Home network system and method

• US 9,160,555 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kliger, Avi, Kopelman, Rami, Avishay, Nachum, Shtern, Alon, Wassermann, Amir
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, STEVEN H D
• Application Number:
  US11/873,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20080037589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,919 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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. A home network formed from a plurality of network modules, the network modules communicating with each other using bursts having a plurality of burst types, the home network comprising:

a network master module, said network master module selected from the plurality of network modules, said master module adapted to produce a burst, the burst comprising;

a preamble signifying a start of the burst and one of the plurality of burst types of the burst, the one of the plurality of burst types being determinable from at least a length of the preamble and a pattern of symbols in the preamble, wherein a first pattern of symbols in the preamble that corresponds to a first burst type of the plurality of burst types comprises a symbol sequence repeated a first number of times and a second pattern of symbols in the preamble that corresponds to a second burst type of the plurality of burst types comprises the symbol sequence repeated a second number of times that differs from the first number of times;

a header providing at least one parameter for decoding the burst; and

a data portion carrying variable sized packets; and

wherein the network master module is further adapted to produce an allocation burst that allocates a transmission opportunity to each of the plurality of network modules to transmit bursts.

2. The home network of claim 1, wherein the symbols in the preamble periodically alternate in sign, wherein alternating signs of the symbols in the preamble comprise the pattern of the symbols in the preamble from which, with the length of the preamble, the one of the plurality of burst types of the burst is determinable.

3. The home network of claim 1, wherein the first number of times is a multiple of the second number of times.

4. The home network of claim 1, wherein the data portion carries at least one of DMT (Discrete Multitone) symbol data or QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) symbol data.

5. A home network formed from a plurality of network modules, the network modules communicating with each other using bursts having a plurality of burst types, the home network comprising:

a network master module, said master module selected from the plurality of network modules, said network master module adapted to produce a burst, the burst comprising;

a preamble signifying a start of the burst, a pattern of symbols in the preamble being indicative of one of the plurality of burst types that corresponds to the burst, wherein a first pattern of symbols in the preamble that corresponds to a first burst type of the plurality of burst types comprises a symbol sequence repeated a first number of times and a second pattern of symbols in the preamble that corresponds to a second burst type of the plurality of burst types comprises the symbol sequence repeated a second number of times;

a header providing at least one parameter for decoding the burst; and

a data portion carrying data; and

wherein the network master module is further adapted to produce an allocation burst that allocates a transmission opportunity to each of the plurality of network modules to transmit bursts.

6. The home network of claim 5, wherein the symbols in the preamble periodically alternate in sign, wherein alternating signs of the symbols in the preamble comprise the pattern of the symbols in the preamble that, with a length of the preamble, is indicative of the one of the plurality of burst types that corresponds to the burst.

7. The home network of claim 5, wherein the allocation burst that allocates a transmission opportunity depends at least in part on an amount of data ready for transmission in a selected transmission cycle.

8. The home network of claim 5, further comprising a synchronization burst that synchronizes the modules to a predetermined burst transmitted by one of the modules.

9. The home network of claim 5, wherein the data portion is variable sized.

10. The home network of claim 5, wherein the data carried by the data portion comprises DMT (Discrete Multitone) symbol data.

11. A method for communicating in a network, the method comprising:

selecting a master module for a network from a plurality of network modules of the network;

wherein the master module is adapted to produce a burst, the burst adapted to;

signify a start of the burst with a preamble, the burst having one of a plurality of burst types that is indicated by at least a length of the preamble of the burst and a pattern of symbols in the preamble of the burst, wherein a first pattern of symbols in the preamble that corresponds to a first burst type of the plurality of burst types comprises a symbol repeated a first number of times and a second pattern of symbols in the preamble that corresponds to a second burst type of the plurality of burst types comprises the symbol repeated a second number of times;

include in a header of the burst at least one parameter for decoding the burst; and

carry data in a data portion of the burst; and

wherein the master module is further adapted to produce an allocation burst that allocates a transmission opportunity to each of the plurality of network modules to transmit bursts.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the symbols in the preamble periodically alternate in sign, and alternating signs of the symbols in the preamble comprise the pattern of the symbols in the preamble that, with the length of the preamble, indicate the one of the plurality of burst types of the burst.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the data portion is variable sized.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the data carried by the burst comprises QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) symbol data.

15. A method for communicating, the method comprising:

selecting a master module from a plurality of network modules;

using the master module to generate a burst, the burst comprising;

a burst preamble, the burst preamble signifying a start of a burst and having a periodic portion, one of a plurality of burst types that corresponds to the burst being indicated by at least a pattern of symbols in the periodic portion of the burst preamble, wherein a first pattern of symbols in the preamble that corresponds to a first burst type of the plurality of burst types comprises a sequence repeated a first number of times and a second pattern of symbols in the preamble that corresponds to a second burst type of the plurality of burst types comprises the sequence repeated a second number of times;

a burst header, the burst header providing at least one parameter for decoding the burst; and

a data portion of the burst for carrying data; and

wherein the master module is further adapted to produce an allocation burst that allocates a transmission opportunity to each of the plurality of network modules to transmit bursts.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the symbols in the periodic portion of the preamble alternate in sign, and alternating signs of the symbols in the periodic portion of the preamble comprise the pattern of the symbols in the periodic portion of the preamble that indicates, with a length of the periodic portion of the preamble, the one of the plurality of burst types that corresponds to the burst.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the allocation burst that allocates a transmission opportunity depends at least in part on an amount of data ready for transmission in a selected transmission cycle.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising synchronizing the modules using a predetermined burst transmitted by one of the modules.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the data portion of the burst comprises variable sized packets.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the data carried by the data portion comprises orthogonal function-division multiplexing symbol data.