Network interface device having virtual private network capability

• US 7,480,369 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2003
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Magarasevic, Jelena, Phillips, Bruce A., Casey, Steven M., Brodigan, Donald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo; Stella L
• Application Number:
  US10/715,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20040151290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,891 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.05, 379/93.07, 379/90.01, 370/352
• US Class Current: 379/93.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/005 Interface circuits for subscriber lines current supply H04M19/00 and subgroups; supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements H04M3/22 and subgroups; in key telephone systems H04M9/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234363 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4886 for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 the cable being constituted by a pair of wires
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085

Abstract

A method for providing the communication of information services between customer premises equipment (CPE) at a customer'"'"'s premises and a source of the information services includes providing a demarcation device at the customer'"'"'s premises. The demarcation device defines an interface between an external transport medium that is substantially external to the customer'"'"'s premises and an internal transport medium that is substantially internal to the customer'"'"'s premises. The method also includes establishing a virtual private network (VPN) between the demarcation device and the source of information services and establishing a virtual local area network (VLAN) between the demarcation device and the CPE.

Claims

1. A method for providing communication of information services between customer premises equipment (CPE) at a customer'"'"'s premises and a source of the information services, comprising:

providing a demarcation device at the customer'"'"'s premises, wherein the demarcation device defines an interface between an external transport medium that is substantially external to the customer'"'"'s premises and an internal transport medium that is substantially internal to the customer'"'"'s premises;

establishing a virtual private network (VPN) between the demarcation device and the source of information services; and

establishing a virtual local area network (VLAN) between the demarcation device and the CPE;

wherein the communication of information services is provided by at least the VPN and the VLAN.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a signal at the demarcation device from the source of the information services via the VPN;

consulting a routing table at the demarcation device to determine the VLAN of the CPE; and

routing the signal to the CPE via the VLAN.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing a VLAN between the demarcation device and the CPE comprises:

establishing an interface between the CPE and the demarcation device;

transmitting information from the CPE to the demarcation device via the interface, wherein the information comprises an address of the CPE; and

writing at least a portion of the information to a routing table, wherein the routing table also comprises a VLAN tag that identifies the VLAN between the CPE and the demarcation device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the interface between the CPE and the demarcation device comprises a selection from the group consisting of fiber optic connection, coaxial connection, twisted pair copper wire connection, and wireless connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing a VPN between the demarcation device and the source of information services comprises:

establishing an interface between the demarcation device and the source of information services; and

writing information to a routing table at the demarcation device, wherein the information identifies a service and a termination location of the VPN.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the service comprises a selection from the group consisting of voice, data, and video.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the service comprises a selection from the group consisting of video on demand, voice over internet protocol, broadband Internet access, television programming, online gaming, music on demand, instant messaging, and alarm systems signaling.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the service comprises utility monitoring and control.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the interface between the demarcation device and the source of information services comprises a selection from the group consisting of fiber optic connection, coaxial connection, twisted pair copper wire connection, wireless connection, and satellite-based connection.

10. A demarcation device configured to facilitate the communication of information services between customer premises equipment (CPE) at a customer'"'"'s premises and a source of the information services, comprising:

means for establishing a virtual private network (VPN) with a source of information services, wherein signals are received at the demarcation device from the source of information services via an interface comprising an external transport medium substantially external to the customer'"'"'s premises;

means for establishing a virtual local area network (VLAN) with the CPE, wherein signals are sent from the demarcation device to the CPE via an interface comprising an internal transport medium substantially interior to the customer'"'"'s premises; and

a routing table that stores information used to map signals from the VPN of the source of information services to the VLAN of the CPE.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the interface between the CPE and the demarcation device comprises a selection from the group consisting of fiber optic connection, coaxial connection, twisted pair copper wire connection, and wireless connection.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the service comprises a selection from the group consisting of voice, data, and video.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the service comprises a selection from the group consisting of video on demand, voice over internet protocol, broadband Internet access, television programming, online gaming, music on demand, instant messaging, and alarm systems signaling.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the service comprises utility monitoring and control.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the interface between the demarcation device and the source of information services comprises a selection from the group consisting of fiber optic connection, coaxial connection, twisted pair copper wire connection, wireless connection, and satellite-based connection.

16. A method of registering customer premises equipment (CPE) at a customer'"'"'s premises with a demarcation device to receive information services from a source of the information services, comprising:

establishing a virtual private network (VPN) between the demarcation device and the source of information services, wherein the VPN is comprised by an external transport medium substantially exterior to the customer'"'"'s premises;

establishing an interface between the CPE and the demarcation device, wherein the interface is comprised by an internal transport medium substantially internal to the customer'"'"'s premises;

establishing a virtual local area network (VLAN) between the CPE and the demarcation device by transmitting an address of the CPE to the demarcation device; and

storing at least a portion of the address in a routing table of the demarcation device, wherein the routing table comprises a CPE receiving devices;

wherein the information services are received via the VPN and the VLAN.

17. A demarcation device configured to facilitate communication of information services between customer premises equipment (CPE) at a customer'"'"'s premises and a source of the information services, comprising:

an interface between an internal transport medium substantially internal to the customer'"'"'s premises and an external transport medium substantially external to the customer'"'"'s premises; and

a microserver programmed to;

serve as a termination point for a virtual private network (VPN) between the demarcation device and the source of information services;

serve as a termination point for a virtual local area network (VLAN) between the demarcation device and the CPE; and

map signals received from the source of information services via the VPN to the CPE via the internal transport medium and the VLAN.

18. The demarcation device of claim 17, wherein the microserver is further programmed to establishing a virtual local area network (VLAN) with the CPE by receiving an address of the CPE and storing at least a portion of the address in a routing table, wherein the routing table comprises a VLAN tag that identifies a VLAN between the demarcation device and the CPE.

19. The demarcation device of claim 17, wherein the service comprises a selection from the group consisting of voice, data, and video.

20. The demarcation device of claim 17, wherein the service comprises utility monitoring and control.