Apparatus and method for extending DOCSIS cable modem service over wireless links

• US 7,917,931 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2009
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chartoleaux KG LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Arcowv Wireless LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Nash, Terrence R., Melzig, Alfred F., Bertonis, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton; Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): EKPO, NNENNA NGOZI
• Application Number:
  US12/560,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20100011400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 725 78- 82, 725/111, 725/119, 725/123, 725126-129, 725/149, 370/319, 370/334, 370/341
• US Class Current: 725/81
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/97 using uplink of the CATV systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/437 Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server flow control in data networks H04L47/10; streaming protocols, e.g. RTP or RTCP, H04L65/65; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests in data packet switching networks H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

An apparatus and method are presented to allow the extension of a DOCSIS cable modem service over a wireless link. According to the invention a wireless hub transceiver is connected to a distribution coax cable of a DOCSIS based system. The downstream data are transferred over a wireless link to a remote subscriber radio frequency (RF) unit connected to a cable modem that provides the downstream data to the subscriber. Similarly, upstream data are sent from the subscriber cable modem over the wireless link to the wireless hub transceiver where such data are inserted back to the distribution coax cable.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless upstream and downstream access to a cable television service, comprising:

an embedded cable modem controller to control at least one of an up converter transmitting unit and a down converter receiving unit,

wherein control of the up converter transmitting unit by the embedded cable modem controller is of at least mapping a frequency of a DOCSIS transmission into a wireless air frequency, and

wherein the wireless air frequency is frequency mapped based on the sum of the DOCSIS transmission frequency and the wireless air frequency.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a splitter to handle signal communication with a splitter unit connected to a distributed coax cable, and

wherein the splitter is to operate in conjunction with the embedded cable modem controller to deliver and receive downstream signals to and from a downstream channel unit and to deliver and receive upstream signals to and from an upstream channel unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the splitter is to pass through power to operate the apparatus from the distribution coax cable.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the embedded cable modem controller is configured to control a center downstream frequency of a downstream channel unit for wireless operation.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the embedded cable modem controller is configured to control an upstream channel unit for at least one of a center upstream frequency for wireless operation and an upstream bandwidth.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the embedded cable modem controller is further configured to control a down converter as to selection of upstream carrier frequencies.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air frequency is selected from a set of air frequencies that are at integer intervals of 6 MHz.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a DOCSIS intermediate frequency of downstream data is between 50 and 870 MHz.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a wireless air frequency for a downstream transmission is between 5.725 and 5.825 GHz.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an automatic gain control (AGC) connected between a downstream channel unit and the up converter transmitter unit.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a programmable gain unit (PGU) connected between an upstream channel unit and the down converter receiving unit,

wherein the embedded cable modem controller is further configured to control the gain of the PGU by providing an upstream gain parameter.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the embedded cable modem controller is further configured to control the PGU to adjust an upstream power level in a long loop.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the long loop is a loop that begins at headend of a CATV system.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising an antenna connected to the up converter transmitting unit and further connected to the down converter receiving unit, the up converter transmitting unit further connected to an automatic gain control and the down converter receiving unit further connected to the PGU.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the antenna is capable of transmitting downstream to a plurality of wireless subscribers.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the antenna is capable of receiving upstream from a plurality of wireless subscribers.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the embedded cable modem controller is further to control the PGU to adjust an upstream power level in a long loop that begins at headend of a CATV system;

and

wherein gain control of the PGU is to be performed under control of a cable modem termination system (CMTS) equipment located at the headend.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein a gain control span of the PGU is approximately 50 dB.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for determining an upstream transmit level;

means for calculating a desired upstream gain; and

means for setting the PGU to the desired upstream gain.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the embedded cable modem controller is further configured to control the down converter receiving unit in selecting one of at least two non-license bearing wireless channels.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the one of at least two non-license bearing channels is one of 5.252 GHz or 5.348 GHz.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the one of at least two non-license bearing channels is one of 5.472 GHz or 5.568 GHz.

23. A method, comprising:

delivering, by a wireless hub transceiver, upstream data to a distributed coax cable;

mapping, by the wireless hub transceiver, a frequency of a DOCSIS transmission into a wireless air frequency;

delivering, by the wireless hub transceiver, downstream data to a remote receiving unit connected to a cable modem over an antenna, the downstream data to enable a subscriber of the receiving unit to receive data communication through extension of DOCSIS cable modem service over a wireless link, wherein the wireless air frequency is a frequency mapped based on a sum of the DOCSIS transmission frequency and the wireless air frequency; and

receiving, by the wireless hub transceiver, upstream data from the receiving unit over the wireless link and inserting the upstream data back into the distributed coax cable.

24. An apparatus, comprising:

means for delivering upstream data to a distributed coax cable;

means for mapping a frequency of a DOCSIS transmission into a wireless air frequency;

means for delivering downstream data to a remote receiving unit connected to a cable modem over an antenna, the downstream data to enable a subscriber of the receiving unit to receive data communication through extension of DOCSIS cable modem service over a wireless link, wherein the wireless air frequency is a frequency mapped based on a sum of the DOCSIS transmission frequency and the wireless air frequency; and

means for receiving upstream data from the receiving unit over the wireless link and inserting the upstream data back into the distributed coax cable.

25. A system for wireless upstream and downstream access to a cable television service, comprising:

a splitter unit connectable to a distributed coax cable, the splitter unit to deliver downstream data to a wireless hub transceiver; and

the wireless hub transceiver to deliver upstream data to the splitter unit, the wireless hub transceiver to communicate with a remote receiving unit connected to a cable modem over an antenna to enable a subscriber of the receiving unit to receive data communication through extension of DOCSIS cable modem service over a wireless link, wherein

the wireless hub transceiver is to map a frequency of a DOCSIS transmission into a wireless air frequency, and

wherein the wireless air frequency is frequency mapped based on the sum of the DOCSIS transmission frequency and the wireless air frequency.