Home gateway expansion

• US 8,995,450 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2012
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Connelly, Michael, Cook, Michael, Poder, Jim, Herscovici, Daniel, Pedaprolu, Hari Venkatram
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, DUC CHI
• Application Number:
  US13/449,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20120204216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• 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 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

As described herein, a gateway device may include one or more expansion ports to add functionality. The added functionality can be of any desired type, such as adding telephone call routing capabilities, or high-definition radio capabilities. The added functionality can include new wireless communication abilities, such as adding Bluetooth capability, and the combination may allow greater networked communication.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a physical connector;

a first local network interface;

a processor, configured to control communications to allow local devices communicatively coupled with the first local network interface to communicate with an external device via the physical connector; and

a plurality of network communication expansion ports configured to accept respective network communication expansion modules, wherein the processor is further configured to use a new network interface of a first expansion module to communicate with other devices instead of, or in addition to, using the first local network interface to communicate with the other devices, further comprising a high-definition (HD) radio receiver expansion module and a wireless radio expansion module communicatively coupled to at least one of the network communication expansion ports, wherein the wireless radio expansion module comprises a local wireless network transmitter, and wherein the processor is further configured to receive HD radio signals via the HD radio receiver expansion module, and to cause the local wireless network transmitter of the wireless radio expansion module to wirelessly stream the HD radio signals to a local device.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the physical connector is a coaxial cable interface.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the physical connector is a fiber optic interface.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of network communication expansion ports are color-coded according to communication capability.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of network communication expansion ports are color-coded according to whether the corresponding port has a battery backup or alternative power supply, different from a primary power supply of the computing device.

6. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising the first expansion module, inserted in a first one of the plurality of expansion ports, wherein the new network interface of the first expansion module is a wireless radio interface.

7. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the first expansion module comprises a universal serial bus (USB) connector connected to a corresponding USB connector of the first one of the plurality of expansion ports.

8. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the first expansion module is configured to communicate with Bluetooth telephones.

9. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the first expansion module is configured to communicate with wireless telephones, and to relay telephone calls with the wireless telephones via the physical connector.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the first expansion module is configured to automatically detect and register wireless telephones upon entry to a premises of the computing device.

11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to detect an incoming telephone call that comprises caller identification information, and route caller identification information to a device via the first local network interface, and to route audio portions of the call to the first expansion module.

12. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to automatically exchange authorization and identification information with an expansion module upon insertion of the expansion module into one of the plurality of network communication expansion ports.

13. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to automatically copy a program from an expansion module upon insertion of the expansion module into one of the plurality of network communication expansion ports, and to execute the program.

14. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to use the new network interface of the first expansion module to communicate with other devices that are local to a premises of the computing device.

15. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to use the new network interface of the first expansion module to communicate with other devices that are remote from a premises of the computing device.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to allow one or more local devices to use the new network interface to communicate with devices remote from the premises.

17. A method, comprising:

conducting, by a computing device, communications between the computing device and a plurality of devices local to the computing device over a local communication network;

detecting insertion of a first wireless radio expansion module and a second wireless radio expansion module; and

controlling the first wireless radio expansion module to receive wireless radio signals over an interface of the first wireless radio expansion module, and stream content from the wireless radio signals to one or more of the plurality of devices over the local communication network, wherein the first wireless radio expansion module is a high-definition (HD) radio receiver, and the second wireless radio expansion module comprises a local wireless network transmitter, and wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the computing device, HD radio signals via the first wireless radio expansion module, and causing the local wireless network transmitter of the second wireless radio expansion module to wirelessly stream the HD radio signals to one of the plurality of devices.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising detecting insertion of a second wireless radio expansion module stacked onto the first wireless radio expansion module, wherein the second wireless radio expansion module comprises a part of the local communication network, and wherein the streaming content from the wireless radio signals to one or more of the plurality of devices over the local communication network further comprises streaming content received from the first wireless radio expansion module over a wireless connection of the second wireless radio expansion module.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the streamed content is cellular telephone network content.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the streamed content is satellite television content.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the first and second wireless radio expansion modules are separate expansion modules.

22. A method, comprising:

controlling, by a computing device, communications to allow local devices communicatively coupled with a first local network interface of the computing device to communicate with an external device via a physical connector;

using a new network interface of a first expansion module, communicatively coupled to one of a plurality of network communication expansion ports of the computing device, to communicate with other devices instead of, or in addition to, using the first local network interface;

using a high-definition (HD) radio receiver expansion module and a wireless radio expansion module comprising a local wireless network transmitter communicatively coupled to at least one of the network communication expansion ports;

receiving HD radio signals via the HD radio receiver expansion module; and

causing the local wireless network transmitter of the wireless radio expansion module to wirelessly stream the HD radio signals to one of the local devices.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the computing device processing cellular telephone network content via a cellular telephone expansion module communicatively coupled to one of the network communication expansion ports.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising the computing device processing satellite television content via a satellite television expansion module communicatively coupled to one of the network communication expansion ports.