Intra-premises wireless broadband service using lumped and distributed wireless radiation from cable source input

• US 6,751,441 B1
• Filed: 10/03/2000
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Worstell, Harry R., Murray, John F., Rice, Christopher W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Danh C.
• Application Number:
  US09/678,522
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 379/352, 379/465, 379/142.14, 455/6.1, 455/6.3, 455/557, 455/7, 725/4.1, 725/81, 359/124, 359/118, 359/125, 359/167, 359/152
• US Class Current: 455/7
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• 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

Abstract

A premises, connected to receive broadband service(s) and also connected to a cable system, is provided with a broadband interface which connects to in-premises cabling which is coupled to consumer receivers such as a television sets, PDAs, laptops. Connected to the broadband interface is an adjunct device which channels broadband, data and voice signals supplied to an in-premises wireless system as distinguished from the signals supplied to the cable connected consumer receivers. The adjunct device formats the broadband and voice signals or any broadband service into packet format suitable for signal radiation and couples them to the in-premises coax cabling, via a diplexer, at a first selected location. At a second cable location a second diplexer, connected to the cable, separates the broadband, data and voice signals and couples them to a signal radiation device (i.e., an RF antenna or leaky coaxial cable) which radiates the signal to the immediate surrounding location. Various devices, near to the second cable location for specific services, receive the wireless signals (i.e., broadband, data and voice) from the radiating antenna.

Claims

1. A distributed wireless radiation system for facilitating intra-premises distribution of broadband services, comprising:

a source broadband interface device connected for receiving incoming signals for in-premises cable distribution of broadband signals;

in-premises cabling comprising a television cable connecting the source broadband interface device to selected premised equipment;

an adjunct device connected to the broadband interface device and operative for accepting broadband signals, formatting the broadband signals for wireless delivery and providing the formatted broadband signals to the in-premises cabling; and

a signal radiation device enabled by the in-premises cabling for radiating the formatted signals to be received by nearby receivers; and

a diplexer to extract the formatted broadband signals at a selected location of the in-premises cabling;

wherein the diplexer operates to isolate various service signals from the television signals of the television cable.

2. A signal distribution system, comprising:

an input device for receiving a signal containing broadband information and broadcast information and outputting the broadband information and outputting the broadcast information at a first frequency;

a wireless device coupled to the input device for packetizing the received broadband information and modulating the packetized broadband information on a second frequency;

a first diplexer coupled to the wireless device and to the input device for receiving the modulated broadband information at the second frequency and the broadcast signal at the first frequency, the first diplexer outputting the modulated broadband information and the input signal onto on-premise cabling; and

an antenna coupled to the on-premise cabling for transmitting the modulated broadband information from the first diplexer to wireless devices.

3. The system according to claim 2, further including a signal splitter coupled to the first diplexer via the on-premise cabling and a second diplexer coupled to the splitter, the second diplexer isolating the broadband information for outputting the broadband information to the antenna.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the second diplexer providing the broadcast information to a portion of the on-premise cabling.

5. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a signal splitter coupled to the first diplexer via the on-premise cabling.

6. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a second diplexer coupled to the splitter.

7. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a second diplexer coupled to the splitter, the second diplexer isolating the broadband information.

8. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a second diplexer coupled to the splitter, the second diplexer isolating the broadband information for outputting the broadband information to the antenna.

9. The system according to claim 2, wherein the first diplexer comprises a first filter for allowing the first frequency to pass and a second filter for allowing the second frequency to pass.

10. The system according to claim 2, wherein the on-premises cabling comprises television cable.

11. The system according to claim 2, wherein the antenna comprises a leaky coaxial cable.

12. The system according to claim 2, wherein a source of the signal containing broadband information and broadcast information is cable.

13. The system according to claim 2, wherein a source of the signal containing broadband information and broadcast information is fixed wireless.

14. The system according to claim 2, wherein a source of the signal containing broadband information and broadcast information is DSL.

15. The system according to claim 2, wherein a source of the signal containing broadband information and broadcast information is a set top box.