Local area network of serial intelligent cells

• US 7,006,523 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2004
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management)
• Original Assignee: SercoNet Limited (Yehuda Binder, MBA)
• Inventors: Binder, Yehuda
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boakye, Alexander O.
• Application Number:
  US10/917,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20050013320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 370/478, 370/479, 370/295, 370/335, 370/337, 370/342, 370/344, 370/343, 370/347, 370/436, 370/441, 370/502, 370/254, 370/476, 370/463
• US Class Current: 370/463
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5437 Wired telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/545 Audio/video application, e.g. interphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/02 providing ringing current or supervisory tones, e.g. dialling tone or busy tone
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/908 Local area network

Abstract

A device for coupling first and second bi-directional wired digital data signals to each other and to a data unit, for use with first and second service wire pairs installed at least in part in walls within a building. The first service wire pair concurrently carries the first bi-directional wired digital data signal and a first service signal carried over a first service signal frequency band, using frequency division multiplexing. The first wired digital data signal is carried over a frequency band distinct from the first service signal frequency band. The second service wire pair concurrently carries a second bi-directional wired digital data signal and a second service signal carried over a second service signal frequency band, using frequency division multiplexing. The second wired digital data signal is carried over a frequency band distinct from the second service signal frequency band.

Claims

1. A device for coupling first and second bi-directional wired digital data signals to each other and to a data unit, for use with first and second service wire pairs installed at least in part in walls within a building, the first service wire pair concurrently carrying the first bi-directional wired digital data signal and a first service signal carried over a first service signal frequency band, using frequency division multiplexing wherein the first wired digital data signal is carried over a frequency band distinct from the first service signal frequency band, and the second service wire pair concurrently carrying a second bi-directional wired digital data signal and a second service signal carried over a second service signal frequency band, using frequency division multiplexing wherein the second wired digital data signal is carried over a frequency band distinct from the second service signal frequency band, said device comprising:

a single enclosure and, within said single enclosure;

a first wiring connector for connecting said device to the first service wire pair;

a first filter coupled to said first wiring connector for passing only the first bi-directional wired data signal;

a first modem coupled to said first filter for coupling with the first bi-directional wired data signal;

a second wiring connector for connecting said device to the second service wire pair;

a second filter coupled to said second wiring connector for passing only the second bi-directional wired data signal;

a second modem coupled to said second filter for coupling with the second bi-directional wired data signal;

a multiport unit coupled to said first and second modems and operative to allow the first and second bi-directional wired digital data signals to be independent of one another;

a standard data interface coupled to the multiport unit for coupling a standard data interface signal to at least one of the first and the second bi-directional wired data signals; and

a data port coupled to the standard data interface and couplable to a data unit for coupling to the standard data interface signal thereto,

wherein said device is addressable.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first service wire pair is a power line, the first service signal is an AC power signal and the first bi-directional wired digital data signal is PLC based.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein:

the first filter is a low pass filter for passing only the AC power signal; and

said device further comprises

a power supply coupled to said first filter for receiving the AC power signal for powering at least part of said device.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first service wire-pair is a coaxial cable.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein one of the first and second wire pairs carries a power signal, and the device further comprises a power supply coupled to the power signal to be powered therefrom, for powering at least part of said device.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein said device is further operable to power a connected unit.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said device is further operative to control the power provided to the connected unit.

8. The device according to claim 6, wherein said device is further operative to monitor the power provided to the connected unit.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first service wire pair is a telephone wire pair and the first service signal is one of a POTS telephone signal and an ISDN telephone signal.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the first bi-directional wired digital data signal is xDSL based.

11. The device according to claim 1, for coupling to multiple data units, wherein said device further comprises:

an additional standard data interface coupled to the multiport unit for coupling an additional standard data interface signal to one of the first and the second bi-directional wired data signal; and

an additional data port coupled to the additional standard data interface and couplable to a data unit for coupling to the additional standard data interface signal thereto.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the additional standard data interface is distinct from the first data interface.

13. The device according to claim 1, further comprising means for mounting said device on a wall.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein said device is included in an outlet.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the outlet is one of a telephone outlet and a power outlet.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device has an address that is at least in part based on a manually assigned address.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device has an automatically assigned address.

18. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device has an address that is at least in part based on data from a data unit coupled to said device.

19. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device is further operative to couple a service unit to the first service signal, and said device further comprises:

a service filter coupled to the first wiring connector for passing only the first service signal; and

a service connector coupled to said service filter and couplable to a service unit, for coupling the service unit to the first service signal.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein the service unit is one out of a telephone unit and an AC powered appliance.

21. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first service signal is distinct from the second service signal.

22. The device according to claim 1, further operative to couple the first and second service signal, the device further comprising:

a first service filter coupled to the first wiring connector for passing only the first service signal,

a second service filter coupled between the first service filter and the second wiring connector for passing only the second service signal for coupling together the first and the second service signals.

23. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first bi-directional wired digital data signal comprises a digitized telephone signal, said device is further operative to couple an analog telephone unit to the digitized telephone signal, and said device further comprises:

a telephone connector connectable for coupling the analog telephone unit to the digitized telephone signal, and

means for converting between the analog telephone unit signal and the digitized telephone signal.

24. The device according to claim 1, wherein the standard data interface is operative to interface with packet based or Ethernet based signals.

25. A network for carrying data and service signals, said network comprising:

first and second nodes and first and second service wiring segments, wherein

said first service wiring segment comprises a first wire pair installed at least in part in walls within a building, said first wire pair concurrently carrying a first bi-directional wired digital data signal and a first service signal carried over a first service signal frequency band, using frequency division multiplexing wherein the first wired digital data signal is carried over a frequency band distinct from the first service signal frequency band, and wherein the first bi-directional digital data signal carries distinct first and second digital data streams,

said second service wiring segment comprises a second wire pair installed at least in part in walls within a building, the wire pair concurrently carrying a second packet-based wired digital data signal and a second service signal carried over a second service signal frequency band, using frequency division multiplexing wherein the second wired digital data signal is carried over a frequency band distinct from the second service signal frequency band, and wherein the second bi-directional digital data signal carries a third digital data stream;

said first node is connected to said first and second wiring segments, couples the first and second wired digital data signals, and is operative to pass only data in the first digital data stream to the third digital data stream;

said second node is connected to said second wiring segment, is connectable to a data unit, and is operative to couple the data unit to the second wired digital data signal, and

said first node is addressable.

26. The network according to claim 25, wherein one of said first and second service wiring segments is a power line segment carrying an AC power signal as the service signal of that service wiring segment, and a power line communication based wired digital data signal as the bi-directional digital data signal.

27. The network according to claim 26, wherein one of said first and second nodes comprises:

a filter coupled to the to the wiring segment carrying the AC power signal for passing only the AC power signal; and

a power supply coupled to said filter to be fed by the AC power signal for powering at least part of the one of the nodes connected to the wiring segment carrying the AC power signal.

28. The network according to claim 25, wherein one of said first and second service wiring segments is a coaxial cable.

29. The network according to claim 25, wherein one of said first and second wiring segments carries a power signal as a respective one of the service signals, and one of said first and second nodes further comprises a power supply coupled to said power signal to be powered therefrom, for powering at least part of said one of said first and second nodes.

30. The network according to claim 29, wherein said one of said first and second nodes is further operable to power a connected unit.

31. The network according to claim 30, wherein said one of said first and second nodes is further operative to control or monitor the power provided to the connected unit.

32. The network according to claim 25, wherein one of said first and second service wiring segments is a telephone wire pair and the service signal carried by said one of said first and second service wiring segments is a POTS telephone signal or an ISDN telephone signal.

33. The network according to claim 32, wherein one of the first and second wired digital data signals is xDSL based.

34. The network according to claim 25, for coupling to multiple data units, wherein one of said first and second nodes comprises:

a standard data interface coupled to one of the first and second bi-directional wired data signals, and

a data port coupled to said standard data interface and couplable to a data unit for coupling the data unit to one of the first and second bi-directional wired data signals.

35. The network according to claim 34, wherein multiple distinct data interfaces are provided in one of the first and second nodes.

36. The network according to claim 25, wherein one of said first and second nodes is mounted on a wall.

37. The network according to claim 36, wherein said one of said first and second nodes is included in an outlet.

38. The network according to claim 37, wherein the outlet is one of a telephone outlet and a power outlet.

39. The network according to claim 25, wherein said first node has an address that is at least in part based on a manually assigned address.

40. The network according to claim 25, wherein said first node has an automatically assigned address.

41. The network according to claim 25, wherein said first node has an address that is at least in part based on data from a data unit coupled to said first node.

42. The network according to claim 25, wherein one of said first and second nodes is further operative to couple a service unit to one of the first and second service signals, and said one of said first and second nodes comprises:

a service filter coupled to the first service wiring segment for passing only the first service signal; and

a service connector coupled to said service filter and couplable to a service unit, for coupling the service unit to one of the service signals.

43. The network according to claim 42, wherein the service unit is a telephone unit or an AC powered appliance.

44. The network according to claim 25, wherein the first service signal is distinct from the second service signal.

45. The network according to claim 25, wherein said first node comprises:

a first service filter coupled to said first wiring segment for passing only the first service signal; and

a second service filter coupled between said first service filter and said second wiring segment for passing only the second service signal, and wherein the first and the second service signals are coupled to each other.

46. The network according to claim 25, wherein one of the first and second bi-directional wired digital data signals comprises a digitized telephone signal, and one of the first and second nodes is further operative to couple a telephone unit to the digitized telephone signal.

47. The network according to claim 46, wherein the telephone unit is a POTS telephone unit or a digital telephone unit.

48. The network according to claim 25, wherein one of the first and second digital data signals is packet based.

49. The network according to claim 25, wherein the first digital data signal carries multiple digitized telephony signals, and the second digital data signal carried at least one digitized telephony signal.

50. A device for coupling a telephone unit to an analog telephone signal and for coupling a data unit to a bi-directional wired digital data signal, for use with a telephone wire pair installed at least in part in walls within a building, the wire pair concurrently carrying a power signal, the bi-directional wired digital data signal and the analog telephone signal carried over a telephone signal frequency band, using frequency division multiplexing, wherein the wired digital data signal is carried over a frequency band distinct and higher than the telephone signal frequency band, wherein said device comprises:

a first connector for connecting said device to the telephone wire pair;

a high pass filter coupled to said first connector for passing only the bi-directional wired digital data signal;

a modem coupled to said high pass filter for coupling with the bi-directional digital wired data signal;

a data port coupled to said modem and couplable to a data unit, for coupling the data unit to the bi-directional digital wired data signal;

a low pass filter coupled to said first connector for passing only the analog telephone signal;

a telephone connector coupled to said low pass filter and connectable to a telephone unit, for coupling the telephone unit to the analog telephone signal; and

a power supply coupled between said first connector and said modem to be powered by the power signal for powering said modem.

51. The device according to claim 50, wherein said device is addressable.

52. The device according to claim 50, wherein the power signal is a DC signal.

53. The device according to claim 50, wherein the power signal is an AC signal.

54. The device according to claim 53, wherein the power signal has a frequency distinct from the data and telephone signals.

55. The device according to claim 50, wherein the data port is operative to couple to a packet based signal.

56. The device according to claim 50, wherein said device is further operative to power a connected device.

57. The device according to claim 56, wherein said device is further operative to power a connected data unit.

58. The device according to claim 50, wherein said device is further attachable to a wall.

59. The device according to claim 50, wherein said device is at least in part housed within a telephone outlet.

60. The device according to claim 50, wherein the digital data signal is DSL based.