Apparatus and methods for home networking

• US 6,167,120 A
• Filed: 06/24/1998
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lextron Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lextron Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, TAK KAM
• Application Number:
  US09/103,499
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 379/419, 379/90.01, 379/201, 379/93.01, 709/224
• US Class Current: 379/90.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision

Abstract

A multimedia data distribution system comprises a distribution system adapted to distribute and deliver Asynchronous Transfer Mode signals to the level of an individual home network bus, a micro-PBX connected to the distribution system and to the home network bus; and a converter connected to the home network bus and having an outlet adapted for connecting to conventional single media and multimedia electronic devices, such as telephones, personal computers, fax machines, television sets, and the like. The micro-PBX is adapted to translate between the public network data protocol and a Local Area data protocol on the home network bus, and to manage the home network bus as a Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detect (CSMA/CD) type bus, and the converter is adapted to convert signals on the home network bus to a form required by one of the single media and multimedia electronic devices. In an alternative embodiment of the invention signals on the home network are provided as high-frequency, spread-spectrum signals.

Claims

1. A home networking system comprising:

conventional telephone wiring connected to telephone jacks in a customer'"'"'s premises;

a customer demarcation unit at a customer'"'"'s premise, having a port connected to outside telephone wiring and a port connected to the conventional telephone wiring in the customer'"'"'s premise, receiving signals on the outside telephone wiring, and driving the conventional telephone wiring in the customer'"'"'s premises as a local-area network (LAN) using a spread-spectrum high-frequency signal, converting the signals received to the protocol required by the LAN; and

a connection unit at a connection point for a customer'"'"'s device to receive signals on the LAN, the connection unit having a sensor for sensing signal strength on the network, a microprocessor, a stored program executable by the microprocessor, a path from the LAN to a connection to a customer'"'"'s device, and a delay line;

wherein the microprocessor in the connection unit, sensing a minimum signal strength threshold, switches the delay line into the path to the customer'"'"'s device, thereby improving signal strength to the customer'"'"'s device.