Networking methods and apparatus

• US 7,443,808 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2004
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Coaxsys, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Coaxsys, Inc.
• Inventors: Koller, David P., Preschutti, Joseph P., Powers, Adam, Morelli, John, Nonnemocher, Ellwood D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Wing F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones; Prenell P
• Application Number:
  US10/852,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20050083856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 370/241, 370/238, 370/289, 370/503, 370/254, 370/465, 370/435, 370/406, 370/235, 370/428, 370/445, 370/463, 370/401, 370/402, 370/351, 455/427, 455/67.4, 455/522, 455/69, 455/73, 455/234, 455/423, 455/68, 709/224, 709/250, 375/296, 375/354, 375/371, 375/355, 375/90.01
• US Class Current: 370/254
• 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 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances

Abstract

The present invention includes installing a computer network (51) in a building (24) by coupling together a hub (50, 350) and a number of network adapters (100, 400) together with previously installed cabling. Data signals are transmitted from the adapters (100, 400) to the hub (50, 350) within a first frequency range and converted to frequency-converted data signals within a second frequency range for transmission back to the adapters (100, 400). The network (51) interfaces to an ethernet bus (37) through each of the adapters (100, 400).

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

designating a building in which previously installed wiring was utilized to transmit telephone communications or television programming;

installing a computer network in the building by coupling a network hub and a number of network communication adapters together with the previously installed wiring;

at the hub, generating a reference signal at a reference frequency for transmission to the adapters through the wiring;

adjusting signal power level in response to the reference signal at one or more of the adapters; and

at the hub, converting computer data signals sent by one of the adapters from a first frequency range to second frequency range for transmission to another of the adapters, the reference frequency being outside the first frequency range and the second frequency range.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes supplying power to circuitry of the hub through the previously installed wiring.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wiring is in the form of coaxial cabling operable to provide the television programming within a third frequency range below the first frequency range and the second frequency range.

4. The method of claim 1, which includes:

establishing the reference frequency between the first frequency range and the second frequency range;

setting the first frequency range and the second frequency range above a television transmission frequency range for cable television; and

setting the first frequency range and the second frequency range below a transmission frequency range for satellite-received television.

5. The method of claim 1, which includes performing said adjusting once with each power cycle of a corresponding one of the adapters.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the building is a residential dwelling and the wiring is coaxial cabling previously installed in the dwelling and further comprising:

transmitting the television programming through the wiring after said installing; and

routing the television programming to a number of televisions in the residential dwelling through a diplex filter included with the hub.

7. The method of claim 6, which includes:

coupling a first one of the adapters to a first device in a first room of the dwelling;

coupling a second one of the adapters to a second device in a second room of the dwelling; and

communicating between the first device and the second device through the first one of the adapters, the second one of the adapters, the hub, and the coaxial cabling.

8. The method of claim 7, which includes:

establishing the reference frequency between the first frequency range and the second frequency range;

setting the first frequency range and the second frequency range above a television transmission frequency range for household cable television;

setting the first frequency range and the second frequency range below a television transmission frequency range for household transmission of satellite television; and

coupling the hub between the coaxial cabling in the dwelling and a cable external to the dwelling, the cable external to the dwelling being coupled to a low frequency band of the diplex filter;

providing a splitter with the hub to perform said routing;

providing a frequency translator to perform said converting, the frequency translator being coupled to a high frequency band of the diplex filter; and

a signal generator coupled to the diplex filter to provide the reference signal through the splitter.

9. A method, comprising:

designating a building in which previously installed coaxial cabling was utilized to provide television programming;

installing a computer network in the building by coupling a network hub and a number of network communication adapters together with the previously installed coaxial cabling, the network hub including a hub receiver and a hub transmitter;

passing television programming signals through the cabling within a cable television frequency range;

with one or more of the network communication adapters, transmitting data signals modulated for transmission to the network hub within a first frequency range through the computer network;

at the hub, demodulating the data signals in the first frequency range with the hub receiver to provide the data signals in an unmodulated form;

sending the data signals in the unmodulated form from the hub receiver to the hub transmitter;

modulating the data signals from the hub receiver with the hub transmitter for transmission in a second frequency range through the computer network; and

at each of the adapters, receiving the data signals transmitted in the second frequency range from the network hub, wherein the cable television frequency range does not overlap the first frequency range, the cable television frequency range does not overlap the second frequency range, and at least a portion of the first frequency range does not overlap the second frequency range.

10. The method of claim 9, which includes interfacing the computer network to an ethernet bus through one of the network communication adapters.

11. The method of claim 9, which includes supplying DC power to the network hub through the previously installed coaxial cabling.

12. The method of claim 9, which includes generating a reference signal to direct operation of one or more of the network communication adapters.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the reference signal corresponds to execution of a transmission protocol by the network communication adapters.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the reference signal corresponds to an equalization tone to generate equalization information for each of the network communication adapters.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the reference signal corresponds to an initialization signal.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said modulating includes modulating the data signals in a QAM format.

17. The method of claim 9, which includes performing adapter equalization by:

each of the network communication adapters sending an adapter equalization signal;

storing adapter equalization information in each of the adapters; and

determining the adapter equalization is completed.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the building is a residential dwelling and further comprising:

transmitting the television programming through the coaxial cabling after said installing;

routing the television programming to a number of televisions in the dwelling during said transmitting; and

setting the first frequency range and the second frequency range above the cable television frequency range.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the building is a residential dwelling and further comprising:

coupling a first one of the network communication adapters to a first device in a first room of the dwelling;

coupling a second one of the network communication adapters to a second device in a second room of the dwelling; and

communicating between the first device and the second device through the first one of the network communication adapters, the second one of the network communication adapters, the network hub, and the coaxial cabling.

20. A system, comprising:

a network including a number of network connectors wired together within a building;

a hub coupled to the network between the connectors and wiring external to the building and operable to pass communication signals from wiring external to the building to the connectors, the hub including a frequency translator to translate received data signals in a first frequency range to a second frequency range and a signal generator to provide a power reference signal within a third frequency range, the first frequency range, the second frequency range, and the third frequency range each being nonoverlapping relative to one another; and

a number of network adapters each including a transmitter to transmit modulated outgoing signals within the first frequency range over the network to the hub, a receiver to receive modulated incoming data signals from the hub within the second frequency range, and power control circuitry responsive to the reference signal within the third frequency range to adjust signal power level.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the adapters each include interface circuitry coupled to the receiver and the transmitter, the interface circuitry including logic to communicate selected information from the receiver to an ethernet bus and to send other information from the ethernet bus to the transmitter.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the network is in the form of coaxial cabling and the building is in the form of a residential dwelling.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the connectors is coupled to a television within the dwelling, and the hub includes:

a splitter; and

a diplex filter including a high frequency band, a low frequency band, and a combined frequency connection coupled to the splitter, the diplex filter being operable to pass television programming within a fourth frequency range from the wiring external to the dwelling to the splitter through the low frequency band.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

a first device located in a first room of the dwelling coupled to a first one of the adapters;

a second devices located in a second room of the dwelling coupled to a second one of the adapters; and

wherein the first device and the second device are operable to communicate with one another through the hub via the network.

25. A system, comprising:

a computer network hub including;

a coaxial cable interface;

a splitter including a signal port and a plurality of coaxial cable ports, the splitter being operable to transmit signals between the signal port and the coaxial cable ports, the signal port being coupled to the coaxial cable interface;

a hub receiver including an input to receive data signals modulated for transmission to the network hub within a first frequency range from one or more of the coaxial cable ports, the hub receiver being operable to demodulate the data signals from the input for output in an unmodulated form;

a hub transmitter connected to the receiver to receive the data signals in the unmodulated form, the hub transmitter being operable to remodulate the data signals for transmission within a second frequency range, the hub transmitter including an output to send the data signals through the splitter after remodulation; and

a filter connected between the coaxial cable interface and the signal port of the splitter, the filter being operable to reduce transmissions through the coaxial cable interface in the first frequency range and the second frequency range, at least a portion of the second frequency range not overlapping the first frequency range, and the first frequency range and the second frequency range not overlapping a cable television frequency range.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising a plurality of network communication adapters each connected to one of the coaxial cable ports to define a computer network, the adapters each including an adapter transmitter operable to transmit the data signals in the first frequency range to the network hub and an adapter receiver to receive the data signals in the second frequency range from the network hub.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the adapters each include an interface to an ethernet bus and further comprising a plurality of devices each coupled to the ethernet bus of a different one of the adapters, the devices each being operable to receive at least a portion of the data signals over the ethernet bus of the different one of the adapters.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein:

the coaxial cable interface is connected at a point of entry of coaxial cable for cable television service and at least a portion of the coaxial cable ports of the splitter are coupled to pre-installed coaxial cabling for the cable television service; and

the adapters are each coupled to coaxial cabling in a different room of a home, and the adapters each including means for characterizing signal transmission through the computer network by broadcasting a reference signal to at least a subset of the adapters and means for adjusting signal processing of each of the adapters based on the characterizing means.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the characterizing means includes means for sending an equalization reference signal from each respective one of the adapters to other of the adapters and the adjusting means includes equalization information stored in the respective one of the adapters to equalize the data signals received from the other of the adapters.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the characterizing means includes means for sending a power reference signal from the network hub to the adapters, and the adjusting means includes circuitry responsive to the power reference signal to regulate adapter received signal gain.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the first frequency range and the second frequency range are above the cable television frequency range, the adapter transmitter being operable to modulate the data signals with a QAM format in the first frequency range, the hub receiver being operable to demodulate the data signals in the first frequency range in the QAM format, the hub transmitter being operable to modulate the data signals with the QAM format in the second frequency range, and the adapter receiver being operable to demodulate the data signals in the second frequency range in the QAM format.

32. A method, comprising:

designating a building in which previously installed coaxial cabling was utilized to provide television programming;

establishing a computer network in the building by coupling a network hub and a number of network communication adapters together with the previously installed coaxial cabling;

performing an adapter equalization transmission sequence to characterize adapter signal transmission through the computer network, that includes each of the network communication adapters in turn;

sending an equalization reference signal to other of the network communication adapters through the computer network in accordance with the adapter equalization sequence;

storing respective equalization information based on the equalization reference signal received from the other of the network communication adapters during said sending;

performing an adapter data transmission sequence to communicate data between the adapters, that includes each one of the network communication adapters;

transmitting an adapter output signal in a first frequency range through the computer network to the network hub in accordance with the adapter data transmission sequence;

the network hub converting the adapter output signal to an adapter input signal in a second frequency range with at least a portion of the second frequency range not overlapping the first frequency range; and

at least one other of the network communication adapters receiving the adapter input signal through the computer network and processing the adapter input signal in accordance with the respective equalization information stored therewith.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said performing an adapter data transmission sequence includes allocating each of a number of different transmission time slots to a different one of the adapters.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein said converting includes:

demodulating the adapter output signal in the first frequency range to provide a corresponding unmodulated signal; and

remodulating the corresponding unmodulated signal to provide the adapter input signal in the second frequency range.

35. The method of claim 32, which includes sending a reference signal corresponding to an end of the transmission sequence from a last one of the adapters to transmit in the adapter data transmission sequence.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein said processing includes equalizing the adapter input signal with the respective equalization information, the respective equalization information including a different data set for each of the other of the adapters.

37. The method of claim 32, which includes:

placing each of the adapters in a different room of a dwelling, the adapters being coupled to the network hub by coaxial cabling; and

transmitting cable television programming on the coaxial cabling during said performing the adapter equalization transmission sequence and during said performing the adapter data transmission sequence.

38. The method of claim 37, which includes:

connecting a coaxial cable interface of the hub to television cabling entering the dwelling; and

connecting the coaxial cabling to one or more coaxial cable ports of a splitter included in the hub.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein the first frequency range and the second frequency range are above a cable television frequency range, each of the adapters includes an adapter transmitter operable to modulate data signals with a QAM format in the first frequency range, the hub includes a hub receiver operable to demodulate the data signals in the first frequency range in the QAM format, the hub includes a hub transmitter operable to modulate the data signals with the QAM format in the second frequency range, and each of the adapters includes an adapter receiver operable to demodulate the data signals in the second frequency range in the QAM format.

40. An apparatus, comprising:

a network contained within a building, the network including a network hub and a number of network communication adapters coupled together by coaxial cabling;

means for passing television programming signals through the cabling within a cable television frequency range;

means for transmitting data signals from one or more of the adapters to the network hub in a first frequency range;

means for frequency converting the data signals received at the hub in the first frequency range to a second range for transmission to the adapters, the cable television frequency range not overlapping the first frequency range, the cable television frequency range not overlapping the second frequency range, and at least a portion of the first frequency range not overlapping the second frequency range;

means for receiving the data signals in the second frequency range at each of the adapters; and

means for broadcasting a reference signal through the network to more than one of the adapters to characterize signal transmission through the network before communicating the data signals, the receiving means adjusting adapter signal processing in response to the reference signal.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the broadcasting means is included in the network hub and the reference signal is a pilot signal to provide a power reference for each of the adapters.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the broadcasting means is included in each of the adapters, and the reference signal is an equalization signal sent by each one of the adapters to other of the adapters to develop equalization information about the signal transmission from the one of the adapters for storage in each of the other of the adapters.

43. A system, comprising:

a computer network hub including;

a coaxial cable interface;

a splitter including a plurality of coaxial cable ports;

a filter including a first connection to the coaxial cable interface and a second connection to the splitter, the filter being operable to pass television programming within

a first frequency range from the coaxial cable interface to the splitter;

a frequency translator coupled to the splitter, the frequency translator being operable to convert signals received from the splitter within a second frequency range to return signals within a third frequency range for output through the splitter;

a power insertion device to connect to one of the coaxial cable ports through coaxial cabling;

a power supply with a current limiter to connect to the power insertion device; and

wherein the power insertion device is operable to provide electrical power to the hub through the coaxial cabling and splitter when the power insertion device is coupled to the power supply and the power supply is connected to a power source.

44. The system of claim 43, further comprising a number of network communication adapters coupled to a corresponding number of the ports of the splitter, the adapters each including means for performing an equalization transmission sequence to characterize signal transmission through the network.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the power insertion device and the power supply are located in a room of a building and the hub is not located in the room.

46. The system of claim 43, further comprising a network communication adapter coupled to the power insertion device by further cabling.