Outlet with analog signal adapter, a method for use thereof and a network using said outlet

• US 20050047431A1
• Filed: 10/11/2001
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: SercoNet Limited (Yehuda Binder, MBA)
• Inventors: Binder, Yehuda
• Granted Patent: US 7,436,842 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/463
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/04 for network, e.g. LAN connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/02 for simultaneous co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/545 Audio/video application, e.g. interphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 the cable being constituted by a pair of wires

Abstract

An outlet (70, 75, 76, 78, 79) for a Local Area Network (LAN), containing an integrated adapter (21, 25) that converts digital data to and from analog video signal. Such an outlet allows using analog video units in a digital data network (80), eliminating the need for a digital video units or external adapter. The outlet may include a hub (31, 41) that allows connecting both an analog video signal via an adapter, as well as retaining the data network connection, which may be accessed by a network jack (73). The invention may also be applied to a telephone line-based data networking system. In such an environment, the data networking circuitry as well as the analog video adapters are integrated into a telephone outlet, providing for regular telephone service, analog video connectivity, and data networking as well. In such a configuration, the outlet would have a standard telephone jack (71), an analog video jack (72) and at least one data networking jack (73). Outlets according to the invention can be used to retrofit existing LAN and in-building telephone wiring, as well as original equipment in new installation

Claims

1. An outlet (75, 76) for connecting an analog signal unit (23, 24) to a digital data network (80) carrying analog signals in digital form, the digital network based on wiring, the outlet comprising:

(a) a first connector (71) for connecting the outlet to the wiring;

(b) at least one second connector (72, 77) for connecting an analog signal unit (23, 24); and

(c) an adapter (21, 25) coupled between the first connector and the at least one second connector for converting between analog signal in digital form and analog signal.

2. The outlet according to claim 1, wherein the analog signal is selected from the group including video and audio.

3. The outlet according to claim 1, furthermore operative to connecting at least one data unit (7) to the digital network, the outlet further comprising:

(d) at least one data communication jack (73) for connecting the at least one data unit; and

(e) a multi-port hub (31, 41) coupled to said first connector (71) and to said at least one data communication jack (73) and being operative to simultaneously connecting to said adapter (21, 25) and to the at least one data unit (7).

4. The outlet according to claim 1, further including a processor (95) to process the analog signal.

5. The outlet according to claim 4, wherein the processor (95) is adapted to compress the analog signal.

6. The outlet according to claim 1, wherein the digital data network is based on the Internet Protocol.

7. The outlet according to claim 1, further including an integrated unit (112), for isolating a data signal carried over the wiring from a main service signal.

8. The outlet according to claim 7, wherein the main service signal carried by said wiring is telephony, and the integrated unit (112) includes a low-pass filter (37) and a high-pass filter (38).

9. The outlet according to claim 7, wherein the main service signal carried by said wiring is an electrical AC power signal and the integrated unit (112) is adapted to split the AC power and feed it to a socket (114), there being further included a power-line carrier (PLC) modem for interfacing the hub (41) to the integrated unit, and allowing data communication over the AC power line.

10. The outlet according to claim 7, wherein the main service signal carried by said wiring is a CATV signal and the integrated unit (112) is adapted to isolate the CATV signal from the data signal, there being further included a coaxial cable modem for interfacing the hub (41) to the integrated unit, and allowing data communication over the CATV wiring.

11. A method for connecting an analog signal unit (23, 24) to a digital data network (80) carrying analog signals in digital form, the digital network based on wiring, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) connecting an outlet (75, 76) to the wiring via a first connector (71);

(b) connecting an analog signal unit (23, 24) to the outlet via at least one second connector (72, 77); and

(c) providing an adapter (21, 25) coupled between the first connector and the at least one second connector for converting between analog signal in digital form and analog signal.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the analog signal is selected from the group including video and audio.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

(d) providing at least one data communication jack (73) within the outlet (75, 76) for connecting at least one data unit (7); and

(e) coupling to the first connector (71) and to the at least one data communication jack (73) a multi-port hub (31, 41) being operative to simultaneously connect to said adapter (21, 25) and to the at least one data unit (7).

14. The method according to claim 11, further including processing the analog signal within the outlet.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein step of processing includes compressing the analog signal.

16. The method according to claim 11, for use with a digital data network based on the Internet Protocol.

17. The method according to claim 11, further including isolating a data signal carried over the wiring from a main service signal via an integrated unit (112) within the outlet.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the main service signal carried by said wiring is telephony, and the step of isolating data includes low-pass filtering and a high-pass filtering the analog signal.

19. The method according to claim 13, further including isolating data carried over the wiring from an electrical AC power signal carried by said wiring by splitting the AC power and feeding it to a socket (114) via an integrated unit (112) within the outlet, there being further included the step of interfacing the hub (41) to the integrated unit, and allowing data communication over the AC power line.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the main service signal carried by said wiring is a CATV signal and the integrated unit (112) is adapted to isolate the CATV signal from the data signal, there being further included the step of interfacing the hub (41) to the integrated unit via a coaxial cable modem for allowing data communication over the CATV wiring.

21. A wired digital data network (80) for carrying analog signals in digitized form, the network comprising:

network wiring (13) comprising at least two conductors, and

at least two outlets (70, 75, 76, 78, 79) allowing access to the network wiring wherein at least one of the outlets allows for connection of at least one analog signal unit (23, 24) for conveying a digitized analog signal through the network over the network wiring.

22. The wired digital data network according to claim 21, wherein the analog signal is selected from the group audio and video.

23. The wired digital data network according to claim 21, further including at least one data unit (7) connected to at least one of the outlets.

24. The wired digital data network according to claim 21, being based on the Internet Protocol.

25. The wired digital data network according to claim 21, wherein the wiring is constituted by existing in-building wiring.

26. The wired digital data network according to claim 25, wherein the wiring is telephone wiring.

27. The wired digital data network according to claim 25, wherein at least one of the outlets allows for connection of a telephone set.

28. The wired digital data network according to claim 25, wherein the wiring is electrical power wiring.

29. The wired digital data network according to claim 25, wherein at least one of the outlets allows for connection of electrical power.

30. The wired digital data network according to claim 25, wherein the wiring is CATV wiring.

31. The wired digital data network according to claim 25, wherein at least one of the outlets allows for connection of CATV.

32. The wired digital data network according to claim 21, further including a processor (95) to process the analog signal.

33. The wired digital data network according to claim 32, wherein the processor (95) is adapted to compress the analog signal.

34. The wired digital data network according to claim 21, wherein the wiring includes segments interconnecting adjacent outlets.

35. An assembly for coupling a digitized version of an analog signal to an analog device, for use with wiring installed in walls in a building and carrying a digital data signal and a power signal, the digital data signal containing the digitized version of the analog signal, said assembly comprising:

a wiring connector connectable to the wiring;

a transceiver coupled to said wiring connector for conducting the digital data signal carried over the wiring;

at least one analog connector connectable to the analog device for coupling a signal in analog form to the analog device;

at least one adapter coupled between said transceiver and said analog connector, for converting between the digitized version of the analog signal and the signal in analog form; and

a single enclosure housing said wiring connector, said transceiver, said at least one analog connector and said at least one adapter,

 

wherein said transceiver and said at least one adapter are coupled to the wiring in order to be powered by the power signal, and said enclosure is attachable in a wall in the building.

36. The assembly according to claim 35, wherein said enclosure is at least in part housed within an outlet.

37. The assembly according to claim 35, wherein the digital data signal is a packet-based signal.

38. The assembly according to claim 35, wherein said at least one adapter is operative to convert signals from digital to analog.

39. The assembly according to claim 35, wherein said at least one adapter is operative to convert signals from analog to digital.

40. The assembly according to claim 35, wherein:

said assembly is further operative to both receive and transmit signals in analog form;

the digital data signal is transmitted bi-directionally;

said at least one analog connector comprises a first analog connector for receiving a first signal in analog form and a second analog connector for transmitting a second signal in analog form;

said at least one adapter comprises a first adapter coupled between said first analog connector and said transceiver and operative for converting the first signal in analog form to a digitized version of the first signal, and a second adapter coupled between said second analog connector and said transceiver and operative for converting a digitized version of the second signal to the second signal in analog form; and

the digital data signal contains both the digitized version of the first signal and the digitized version of the second signal.

41. The assembly according to claim 35, further comprising compression means coupled between said transceiver and said at least one adapter for compressing or de-compressing the digitized version of the analog signal.

42. The assembly according to claim 35, wherein the analog signal is one of an audio signal and a video signal.

43. The assembly according to claim 35, wherein the analog signal is audio and the analog connector is audio connector.

44. The assembly according to claim 35, wherein the power signal is concurrently carried with the digital data signal over the same wires.

45. The assembly according to claim 44, wherein the power signal is carried over a power signal frequency band and the digital data signal is carried over a data signal frequency band using frequency division multiplexing, and the data signal frequency band is distinct from the power signal frequency band, and said assembly further comprises:

a data filter coupled between said wiring connector and said transceiver for passing only the digital data signal; and

a power filter coupled between said wiring connector and said at least one adapter for passing only the power signal to at least a part of said assembly.

46. The assembly according to claim 44, wherein the power signal is a DC signal.

47. The assembly according to claim 46, wherein the wiring is local area network (LAN) wiring and the power signal is carried using Power over LAN/Ethernet (PoE).

48. An assembly for coupling a digitized version of an analog signal to an analog device, for use with a service wire pair installed in walls in a building and carrying a digital data signal carried over a data signal frequency band and a power signal carried over a power signal frequency band using frequency division multiplexing, the data signal frequency band being distinct from the power signal frequency band, and the digital data signal containing the digitized version of the analog signal, said assembly comprising:

a wiring connector connectable to the service wire pair;

a data filter coupled to said wiring connector for passing only the digital data signal;

a wiring modem coupled to said wiring connector for conducting the digital data signal carried over the service wire pair;

at least one analog connector connectable to the analog device for coupling a signal in analog form to the analog device;

at least one adapter coupled between said wiring modem and said analog connector, for converting between the digitized version of the analog signal and the signal in analog form; and

a single enclosure housing said wiring connector, said data filter, said wiring modem, said at least one analog connector and said at least one adapter,

 

wherein the service wire pair is one of a telephone wire pair, a CATV coaxial cable and an AC power wiring pair, and said enclosure is attachable in a wall in the building.

49. The assembly according to claim 48, wherein the enclosure is at least in part housed within an outlet.

50. The assembly according to claim 48, wherein the digital data signal is a packet-based signal.

51. The assembly according to claim 48, wherein said at least one adapter is operative to convert signals from digital to analog.

52. The assembly according to claim 48, wherein said at least one adapter is operative to convert signals from analog to digital.

53. The assembly according to claim 48, wherein:

said assembly is further operative to both receive and transmit signals in analog form;

the digital data signal is transmitted bi-directionally;

said at least one analog connector comprises a first analog connector for receiving a first signal in analog form and a second analog connector for transmitting a second signal in analog form;

said at least one adapter comprises a first adapter coupled between said first analog connector and said wiring modem and operative for converting the first signal in analog form to a digitized version of the first signal, and a second adapter coupled between said second analog connector and said wiring modem and operative for converting a digitized version of the second signal to the second signal in analog form; and

the digital data signal contains both the digitized version of the first signal and the digitized version of the second signal.

54. The assembly according to claim 48, further comprising compression means coupled between said wiring modem and said at least one adapter for compressing or de-compressing the digitized version of the analog signal.

55. The assembly according to claim 48, wherein the analog signal is one of an audio signal and a video signal.

56. The assembly according to claim 48, wherein the analog signal is an audio signal and said at least one analog connector is an audio connector.

57. The assembly according to claim 48, wherein the power signal is concurrently carried with the digital data signal over the service wire pair.

58. The assembly according to claim 48 further operative for coupling the digital data signal to a data unit, said assembly further comprising:

a data connector connectable to the data unit; and

a multiport unit constituting one of;

a hub;

a switch;

a router; and

a gateway, said multiport unit being coupled to said wiring modem and said at least one adapter.

59. The assembly according to claim 48, wherein said service wire pair is one of a telephone wire pair, a CATV coaxial cable and an AC power wiring pair and concurrently carrying a service signal, the service signal is respectively one of:

a telephone signal, a CATV signal and an AC power service signal.

60. The assembly according to claim 59 further operative for coupling the service signal to an analog service unit, said assembly further comprising:

an analog service connector connectable to an analog service unit; and

a service filter coupled between said analog service connector and said wiring connector for passing only the service signal.