In-wall data translator and a structured premise wiring environment including the same

• US 6,154,774 A
• Filed: 07/02/1998
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Metrobility Optical Systems, Inc. (BATM Advanced Communications Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Metrobility Optical Systems, Inc. (BATM Advanced Communications Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yu, Hong, Furlong, Daryl
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US09/109,398
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/238, 709/230, 370/446, 370/293, 370/276, 370/279, 370/280, 370/281, 370/282, 370/299, 370/295, 370/296, 370/445, 370/451, 370/461, 370/462, 370/465
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4616 LAN interconnection over a LAN backbone

Abstract

A fiber-optic to twisted pair data translator configured to be disposed within a wall and thus become part of the building, which further includes a central data distribution facility, such as a communication closet and connecting fiber-optic cables to create a totally integrated structured premise wiring which provides the tenant occupant with the advantages of high-bandwidth fiber-optic communication by a simple twister-pair connection. Moreover, the in-wall data translator according to the present invention provides data format converting intelligence at the wall plate and may be internally or externally powered to maximum flexibility in network architecture while minimizing the building installation costs and inventory of data network components.

Claims

1. An active wall plate data translator comprising:

a wall-mountable utility wall plate having means for mounting to at least one constituent element of a wall;

a first data transceiver adapted to receive and transmit data in a first format and a first data protocol;

a second data transceiver adapted to receive and transmit data in a first format and a first data protocol, wherein

said first and said second data transceivers are connected to provide a bi-directional data path therebetween,

said first and said second data transceivers are mounted in fixed relation to said utility panel; and

a power supply adapted to provide power to said first and second data transceivers.

2. The active wall plate data translator of claim 1, wherein said first format is a fiber-optic format.

3. The active wall plate data translator of claim 1, wherein said second format is one of a twisted pair, an FDDI, a CDDI, an ATM, and a Token Ring format.

4. The active wall plate data translator of claim 1, wherein

said first data transceiver comprises a modulator/demodulator corresponding to said first data format and protocol and a first physical layer module receiving a signal from and providing to said modulator/demodulator,

said second data transceiver comprises a modulator/demodulator corresponding to said second data format and protocol and a second physical layer module receiving a signal from and providing to said second data format and protocol modulator and demodulator, said active wall plate data translator, further including

a data translator connected to provide a data path between said first and second data format and protocol physical layer modules.

5. The active wall plate data translator of claim 4, further comprising a box disposed to substantially surround said first and second data transceivers.

6. The active wall plate data translator of claim 5, wherein said power supply comprises a power supply external to said box.

7. A building communications data infrastructure providing a network data connection to equipment within rooms of said building, comprising

a building data distribution center;

a plurality of in-wall data translators each providing a first format connection and a second format connection and data flow therebetween; and

a communication medium connecting said building distribution center to each of said first format connections, wherein

said in-wall data translators provides second format network connection to said equipment.

8. The building communications data infrastructure, of claim 7, wherein said building distribution center includes at least one of a data hub, a data switch, and a data repeater device.

9. The building communications data infrastructure, of claim 7, wherein at least one of said in-wall data translators further includes a system monitor device for network monitoring.

10. The building communications data infrastructure, of claim 9, wherein said system monitoring device comprises a simple network management protocol agent.

11. The building communications data infrastructure of claim 10, wherein said building distribution center includes a management information base connected to each said simple network management protocol agent.

12. The building communications data infrastructure, of claim 7, further including data translator power sources.

13. The building communications data infrastructure, of claim 12, wherein said power sources are individual power sources disposed at each said in-wall data translator and external to said wall box.

14. A communications network, comprising a a first medium connecting a plurality of building units, each unit having at least one room therein defined by a perimeter wall structure;

a first converter disposed within at least one of said building units, and being connected to said first medium and providing a data flow to a second medium;

a second converter disposed at said perimeter wall of at least one said room, and being connected to said second medium and providing a data flow to a connector of a third medium; and

a second medium connecting said first and second converters.

15. The communications network of claim 14, wherein said second medium is a fiber optic medium.

16. The communications network of claim 14, wherein said third medium is one of twisted pair, FDDI, CDDI, Ethernet and SONET format media.