Home network system and method

• US 8,724,485 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2008
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kliger, Avi, Kopelman, Rami, Avishay, Nachum, Shtern, Alon, Wasserman, Amir
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Kibrom T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beyen, Zewdu A
• Application Number:
  US12/022,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20080178229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,295 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 12/2838 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 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42607 for processing the incoming bitstream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• 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

Abstract

A home network, in one embodiment including a home wiring system; a demarcation point unit in electrical communication with the home wiring system; and a home network module in electrical communication with the home wiring system. The home network module is adapted for connection to a home electronic device. The demarcation point unit passes data to and receives data from the home electronic device through the home network module.

Claims

1. A method of controlling consumption of power in a home network comprising a coaxial backbone, the method comprising:

selecting, by a plurality of network modules of the home network, one of the plurality of network modules to operate as a master module, wherein each of the plurality of network modules is configured to operate as the master module when selected to operate as the master module;

using the master module to establish communication between the plurality of network modules over the coax backbone and to assign identifiers to the plurality of network modules;

controlling the power consumption in the home network, said power being consumed at least in part by the communication between the plurality of network modules over the coax backbone, by adjusting a transmission power associated with each of the plurality of network modules to a selected power level based at least in part on a power level of a signal transmitted by each of the plurality of network modules when the signal arrives at the master module, wherein a first network module of the plurality of the network modules is associated with a different transmission power than a second network module of the plurality of network modules; and

transmitting, by the master module to at least one of the plurality of network modules, a burst that is indicative of the selected power level for the at least one of the plurality of network modules.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a gain function of a transmission characteristic of the transmitted signal of each module is set once during initiation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a gain function of a transmission characteristic of the transmitted signal of each module is modified during operation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

synchronizing, by the master module, the plurality of network modules;

allocating, by the master module, bandwidth to the plurality of network modules;

managing, by the master module, the communication over the coax backbone; and

registering, by the master module, each of the plurality of network modules.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting, by the plurality of network modules of the home network, one of the plurality of network modules to be the master module further comprises electing, by the plurality of network modules, one of the plurality of network modules to be the master module.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the transmission power associated with each of the plurality of network modules to the selected power level based at least in part on the power level of the signal of each of the plurality of network modules when the signal arrives at the master module further comprises adjusting the transmission power associated with each of the plurality of network modules to the selected power level based at least in part on the power level of the signal of each of the plurality of network modules when the signal arrives at the master module and attenuation between each of the plurality of network modules and the master module.

7. A home network comprising:

a plurality of network modules, each of the plurality of network modules configured to operate as a master module when selected to operate as the master module, one of the plurality of network modules being selected, by the plurality of network modules, to operate as the master module, the master module for synchronizing the plurality of network modules and allocating bandwidth to the plurality of network modules, establishing communication, including each of the plurality of network modules transmitting a signal, each of the plurality of network modules associated with a transmission power, the transmission power being used for, at least in part, the communication, wherein a first network module of the plurality of network modules comprises a different transmission power than a second network module of the plurality of network modules; and

a coax backbone that couples each of the plurality of network modules to the master module, wherein when the transmitted signal of each of the plurality of network modules arrives at the master module, the transmitted signal comprises at least a predefined input power level,

wherein the transmission power of each of the plurality of network modules corresponds at least in part with an attenuation between each of the plurality of network modules and the master module, the master module is configured to transmit a burst to at least one of the plurality of network modules, and the at least one of the plurality of network modules is configured to determine the transmission power based at least in part on the burst.

8. The home network of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of network modules is further configured to:

assign identifiers to the plurality of network modules, when selected to be the master module;

manage the communication over the coax backbone, when selected to be the master module; and

register the plurality of network modules when selected to be the master module.

9. The home network of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of network modules is further configured to:

allow access to the home network from a cable head-end, when selected to operate as the master module.

10. A home network comprising:

a plurality of network modules, each of the plurality of network modules being configured to operate as a master module, one of the plurality of network modules being selected to operate as the master module; and

the master module for establishing communication with the plurality of network modules over a coax backbone,

wherein each of the plurality of network modules is associated with at least one transmission power, a first network module of the plurality of network modules being associated with a different at least one transmission power than a second network module of the plurality of network modules, the at least one transmission power of each of the plurality of network modules for use in communication between the plurality of network modules and the master module, wherein the at least one transmission power associated with each of the plurality of network modules is determined based at least in part on a measured attenuation between each of the plurality of network modules and the master module, wherein each of the plurality of network modules is further configured to;

assign identifiers to the plurality of network modules, when selected to operate as the master module;

synchronize the plurality of network modules, when selected to operate as the master module;

allocate bandwidth to the plurality of network modules, when selected to operate as the master module;

manage the communication over the coax backbone, when selected to operate as the master module; and

register the plurality of network modules, when selected to operate as the master module.

11. A home network comprising:

a plurality of network modules, each of the plurality of network modules being configured to operate as a master module when designated to operate as the master module, one of the plurality of network modules being designated to operate as the master module, and each of the plurality of network modules comprising a digital power gain adjuster for adjusting a transmission power level at which each of the plurality of network modules transmits signals to the master module;

the master module for establishing communication with each of the plurality of network modules over a coax backbone, each of the plurality of network modules configured to transmit the signals to the master module at the transmission power level, said signals which form part of the communication, wherein a first network module of the plurality of network modules transmits the signals to the master module at a different transmission power level than a second network module of the plurality of network modules; and

the coax backbone that couples the master module to each of the plurality of network modules,

wherein, when a first signal is transmitted from the master module, said first signal transmitted from the master module in response to receiving a second signal transmitted to the master module by one of the plurality of network modules, and upon arrival of the first signal at the one of the plurality of network modules, the one of the plurality of network modules adjusts the transmission power level at which the one of the plurality of network modules transmits the signals to the master module based at least in part on the first signal.

12. The home network of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of network modules is further configured to:

assign identifiers to the plurality of network modules, when selected to operate as the master module;

synchronize the plurality of network modules, when selected to operate as the master module;

allocate bandwidth to the plurality of network modules, when selected to operate as the master module;

manage the communication over the coax backbone, when selected to operate as the master module; and

register the plurality of network modules, when selected to operate as the master module.