Telephone outlet for implementing a local area network over telephone lines and a local area network using such outlets

• US 6,549,616 B1
• Filed: 03/20/2000
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Conversant Intellectual Property Management Inc (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: SercoNet Limited (Yehuda Binder, MBA)
• Inventors: Binder, Yehuda
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US09/531,692
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.05, 379/93.06, 379/93.08, 379/93.09, 379/93.28, 379/442, 379/399.01, 379/399.02
• US Class Current: 379/90.01
• 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 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0003 Interconnection between telephone networks and data networks

Abstract

A local area network using the telephone wiring within a residence or other building simultaneously with telephony signals, with network outlets having telephone and data connectors allowing connection of Data Terminal Equipment to the network. The network outlets use high pass filters to access the high-frequency band across the media, whereas the standard telephone service uses low pass filters to access the low-frequency voice/analog telephony band across the same media. The high pass filters of the network outlets at each segment end are connected to modems or other Data Communication Equipment, thus supporting data communication networks of various topologies, including point-to-point topologies. The invention also contemplates a network outlet having a data interface connector for allowing connection of Data Terminal Equipment thereto and having a telephone connector for connecting a standard telephone thereto. A splitter is adapted to be connected to a telephone line for separating data and telephone signals transported on the telephone line, whilst a coupler is adapted to receive telephone and data signals and feeds a composite signal at an output thereof to the telephone line.

Claims

1. A local area network within a building, for transporting data among a plurality of data devices, the local area network comprising:

(a) at least two network outlets, each of said network outlets having;

i) at least one data interface connector operative for establishing a data connection with a data device;

ii) at least one standard telephone connector operative for supporting standard telephony service by connection to a standard telephone device; and

iii) a coupling unit having first, second and third input/output interfaces, a first selective signal conducting member connected for conducting only data communication signals between said first and second input/output interfaces and a second selective signal conducting member connected for conducting only telephony signals between said first and third input/output interfaces, said second input/output interface being coupled to said data interface connector and said third input/output interface being coupled to said standard telephone connector; and

(b) a telephone line segment composed of two wires within the walls of the building, said two wires of said telephone line segment being coupled to said first input/output interfaces of said coupling units of at least two of said network outlets, said telephone line segment being operative for concurrently transporting telephony and data communication signals.

2. The local area network as in claim 1, wherein at least one of said network outlets is a repeater.

3. The local area network as in claim 1, wherein said data interface connector is a standard data connector.

4. The local area network as in claim 1, wherein the local area network is an Ethernet network.

5. The local area network as in claim 1, wherein said network outlet contains at least one modem for establishing a data connection over said telephone line segment.

6. The local area network as in claim 1, furthermore for telephony using frequency domain/division multiplexing, wherein each of said network outlets also comprises a standard telephone connector.

7. The local area network as in claim 6, wherein said telephony is analog telephony.

8. The local area network as in claim 6, wherein said telephony is ISDN, said segments furthermore containing at least four separate electrical conductors, at least two of which are operative to carrying data.

9. The local area network of claim 1, wherein said first selective signal conducting member is a high-pass filter and said second selective signal conducting member is a low-pass filter.

10. A method for upgrading an existing telephone system to operate both for telephony and as a local area network for transporting data among a plurality of data devices, the telephone system having a plurality of telephone outlets connected to at least one telephone line within the walls of a building, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) mechanically removing at least two of the telephone outlets from the walls of the building;

(b) electrically disconnecting said at least two telephone outlets from the at least one telephone line;

(c) providing at least two network outlets, each of said network outlets having;

a data interface connector operative for establishing a data connection with a data device;

a standard telephone connector operative for supporting standard telephony service by connection to a standard telephone device; and

(d) a coupling unit having first, second and third input/output interfaces, a first selective signal conducting member connected for conducting only data communication signals between said first and second input/output interfaces and a second selective signal conducting member connected for conducting only telephony signals between said first and third input/output interfaces, said second input/output interface being coupled to said data interface connector and said third input/output interface being coupled to said standard telephone connector;

(d) electrically coupling said first input/output interface of said coupling unit of each of said network outlets to the same telephone line; and

(e) mechanically securing said network outlets to the wall.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

(f) forming the at least one telephone line into at least two electrically separate segments; and

(g) electrically connecting at least one of said network outlets to two of said separate segments.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said first selective signal conducting member is a high-pass filter and said second selective signal conducting member is a low-pass filter.

13. A kit for upgrading an existing telephone system to operate as a local area network for transporting data among a plurality of data devices, the telephone system having a plurality of telephone outlets connected to one telephone line routed within the walls of a building, the kit comprising:

(a) at least one network outlet, said network outlet having;

a data interface connector operative for establishing a data connection with a data device;

at least one standard telephone connector operative for supporting standard telephony service by connection to a standard telephone device; and

a coupling unit having first, second and third input/output interfaces, a first selective signal conducting member connected for conducting only data communication signals between said first and second input/output interfaces and a second selective signal conducting member connected for conducting only telephony signals between said first and third input/output interfaces, said first input/output interface being couplable to the one telephone line, said second input/output interface being coupled to said data interface connector and said third input/output interface being coupled to said standard telephone connector; and

(b) instructions for replacing at least one of the telephone outlets with said at least one network outlet such that said at least one telephone outlet is electrically disconnected from the telephone line and said at least one network outlet is electrically connected to the telephone line in place of said at least one telephone outlet.

14. The kit of claim 13, wherein said first selective signal conducting member is a high-pass filter and said second selective signal conducting member is a low-pass filter.

15. A network outlet for configuring a local area network for the transport of data across a telephone line having two conductors and for enabling telephony across the telephone line simultaneously with the transport of data, the network outlet comprising:

(a) at least one data interface connector operative for establishing a data connection with a data device;

(b) at least one telephone connector operative for supporting standard telephony service by connection to a standard telephone device; and

(c) a coupling unit having first, second and third input/output interfaces, a first selective signal conducting member connected for conducting only data communication signals between said first and second input/output interfaces and a second selective signal conducting member connected for conducting only telephony signals between said first and third input/output interfaces, said first input/output interface being coupled to the two conductors of said telephone line, said second input/output interface being coupled to said data interface connector and said third input/output interface being coupled to said standard telephone connector.

16. The network outlet as in claim 15, wherein the network outlet is operative to functioning as a repeater.

17. The network outlet as in claim 15, wherein said at least one data interface connector is a standard data connector.

18. The network outlet as in claim 15, furthermore comprising at least one modem.

19. The network outlet as in claim 15, wherein said telephone connector is a standard telephone connector.

20. The network outlet of claim 15, wherein said first selective signal conducting member is a high-pass filter and said second selective signal conducting member is a low-pass filter.