Wireless-signal distribution system via set-top box

• US 7,606,529 B1
• Filed: 12/14/2005
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Barlik, Leonard E., Swan, Timothy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tu X
• Application Number:
  US11/302,663
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01, 455/3.04, 455/3.06, 725/80, 725/98, 725/100, 725/81
• US Class Current: 455/3.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1215 where a cable TV network is used as an access to the PSTN/ISDN
• 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 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for facilitating wireless communications over a coaxial network coupled to a wireless communications network. The system comprises one or more set-top boxes capable of facilitating bi-directional wireless communications, one or more converting devices capable of converting between optical signaling and electrical signaling, and a base transceiver station coupled to one or more communications networks. One method comprises providing a set-top box capable of facilitating bi-directional wireless communications and providing for the communication of data through an out-of-band frequency channel. Another method comprises providing a set-top box physically coupled to a coaxial network and wireless network by a communications line having an out-of-band frequency channel, receiving a request to establish communications, and logically coupling two endpoints.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating wireless communications, the method comprising:

providing at least one set-top box that is capable of facilitating bi-directional wireless communications with one or more endpoints, wherein the set-top box includes an up-down frequency converter coupled to a cellular antenna, and a splitter module capable of separating or combining cable signaling from cellular signaling;

providing for the communication of a first set of data through a cable out-of-band (OOB) frequency channel in a coaxial communications network to the set-top box, wherein the data can be received by the one or more endpoints;

down converting, by the up-down frequency converter, a frequency of cellular signaling included in the first set of data for communication in the OOB frequency channel in the coaxial communication network;

providing for the communication of a second set of data from the set-top box through the OOB frequency channel; and

up converting, by the up-down frequency converter, a frequency of cellular signaling included in the second set of data communicated in the OOB frequency channel in the coaxial communication network to communicate with at least one of the one or more endpoints over the air using the cellular antenna.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the OOB frequency channel comprises upstream bandwidth and downstream bandwidth.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the OOB frequency channel is within a bandwidth range of about 860 MHz to 1 GHz.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more endpoints are one or more wireless communications devices.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication includes converting between electrical signaling and optical signaling and wherein the communication further includes converting the frequency of signaling to a different frequency.

6. One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing the methods of claim 1.

7. A method for facilitating wireless communications via an in-building coaxial communications network coupled to a wireless communications network, the method comprising:

providing a set-top box physically coupled to the coaxial network and the wireless network by a communications line, the communications line having an OOB frequency channel above 860 Mhz allocated within it;

receiving from a first endpoint a request to establish a communications link with a second endpoint, the receiving comprising;

converting electrical signaling to optical signaling and converting the frequency of signaling to a different frequency; and

using the OOB frequency channel, logically coupling the first endpoint to the second endpoint, wherein the OOB frequency channel comprises an upstream component and a downstream component.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein logically coupling includes identifying one or more appropriate base transceiver stations capable of facilitating the communications link.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the first endpoint is a mobile wireless device.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the second endpoint is a mobile wireless device.

11. One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing the method of claim 9.

12. A system for facilitating wireless communications via a coaxial network coupled to a wireless communications network, the system comprising:

one or more set-top boxes that are capable of facilitating bi-directional wireless communications, the one or more set-top boxes physically coupled to the coaxial network and the wireless communications network by a communications line having a cable out-of-band (OOB) frequency channel allocated within it;

one or more converting devices that are capable of converting optical signals to electrical signals and of converting electrical signals to optical signals;

one or more combining and dividing devices coupled to the set top box via the communication line and capable of combining and dividing cable and cellular electrical signaling; and

a base transceiver station coupled to one or more communications networks via a base station controller.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the one or more converting devices are further capable of converting the frequencies of the electrical signals to different frequencies.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the one or more set-top boxes are physically coupled to the wireless communications network via a fiber optic network.