Home network system and method

• US 8,174,999 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2009
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kliger, Avi, Kopelman, Rami, Shtern, Alon, Wasserman, Amir, Avishay, Nachum
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, STEVEN H D
• Application Number:
  US12/435,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20090217325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 370351-356, 370/466, 370/442, 370/485, 370/252, 370/401, 370/468
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• 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 12/40071 Packet processing; Packet format adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific network H04N21/2381, H04N21/4363, H04N21/4381; packet switches H04L49/00; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40078 Bus configuration home automation networks H04L12/2803; arrangements for maintenance or administration H04L41/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40084 Bus arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40091 Bus bridging LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; single bridge functionality H04L12/462
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40097 Interconnection with other networks LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; single bridge functionality H04L12/462
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/445 with switching in a hub, e.g. ETHERNET switch
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• 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 21/42607 for processing the incoming bitstream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• 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 21/4382 : Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 : involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/102 : Circuits therefor, e.g. noise reducers, equalisers, amplifiers H04N7/108 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 : for domestic distribution

Abstract

A home network, in one embodiment including a home wiring system; a demarcation point unit in electrical communication with the home wiring system; and a home network module in electrical communication with the home wiring system. The home network module is adapted for connection to a home electronic device. The demarcation point unit passes data to and receives data from the home electronic device through the home network module.

Claims

1. In a home network having a plurality of network modules, each of said plurality of network modules being connected to a coax backbone, a method for communicating over the coax backbone between the plurality of network modules, the method comprising:

configuring one of the plurality of network modules to be a master module;

establishing direct communication between each of the plurality of network modules over the coax backbone;

establishing direct communication between the master module and a demarcation point unit, said master module being coupled to the demarcation point unit via the coax backbone, said demarcation point unit providing an interface between the home network and an external network;

using the master module to receive requests sent over the coax backbone from the plurality of network modules for bandwidth to transmit bursts, the master module being adapted for location in a home;

establishing an order of transmission opportunities for the plurality of network modules to follow when transmitting bursts directly to other network modules via the coax backbone; and

using the master module to transmit an allocation burst over the coax backbone that allocates a transmission opportunity to each of the plurality of network modules to transmit bursts directly to other network modules via the coax backbone, said transmission opportunity that depends at least in part on the amount of data ready for transmission in a selected transmission cycle, said allocation burst being based on said transmission order.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising synchronizing the plurality of network modules to a predetermined burst transmitted by the master module.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising allocating bandwidth to each of the plurality of network module requesting a guaranteed quality of service.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving over the backbone, at a selected network module, a grant signal that indicates that the given network module can transmit a burst.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting, by a selected network module, an empty burst if the given network module has no data to transmit.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising changing the amount of allocated bandwidth.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising using the master module to change the order of transmission opportunities.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising using the master module to change the order of transmission opportunities and to change the amount of allocated bandwidth.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising using the master module to allocate an opportunity to a module involved in a registration process, said opportunity for transmitting a self-training burst.

10. A home network comprising:

a coax backbone;

a plurality of network modules, each of said plurality of network modules being connected to the coax backbone, each of said plurality of network modules being capable to be designated as a network master module, said plurality of network modules being in direct communication via at least one splitter with a demarcation point unit over the coax backbone, said demarcation point unit providing an interface between the home network and an external network; and

the network master module being connected to the coax backbone and being adapted for location in a home, the master module that receives requests from the plurality of network modules over the coax backbone, the requests being for bandwidth to transmit bursts directly over the coax backbone to other network modules, the master module that establishes a transmission order of transmission opportunities for the plurality of network modules to follow when transmitting bursts to other network modules and that transmits a burst over the coax backbone that allocates a transmission opportunity to each of the plurality of network modules to transmit bursts, said burst being based on said transmission order, said transmission order being based at least in part on said received requests, wherein each of the plurality of network modules is configured to communicate with other network modules via the coax backbone and wherein a parameter of a transmission opportunity for a selected network module depends at least in part on an amount of data ready for transmission at the selected network module in a selected transmission cycle.

11. The network of claim 10 wherein, in response to a predetermined burst transmitted by the master module, the plurality of network modules are synchronized.

12. The network of claim 10 further comprising bandwidth allocated to each of the plurality of network module requesting a guaranteed quality of service.

13. The network of claim 10 further comprising a grant signal that indicates that a given network module can transmit a burst.

14. The network of claim 10 further comprising an empty burst associated with a selected network module that has communicated that the selected network module includes no data to transmit.

15. The network of claim 10 wherein the master module is adapted to change the order of transmission opportunities.

16. The network of claim 10 further comprising a self-training burst that is adapted to be received by a network module involved in a registration process.

17. An integrated circuit storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor on a computer system, perform a method, the method comprising:

in a home network having a plurality of network modules, each of said plurality of network modules being connected to a coax backbone, said plurality of network modules communicating over the coax backbone, the communicating comprising;

establishing communication between two or more of the plurality of network modules over the coax backbone;

establishing communication between two or more of the plurality of the network modules and a demarcation point unit, said plurality of network modules being coupled to the demarcation point unit via the coax backbone, said demarcation point unit providing an interface between the home network and an external network;

designating one of the plurality of network modules as a network master module adapted for location in a home;

using the master module to receive requests sent over the coax backbone from the plurality of network modules for bandwidth to transmit bursts;

in response to receiving the requests, establishing an order of transmission opportunities for the each of the plurality of network modules to follow when transmitting bursts to other network modules; and

using the master module to transmit an allocation burst over the coax backbone that allocates a transmission opportunity to each of the plurality of network modules to transmit bursts, said allocation burst being based on said transmission order, said transmission opportunity that depends at least in part on the amount of data ready for transmission in a selected transmission cycle.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising synchronizing the plurality of network modules to a predetermined burst transmitted by the master module.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising allocating bandwidth to each network module requesting a guaranteed quality of service.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving over the backbone, at a selected network module, a grant signal that indicates that the given network module can transmit a burst.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising transmitting, by a selected network module, an empty burst if the given network module has no data to transmit.

22. The method of claim 19 further comprising changing the amount of allocated bandwidth.

23. The method of claim 17 further comprising using the master module to change the order of transmission opportunities.

24. The method of claim 17 further comprising using the master module to change the order of transmission opportunities and to change the amount, of allocated bandwidth.

25. The method of claim 17 further comprising using the master module to allocate an opportunity to a module involved in a registration process, said opportunity for transmitting a self-training burst.