Wireless-signal distribution system via set-top box

• US 8,195,218 B1
• Filed: 09/04/2009
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• 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: Swan, Timothy L., Barlik, Leonard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tu X
• Application Number:
  US12/554,265
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 455/557, 455/3.06, 455/556.1, 455/3.01, 455/523, 455/413, 370/463, 725/74, 725/78
• US Class Current: 455/523
• 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 cellular-cable-provisioning device configured to simultaneously provide cellular services and cable services, the cellular-cable-provisioning device comprising:

a splitter gateway module for receiving or transmitting a signal comprising both cable service signaling and cellular signaling over a wired communication link;

a video interface communicatively coupled to the splitter gateway module and a visual output device, wherein the video interface receives or transmits the cable service signaling;

one or more optical-electrical converting devices to down convert an electrically converted cellular signal for transmission within a coaxial network; and

a cellular frequency converter communicatively coupled to the splitter gateway module and a cellular device, wherein the cellular frequency converter up converts the electrically converted cellular signal for transmission to a cellular antenna.

2. The cellular-cable-provisioning device of claim 1, further comprising one or more combining and dividing devices coupled to the cellular-cable-provisioning device via the wired communication link for combining and dividing the cable service signaling and the cellular signaling.

3. The cellular-cable-provisioning device of claim 1, wherein the one or more optical-electrical converting devices convert electrical cellular signaling to optical cellular signaling and convert optical cellular signaling to electrical cellular signaling.

4. The cellular-cable-provisioning device of claim 1, wherein the wired communication link comprises a cable out-of-band (OOB) spectrum.

5. The cellular-cable-provisioning device of claim 4, wherein the cable OOB spectrum comprises a bandwidth range of about 860 MHz to 1 GHz.

6. The cellular-cable-provisioning device of claim 1, wherein the cellular-cable-provisioning device comprises a set top box.

7. The cellular-cable-provisioning device of claim 1, further comprising a coaxial network and a wireless communications network coupled to the cellular-cable-provisioning box.

8. The cellular-cable-provisioning device of claim 1, further comprising a packet data modem communicatively coupled to the splitter gateway and a personal computing device.

9. A method to provide upstream communication from a cellular device, proximate a cellular-cable-provisioning device configured to simultaneously provide cellular services and cable services, to another device connected to a macro-cellular network, the method comprising:

receiving optical cellular signaling from the cellular device over a cellular interface of the cellular-cable-provisioning device;

converting the optical cellular signaling to an electrical cellular signaling via an optical electrical converter;

altering a frequency of the converted cellular signaling from about 1900 MHz to a range of about 860 MHz to 1 GHz via the optical electrical converter;

combining the altered cellular signaling with cable signaling received from over a video interface or a packet modem interface of the cellular-cable-provisioning device;

up converting the altered converted cellular signaling to about 1900 MHz, via a cellular frequency converter; and

transmitting the up converted altered cellular signaling and cable signaling to a cellular network and a cable network via a splitter gateway module of the cellular-cable-provisioning device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein altering the frequency of the cellular signaling comprises up converting a frequency of the cellular signaling via an up-down frequency converter contained within the cellular-cable-provisioning device.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising communicating the combined altered cellular signaling with cable signaling from the cellular-cable-provisioning device through a cable out-of-band (OOB) spectrum.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the cable OOB spectrum comprises a bandwidth range of about 975-990 MHz.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the cable signaling comprises traditional cable services, high-definition services, high-speed Internet services, or voice-over internet protocol services.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the cellular signaling comprises voice communications, short message service data, mobile web connectivity, text messaging, or media transfers.

15. One or more computer-readable storage media containing computer readable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a cellular-cable-provisioning device configured to simultaneously provide cellular services and cable services, perform a method to provide downstream communication to a cellular device proximate the cellular-cable-provisioning device from another device connected to a macro-cellular network, the method comprising:

receiving cellular signaling associated with the other device connected to the macro-cellular network combined with cable signaling at a splitter gateway module of the cellular-cable-provisioning device, wherein the cable signaling has a frequency that is altered;

splitting the cellular signaling and the cable signaling;

transmitting the cellular signaling to a cellular device over the air; and

transmitting the cable signaling to a frequency converter of the cellular-cable-provisioning device, wherein the frequency converter alters a frequency of the cable signaling and sends the altered cable signaling to a video interface or a packet modem of the cellular-cable-provisioning device.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein the altered frequency of the cable signaling comprises converting the frequency of the cable signaling via an up-down frequency converter contained within the cellular-cable-provisioning device.

17. The media of claim 15, wherein receiving cellular signaling associated with the other device connected to the macro-cellular network combined with cable signaling at a splitter gateway module of the cellular-cable-provisioning device further comprises receiving cellular signaling combined with cable signaling in a cable out-of-band (OOB) spectrum.

18. The media of claim 17, wherein the cable OOB spectrum comprises a bandwidth range of about 860 MHz to 1 GHz.

19. The media of claim 17, wherein a coaxial communication link connected to the cellular-cable-provisioning device delivers the cable out-of-band (OOB) spectrum.

20. The media of claim 17, wherein the received cellular signaling comprises a received optical cellular signal converted to an electrical cellular signal via an optical electrical converter.