second signal having asynchronous transfer mode cells containing information from a first in-home device in said subscriber residence onto a subscriber coaxial cable network comprising at least one coaxial cable and at least one splitter located in said subscriber residence, wherein said second signal is a digital signal modulated onto a first carrier frequency;

(g) means for receiving said second signal from said first in-home device over said subscriber coaxial cable network at a said second terminal;

(h) means for routing said second signal from said first in-home device within said second terminal for subsequent transmission, wherein said routing does not make use of said Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN);

(i) means for transmitting said second signal from said second terminal to a second in-home device over said coaxial cable wherein said transmission is a digital signal modulated onto a second carrier frequency; and

(j) means for receiving said second signal from said second terminal over said coaxial cable at said second in-home device in said subscriber residence.

17. The apparatus described in claim 16 wherein said second signal from said first in-home device is transmitted to said second terminal using a time division multiple access protocol.

18. The apparatus described in claim 16 wherein said second signal is transmitted from said second terminal to said second in-home device using time division multiplexing.

19. The apparatus described in claim 16 wherein said first frequency is in the range of 5-50 MHz and said second frequency is in the range of 50-1000 MHz.

20. The apparatus described in claim 16 wherein said first frequency and said second frequency are in the range of 5-50 MHz.