Modular home-networking communication system and method using disparate communication channels

• US 6,243,413 B1
• Filed: 04/03/1998
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Beukema, Troy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Shuwang
• Application Number:
  US09/055,176
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 375/140, 375/141, 375/220, 375/222, 455/3.3, 455/270, 370/464, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 340/310.01, 340/310.02, 709/206, 709/230, 709/238, 709/250
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5416 by adding signals to the wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5425 improving S/N by matching impedance, noise reduction, gain control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5491 using filtering and bypassing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line

Abstract

A modular home-networking communications system which uses a physical layer modulation scheme suitable for transmission in both RF and powerline communication channels. The modulation system is based on direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DS-SS) using Barker codes to spread the information symbols, which provides both operation at low signal to noise ratio and very good resistance to time dispersion distortion due to the excellent autocorrelation properties of the Barker codes. This type of modulation system is ideal for the powerline communications channel since it spreads the transmission power over a wide range of frequency, lowering the power spectral density enough that it will provide long distance coverage without violating FCC radiated emission and conducted power regulations.

Claims

1. A network communications system, comprising:

a network device;

a plurality of channel interface units for operatively interfacing said network device to one of a plurality of disparate communication channels, each of said plurality of channel interface units being operatively compatible with a corresponding one of said plurality of disparate communication channels;

a baseband modem, interchangeably connectable to any one of said plurality of channel interface units, for encoding and decoding data transmitted between said network device and one of said plurality of disparate communication channels, wherein said baseband modem is operatively compatible with each of said plurality of disparate communication channels; and

a MAC (media access control) processor, operatively connected between said network device and said baseband modem, for controlling the transfer of data between said network device and said baseband modem, wherein said MAC processor is operatively compatible with each of said plurality of disparate communication channels.

2. The communications system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of disparate communication channels includes a radio frequency (RF) communication channel and a powerline communication channel.

3. The communications system of claim 1, wherein said baseband modem comprises a direct-sequence, spread-spectrum modulation with spreading codes.

4. The communications system of claim 3, wherein said spreading codes comprise Barker-sequence codes.

5. The communications system of claim 3, wherein said plurality of disparate communication channels includes a powerline communications channel and an RF communications channel.

6. The communications system of claim 1, wherein said MAC processor and said baseband modem are combined into a modular MAC/baseband processor unit, said modular MAC/baseband processor unit being operatively compatible with each of said plurality of disparate communication channels, and said modular MAC/baseband processor unit being interchangeably connectable to each one of said plurality of channel interface units so as to provide communication between said network device and said corresponding one of said plurality of disparate communication channels.

10. The communications system of claim 1, wherein said baseband modem is a modular component.

11. The communications system of claim 2, wherein data is transmitted on said powerline communication channel with a center frequency in the range of 7 MHz to 10 MHz.

7. A modular home-network communications system, comprising:

a plurality of network devices, said network devices being operatively connected to each other through a plurality of disparate communication channels, each of said plurality of disparate communication channels being associated with one of said plurality of network devices;

a plurality of channel interface units, for operatively interfacing one of said plurality of network devices associated therewith to a corresponding one of said plurality of disparate communication channels, each of said plurality of channel interface units being functionally compatible with a corresponding one of said plurality of disparate communication channels;

a plurality of media access control (MAC)/baseband processor units, at least one of said plurality of MAC/baseband processor units being operatively coupled between each one of said plurality of network devices and said associated interface unit, each one of said plurality of MAC/baseband processor units comprising modulation/demodulation means for encoding and decoding signals transmitted between said corresponding network device and said corresponding communication channel, said modulation/demodulation means being operatively compatible with each of said plurality of disparate communication channels; and

media access protocol means for controlling the transfer of data between said corresponding network device and said corresponding interface unit, said media access protocol means being operatively compatible with each of said plurality of disparate communication channels;

said modulation/demodulation means and said media access protocol means being identical in each of said plurality of MAC/baseband processor units; and

inter-channel interface means, operatively connected between each of said plurality of disparate communication channels, for routing messages between each of said plurality of disparate communication channel to establish a communication link between said network devices operating in a different one of said plurality of disparate communication channels.

8. The communications system of claim 7, wherein said plurality of disparate communication channels includes one of a single powerline communications channel and a plurality of powerline communication channels and one of a single RF communications channel and a plurality of RF communications channels.

9. The communication system of claim 8, wherein data is transmitted on said powerline communication channels with a center frequency in the range of about 7 MHz to 10 MHz.

12. An access device for providing access to a communications system, comprising;

a plurality of channel interface devices, wherein each channel interface device is operatively coupled to a corresponding one of a plurality of disparate communication channels;

a plurality of MAC/baseband processors, wherein each MAC/baseband processor is operatively coupled to at least one of the channel interface devices, and wherein each of the MAC/baseband processors employs a similar modulation/demodulation process; and

a router, operatively connected to each of the MAC/baseband processors, for routing data between the disparate communication channels.

13. The access device of claim 12, wherein the modulation/demodulation process comprises a direct-sequence, spread spectrum modulation.

14. The access device of claim 13, wherein the direct-sequence, spread spectrum modulation utilizes Barker-sequence spreading codes.

15. The access device of claim 12, wherein the disparate communication channels comprise a powerline channel and an RF communications channel.

16. The access device of claim 12, wherein the MAC/baseband processors are modular.

17. The access device of claim 12, wherein the access device is implemented in a modular home-networking communications system.