Extending a local area network

• US 8,315,266 B1
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lam, Cedric Fung, Ong, Tony, Dong, Ke, Fong, Steven, Chan, Yut Loy, Gao, Yifan, Medin, Milo Steven, Zimring, Dov Shimon
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Brenda H
• Application Number:
  US13/411,172
• Time in Patent Office: 263 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401, 370/402, 370/274, 370/285, 370/391, 370/420, 370/421, 370/465, 370/539
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0001 Provisions for broadband connections in integrated services digital network using frames of the Optical Transport Network [OTN] or using synchronous transfer mode [STM], e.g. SONET, SDH
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0003 Switching fabrics, e.g. transport network, control network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1013 Network architectures, gateways, control or user entities

Abstract

A set top box including a network extender and a media player in communication with the network extender. The network extender is connectable to a residential gateway of a local area network through a wired connection. The media player includes a computing processor executing instructions to format a signal received from the network extender for use by a media device. The set top box also includes at least one wireless transceiver in communication with the network extender.

Claims

1. A set top box comprising:

an application-specific integrated circuit comprising and integrating thereon;

a network extender connectable to a remote residential gateway of a local area network through a wired connection, the network extender capable of providing at least a 1 Gb/s data transfer rate; and

a media player in communication with the network extender and having a computing processor executing instructions to format a signal received from the network extender for use by a media device; and

at least one wireless transceiver in communication with the network extender, the at least one wireless transceiver configured as a WiFi access point having the same at least one service set identifier as the residential gateway, extending the local area network.

2. The set top box of claim 1, further comprising memory for storing the executable instructions.

3. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the network extender comprises a network bridge.

4. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the network extender comprises a switch having multiple ports.

5. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the application-specific integrated circuit integrates thereon the at least one wireless transceiver.

6. The set top box of claim 1, further comprising a Bluetooth transceiver in communication with the network extender.

7. The set top box of claim 1, further comprising an infrared transceiver in communication with the network extender.

8. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the media player comprises an internet protocol media player.