Broadband cable television and computer network

• US 6,637,030 B1
• Filed: 06/10/1997
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Klein, Dean A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Application Number:
  US08/872,010
• Time in Patent Office: 2,324 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.710, H04/N.714, H04/W.714, 348/8, 348/6, 348/7, 348/12, 348/13, 455/6.3, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/464, 455/60, 725/74, 725/78, 725/79, 725/83
• US Class Current: 725/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/17381 the upstream transmission being initiated by the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution

Abstract

A communication system is provided which may comprise an upstream source of broadband communications and a downstream local area network, wherein the upstream source of broadband communications is coupled to the downstream local area network through a notch filter. In some embodiments, the upstream source of broadband communications may be a cable television service provider, and the local area computer network may use existing cable television wiring as communication cable.

Claims

1. A method of communicating data between computing devices comprising:

receiving a video signal from headend transmission equipment of a cable television transmission system;

filtering out a portion of said video signal in the range of approximately 50 MHz to approximately 750 MHz to produce a filtered signal;

coupling said filtered signal to unlooped cable television wiring;

coupling a plurality of personal computers to said cable television wiring, wherein each of at least some of said personal computers comprises a receiver configured to receive video signals from said headend transmission equipment, a transmitter for forwarding signals to said headend transmission equipment, and a modem configured to receive and transmit broadband signals between said personal computers;

communicating messages between different ones of said personal computers via said modem by modulating a carrier having a frequency within said filtered out portion; and

forwarding signals from at least one of said personal computers to said cable television transmission system using a carrier frequency in the range of approximately 0 MHz to approximately 50 MHz.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said filtering out act comprises attenuating a portion of said signal by at least 20 dB.

3. A method of making a local-area-network, said local-area-network comprising a first personal computer and a second personal computer, the method comprising:

receiving a video signal from headend transmission equipment of a cable television distribution system, said video signal comprising a plurality of separate television broadcasts within the frequency range of approximately 50 MHz to 750 MHz;

filtering out one or more of said television broadcasts of said video signal with a notch filter to produce a filtered signal;

outputting said filtered signal to an unlooped cable;

providing at least one of said first and second personal computers with a receiver configured to receive video signals from said headend transmission equipment, a transmitter for forwarding signals to said headend transmission equipment, and a modem configured to receive and transmit broadband signals between said first and second personal computers; and

connecting said first personal computer and said second personal computer to said cable.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said filtering act comprises filtering signal energy in a stop band from said video signal.

5. The method of claim 4, additionally comprising the act of communicating data via said modem from said first personal computer to said second personal computer in a frequency band within said stop band.

6. A local area network comprising:

a notch filter configured to receive a video signal from a cable television transmission system and to filter out a portion of said video signal in the range of approximately 50 MHz to approximately 750 MHz to produce a filtered signal;

an unlooped cable television wire configured to receive said filtered signal;

a plurality of personal computers coupled to said wire, wherein at least some of said personal computers comprise a receiver configured to receive video signals from said cable television transmission system, a transmitter configured to forward signals to said cable television transmission system, and a modem configured to receive and transmit broadband signals between said personal computers;

wherein said personal computers are configured to communicate messages between different ones of said personal computers via said modem by modulating a carrier having a frequency within said filtered out portion; and

wherein at least one of said personal computers is configured to forward signals to said cable television transmission system using a carrier frequency in the range of approximately 0 MHz to approximately 50 MHz.

7. The local area network of claim 6, wherein said modem is configured to receive signals at a first frequency and to transmit signals at a second frequency.

8. The local area network of claim 7, further comprising a frequency converter configured to convert signals from said first frequency to said second frequency.

9. The local area network of claim 6, wherein said receiver is configured to receive digital data from the Internet.

10. The local area network of claim 6, wherein said receiver is configured to receive FM audio signals.

11. The local area network of claim 6, wherein at least one of said personal computers is configured to receive signals from said transmission system using a carrier frequency in the range of approximately 0 MHz to approximately 50 MHz.

12. A local area network comprising:

means for receiving a video signal from a cable television transmission system;

means for filtering out a portion of said video signal in the range of approximately 50 MHz to approximately 750 MHz to produce a filtered signal;

an unlooped cable television wire configured to receive said filtered signal, wherein said wire is located in a residential building;

a plurality of personal computers coupled to said wire, wherein each of at least some of said personal computers comprises;

means for receiving said filtered signal;

means for forwarding signals to said cable television transmission system; and

means for receiving and transmitting signals between different ones of said personal computers;

wherein said personal computers are configured to communicate via said modem by modulating a carrier having a frequency within said filtered out portion; and

wherein at least one of said personal computers is configured to forward signals to said cable television transmission system using a carrier frequency in the range of approximately 0 MHz to approximately 50 MHz.

13. The local area network of claim 12, wherein said means for receiving and transmitting signals between different ones of said personal computers is configured to receive signals at a first frequency and to transmit signals at a second frequency.

14. The local area network of claim 13, further comprising means for converting signals from said first frequency to said second frequency.

15. The local area network of claim 12, wherein said means for receiving said filtered signal comprises means for demodulating digital data from the Internet.

16. The local area network of claim 12, wherein said means for receiving said filtered signal comprises means for demodulating FM audio signals.

17. The local area network of claim 12, wherein at least one of said personal computers is configured to receive signals from said cable television transmission system using a carrier frequency in the range of approximately 0 MHz to approximately 50 MHz.