Residential gateway

• US 8,743,790 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Taylor, Darrell, Jones, Alfonso, McDonald, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): PARK, JUNG H
• Application Number:
  US13/593,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20120320761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• 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 65/1023 Media gateways

Abstract

A particular residential gateway includes a network interface, a connector interface to receive a signal via one or more communication lines, and a power coupling device to receive power from at least one of the one or more communication lines. The residential gateway includes a first module to receive first data via the signal and to route the first data to a first device coupled to the network interface. The first module is powered using the power received from the at least one communication line by the power coupling device.

Claims

1. A residential gateway, comprising:

a connector interface to receive a signal communication lines, wherein the signal is configured to provide multiple services to a local area network;

a network interface to the local area network;

a power coupling device to receive power from a communication line of the communication lines, the communication line powered by a source that is remote from the connector interface, and the communication line carrying at least a portion of the signal to the connector interface; and

a first module to receive first data via the signal and to route the first data to a first device coupled to the network interface via the local area network, wherein the first data is associated with a first service, and wherein the first module is powered using the power received from the communication line by the power coupling device.

2. The residential gateway of claim 1, further comprising a second module to receive second data via the signal and to route the second data to a second device coupled to the network interface, wherein the second data is associated with a second service.

3. The residential gateway of claim 2, wherein the first service is associated with a video service and wherein the second service is associated with a network data service.

4. The residential gateway of claim 2, wherein the first service is associated with a video service and wherein the second service is associated with a voice service.

5. The residential gateway of claim 2, further comprising a third module to receive third data via the signal and to route the third data to a third device coupled to the network interface, wherein the third data is associated with a third service, wherein the first service is associated with a video service, wherein the second service is associated with a network data service, and wherein the third service is associated with a voice service.

6. The residential gateway of claim 5, wherein the second module, the third module, or both, are powered using the power received from the communication line by the power coupling device.

7. The residential gateway of claim 5, further comprising a testing module to detect errors in the signal, errors in the first module, errors in the second module, errors in the third module, errors in the first device, errors in the second device, errors in the third device, or any combination thereof, wherein the testing module communicates test results to a provider of the signal.

8. The residential gateway of claim 1, wherein the first data comprises voice data and wherein the first module converts the voice data to Voice over Internet Protocol data.

9. The residential gateway of claim 1, wherein the first data comprises video data and wherein the first module converts the video data to be compliant with a Home Phone line Networking Alliance protocol.

10. The residential gateway of claim 1, wherein the first data comprises network data and wherein the first module converts the network data to an Internet Protocol version 4 format, an Internet Protocol version 6 format, a transmission control protocol format, or any combination thereof.

11. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:

in response to detecting that a residential gateway has been coupled to a network interface device;

receiving power at a power coupling device of the residential gateway, wherein the network interface device is coupled to communication lines, and wherein the power coupling device receives the power from a communication line of the communication lines, the communication line powered by a source that is remote from the residential gateway; and

providing power from the power coupling device to the residential gateway; and

receiving, at the residential gateway, a composite signal via the communication lines, wherein the composite signal is configured to provide multiple services to a local area network, and wherein the communication line carries at least a portion of the composite signal.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the operations further include, in response to receiving a connection message at the residential gateway from a service provider via the communication lines, automatically enabling access to voice services, video services, network data services, or combinations thereof, provided by the service provider.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11 wherein the operations further include, in response to receiving a disconnect message at the residential gateway from a service provider via the communication lines, automatically disabling access to voice services, video services, and data services provided by the service provider.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a connector interface to receive a signal via communication lines, wherein the signal is configured to provide multiple services to a local area network;

a modular interface of a network interface device coupled to the connector interface, wherein the modular interface includes a plurality of plug-in connectors, wherein a plug-in connectors of the plurality of plug-in connectors is configured to receive a first plug-in module to provide a first service of the multiple services,

the first plug-in module configured to be removably coupled to a first plug-in connector of the plurality of plug-in connectors, the first plug-in module comprising;

a power coupling device; and

a first service module,

wherein, when the first plug-in module is removably coupled to the modular interface;

the power coupling device is operable to receive power via a communication line of the communication lines from a power source and to provide power to the first service module and to at least a portion of the network interface device; and

the first service module is operable to receive first data associated with the first service of the multiple services via the communication line and to provide the first data to a device coupled to the network interface device via the local area network.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein, when the first plug-in module is removably coupled to the modular interface, the power coupling device is operable to provide power to a test module removably coupled to a second plug-in connector of the plurality of plug-in connectors.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein, when the first plug-in module is removably coupled to the modular interface, the power coupling device is operable to provide power to an additional plug-in module removably coupled to a second plug-in connector of the plurality of plug-in connectors, wherein the additional plug-in module provides a second service of the multiple services.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first service is associated with a video service, and wherein the second service is a telephone service, a network data service, or a combination thereof.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first service is associated with a video service.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first service is associated with a telephone service.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first service is associated with a network data service.