Method and system for selecting a frequency for communication within a premises network

• US 6,721,419 B1
• Filed: 06/08/2000
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RCD Investments No. 2, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Premisenet Incorporated
• Inventors: Bareis, Bernard F., Gosha, Michael, Sharp, Francis M., Gibbs, Richard A., Parker, Gerry A., Stell, Larry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/589,997
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 379/413.01, 379/413.02, 379/413.03, 379/90.01, 379/93.05, 379/93.09, 370/463, 370/354, 370/431, 370/481
• US Class Current: 379/413.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/715 using two or more extensions per line cordless telephones H04M1/725
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724

Abstract

A method and system for selecting a frequency for communication within a premises network are disclosed that offer significant operational advantages. According to one aspect of the present invention, a system for selecting a frequency for communication within a premises network may include a telephone line interface, a transceiver, and a logic/control unit coupled to both the telephone line interface and the transceiver. The telephone line interface may be operable to couple to a premises network. In some embodiments, the logic/control unit may be operable to select a first channel. The first channel may correspond to a first frequency over which communications may be sent from the transceiver to other devices within the premises network.

Claims

1. A system for selecting a frequency for communication within a premises network, the system comprising:

a command module and a telephone control module, wherein the command module comprises;

a command module telephone line interface operable to be coupled to a premises network;

a command module transmitter operable to transmit network communications to the telephone control module; and

a command module logic/control unit coupled to the command module telephone line interface and the command module transmitter, the command module logic/control unit operable to select a first channel corresponding to a first frequency over which network communications may be sent from the command module transmitter to the telephone control module, and further operable to send the first channel selection to the telephone control module; and

wherein the telephone control module comprises;

a telephone control module telephone line interface operable to be coupled to the premises network;

a telephone control module electronic device interface operable to be coupled to an electronic device;

a telephone control module receiver operable to receive network communications transmitted by the command module transmitter; and

a telephone control module logic/control unit coupled to the telephone control module telephone line interface, the telephone control module electronic device interface and the telephone control module receiver, the telephone control module operable to;

execute a testing function to determine a first signal strength of the first channel; and

execute a screening function to compare the first signal strength to a signal strength threshold value to determine the adequacy of the first channel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the testing function and the screening function are performed by a carrier detect system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the testing function is a performed by a received signal strength indicator.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the command module logic/control unit further comprises a command module data storage device having a first channel table and a second channel table stored thereon, the first channel table comprising a first array of channels and the second channel table comprising a second array of channels;

wherein each row of the first channel table form a first channel set, and each row of the second channel table forms a second channel set;

wherein each second channel set includes a larger number of channels than each first channel set; and

wherein the first channel is selected from the first channel table if a sufficient number of channels in a particular first channel set are available, and otherwise is selected from the second channel table.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the telephone control module receiver further includes a carrier detect operable to perform the testing function.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the telephone control module receiver further includes a received signal strength indicator operable to perform the testing function.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the testing and screening functions are performed by the telephone control module logic/control unit.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the command module telephone line interface, the command module transmitter, the telephone control module telephone line interface, and the telephone control module receiver are operable to be coupled to a site telephone line within a premises network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the electronic device is a telephone.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first channel selection is sent from the command module to the telephone control module via a control channel communicatively coupling the command module and the telephone control module.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the command module logic/control unit further comprises a command module data storage device having a channel table stored thereon, the channel table comprising an array of channels, wherein each channel corresponds to a frequency within a frequency range;

and

wherein the first channel is selected from the channel table.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each row of channel table forms a channel set, each channel set being predetermined such that communication over one channel within a particular channel set does not substantially interfere with simultaneous communication over other channels within that channel set.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the frequency range is above 4 kHz.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the frequency range is from 1.70 MHz to 4.15 MHz.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the command module further comprises a command module receiver and the telephone control module further comprises a telephone control module transmitter.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the command module logic/control unit further comprises a command module data storage device having a channel table stored thereon, the channel table comprising an array of channels stored thereon, wherein each channel corresponds to a frequency within a frequency range;

and

wherein the first and second channels are selected from the same row in the channel table.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein each row of channel table forms a channel set, each channel set being predetermined such that communication over one channel within a particular channel set does not substantially interfere with simultaneous communication over other channels within that channel set.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the frequency range is above 4 kHz.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the command module logic/control unit further comprises a command module data storage device having a first channel table and a second channel table stored thereon, the first channel table comprising a first array of channels and the second channel table comprising a second array of channels;

wherein a row of the first channel table forms a first channel set, and a row of the second channel table forms a second channel set;

wherein the second channel set comprises more channels than the first channel set.

20. A system for selecting a frequency for communication within a premises network, the system comprising:

a command module including;

a command module telephone line interface operable to be coupled to a premises network;

a command module transceiver; and

a command module logic/control unit operable to couple to the command module telephone line interface and the command module transmitter, the command module logic/control unit being operable to select a first channel corresponding to a first frequency over which network communications may be sent from the command module, and a second channel corresponding to a second frequency over which network communications may be received by the command module; and

a telephone control module comprising;

a telephone control module telephone line interface operable to be coupled to the premises network;

a telephone control module electronic device interface operable to be coupled to an electronic device;

a telephone control module transceiver operable to be coupled to the command module transceiver to allow communication between the command module; and

the telephone control module; and

a telephone control module logic/control unit coupled to the telephone control module telephone line interface, the telephone control module electronic device interface and the telephone control module transceiver;

wherein the command module and the telephone control module cooperate to;

execute a first testing function to determine a first signal strength of the first channel, and a second testing function to determine a second signal strength of the second channel; and

execute a first screening function to compare the first signal strength to a first threshold value to determine the adequacy of the first channel, and a second screening function to compare the second signal strength to a second threshold value to determine the adequacy of the second channel.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first and second testing functions are performed by a carrier detect system.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the first and second screening functions are performed by a carrier detect system.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the first and second testing functions are a performed by a received signal strength indicator.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the command module telephone line interface, the command module transceiver, the telephone control module telephone line interface, and the telephone control module transceiver re operable to be coupled to a site telephone line within a premises network.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the electronic device comprises a telephone.

26. The device of claim 20, wherein the command module logic/control unit further comprises a command module data storage device having a channel table stored thereon, the channel table comprising an array of channels, wherein each channel corresponds to a frequency within a frequency range;

and

wherein the first and second channels are selected from the channel table.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein each row of channel table forms a channel set, each channel set being predetermined such that communication over one channel within a particular channel set does not substantially interfere with simultaneous communication over other channels within that channel set.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the frequency range is above 4 kHz.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the frequency range is from 1.70 MHz to 4.15 MHz.

30. The device of claim 20, wherein the command module logic/control unit further comprises a command module data storage device having a first channel table and a second channel table stored thereon, the first channel table comprising a first array of channels and the second channel table comprising a second array of channels;

wherein each row of the first channel table form a first channel set, and each row of the second channel table forms a second channel set;

wherein each second channel set includes a larger number of channels than each first channel set; and

wherein the first and second channels are selected from the first channel table if a sufficient number of channels in a particular first channel set are available, and otherwise are selected from the second channel table.