Local area network of serial intelligent cells

• US 7,986,708 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2007
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management)
• Original Assignee: Mosaid Technologies Incorporated (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Inventors: Binder, Yehuda
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOAKYE, ALEXANDER O
• Application Number:
  US11/782,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20070263652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 370/478, 370/260, 370/4, 370/79, 370/295, 370/335, 370/337, 370/342, 370/344, 370/343, 370/347, 370/436, 370/441, 370/502, 370/503, 370/254, 340/310.01
• US Class Current: 370/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5437 Wired telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/545 Audio/video application, e.g. interphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• 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 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/02 providing ringing current or supervisory tones, e.g. dialling tone or busy tone
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/908 Local area network

Abstract

A serial intelligent cell (SIC) and a connection topology for local area networks using Electrically-conducting media. A local area network can be configured from a plurality of SIC'"'"'s interconnected so that all communications between two adjacent SIC'"'"'s is both point-to-point and bidirectional. Each SIC can be connected to one or more other SIC'"'"'s to allow redundant communication paths. Communications in different areas of a SIC network are independent of one another, so that, unlike current bus topology and star topology, there is no fundamental limit on the size or extent of a SIC network. Each SIC can optionally be connected to one or more data terminals, computers, telephones, sensors, actuators, etc., to facilitate interconnectivity among such devices. Networks according to the present invention can be configured for a variety of applications, including a local telephone system, remote computer bus extender, multiplexers, PABX/PBX functionality, security systems, and local broadcasting services. The network can use dedicated wiring, as well as existing wiring as the in-house telephone or electrical wiring.

Claims

1. A device for coupling signals between first and second point-to-point wiring segments and a telephone wire pair in a building, each wiring segment comprising at least one twisted wire pair, the telephone wire pair being connected to carry a first bi-directional digital data signal in a digital data frequency band higher than an analog telephone band, said device comprising:

a telephone connector for connecting to the telephone wire pair;

a high pass filter coupled to said telephone connector and operative for substantially passing only signals in the digital data frequency band;

a telephone modem coupled to said filter for packet-based bi-directional digital data communication over the telephone wire pair;

a first data connector for connecting to said first wiring segment;

a first data transceiver coupled to said first data connector for point-to-point packet-based full-duplex communication over said first wiring segment;

a second data connector for connecting to said second wiring segment;

a second data transceiver coupled to said second data connector for point-to-point packet-based full-duplex communication over said second wiring segment;

a power supply including an AC/DC converter coupled to DC power said telephone modem and said first and second data transceivers; and

a single enclosure housing said high pass filter, said connectors, said power supply and said telephone modem;

wherein;

said first data transceiver is coupled to said telephone modem for passing data between the first wiring segment and the telephone wire pair;

said second data transceiver is coupled to said telephone modem for passing data signals between the second wiring segment and the telephone wire pair; and

said device is addressable in a local area network.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

the first and second wiring segments are LAN cables;

said first and second data transceivers are LAN transceivers; and

said first and second data connectors are LAN connectors.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein:

said LAN transceivers are Ethernet transceivers;

said LAN connectors are Ethernet connectors; and

communication over the first and second LAN cables substantially conforms to Ethernet protocol.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device has a manually assigned address.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device has an automatically assigned address.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device has an address assigned by a data unit communicating with said device.

7. The device according to claim 1, in combination with a telephone outlet in which at least a part of said device is housed.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device is pluggable into, or attachable to, a telephone outlet.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein said single enclosure is wall mountable, or mountable into a telephone outlet opening, or structured to at least in part replace an existing telephone outlet.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein said single enclosure is constructed to have at least one of the following:

a form substantially similar to that of a standard telephone outlet;

wall mounting elements substantially similar to those of a standard telephone wall outlet;

a shape allowing direct mounting in a telephone outlet opening or cavity; and

a form to at least in part substitute for a standard telephone outlet.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one parameter of said device is configurable by a data unit connected thereto.

12. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an analog connector connectable to an analog unit for coupling an analog signal to the analog unit; and

a converter between analog and digital signals coupled between said analog connector and said telephone modem.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the analog unit is an analog actuator for creating a physical phenomenon, and said converter is a digital to analog converter.

14. The device according to claim 12, wherein the analog unit is an analog sensor for sensing a physical phenomenon, and said converter is an analog to digital converter.

15. The device according to claim 12, wherein the analog unit is one of an audio unit and a video unit and the analog signal is one of an audio signal and a video signal, respectively.

16. The device according to claim 12, wherein the analog unit is an analog telephone unit, said analog connector is a second telephone connector, and the analog signal is an analog telephone signal.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device is further operative to allow communication over the first wiring segment to be independent of communication over the second wiring segment.

18. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

said device further functions as a multiplexer;

said coaxial cable is connected for carrying first and second signals;

said device is connected to pass only the first signal between the telephone wire pair and the first wiring segment; and

said device is connected to pass only the second signal between the telephone wire pair and the second wiring segment.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein the first and second signals are digital data signals time multiplexed over the telephone wire pair.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein the telephone wire pair is connected to a high data rate connection whose bandwidth is multiplexed to the first and second wiring segments.

21. The device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second data connectors are coupled to receive DC power from a power supply, for supplying DC power to be concurrently carried over the wiring segments with the digital data signals.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein the DC power is carried over dedicated wires in the wiring segments.