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

• US 7,369,838 B1
• Filed: 12/08/2003
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• 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., Rice, Christopher W., Murray, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US10/730,577
• Time in Patent Office: 1,611 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/3.01, 455/402, 455/7, 455/557, 725/81, 725/74, 725/118, 370/338, 370/401, 370/441
• US Class Current: 455/402
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15 Active relay systems
• 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: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42676 for modulating an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information or demodulating it to decode digital information, e.g. ADSL or cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/104 Switchers or splitters

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 cables 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.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the in-premises cabling comprises television cable.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

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 television signals transmitted via the television cable.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the signal radiation device comprises an antenna radiating at RF frequencies.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the signal radiation device comprises leaky coaxial cable radiating at RF frequencies.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

a source of broadband signals to an in-premises distribution is cable.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

a source of broadband signals to the in-premises distribution is fixed wireless.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

a source of broadband signals to the in-premises distribution is DSL.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the source broadband interface device is a set top box.

10. A method of distributing signals, comprising:

receiving, at a first device at a first frequency, an input signal comprising broadband information;

converting the received broadband information to a packet format;

modulating the converted broadband information on an RF second frequency;

transmitting the modulated converted broadband information at the RF second frequency and via on-premise cabling;

isolating the transmitted modulated converted broadband information at the RF second frequency from the first frequency on the on-premise cabling; and

radiating the isolated broadband information from an antenna coupled to the on-premise cabling for a broadcast to one or more wireless receiving devices.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first device includes a set top box.

12. The method according to claim 10, further including converting the received broadband information to the packet format at a wireless transmission device.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the wireless transmission device includes a port controller, a wireless interface, a media access controller and/or a radio interface.

14. The method according to claim 12, further including providing a first filtering device receiving the modulated broadband information, wherein the filtering device is coupled to the on-premise cabling.

15. The method according to claim 14, further including providing a second filtering device and a splitter coupled between the first and second filtering devices, wherein the second filtering device isolates the broadband information for transmission onto the on-premise cabling and transmission by the antenna.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the filtering device includes a first filter for allowing the first frequency to pass and a second filter for allowing the second frequency to pass.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the filtering device corresponds to a diplexer.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein the on-premise cabling includes coaxial cable.

19. The method according to claim 10, wherein the on-premise cabling includes leaky coaxial cable.

20. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first device includes a broadband termination interface.