Wireless device connection in single medium wiring scheme for multiple signal distribution in building and access port therefor

• US 7,027,431 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2000
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WI3 Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Upstate Systems Tec, Inc.
• Inventors: Thompson, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsegaye, Saba
• Application Number:
  US09/642,312
• Time in Patent Office: 2,059 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/389, 370/392, 370/400, 370/401, 370/406, 370/407, 370/465, 370/466, 370471-475, 370486-490, 370/252, 725/78, 725/81, 725/105, 725/109, 725/112, 725/119, 348/12
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/06 for computer periphery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/02 for simultaneous co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/104 Switchers or splitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 the cable being constituted by a pair of wires

Abstract

An access node or access port has physical connectors for a variety of signal-receiving and -transmitting devices and includes apparatus that allow all signals used by the devices to be carried by as few as one or two conduits. The conduits can be any signal-carrying medium, including media converters where necessary. Signals are converted to and from addressed data packets carried in a packet stream over the conduits. A central node or node zero receives signals from outside the structure, converts them to addressed data packets, and sends the packets over the conduit(s) as the packet stream. Access nodes take packets addressed to them, convert packets back into the original signals, then feed the signals to appropriate connectors on the access nodes. The central node can also allow internode communication. In place of one of or in addition to the physical connectors, the node has a transceiver in wireless communication with another transceiver connected to a device outside the node using RF or infrared communication. The wireless communication between transceivers can carry the packet stream where one of the transceivers is in the central node. When one of the transceivers is connected to a device, such as a VCR, personal computer, or other signal-transmitting and/or -receiving device, the device can receive signals from the network without having cables extending between the access node and the device.

Claims

1. An in-house signal distribution system including:

a main input node mounted in a structure and taking a plurality of external signals for use by different types of devices, converting all of the plurality of external signals into addressed data packets, and conveying all of said addressed data packets in a packet stream to each of a plurality of access node, each access node having a unique node address;

each access node being an access port including a main module mounted in a wall of the structure and further including;

a main module connector connected to the packet stream;

distributing connectors connected to the main module and arranged for connection to different types of video or nonvideo devices, and receive respective ones of the signals distributed by the in-house signal distribution network;

a packet handler that picks packets addressed to the access node from the packet stream; and

the packet handler converting the picked packets back to their respective ones of the signals and sending the respective ones of the signals to a respective distributing connector of the access node; and

a packet stream distributor carrying the packet stream from the main input node output port to each access node main module connector, an access node further including a transceiver in wireless communication with at least one of;

the main input node and a device of said different types of devices.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the transceiver is a radio frequency transceiver.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the transceiver uses the Bluetooth™

standard.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the transceiver uses the IEEE 802.11 standard.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the transceiver in the access node is a distributing connector and sends the picked packets to a device of said different types of devices.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein the transceiver is an access node packet stream transceiver, the main input node includes a central node transceiver in radio communication with the access node, and the packet stream distributor includes the radio communication between the central node transceiver and the access node packet stream transceiver.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein the access node further includes an antenna connected to the transceiver.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the antenna is embedded in a wall plate of the access node.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein a distributing connector receives an antenna cable, thus allowing selective connection of an antenna to the main module.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the transceiver is an infrared transceiver.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the infrared transceiver uses an IrDA infrared broadcast standard.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the main module includes an expansion connector into which a submodule can be inserted; and

the distributing connector is on the submodule, and the distributing connector is the transceiver.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the transceiver includes an antenna connected to the submodule.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the main module connector is the transceiver and the packet stream distributor includes radio transmissions between the transceiver and the another transceiver located in a central node of the in-house network.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the transceiver is a radio frequency transceiver.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the transceiver uses the Bluetooth™

standard.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the transceiver uses the IEEE 802.11 standard.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the transceiver is an IR transceiver.

19. A packet stream decoding access node, said access node being an access port of an in-house digital network, said digital network receiving a plurality of external signals for use by different types of devices, converting all of the plurality of external signals into data packets and conveying all of said data packets in a packet stream to each of a plurality of access nodes, wherein said access node includes apparatus that receives addressed data packets from the packet stream carried by a packet stream distributor and converts the addressed data packets into signals usable by devices connected to distributing connectors of the access node, the apparatus of the access nodes further including:

a main module connector of the access node mounted on a main module of the access node and arranged to receive the packet stream from the packet stream distributor, installed distributing connectors being connected to the main module and arranged for connection to respective different types of video or nonvideo devices, and receive respective ones of the signals distributed by the in-house digital network as a respective portion of the packet stream;

a packet handling system connected to the main module connector that extracts from the packet stream data packets addressed to one of the access node and a device connected to the access node, the packet handling system including a decoder that decodes the extracted data packets into a signal and sends the signal to a distributing connector connected to the main module; and

at least one of;

the main module connector and the distributing connector being a transceiver in wireless communication with another transceiver of a remote device.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein:

the main module includes an expansion connector into which a submodule can be inserted; and

the submodule includes an antenna connector through which an antenna can communicate with the transceiver.

21. In an in-house signal distribution system, said signal distribution system receiving a plurality of external signals for use by different types of devices, converting all of the plurality of external signals into data packets, and conveying all of said data packets in a packet stream to each of a plurality of access nodes, an access node of the in-house signal distribution system that is an access port of the in-house signal distribution system and includes:

a main module mounted in a communications box of a structure in which the in-house signal distribution system is installed;

a main module connector mounted on the main module and connected to the packet stream of the in-house signal distribution system, the packet stream including addressed data packets that carry respective portions of the plurality of external signals distributed by the in-house signal distribution system;

distributing connectors connected to the main module and arranged for connection to different types of video or nonvideo devices, and receive respective ones of the signals distributed by the in-house distribution system;

a packet handler that picks packets for the access node from the packet stream;

the packet handler converting the picked packets back to their respective ones of the signals and sending the respective ones of the signals to respective distributing connectors of the access node;

a packet stream distributor carrying the packet stream to the access node main module connector;

at least one of;

the main module connector and a distributing connector of the distributing connectors including a transceiver in wireless communication with another transceiver of a remote device.

22. The access node of claim 21 wherein the packet stream is generated by a main input node that takes the plurality of external signals and converts the plurality of external signals into addressed data packets carried by the packet stream to the access node, the plurality of external signals being signals for distribution, the main input node including the another transceiver, the main module connector including the transceiver, and the packet stream including radio transmissions between the transceiver and the another transceiver.

23. In an access port mounted in a communications box recessed within a wall, the access port being an access node of an in-house signal distribution network, said signal distribution network receiving a plurality of external signals for use by different types of devices, converting all of the plurality of external signals into data packets, and conveying all of said data packets in a packet stream to each of a plurality of access nodes, said access port including:

an electronic device mounted on a main module and including a transceiver in communication with a packet handler receiving a packet stream that includes addressed data packets, the packet handler taking from the packet stream data packets addressed to the access node, the transceiver further being in wireless communication with a transceiver of a device external to the access port;

a first converter of the electronic device in communication with the packet handler that discerns what type of signal each data packet represents, converts the data packet to its signal type, and sends the signal to a connector arranged to receive the signal; and

the connector being supported on the main module with one end being accessible from within the communications box for connection to the electronic device and another end being accessible from without the communications box for connection to an external video or nonvideo device by a user.

24. The access port of claim 23 wherein the connector is an antenna connector that communicates with the transceiver and protrudes through a wall plate mounted across an open end of the communications box.

25. A packet stream decoding access node being an access port of an in-house digital network, said digital network receiving a plurality of external signals for use by different types of devices, converting all of the plurality of external signals into data packets, and conveying all of said data packets in a packet stream to each of a plurality of access nodes, and said packet stream decoding access node including apparatus that receives addressed data packets from a packet stream carried by a packet stream distributor and converts the addressed data packets into signals usable by devices, including video and nonvideo devices, connected to physical medium connectors of the access node, the apparatus of the access node further including:

a main module connector of the access node mounted on a main module of the access node and arranged to receive the packet stream from the packet stream distributor;

a packet handling system connected to the main module connector that extracts from the packet stream data packets addressed to one of the access node and a device connected to the access node, the packet handling system including a decoder that decodes the extracted data packets into a signal and sends the signal to a physical medium connector connected to the main module;

a wireless connection between a transceiver on the main module and another transceiver external of the access node; and

wherein the packet handling system sends an acknowledgment signal via the packet steam distributor when an addressed data packet has been successfully extracted from the packet stream.

26. The access node of claim 25 wherein the wireless connection includes the packet stream distributor, the transceiver is the main module connector, and the another transceiver is in a central node of the digital network.

27. The access node of claim 25 wherein the wireless connection includes extracted packets, the transceiver is a distributing connector, and the another transceiver is part of a device accessing the digital network via the wireless connection.

28. The access node of claim 25 further including an antenna connected to the transceiver and mounted in a wall plate of the access node.

29. The access node of claim 25 further including an antenna connector on the main module, the antenna connector itself being connected to the transceiver and providing selective communication between the transceiver and the antenna.