Wireless cable networking gateway and Wi-Fi system incorporating the same

• US 7,657,222 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2003
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alba, Joseph N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung; Nay A
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US10/336,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20040132403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,588 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01, 455/433, 455/566, 455/3.03, 455/424, 455/426.1, 370/260, 370/352, 725/34, 725/81, 725/119, 725/130, 725/82, 725/120
• US Class Current: 455/3.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A wireless cable networking gateway, a method of wireless cable networking and a Wi-Fi system incorporating the gateway or the method. In one embodiment, the gateway includes: (1) a wireless transceiver for transferring data between wireless and wireline domains, (2) wide-area and premises cable interfaces for coupling the wireless cable networking gateway to respective wide-area and premises cable networks and (3) channel insertion and extraction circuitry, coupling the wireless transceiver, the wide-area cable interface and the premises cable interface, that routes the data between the wireless transceiver and at least a portion of a television channel to be transmitted across at least the premises cable interface, remaining television channels being transmitted from the wide-area cable interface to the premises cable interface.

Claims

1. A Wi-Fi system, comprising:

(A) a premises cable network, including;

(1) a television cable backbone, and

(2) at least one television set coupled to said television cable backbone;

(B) a wireless cable networking gateway coupled to said premises cable network and a wide-area cable network and including;

(1) a Wi-Fi transceiver for transferring wireless data to and from an IEEE 802.11 domain,

(2) digital/analog conversion circuitry, coupled to said Wi-Fi transceiver, for converting said wireless between digital and analog domains,

(3) a wide-area cable interface for coupling said wireless cable networking gateway to said wide-area cable network, and

(4) channel insertion and extraction circuitry, coupling said digital/analog conversion circuitry, said wide-area cable interface and said premises cable network, that routes said wireless data between said wireless transceiver and at least a portion of a television channel to be transmitted across at least said premises cable network by inserting said wireless data to and extracting said wireless data from said at least a portion of a television channel, remaining television channels being transmitted from said wide-area cable interface to said premises cable network; and

(C) at least one Wi-Fi device, wirelessly coupled to said Wi-Fi transceiver, for communicating said wireless data therewith and to said at least one television set.

2. The Wi-Fi system as recited in claim 1 wherein said Wi-Fi device is selected from the group consisting of:

a computer,

a video cassette recorder,

a video camera,

a digital versatile disk player,

a gaming system console,

a gaming system controller, and

a digital camera.

3. The Wi-Fi system as recited in claim 1 further comprising processing circuitry, coupled to said channel insertion and extraction circuitry, that allows said television channel to be remotely selectable.

4. The Wi-Fi system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a buffer, interposing said wireless transceiver and said channel insertion and extraction circuitry, for buffering said wireless data.

5. The Wi-Fi system as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least said portion of said television channel is further transmitted across said wide-area cable interface.

6. The Wi-Fi system as recited in claim 1 wherein said channel insertion and extraction circuitry routes said wireless data between said wireless transceiver and at least portions of multiple television channels.