Hybrid telephone, non-telephone network

• US 7,408,949 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2004
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sigma Designs Israel S.D.I Ltd. (Uphill Investment Co.)
• Original Assignee: Coppergate Communications Limited (Sigma Designs Incorporated)
• Inventors: Baum, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong; Frank
• Application Number:
  US11/000,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20060114927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/407 with decentralised control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]

Abstract

A hybrid network includes telephone and non-telephone network media. The communication devices communicate along the hybrid network according to a media access plan. The non-telephone communication devices do not have collision detection although the telephone communication devices do. The non-telephone communication devices have higher power and sensitivity levels than the telephone communication devices. In some embodiments, the media access plan includes a registration timeslot for the non-telephone communication devices.

Claims

1. A home phone line communication device comprising:

a carrier sense unit to sense when a network medium, comprising at least one telephone line and at least one coax cable, is available but not to detect collisions on said network medium;

a communication unit to communicate along said network medium with other communication devices according to a media access plan, at least one of said other home phone line communication devices having a carrier sense/collision detection unit; and

a power level unit to provide a power level different than that of said other communication devices.

2. The device of claim 1 and wherein said communication device comprises a sensitivity level unit to provide a sensitivity level different than said other communication devices.

3. The device of claim 2 and wherein said sensitivity level matches said power level provided by said power level unit.

4. A home phone line communication device comprising:

a connector connectable to a non-telephone network medium;

a non-telephone communication unit to communicate along said non-telephone network medium at least to a telephone communication device connected along a

telephone network according to a media access plan; and

a power level unit to provide a power level of said non-telephone communication unit such that signals from said non-telephone communication unit have a power level along said telephone network similar to the power level of signals from said telephone communication device.

5. The device of claim 4 and also comprising a sensitivity level unit to provide a sensitivity level to match said power level of said non-telephone communication unit a telephone.

6. A home phone line communication device comprising:

a connector connectable to a non-telephone network medium;

a non-telephone communication unit to communicate along said non-telephone network medium at least to a telephone communication device connected along a telephone network at least during a registration timeslot of a media access plan for non-telephone communication units; and

a power level unit to provide a power level of said non-telephone communication unit such that signals from said non-telephone communication unit have a power level along said telephone network similar to the power level of signals from said a telephone communication device.

7. The device of claim 6 and also comprising a sensitivity level unit to provide a sensitivity level to match said power level of said non-telephone communication unit.