Multichannel transceiver using redundant encoding and strategic channel spacing

• US 7,224,780 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2004
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United Access Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Inline Connection Corporation
• Inventors: Goodman, David D., Domnitz, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US10/970,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20050117720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 379/90.01, 379/93.01, 379 9305- 9308, 379/93.15, 379/93.26, 379/93.28, 379/93.37, 379/110.01, 37910201-10203, 348/14.01, 348 1408- 1413, 348/734
• US Class Current: 379/90.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/81 combined with telephone network over which the broadcast is continuously available
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• 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 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/104 Switchers or splitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 the cable being constituted by a pair of wires
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A transceiver is operable to connect to a 2-wire conductive path to communicate information in multiple channels to a companion transceiver. Data is encoded redundantly inside the channels, enabling communication to succeed even when one of the channels drops out due to noise. The channels may be selected so that they do not overlap the bands used by common radio sources. The companion transceiver decodes the data using the signals it receives from the multiple bands, and transmits information back to the first transceiver. Transmitted information may include video signals and signals from infrared transmitters.

Claims

1. A transceiver for communicating information over a conductive path, comprising:

a first receiver circuit configured to receive a first information set from an information source; and

a first transmitter circuit coupled to the first receiver circuit and configured to transmit a first signal onto said conductive path, wherein

the conductive path is a two-wire conductive path,

the first signal is an electrical signal and a power spectrum of the first signal is substantially confined within a plurality of bands,

the bands of the plurality of bands are non-overlapping frequency bands,

a first band and a second band are included in said plurality of bands, wherein substantially all of the power spectrum of the first signal is confined to frequencies outside a band of frequencies separating the first band and the second band, information from the first information set is encoded in the first band, and information from the first information set is encoded in the second band,

the first information set is recoverable from any signal that is created by excluding a portion of the first signal, wherein said portion is substantially confined within a band in the plurality of bands, and

a transmitting band extends between a lowest frequency and a highest frequency in the plurality of bands and said lowest frequency is above 3 KHz; and

a second receiver circuit configured to receive a second signal from said conductive path, wherein

(a) a receiving band is a smallest band that encompasses substantially all of a power spectrum of the second signal, and

(b) a lowest frequency of said receiving band is above 3 kHz.

2. The transceiver of claim 1, said second receiver circuit comprising a high pass filter coupled to the conductive path, wherein (a) said high pass filter is operable to present a high impedance to alternating current while allowing said second signal to pass, and (b) the frequency of said alternating current is below 3 KHz.

3. The transceiver of claim 1, wherein a highest frequency of the receiving band is below a highest frequency of the transmitting band.

4. The transceiver of claim 3, wherein a highest frequency of the receiving band is below a lowest frequency of the transmitting band.

5. The transceiver of claim 3, wherein the first receiver circuit and the transmitter circuit are further operable to transmit said first signal while simultaneously recovering at least a part of said second signal.

6. The transceiver of claim 1, wherein the frequency band separating the first band and second band spans a band below 30 MHz that is commonly allocated to amateur radio communication.

7. The transceiver of claim 1, wherein the frequency band separating the first band and second band spans the amateur radio band at one of 7 MHz, 14 MHz, and 21 MHz.

8. The transceiver of claim 1, further comprising a second transmitter circuit that is (a) coupled to the second receiver circuit and (b) operable to transmit a third signal encoding at least part of said second information set.

9. The transceiver of claim 8 wherein said third signal is a radiated light signal.

10. The transceiver of claim 9, wherein the wavelength of said third signal is in the infrared range.

11. The transceiver of claim 8, wherein said third signal is a light signal.

12. The transceiver of claim 1, wherein the frequency band separating the first band and second band includes one of 7 MHz, 14 MHz, and 21 MHz.

13. The transceiver of claim 1, wherein the first band and the second band are of equal width.

14. The transceiver of claim 1, wherein the width of the frequency band separating the first band and second band is less than twice the width of one of:

the first band and the second band.

15. The transceiver of claim 1, wherein the first signal encodes information from the first information set in each of the bands of the plurality of bands.

16. A transceiver for communicating information over a conductive path, comprising:

a first receiver circuit coupled to the conductive path and configured to receive from the conductive path a first signal that encodes a first information set

a first transmitter circuit that (a) receives said first signal from said first receiver circuit, (b) creates a converted signal from a portion of said first signal, and (c) transmits said converted signal, wherein said converted signal encodes said first information set;

a second receiver circuit operable to receive a second information set; and

a second transmitter circuit coupled to the second receiver circuit and the conductive path and operable to transmit onto the conductive path a second signal that encodes the second information set, wherein;

a power spectrum of the first signal is substantially confined within a plurality of bands;

the bands of the plurality of bands are non-overlapping frequency bands;

a receiving band extends between a lowest frequency and a highest frequency in the plurality of bands and said lowest frequency is above 3 KHz;

a transmitting band is a smallest band that confines substantially all of a power spectrum of the second signal;

the first signal and the second signal are electrical signals; and

the conductive path is a two-wire conductive path, and

said converted signal is created from the first signal by excluding a redundant band, wherein said redundant band is one of said plurality of bands.

17. The transceiver of claim 16, said first receiver circuit further comprising a high pass filter that is coupled to the conductive path and is operable to present a high impedance to alternating current while allowing said first signal to pass, wherein the frequency of said alternating current is below 3 KHz.

18. The transceiver of claim 16, wherein a highest frequency of the transmitting band is below a highest frequency of the receiving band.

19. The transceiver of claim 18, wherein the first receiver circuit and the second transmitter circuit are further configured to transmit said second signal while simultaneously recovering at least a part of said first signal.

20. The transceiver of claim 16, wherein a highest frequency of the transmitting band is below a lowest frequency of the receiving band.

21. The transceiver of claim 16 further comprising a third receiver circuit that is operable to (a) receive a radiated signal encoding said second information set, and (b) provide said second information set to the second receiver circuit.

22. The transceiver of claim 21, wherein a wavelength of the radiated signal is in the infrared range.

23. The transceiver of claim 16, wherein said converted signal is a video signal.

24. The transceiver of claim 23, wherein said converted signal is an NTSC video signal.