Method and apparatus for providing a 10BASE-T compatible home network over a single twisted-pair phone line

• US 6,522,662 B1
• Filed: 10/30/1998
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Ce Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Thien D
• Application Number:
  US09/182,922
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 370/378, 370/379, 370/282, 370/283, 370/284, 370/461, 370/462, 370/463, 370/465, 375/219, 375/220, 375/244
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 5/12 Biphase level code, e.g. split phase code, Manchester code; Biphase space or mark code, e.g. double frequency code
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 12/40136 Nodes adapting their rate to the physical link properties LAN switches H04L49/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4904 using self-synchronising codes, e.g. split-phase codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/18 Phase-modulated carrier systems, i.e. using phase-shift keying H04L27/32 takes precedence

Abstract

A device for seamlessly providing 10BASE-T compatible data communications over an ordinary single twisted pair home phone line between multiple computers, between computers and peripherals, and between multiple peripherals. Each component that is to communicate over the home phone line will have a 10BASE-T compatible network interface card (NIC) for interfacing with the device. A transmit/receive switch is used to switch the device between a transmit mode and a receive mode. When signal are being transmitted from a component a Manchester coder decodes signals received from the NIC. A differential converter is used to convert the differential signal received from the NIC to a single signal. A modulator is used to modulate the signal to a RF signal using a modulation scheme such as PSK, QPSK, QAM or MCM schemes. A filter is used to limit the bandwidth of the modulated signal and a driver is used to amplify the signal to match the impedance of the phone line. When the device is receiving signal from the phone lines, the signal is filtered with a bandpass filter and amplified with an amplifier. The signal is demodulated with a demodulator using the appropriate demodulation scheme. The demodulated signal is differentially encoded with a differential converter. The Manchester coder will encode the signal and send the signal to the receiving NIC.

Claims

1. A converter unit which converts differential signals from a network interface card (NIC) associated with a first device to single data signals to be provided over a two-wire telephone line to a second device, comprising:

an encoder/decoder coupled to said NIC and transmitting and receiving said differential signals, said encoder/decoder decoding said differential signals received from said NIC and encoding said differential signals provided to said NIC;

an electronic switch coupled to said two-wire telephone line, said single data signals being transmitted through said switch to the telephone line and received from said telephone line;

a first differential converter coupled to said encoder/decoder and said electronic switch, said first differential converter receives said decoded differential signals from said encoder/decoder and converts said differential signals to single data signals;

a modulator coupled to said first differential converter and receiving said single data signals from said first differential converter, said modulator using a carrier signal having a frequency to modulate said single data signals and provide said modulated single data signals to said switch;

a second differential converter coupled to said encoder/decoder and said electronic switch, said second differential converter receives said decoded single data signals from said switch and converts said single data signals to differential signals and provides said differential data signals to said encoder/decoder where said differential data signals are encoded and provided to said NIC; and

carrier sense and control logic coupled to said electronic switch;

wherein a plurality of other devices that are incompatible with said first and second devices communicate with one another over said two-wire telephone line;

wherein said carrier sense and control logic determines whether said two-wire telephone line is available for said converter unit to transmit said single data signals to said second device over said telephone line; and

wherein said carrier frequency used to modulate said single data signals is different than frequencies associated with signals transmitted between said plurality of other devices.

2. The converter unit of claim 1 further including a demodulator coupled to said electronic switch and said second differential converter, said demodulator receives modulated single data signals from said switch, demodulates said modulated single data signals and provides said demodulated signals to said second differential converter.

3. The converter unit of claim 1 wherein said carrier sense and control logic uses a carrier sense multiple access/collision detection (CSMA/CD) to determine whether said two-wire telephone line is available for said converter unit to transmit said single data signals to said second device over said telephone line.

4. The converter unit of claim 1 wherein said other devices that communicate over said two-wire telephone line include telephones and computers.

6. The home network of claim 4 wherein said carrier sense and control logic uses a carrier sense multiple access/collision detection (CSMA/CD) to determine whether said two-wire telephone line is available for said converter unit to transmit said single data signals to another device over said telephone line.

5. A home network, comprising:

a plurality of devices, each having a network interface controller (NIC);

a plurality of telephones;

two-wire telephone lines running through a home connected to said plurality of devices and telephones;

a plurality of converter units, one converter unit connected to each device, said converter unit comprising;

an encoder/decoder coupled to the NIC of a device and transmitting and receiving differential signals to and from said device, said encoder/decoder decoding said differential signals received from said NIC and encoding said differential signals transmitted to said NIC;

an electronic switch coupled to said two-wire telephone line, single data signals being transmitted through said switch to the telephone line and received from said telephone line;

a first differential converter coupled to said encoder/decoder and said electronic switch, said first differential converter receives said decoded differential signals from said encoder/decoder and converts said differential signals to single data signals;

a modulator coupled to said first differential converter and receiving said single data signals from said first differential converter, said modulator using a carrier signal having a frequency to modulate said single data signals and provide said modulated single data signals to said switch;

a second differential converter coupled to said encoder/decoder and said electronic switch, said second differential converter receives said decoded single data signals from said switch and converts said single data signals to differential signals and provides said differential data signals to said encoder/decoder where said differential data signals are encoded and provided to said NIC; and

carrier sense and control logic coupled to said electronic switch;

wherein said carrier sense and control logic determines whether said two-wire telephone line is available for said converter unit to transmit said single data signals to another of said devices over said telephone line; and

wherein said carrier frequency used to modulate said single data signals is different than frequencies associated with voice signals to and from said telephones.