Multi-interface wireless adapter and network bridge

• US 8,649,386 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Prodea Automation LLC (f/k/a Kip Prod P1), Tyson King
• Original Assignee: Prodea Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Ansari, Amir, Tong, Allen Y., Cowgill, George A., Nicholls, Leon E., Ramayya, Jude P., Masina, Ramprakash, Raissyan, Atousa, McQuarters, Alvin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang, Suk Jin
• Application Number:
  US11/900,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20090067441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,345 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• 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 2012/2841 Wireless

Abstract

Among other things, a wireless device is disclosed for enabling communication with a gateway device within a user premises. The wireless device includes a wireless local area network transceiver for bidirectional wireless data communication at the premises, an interface for wired communication, a processor for converting data between the wireless and wired interfaces. The wireless device receives instructions from the gateway device via the transceiver or the interface and implements conversion and communication control functions to implement a selected one of a plurality of wireless-wired adaptations for communications flowing between the selected one of the transceiver and the interface and the other of the transceiver and the interface for communication within the user premises for application service delivered by the gateway device.

Claims

1. A device for enabling communication with a gateway device within a user premises, the gateway device controlling communication of one or more associated endpoint devices over a local area network and controlling access and communication to a wide area network to deliver an application service to the one or more associated endpoint devices, the device comprising:

a wireless transceiver interface for bidirectional wireless data communication at the local area network;

a wired interface for wired communication;

a processor coupled to the wireless transceiver interface and the wired interface for conversion and control of data communicated between the wireless transceiver interface and data communicated via the wired interface;

storage coupled to the processor; and

programming executable by the processor contained in the storage, wherein execution of the programming causes the processor to receive instructions from the gateway device via the wireless transceiver interface or the wired interface to configure the processor to implement its conversion and communication control functions in a manner to communicate with the gateway device via the wireless transceiver interface, the wireless transceiver interface providing a single wireless interface link directly connecting the device and the gateway device, the single wireless interface link including i) a local area network link-layer sub interface that provides the gateway device access to the local area network through the device and ii) a wide area network link-layer sub interface that provides the gateway device access to the wide area network through the device, wherein the gateway device communicates with at least one of the one or more associated endpoint devices through the local area network link-layer sub interface, wherein the device is positioned logically between the wide area network and the gateway device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more associated endpoint devices communicate with the gateway device via an endpoint interface, wherein the received instructions from the gateway device via at least one of the transceiver and the interface include instructions to configure the wireless device to:

conduct communications with the gateway device via the single wireless interface link;

route or bridge local area network communications to or from one of the endpoint devices via the endpoint interface across the local area network; and

route or bridge wide area network communications to or from one of the endpoint devices via the endpoint interface across the wide area network.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein wired interface communicating with one or more endpoint devices is configured to allow access to the local area network and the wide area network.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein (1) the local area network communications include communication for in-premises application services, (2) the wide area network communications include communication with the wide area network, and (3) the local area network communications is transmitted over a local area network vLAN and the wide area network communications is transmitted over a wide area network vLAN.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the processor via the single wireless interface link is configured to conduct bidirectional communication with the gateway device for a first application service and a second application service over a single wireless interface link.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a power interface configured to receive a plurality of voltage levels from a wall power adapter and deliver different voltage levels to one endpoint device interface.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a power interface configured to receive a voltage and deliver a plurality of different voltage levels to the local device interface, the transceiver and/or the processor.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the device further comprises a wall power adapter configured to plug into an electrical power outlet and supply one or more voltages to the power interface.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the power interface configured to simultaneously receive the plurality of voltage levels from the wall power adapter and deliver at least two different voltage levels to at least two of the one or more associated endpoint devices.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the wired interface is selected from the group consisting of:

a RJ11 interface, a RJ14 interface, a RJ25 interface, a BS 6312 interface, a 4P4C interface, a RJ45 interface, an 8P8C interface, a mini RCA interface, and a FXS interface.

11. The device of 1, wherein the one or more associated endpoint devices communicate with the gateway via either the wireless transceiver interface or the wired interface.

12. The device of 1, wherein data communicated between the device and the gateway device using the single wireless interface link includes virtual LAN tags identifying the local area network sub-interface and the wide area network sub-interface.

13. A communication system for operation within a user premises to provide and manage services of one or more endpoint devices associated with the communication system, the communication system comprising:

a gateway device controlling communication of one or more associated endpoint devices over a wide area data network and controlling access and communication to a wide area network to deliver a plurality of application services to the associated endpoint devices, the gateway device comprising;

a first interface for enabling bi-directional network link-layer communications for the one or more of the endpoint devices via the local area network;

a second interface for enabling bi-directional network layer communications for the one or more endpoint devices via a wide area network;

storage coupled to a processor; and

programming in the storage for a plurality of application services, wherein, for each application service, execution of the programming by the processor causes the gateway device to provide server functions in relation to a respective service for one or more endpoint devices; and

an extender, comprising;

(a) a wireless transceiver interface and for wireless communication with the gateway device and the one or more endpoint devices;

(b) a wired interface for wired communication to the gateway device and the one or more endpoint devices local device interfaces, for wired connection to a communication device;

(c) a processor coupled to the wireless transceiver and the wired interface for conversion and control of communication between the wired interface and the wireless transceiver interface;

(d) storage coupled to the processor; and

(e) programming executable by the processor contained in the storage, wherein execution of the programming causes the processor to receive instructions from the gateway device via either the wireless transceiver interface or the wired interface to configure the processor to implement its conversion and communication control functions in a manner to communicate with the gateway device via the wireless transceiver interface, the wireless transceiver interface providing a single wireless interface link directly connecting the extender and the gateway device, the single wireless interface link including i) a local area network link-layer sub interface that provides the gateway device access to the local area network through the extender and ii) a link-layer wide area network sub interface that provides the gateway device access to the wide area network through the extender, wherein the gateway device communicates with at least one of the one or more associated endpoint devices through the local area network link-layer sub interface;

wherein the extender is position logically between the wide area network and the gateway device.

14. The communication system of claim 13, wherein:

the second interface of the gateway device further enables bi-directional communications with a service management center external to the user premises via the wide area network; and

the execution of the programming by the processor causes the gateway device to provide functions in relation to a respective service for one or more endpoint devices, including;

(1) application server communication with a client functionality of one or more endpoint devices, for the respective service, communicated on top of network layer communications of one or both of the interfaces;

(2) enforcement regarding authorization, authentication, configuration, or use of the respective service via the one or more endpoint devices; and

(3) management of the application service based upon the communications with the service management center via the wide area network through the second interface.

15. The communication system of claim 13, wherein execution of the programming in the gateway device by the processor further causes the gateway device to support a plurality of different user interfaces via different endpoint devices, with respect to one or more services provided through the gateway device.

16. The communication system of claim 13, wherein the extender further comprises a power interface configured to receive a plurality of voltage levels from a wall power adapter configured to plug into an electrical power outlet.

17. An extender for extending communication of a gateway device within a user premises, the gateway device controlling communication of one or more associated endpoint devices over a local area network and controlling access and communication to a wide area network to deliver voice services to the associated endpoint devices, the extender comprising:

a wireless interface for communication to the one or more associated endpoint devices;

a wired interface for communication to the one or more associated endpoint devices;

a processor, coupled to the wireless interface and the wired interface, controlling communications between the wireless interface and the wired interface;

storage coupled to the processor; and

programming contained in the storage executable by the processor, wherein execution of the programming causes the processor to receive instruction from the gateway device via either the wireless transceiver interface or the wired interface to configure the processor to implement its conversion and communication control function in a manner to communicate with the gateway device via the wireless interface, the wireless interface further providing a single wireless interface link directly connecting the extender and the gateway device, the single wireless interface link having including i) a local area network link-layer sub interface that provides the gateway device access to the local area network through the extender and ii) a link-layer wide area network sub interface that provides the gateway device access to the wide area network through the extender, wherein the gateway device communicates with at least one of the one or more associated endpoint devices through the local area network link-layer sub interface, wherein the extender is positioned logically between the wide area network and the gateway device.

18. The extender of 17, further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to the processor and providing the wireless interface for bidirectional wireless data communication with the gateway device.

19. The extender of 18, wherein the processor manages the wireless transceiver.