Home networking gateway

• US 7,035,270 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moore, Richard Jr., Blum, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIZARRO, RICARDO M
• Application Number:
  US09/752,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20020021465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/352, 370/353, 370/468, 370/401, 370/474, 370/490, 370/389, 370/390, 370/400, 370/402, 370/403, 370/404, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 370/469, 370/254, 370/256, 725/109, 725/111, 725/105, 725/106, 725/114, 725/123, 709/141, 709/220, 709/213
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• 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 12/40097 Interconnection with other networks LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; single bridge functionality H04L12/462
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/22 Adaptations for optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A home networking gateway provides an interface between an HFC network and an in-home network. Full voice and data connection between the HFC network and each device in the in-home network is provided through the interface. A translator included in the home networking gateway is utilized to provide a mapping between the communication protocols used in the in-home network and the protocols used in the HFC network, eliminating the need for the in-home network to be dependent upon the HFC-specific protocols.

Claims

1. An arrangement for providing a communication interface between a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network and an in-home communications network, the arrangement comprising:

a home networking gateway disposed to communicate with the HFC network and couple communications to the in-home network, the home networking gateway including a translator for mapping between HFC-based communication protocols and in-home network-based protocols wherein the home networking gateway further comprises;

a home network interface connection module for supporting a pre-defined in-home communication protocol;

a voice telephony service connection module, coupled to the home network interface connection module, for providing communication with in-home telephony devices;

a data service connection module for providing communication with in-home data-based devices;

a cable modem connection module for providing communication with the HFC network;

a communication bus coupled to each of the voice telephone service connection module, the data service connection module and the cable modem connection module for enabling communication between each module; and

a translator processor coupled to the communication bus for mapping between communication protocols used by the HFC network and protocols used by the in-home network and providing translated protocols with each transaction;

a device database coupled to said home networking gateway and comprising configuration files associated with various in-home telecommunications devices; and

a service level agreement database coupled to said home networking gateway and comprising a listing of authorized services for the in-home network, class of service information and quality of service information.

2. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the voice telephony service connection module comprises a subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC) connection.

3. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the data service connection module comprises an Ethernet connection.

4. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the in-home network protocol is a wireless service protocol.

5. The arrangement as defined in claim 4 wherein the wireless protocol comprises the Shared Wireless Access Protocol (SWAP).

6. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the in-home network protocol comprises the Home Phoneline Network Alliance (HomePNA) protocol.

7. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the in-home network protocol comprises the IEEE 1394 FireWire protocol.

8. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the home networking gateway further comprises an internal battery power supply.

9. The arrangement as defined by claim 1 wherein the home networking gateway further comprises a digital signal processor (DSP) coupled between the voice connection module and the home network interface module to distribute voice signals from said voice communication module into the in-home network through said home network interface module.

10. A method of providing network management for an in-home network of communication devices coupled to an external HFC network through a home networking gateway, the method comprising:

recognizing at the home networking gateway a service request from an in-home network device;

obtaining authorization for said service from a network management system;

upon authorization, requesting said service from a call management system;

providing said service to the in-home device;

recognizing at the home networking gateway a device request for bandwidth;

obtaining authorization bandwidth from a network management system;

upon authorization, requesting bandwidth from a cable modem termination system (CMTS);

allocating the requested bandwidth on the HFC network; and

allocating, through the home networking gateway, the requested bandwidth on the in-home network to the requesting device.