Passive multi-port entry adapter and method for preserving downstream catv signal strength within in-home network

Passive multi-port entrance adapter and method for maintaining downstream CATV signal strength within home network Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to cable television (CATV) and to an in-home entertainment network that shares an existing coaxial cable within a house used for CATV signal distribution and in-home network communication signals. More particularly, the present invention relates to a new and improved passive entrance adapter between a CATV network and an intra-home network that minimizes the reduction in CATV signal strength, even when the CATV signal is in the subscribers house or home. When distributed among multiple subscribers or multimedia devices within.

Background technique

[0002] The CATV network uses an infrastructure that interconnects coaxial cables, signal splitters and combiners, transponder amplifiers, filters, trunk lines, cable joints, drop wires, and other signal transmission equipment to reduce The main signal distribution facility provides and distributes high-frequency "downstream" signals to the premises (homes or offices) of CATV service subscribers. This downstream signal transmits multimedia content to subscriber equipment, such as televisions, telephones, and computers. In addition, most CATV networks also transmit "upstream" signals from subscriber equipment back to the front end of the CATV network. For example, subscribers use a set-top box to select programs for display on a television. As another example, when using a personal computer connected to the public Internet through a CATV infrastructure, two-way communication is necessary. As a further example, Voice Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephones use CATV infrastructure and the public Internet as the communication medium for transmitting two-way telephone conversations.

[0003] To allow simultaneous communication of upstream and downstream CATV signals, and to allow interoperability of subscriber equipment and equipment associated with the CATV network infrastructure outside the subscribers premises, downstream and upstream CATV signals are restricted to two different frequency bands . In most CATV networks, the downstream frequency band is in the range of 54-1002 megahertz (MHz), while the upstream frequency band is in the range of 5-42 MHz. Therefore, the entire CATV frequency band is 5-1002MHz_o

[0004] The downstream signal is transmitted from the CATV network infrastructure to the subscriber premises at the CATV entrance adapter, which is also commonly referred to as entrance equipment, terminal adapter or drop amplifier. CATV inlet adapters are usually multi-port devices that provide a variety of ports or connectors for connecting coaxial cables. A separate coaxial cable will be connected to each port and will extend within the subscriber's premises to the location of the subscriber's equipment. Because many different types of subscriber equipment are used in different rooms, some homes have coaxial cables that extend to cable outlets in almost every room. For example, televisions are commonly seen everywhere in the home. The multiple ports of the CATV inlet adapter transmit the downstream CATV at each cable outlet, and transmit the upstream CATV signal back to the CATV inlet adapter through the house coaxial cable, and the CATV inlet adapter transmits the upstream CATV signal to the CATV network.

[0005] In addition to televisions, computers, and phones, a relatively large number of other entertainment and multimedia devices are available for use in the home. For example, a digital video recorder (DVR) is used to store broadcast programs, still photos, and moving pictures in a storage medium so that the content can be played back on a display or a television at a later time selected by the user. As another example, computer games are also played on a monitor or on a television. Such computer games can be obtained or played via the Internet from a CATV network or from media played on a playback device or game console connected to a monitor or television. As a further example, receivers that receive satellite broadcast signals can be distributed for viewing or listening around the home. These types of equipment, including more traditional televisions, telephones, and equipment connected to the Internet through a CATV network, are

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Collectively referred to as multimedia devices.

[0006] The desire to use multimedia devices at multiple different locations within a home or subscriber's premises has led to the creation of the Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA). MoCA has developed specifications for products to create an in-home entertainment network for interconnecting currently known and future multimedia devices. The MoCA intra-home network uses the subscriber's premises or the coaxial cable infrastructure in the home originally established for the distribution of CATV signals in the subscriber's premises, mainly because the cable infrastructure already exists in most homes and is compared to the CATV frequency band The information carried can carry more information. The MoCA network is established by connecting the MoCA interface device at the cable outlet in the room of the subscriber's house. Use the MoCA network to transfer multimedia content from one MoCA interface device to another MoCA interface device.

[0007] The MoCA interface device implements the MoCA communication protocol, which encapsulates the multimedia content normally sent and received by the multimedia device in MoCA packets, and then these MoCA packets are connected to other MoCA interfaces connected to other cable outlets Transfer between selected multiple MoCA interface devices in the device. The receiving MoCA interface device removes the encapsulated multimedia content and delivers it to the connected computer, digital TV or set-top box or other multimedia devices, and then presents the multimedia content from these devices.

[0008] Each MoCA interface device can communicate with every other MoCA interface device in the MoCA network to deliver multimedia content around the home or subscriber premises. Entertainment or multimedia content available from a multimedia device can be displayed, played, or used in other ways at different locations within the home, without having to physically relocate the multimedia device from one location within the home to another . Intra-home network communication of multimedia content is believed to benefit from making fuller use of the multimedia devices that exist in modern homes. The MoCA interface device also transmits upstream and downstream CATV signals between the CATV ingress adapter and the subscriber device.

[0009] Because the MoCA network can function simultaneously with the normal operation of the CATV service, the MoCA signal transmitted between the MoCA interface devices utilizes the frequency range of 1125-1525 MHz, which is outside the frequency band of the CATV signal. The D band of this so-called MoCA signal is divided into eight different frequency ranges, D1-D8, and these eight different D frequency ranges are used to ensure communication between selected MoCA interface devices. For example, the D7 belt under 1125-1175NHZ can be used to transmit CATV TV programs between the MoCA interface device connected to the set-top box in the main room of the house and another MoCA interface device connected to the TV in the bedroom of the house The MoCA interface device connected to the computer game multimedia device in the basement room of the house simultaneously transmits the computer game content to the computer in the recreation room of the house through the D-6 belt under 1375-1425MHZ. The MoCA frequency band also includes other frequency ranges outside the CATV frequency band, but the D band is used to establish connections between MoCA interface devices and transmit content.

[0010] The use of coaxial cables in the home as the main communication medium fully simplifies the implementation of the MoCA network, but there are certain shortcomings in such implementation. The D-band MoCA frequency has the ability to pass through the CATV entrance adapter and enter the CATV network, where they can then enter the neighboring subscriber's house. The appearance of the MoCA signal at the neighboring subscribers house endangers the privacy and security of the information, which was originally intended to be restricted to the initial subscribers house. The MoCA signal from the initial subscriber's house that enters the neighboring subscriber's house through the CATV network may also adversely affect the performance of the MoCA network in the neighboring subscriber's house. Collision of MoCA signals from the initial and neighboring subscriber premises can cause the MoCA interface equipment to malfunction or not operate correctly on a consistent basis.

[0011] Another undesirable aspect of using MoCA for communication between various multimedia devices is that a relatively large MoCA network with many cable outlet ports has the effect of deteriorating the strength of downstream CATV signals. Because multimedia devices in the home frequently need to be connected to the CATV network in order to send upstream CATV signals and receive downstream CATV signals, the coaxial cable infrastructure in the home must be used in the home to provide CATV signals and services to the home.

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All CATV cables and CATV ports are connected together to the common connection. This common connection is usually implemented in a CATV inlet adapter that provides an output port connected to a coaxial cable that extends to each individual location or room in the home. The splitter in the CATV inlet adapter divides the CATV downstream signal into two or more power-reduced copies of the input signal and provides each copy to a separate outlet port. Similarly, the upstream signals from the subscriber equipment connected to each coaxial cable are combined in the splitter and then passed upstream into the CATV network through the CATV ingress adapter.

[0012] A typical splitter is passive, which means that the power of the input signal is divided among the copies of the output signal split from the input signal. Each copy of the signal therefore has a reduced power or strength, and the lower-strength copy will not have the same quality as the input signal. Generally speaking, the quality is the signal strength relative to the strength of the inherent environmental noise. Because inherent environmental noise generally cannot be reduced and is usually constant, reducing the signal strength relative to noise reduces the signal-to-noise ratio. The signal-to-noise ratio is a recognized measure of signal quality. A lower signal-to-noise ratio indicates a lower quality signal.

[0013] Since many households require a relatively large number of cable outlet ports, such as six or more, the downstream CATV signal must be divided into a comparable relatively large number of replicas. A larger number of signal splitters that need to generate the necessary number of individual copies of the downstream CATV signal reduces the strength of the downstream signal copy. Because the strength of the CATV signal available at each of these ports is considerably reduced due to the degree of signal splitting required, the quality of the CATV service available in a home network with a relatively large number of cable output ports got damage.

[0014] On the other hand, upstream CATV signals from subscriber equipment do not appear as frequently as downstream CATV signals. In addition, because the upstream signal is immediately generated by the subscriber equipment within the home, the upstream signal generally has higher power. Therefore, the reduction in the strength of the CATV signal is mainly applied to the downstream CATV signal, which of course provides multimedia content to the subscriber. It is the quality of the multimedia content observed by the subscriber that forms the basis of the subscriber's opinion for the quality of service.

[0015] To compensate for the decrease in the strength of the downstream CATV signal caused by the splitting, some inlet adapters include an amplifier to increase the strength of the copy of the downstream CATV signal. Of course, including the amplifier along with the signal splitter makes signal transmission dependent on the existence of sufficient power to operate the amplifier. The power for the amplifier is obtained from commercial sources in the home. If the commercial power supply is temporarily interrupted, or if the power supply equipment in the home stops operating properly, the consumer perceives the CATV problem and reports the problem to the CATV service provider. The CATV service provider must dispatch service or repair personnel to the subscribers home after this in order to identify and repair the problem. This kind of service call is a significant expense for CATV service providers. Therefore, CATV service providers try to eliminate as many potential failure points as possible in the equipment provided by CATV service providers to reduce service calls and repair costs. Including amplifiers in CATV inlet adapters creates a potential point of failure, and for this reason, most CATV service providers want to avoid using CATV inlet adapters with amplifiers. However, in those relatively large intra-home networks with multiple outlets for connecting multiple multimedia devices, there are few previous options except for using amplifiers together with splitters in order to obtain the desired downstream performance of high service quality. CATV signal strength.

Summary of the invention

[0016] The present invention relates to a cable television (CATV) entrance adapter, which beneficially provides high-quality and high-strength downstream CATV signals to multiple subscriber devices while contributing and enhancing the establishment of a multimedia home network. The CATV entrance adapter is preferably amplifierless and passive, and transmits intra-home network communication signals between multiple subscriber devices, and transmits downstream and upstream CATV signals to the subscriber equipment and the CATV network. In-home network communication signal in the home network

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The multimedia content from the upstream and downstream CATV signals is effectively delivered to all subscriber equipment and to the CATV network without reducing the quality or strength of the CATV signal to the point where the quality of service is compromised. As a passive device, the CATV inlet adapter of the present invention does not require an external power source, which eliminates unnecessary service calls. In addition, critical communications through the CATV network, such as "line of life" telephone services, are maintained during transmission through the CATV network to ensure that such critical communications are not disadvantageous. The CATV entrance adapter also minimizes the risk of errors or malfunctions that the CATV service provider is responsible for.

[0017] According to these or other features, one aspect of the present invention relates to a cable television (CATV) inlet adapter for conducting downstream and upstream CATV signals between a CATV network and at least one subscriber device at a subscribers premises , And used to transmit intra-home network signals between multiple subscriber devices connected to the subscribers premises in the home network. The CATV signal occupies a CATV frequency band that is different from the home network frequency band occupied by the home network signal. The home network includes a network interface connected to each subscriber device, and a network signal is generated through the network interface and transmitted between the subscriber devices in the home network. The CATV inlet adapter includes a CATV inlet port for connecting to a CATV network, and a plurality of network ports, all of which are used to connect to the network interface to which each subscriber device is connected. The CATV inlet adapter also includes a signal splitter with an input terminal and two output terminals. The signal splitter is operable to divide the signal received at the input of the signal splitter into reduced power copies of the input signal provided at each output of the signal splitter. The signal splitter also transfers the signal received at each output terminal to the input terminal and to the other output terminal. The CATV entrance adapter also includes a home network band rejection device connected between the CATV entrance port and the input port of the signal splitter. This home network frequency band rejection device basically blocks In order to transmit the home network signal to the CATV entrance port and the CATV network through the home network frequency band rejection device.

[0018] Another aspect of the present invention relates to an in-home network for distributing multimedia content to subscriber devices. The multimedia content is obtained from CATV signals transmitted through the CATV network and from subscriber devices connected to the home network. The home network includes a CATV inlet adapter with a CATV inlet port and a plurality of network ports. The CATV entrance port is connected to the CATV network for receiving multimedia content from CATV signals transmitted through the CATV network. The home network also includes multiple home network interfaces, each home network interface is connected to a different one of the multiple network ports, and each network port transmits multimedia content to each network interface connected to Subscriber device. All network interfaces transmit multimedia content in a network signal between each other, and the network signal is transmitted between the network interfaces. At least one network interface sends and receives CATV signals, and transmits multimedia content contained in the CATV signal to a subscriber device connected to a network interface, and transmits the multimedia content obtained from the CATV signal in the network signal. The signal is transmitted to another network interface through the CATV inlet adapter. Each network interface transmits the multimedia content obtained from the subscriber device connected to the network interface in the network signal, which The number is transmitted to another network interface through the CATV entrance adapter. The network signal is located in a network frequency band different from the CATV frequency band, and the CATV signal is located in the CATV frequency band.

[0019] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method of transmitting information contained in downstream and upstream CATV signals between a CATV network and at least one subscriber device at a subscriber's premises, and transmitting information contained in a subscriber connected in a home network A method of information in the network signal between multiple subscriber devices at the premises. The method includes connecting the CATV entrance adapter to receive CATV signals from the CATV network and transmitting the CATV signals to the CATV network respectively; connecting the home network interface to each subscriber device to form the home network among the subscriber devices to which the network interface is attached; Connect the CATV entrance adapter as a hub in the home network to transmit network signals between network interfaces; limit the network signal to the end-home network frequency band different from the CATV frequency band, and the CATV signal is restricted to the CATV frequency band Inside;

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Connect the CATV adapter to at least one network interface to receive the provided CATV signal from the CATV inlet adapter and transmit the provided CATV signal to the CATV inlet adapter; and prevent the network signal in the CATV inlet adapter from being transmitted to the CATV network.

[0020] A supplementary aspect of the present invention related to preventing or preventing the transmission of network signals to a CATV network relates to a frequency rejection device, which only includes passive electronic components, or does not have a CATV signal It works in the case of a power supply separated from the home network signal. The frequency rejection device may take the form of a frequency rejection filter, or the frequency rejection device may take the form of at least one duplexer that divides the frequency into separate frequency bands and is connected to conduct the network between the network interfaces The network signal in the frequency band, and the CATV signal in the CATV frequency band is transmitted back and forth with the CATV network.

[0021] Another complementary aspect of the invention relates to a server network interface and at least one client network interface. The server network interface sends and receives downstream and upstream CATV signals and network signals to transmit the information contained in the CATV and network signals to the subscriber device connected to the server network interface. Each client network interface sends and receives network signals to transmit the information contained in the network signal to the subscriber device to which each client network interface is connected. The server network interface also has the ability to store the information obtained from the downstream CATV signal and then provide the network signal to the client network interface, which contains the information stored from the downstream CATV signal.

[0022] An additional complementary aspect of the present invention relates to connecting an Embedded Multimedia Terminal Adapter (eMTA) compatible subscriber device including a modem and a telephone set to the CATV inlet adapter, and dividing the downstream CATV signal into power-reduced copies and copying This one is provided to eMTA compatible devices.

[0023] A more complete understanding of the present invention, as well as the manner in which the present invention achieves the above and other improvements, can be referred to the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiment together with the accompanying drawings briefly summarized below and by reference The appended claims are obtained.

Description of the drawings

[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates a typical CATV network infrastructure including multiple CATV portal adapters incorporating the present invention, and also illustrates the use of CATV portal adapters for connecting multimedia devices or other subscriber equipment in a subscriber's premises Block diagram of the home network.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a more detailed illustration of an intra-home network in a subscriber house shown in FIG. 1, wherein more details of the network interface and subscriber equipment are shown in block diagram form.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the components of an embodiment of a CATV portal adapter shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, and also shows the subscriber and the network interface in block diagram form.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of components of an alternative embodiment of the CATV inlet adapter shown in FIG. 3.

[0028] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the components of another embodiment of a CATV inlet adapter shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, constituting an alternative embodiment of the CATV inlet adapter shown in FIG. 3, and is also shown in block diagram form The subscriber and network interface are out.

[0029] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of components of an alternative embodiment of the CATV inlet adapter shown in FIG. 5.

[0030] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the components of another embodiment of a CATV inlet adapter shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, which constitutes an alternative embodiment of the CATV inlet adapter shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, and also The block diagram form shows the subscriber and the network interface.

[0031] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of components of an alternate embodiment of the CATV inlet adapter shown in FIG. 7.

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Detailed ways

[0032] FIG. 1 generally shows a CATV inlet adapter 10 incorporating the present invention. The CATV entrance adapter 10 is located at the subscriber house 12 and forms part of a traditional in-home network 14 such as the traditional Multimedia over Coaxial Cable Alliance (MoCA) in-home entertainment network. The home network 14 interconnects subscriber equipment or multimedia devices 16 in the subscriber premises 12 and allows the multimedia devices 16 to transmit multimedia content or home signals among other multimedia devices 16. The connection medium of the home network 14 is formed in significant parts by the pre-existing CATV coaxial cable infrastructure (usually represented by the coaxial cable 18), which is present in the subscriber's house 12 It was originally intended to transmit CATV signals between multimedia or subscriber equipment 16. However, the connection medium of the in-home network 14 may be intentionally created using the newly installed coaxial cable 18. Examples of multimedia devices 16 are digital video recorders, computers, data modems, computer game playback devices, televisions, television set-top boxes, and other audio and visual entertainment devices.

[0033] The CATV entrance adapter 10 is also a part of the traditional CATV network 20. The CATV portal adapter 10 transfers CATV multimedia content or signals from the CATV network 20 to the subscriber equipment at the subscriber premise 12. The subscriber equipment includes multimedia equipment 16 but may also include other equipment that may or may not operate as part of the home network 14 but is intended to function as a result of the connection to the CATV network 20. Examples of subscriber equipment that may not be part of the in-home network 14 are the modem 56 and the connected Voice Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone 58 and certain other embedded multimedia terminal adapter- (eMTA) compatible devices (not shown).

[0034] The CATV entrance adapter 10 has beneficial characteristics that allow it to function in both the home network 14 and the CATV network 20 at the same time, thereby benefiting both the home network 14 and the CATV network 20. The CATV entrance adapter functions as a hub in the home network 14 to efficiently transmit the home network signal between the multimedia and the subscriber device 16. The CATV entrance adapter 10 also functions as a CATV interface between the CATV network and the subscriber equipment 16 located at the subscriber house 12 in a traditional role, thereby providing CATV services to the subscriber. In addition, the CATV entrance adapter 10 safely restricts intra-home network communication in each subscriber's house, prevents network signals from entering the CATV network 20 and reduces the strength of CATV signals conducted by the CATV network 20 that may be recognized by neighboring subscribers.

[0035] The CATV network 20 has a typical topology. The downstream signal 22 originates from the program source at the front end 24 of the CATV network 20 and passes through the main trunk cable 26, the signal splitter/combiner 28, the secondary trunk cable 30, another signal splitter/combiner 32, and the distribution cable. The branch 34, the cable connector 36, and the drop cable 38 are conducted to the CATV inlet adapter 10 on the sequential path. The upstream signal 40 originating from the subscriber equipment 16 and 56/58 is passed from the CATV inlet adapter 10 to the CATV network 20, and the same But the path is conducted to the front end 24 in the reverse order. Traditional transponder amplifiers 42 are interspersed at appropriate positions within the topology of the CATV network 20, which both amplify the downstream CATV signal 22 and the upstream CATV signal 40. A conventional repeater amplifier may also be included in the cable joint 36. The cable joint 36 and the signal splitter/combiner 28 and 32 divide a single downstream signal into a plurality of individual downstream signals, and combine the plurality of upstream signals into a single upstream signal.

[0036] More details related to the CATV inlet adapter 10 are shown in FIG. 2. The CATV inlet adapter 10 includes a housing 44 that encapsulates internal electronic circuit components (shown in FIGS. 3-8). A mounting flange 46 surrounds the housing 44, and a hole 48 in the flange 46 allows the CATV entrance adapter to be attached to the support structure at the subscriber premise 12 (FIG. 1).

[0037] The CATV inlet adapter 10 is connected to the CATV network 20 through a CATV connection or inlet port 50. CATV in

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The port adapter 10 receives the downstream signal 22 from the CATV network 20 through the connection port 50 and transmits the upstream signal 40 to the CATV network 20. The upstream and downstream signals 22 and 40 are transmitted to and from the subscriber equipment through the embedded multimedia terminal adapter (eMTA) port 52 and through the in-home network port 54. The conventional modem 56 is connected between the conventional Voice Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone 58 and the eMTA port 52. The modem 56 converts the downstream CATV signal 22 containing data for the telephone 58 into a signal 60 usable by the telephone 58 in accordance with the VoIP protocol. Similarly, the modem 56 converts the VoIP protocol signal 60 from the telephone 58 into an upstream CATV signal 40, which is sent to the CATV network 20 through the eMTA port 52 and the CATV entry port 50.

[0038] The coaxial cable 18 in the subscriber house 12 (FIG. 1) connects the in-home network port 54 to the coaxial outlet 62. The intra-home network 14 uses new or existing coaxial cable infrastructure in the subscriber house 12 (Figure 1) to locate coaxial outlets 62 in different rooms or locations within the subscriber house 12 (Figure 1), and establish The communication medium used for the home network 14.

[0039] In-home network interface devices 64 and 66 are connected to the coaxial outlet 62 or as a part of the coaxial outlet 62. The devices 64 and 66 transmit the home network signal 78 to each other through the coaxial outlet 62, the coaxial cable 18, the network port 54 and the CATV inlet adapter 10. The CATV inlet adapter 10 is internally connected to the network port 54 to transmit the network signal 78 between the ports 54, as shown and discussed below in conjunction with FIGS. 3-8.

[0040] The subscriber or multimedia device 16 is connected to the in-home network interfaces 64 and 66. The home network signal 78 originating from the subscriber device 16 connected to one of the network interfaces 64 or 66 is passed through the home network 14 to the interface 64 or 66 of the receiving subscriber device 16. The network interfaces 64 and 66 perform the following typical functions: buffering information, which is typically in digital form as packets, and transmitting and receiving the packets through the home network 14 in accordance with the communication protocol used by the home network such as the MoCA protocol. Although this information is typically in digital form, its communication through the home network 14 is typically as an analog signal in a predetermined frequency band, such as the D-band frequency used in the MoCA communication protocol. The combination of one of the home network interfaces 64 or 66 and the connected subscriber device 16 constitutes a node of the home network 14.

[0041] The present invention utilizes typical server-client technology and integrates it into the home network interfaces 64 and 66. The home network interface 64 is a server network interface, and the home network interface 66 is a client network interface. Only one server network interface 64 is presented in the home network 14, while multiple client network interfaces 66 are typically presented in the home network 14.

[0042] The server network interface 64 receives the downstream CATV signal 22 and the home network signal 68 originating from other client network interfaces 66 connected to the subscriber device 16, and extracts the information content carried by the downstream CATV signal 22 and the network signal 78, The information content is stored in digital form on a storage device (not shown) included in the server network interface 64. With respect to the downstream CATV signal 22, the server network interface 64 transmits the extracted and stored information to the subscriber device 16 to which the information goes. Therefore, the server interface 64 transfers the information obtained from the downstream CATV signal 22 to the subscriber device connected to it, or through the home network to the client interface 66 connected to the subscriber device 16 to which the downstream CATV signal 22 goes. The receiving client network interface 66 extracts the information, and transfers the information to the destination subscriber device connected to the client network interface 66. For network signals 78 originating in one network interface 64 or 66 and destined for another network interface 64 or 66, those signals are directly sent between the originating and receiving network interfaces 64 or 66 using the communication protocol of the home network.

[0043] For those signals that originate in one of the subscriber devices 16 and are intended to be upstream CATV signals 40 within the CATV network 20 (for example, a program content selection signal originating from a TV set-top box), the upstream CATV signals are served by the family.

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The server network interface 64 is transmitted to the CATV network 20, or alternatively is transmitted by a network interface 64 or 66 connected to a particular subscriber device 16. In some implementations of the present invention, if the upstream CATV signal originates from the subscriber device 16 connected to the client network interface 66, the client network interface 66 encodes the upstream CATV signal, and the encoded signal is transmitted through the home network 14. The signal is sent to the server network interface 64; after that, the server network interface 64 transmits the upstream CATV signal to the CATV network 20 through the CATV inlet adapter 10. If the upstream signal originates from a subscriber device connected to the server network interface 64, the interface 64 transmits the upstream signal directly to the CATV network 20 through the portal adapter 10.

[0044] The advantage of using the server network interface 64 to receive multimedia content from the downstream CATV signal 22 and then distributing the content in the network signal 78 to the client network interface 66 for use by the destination subscriber device 16 is that the downstream CATV There is no substantial decrease in the signal strength of the signal, it will be as if the downstream CATV signal is divided into multiple copies with reduced power and each copy is delivered to each subscriber device 16. As compared to a relatively large number of times as would be required in a typical home network, by splitting the downstream CATV signal 22 only a few times, an excellent CATV signal strength is achieved at the server network interface 64. The multimedia content or other information in the downstream CATV signal 22 to the subscriber device 16 connected to the client network interface 66 is provided by the server network interface 64 in the network signal 78, which has sufficient strength to ensure good quality service quality. Because the source interface can transmit signals of sufficient signal strength for transmission to the CATV network 20, the upstream CATV signals generated by the server and client interfaces 64 and 66 have sufficient signal strength.

[0045] Different embodiments of the CATV inlet adapter 10 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, and 10f (FIGS. 1 and 2) are described below together with FIGS. 3-8, respectively. The CATV inlet adapters 10a, 10c, and 10e shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 7 are similar to the corresponding CATV inlet adapters 10b, 10d, and 10f shown in FIGS. 4, 6 and 8, except for the lack of dedicated eMTA ports. 52 and supporting parts. In some cases, this eMAT port 52 will be unnecessary or undesirable.

[0046] In the CATV inlet adapter 10a shown in FIG. 3, the inlet port 50 is connected to the CATV network 20. The home network band rejection filter 70 is connected between the inlet port 50 and the input end 72 of the traditional four-way splitter 74. The four output ends 76 of the four-way splitter 74 are connected to the home network port 54. The downstream and upstream CATV signals 22 and 40 pass through the filter 70 because the filter 70 only rejects signals with frequencies in the home network frequency band. The frequency band specific to the in-home network 14 is different from the frequency bands of the CATV signals 22 and 40.

[0047] The upstream and downstream CATV signals 22 and 40 also pass through the four-way splitter 74 in both directions, because the splitter 74 carries signals of all frequencies. Although a large degree of isolation is provided between the signals at the output terminals 76, the four-way splitter 74 still allows the in-home network signal 78 to pass between those output terminals 76. Therefore, the four-way splitter 74 divides the downstream CATV signal 22 into four copies, and transmits these copies to the output terminal 76 connected to the network port 54 to conduct the upstream CATV signal 40 from the port 54 and the output terminal 76 to the inputend72. The four-way splitter 74 also conducts the home network signal 78 from one of the output terminals 76 to the other output terminal 76, thereby ensuring that all the network interfaces 64 and 66 can communicate with each other using the home network protocol.

[0048] One server network interface 64 is connected to one of the ports 54, and one or more client network interfaces 66 are connected to one or more of the remaining ports 54. A subscriber or multimedia device 16 is connected to each network interface 64 and 66. The upstream and downstream CATV signals 40 and 22 pass through the splitter 74 to the interface devices 64 and 66 without modification. Those CATV signals are passed from the interface devices 64 and 66 to the subscriber equipment 16. The network signal 78 is transmitted to and from the interface devices 64 and 66 through the output terminal 76 of the splitter 74. According to the communication protocol used by the home network 14, the network signal

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78 is received and transmitted by interface devices 64 and 66.

[0049] The rejection filter 70 prevents the intra-home network signal 78 from reaching the CATV network 20, and thereby restricts the network signal 78 to the subscriber equipment 16 in the subscriber premises. Preventing the network signal 78 from entering the CATV network 20 ensures the privacy of the information contained in the network signal 78 and prevents the network signal 78 from having any adverse effects on the CATV network 20.

[0050] The CATV entrance adapter 10a allows each subscriber device 16 to directly receive CATV information and signals from the CATV network 20 (FIG. 1). Because the server network interface 64 can store the multimedia content received from the CATV network 20, the subscriber device 16 connected to the client network interface 66 can also request the server network interface 64 to store and provide the stored content at a later time. The client network interface 66 and the attached subscriber device 16 request and receive the stored multimedia content from the server network interface 64 through the home network 14. In this way, the subscriber can choose when to view the stored multimedia content obtained by CATV, without having to view the content at a specific time when the content is available from the CATV network 20. The in-home network 14 at the subscriber's premises 12 allows this flexibility.

[0051] The CATV inlet adapter 10b shown in FIG. 4 contains the same components described above for the adapter 10a (FIG. 3), and additionally includes an eMTA port 52 and a conventional two-way splitter 80. For example, the modem 56 and the VoIP phone 58 are connected to the eMTA port 52. The input 82 of the dual splitter 80 is connected to the rejection filter 70 of the home network. The output terminals 84 and 85 of the two-way splitter 80 are connected to the eMTA port 52 and the input terminal 72 of the four-way splitter 74, respectively.

[0052] The downstream CATV signal 22 entering the dual splitter is divided into two reduced power copies and passed to the output ports 84 and 85. The split copy of the downstream CATV signal 22 has approximately half the signal strength of the downstream CATV signal 22 passed from the CATV network 20 to the inlet port 50. Therefore, the copy of the downstream CATV signal 22 provided to the eMTA port 52 has a relatively high signal strength, which ensures the excellent operation of the modem 56 and the VoIP phone 58. Adequate operation of the modem 56 in the telephone 58 is especially important in those situations where the subscriber is provided with "line of life" telephone services, because a good quality signal ensures the continued adequate operation of those services. In the case where the downstream CATV signal 22 is split multiple times before being passed to the modem or VoIP phone, the multiple splits will reduce the power of the downstream CATV signal 22 provided to the modem and the VoIP phone so considerably, making it quite endangering The ability to communicate.

[0053] The advantages of the adapter 10b over the adapter 10a (FIG. 3) are: single and dual splitting of the downstream CATV signal 22 and delivery of one of those copies to the dedicated eMTA port 52 at relatively high or excellent signal strength. The disadvantage of the adapter 10b over the adapter 10a (Figure 4) is that the downstream CATV signal 22 passes through an additional splitter (dual splitter 80) before reaching the subscriber device 16, thereby reducing the application from the network port 54 to the subscriber device 16. The quality of the downstream signal 22. Because the four-way split from the splitter 74 considerably reduces the already reduced power, the downstream CATV signal 22 utilized by the subscriber device 16 is reduced in strength, thereby reducing the amount of signal strength received by the subscriber device 16 . However, the functionality of the subscriber device 16 is not as critical or important as the functionality of the modem 56 and telephone 58 or other subscriber equipment connected to the eMTA port 52.

[0054] The upstream CATV signal 40 from the subscriber device 16 and the voice modem 56 is combined by the splitters 74 and 80, and then sent to the CATV network 20 through the in-home network band rejection filter 70 without being affected by the network. The relatively high strength of those upstream CATV signals 40 provided by interfaces 64 and 66 and modem 56 or other subscriber equipment 16 causes a substantial reduction in signal strength.

[0055] The embodiment of the CATV inlet adapter 10c shown in FIG. 5 eliminates the need for the home network band rejection filter 70 (FIGS. 3 and 4) while maintaining the prevention of the home network band signal 78 from entering the CATV Network 20

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The capability, and at the same time, ensures that a relatively high-strength downstream CATV signal 22 will be present for delivery to subscriber equipment at one or more network ports. To do this, the CATV inlet adapter 10c together with the splitters 74 and 80 uses two conventional duplexers 92 and 94. Generally, the function of a traditional duplexer is to separate the signal received at the common end into signals in the high-frequency range and low-frequency range, and to transmit the signals separately from the high-pass end and the low-pass end in the high-frequency range and the low-frequency range . On the contrary, the traditional duplexer will combine the separated high-frequency signal and low-frequency signal received separately at the high-frequency end and the low-frequency end into a single signal, which has both high-frequency content and low-frequency content. And provide this single signal of the combined frequency content at the common end.

[0056] In the following discussion of a CATV inlet adapter using a duplexer, the predetermined low frequency range is a CATV signal frequency range including both upstream and downstream CATV signals 22 and 40 (ie, 5-1002NHZ), and the predetermined The high frequency range of is the frequency of the network signal 78 in the home. When the intra-home network 14 is implemented by using MoCA equipment and protocols, the intra-home frequency band is larger than the frequency band used for CATV signals (ie, 1125-1525 MHz). If other network technologies are used to implement the home network 14, the network signal 78 must be in a frequency band separate from the frequency band of the upstream and downstream CATV signals. In this case, the high-frequency range and low-frequency range of the duplexer used in the CATV inlet adapter described here must be selected to separate the CATV signal frequency band from the home network signal frequency band.

[0057] The inlet port 50 connects the adapter 10c to the CATV network 20. The two-way splitter 80 has an input 82 directly connected to the inlet port 50. The dual splitter 80 divides the downstream CATV signal 22 at the input 82 into two identical copies of reduced signal strength, and conducts those copies through the two output terminals 84 and 85. The split copy of the downstream CATV signal 22 provided by the output 84 is transmitted to the main network port 54p of the inlet adapter 10c_oBecause the server network interface 64 is connected to the port 54p, the network port 54p is regarded as the main network port. The subscriber device 16 may or may not be connected to the server network interface 64.

[0058] The two output terminals 84 and 85 of the splitter 80 are connected to the low-pass terminals 88 and 90 of the conventional duplexers 92 and 94, respectively. The low-pass ends 88 and 90 of the duplexers 92 and 94 receive and transmit signals having a predetermined low-frequency range. The high-pass terminals 104 and 106 of the duplexers 92 and 94 receive and transmit signals having a predetermined high-frequency range. The common ends 96 and 98 of the duplexers 92 and 94 receive and transmit signals having both a predetermined high frequency range and a predetermined low frequency range.

[0059] The common terminal 98 of the duplexer 94 is connected to the input terminal 72 of the four-way splitter 74. The output 76 of the quad splitter 74 is connected to the home network port 54 (FIG. 2) designated as the secondary port 54s. The client network interface 66 is connected to the secondary port 54s. The subscriber device 16 is connected to the client interface 66. Because the server network interface 64 is connected to the primary network port 54p, the network port 54s to which the client network interface 66 is connected is designated as the secondary network port.

[0060] The high-pass ends 104 and 106 of the duplexers 92 and 94 are connected to each other. Thus, the higher frequency band of the network signal 78 is conducted by the duplexers 92 and 94 through the high-pass ends 104 and 106 of the duplexers 92 and 94 and between the common ends 96 and 98 of the duplexers 92 and 94. In this way, the network signal 78 is limited to only the transmission between the network interfaces 64 and 66 through the duplexers 92 and 94 and the four-way splitter 74.

[0061] The duplexers 92 and 94 also conduct the lower-band CATV signals 22 and 44 from their common ends 96 and 98 to the main port 54p and to the quad splitter 74 through their low-pass ends 88 and 90.ofinput terminal 72. The four-way splitter 74 conducts the lower frequency CATV signals 22 and 40 to the secondary port 54s. CATV signals 22 and 40 are available to all network interfaces 64 and 66 and to subscriber equipment 16 connected to those network interfaces 64 and 66. In this way, the CATV signals 22 and 40 and the network signal 78 are made available to each network interface 64 and 66, so that each subscriber device 16 has the ability to interact with both the CATV signal and the network signal. Frequency band division of duplexers 92 and 94

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The separation characteristic performs the function of preventing the high frequency network signal 78 from reaching the CATV network 20.

[0062] Another advantage of the CATV inlet adapter 10c is that the downstream CATV signal 22 is applied to only in the case of a relatively small reduction in signal strength caused by splitting the downstream CATV signal 22 in the dual splitter 80 The server network interface 64 and the subscriber device 16 to which it is attached. This is in contrast to the delivery of the downstream CATV signal 22 through the four-way splitter 74 in the inlet adapters 10a and 10b (FIGS. 3 and 4) to the subscriber device 16 which produces a substantially greater reduction in signal strength. Minimizing the signal power reduction experienced by the downstream CATV signal 22 received by the server network interface 64 maintains the high quality of the multimedia content contained in the downstream CATV signal 22. Therefore, the server network interface 64 receives high-quality, excellent-strength downstream CATV signals, and the server network interface 64 uses the downstream CATV signals to send the content in the network signal 78 to the client network interface 66 connected to other subscriber devices. To provide high quality of service. In this way, the CATV entry adapter 10c can be used to replace the downstream CATV signal directly applied to the client's network interface with a network signal containing the same content.

[0063] Another advantage of the CATV portal adapter 10c is that the server network interface 64 can store multimedia content obtained from the downstream CATV signal provided to it. The subscriber may wish to access and view or otherwise use the stored multimedia content at a later time. The stored multimedia content is delivered to the client network interface 66 in a high-quality network signal 78 through the home network 14. Since the server network interface 64 can provide high-quality network signals, the reduction in signal strength generated by the four-way splitter 74 does not significantly affect the quality of the network signal received by the client network interface 66. Thus, the CATV entry adapter 10c provides the subscriber with an opportunity to directly utilize those CATV signal copies passing through the four-way splitter 74, or to achieve higher levels when the server network interface 64 converts the content from the downstream CATV signal into a network signal 78 A high-quality signal, which then makes the network signal 78 available as a high-quality network signal for the client network interface 66.

[0064] The storage medium of the server network interface 64 stores the multimedia content obtained from the downstream CATV signal 22, which provides an opportunity for one or more client network interfaces 66 to access the stored content and request the content to pass through the home The internal network 14 transmits to the subscriber device 16 connected to the requesting client network interface 66. Because the multimedia content has been stored by the server network interface 64, the client network interface 66 can request and receive the multimedia content at any subsequent time, while the content is still stored on the server network interface 64.

[0065] The CATV inlet adapter 10d shown in FIG. 6 is similar to the CATV inlet adapter 10c (FIG. 5), except that the adapter 10d allows the modem 56 and the VoIP phone 58 to be connected in a dedicated manner that does not involve the use of the home network 14. . If a modem and a VoIP phone are connected to the CATV portal adapter 10c (FIG. 5), the modem and VoIP phone will be connected to the server network interface 64 in the portal adapter 10c as subscriber equipment. In this case, the proper functionality of the modem and the VoIP phone depends on the proper functionality of the server network interface 64, and the functionality is prone to malfunction due to power interruption or the like.

[0066] In the CATV inlet adapter 10d shown in FIG. 6, a three-way splitter 110 is used to divide the downstream CATV signal 22 into three identical copies with reduced power. The three-way splitter has a single input terminal 112 and three output terminals 114, 116 and 118. The input terminal 112 is connected to the inlet port 50, and the two output terminals 114 and 116 are connected to the low of the duplexers 92 and 94. Through ends 88 and 90. The third output terminal 118 is connected to the eMTA port 52. Although the signal strength of the CATV signal 22 is reduced due to the three-way splitting in the splitter 110, there will be sufficient strength in the copy provided from the output terminal 118 to the EMTA port 52 to allow the modem 56 and the VoIP phone 58 to reliably To proceed. The upstream signals from the modem 56 and the VoIP phone 58 are transmitted to the CATV network 20 through the three-way splitter 110.

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[0067] The advantage of the CATV entrance adapter 10d is that the functionality of the modem 56 and the VoIP phone 58 does not depend on the functionality of the network interfaces 64 and 66. Therefore, any unfavorable situation that occurs within the home network 14 will not adversely affect the ability of the modem 56 and the VoIP phone to provide continuous telephone service to the subscriber. When the service is a "line of life" telephone service, continuous telephone service is important. Other communications regarding downstream and upstream CATV signals 22 and 40 and network signal 78 occur in conjunction with adapter 10c (FIG. 5) in the manner discussed above.

[0068] The CATV inlet adapter 10e shown in FIG. 1 communicates with the previously discussed CATV inlet adapter 10a by conducting only CATV signals 22 and 40 between the inlet port 50 and the main port 54p to which the server network interface 64 is connected. , 10b, 10c and 10d (Figure 3-6) are different. In the CATV inlet adapter 10e, the inlet port 50 is connected to the low-pass end 88 of the duplexer 92. The common terminal 96 of the duplexer 92 is connected to the master port 54p. The high-pass terminal 104 of the duplexer 92 is connected to the input terminal 72 of the four-way splitter 74. The output 76 of the four-way splitter 74 is connected to the secondary port 54 so the primary port and the secondary ports 54p and 54s are connected to the server network interface and the client network interface 64 and 66.

[0069] In the CATV ingress adapter 10e, the downstream CATV signal 22 is not transmitted to the client network interface 66. Similarly, the upstream CATV signal 22 is not conducted from the client network interface 66 to the ingress port 50. Instead, all CATV signals 22 and 40 are conducted through the low-pass terminal 88 of the duplexer 92. The server network interface 64 converts the multimedia content from the downstream CATV signal 22 into a network signal 78 to the client network interface 66, and transmits all the information constituting the upstream CATV signal 40 from the client network interface 66 to the server as a network signal 78 Network interface 64. The server network interface 64 converts this information into upstream CATV signals 40 and transfers them to the common end 96 of the duplexer 92.

[0070] Subscriber devices connected to the client network interface 66 wishing to request content from the CATV network 20 send a signal to the server network interface 64 through the home network 14, and the server network interface 64 sends the appropriate downstream CATV signal 40 to the CATV network 20. The CATV network 20 responds by sending a downstream CATV signal 22, which is directed only to the server network interface 64 through the duplexer 92. The multimedia content obtained from the downstream CATV signal 22 is received and stored by the server network interface 64. The storage of multimedia content on the server network interface 64 may last for a long period of time, or the storage may be temporary. The server network interface 64 processes the content of the downstream CATV signal 22 into network signals 78, and passes those signals through the home network 14 to the requesting client network interface 66 for use by the subscriber device to which it is attached. Even though the network signal 78 sent by the server network interface 64 is transmitted through the four-way splitter 74, when the network signal 78 is received by the client network interface 66, the signal strength provided by the server network interface 64 is sufficient to maintain the network signal 78 The excellent signal strength.

[0071] The advantage of the CATV ingress adapter 10e over the other adapters 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d (FIGS. 3-6) is that the downstream CATV signal 22 reaches the server network interface 64 without substantially reducing the signal strength. The downstream CATV signal 22 is conducted between the inlet port 50 and the main port 54p without being split. Therefore, the high strength of the downstream CATV signal 22 can be used for the multimedia content obtained from the downstream CATV signal 22. When transmitting from the server network interface 64 to the client network interface 66, the multimedia content is also maintained at high quality, because the server network interface 64 transmits the high-quality network signal 78 to the client network interface 66 through the home network 14 even when When the network signal 78 passes through the four-way splitter 74.

[0072] Therefore, the CATV portal adapter 10e achieves the highest possible signal strength and quality for passive CATV portal adapters, and enables multimedia content received from the downstream CATV signal 22 to be shared to multiple locations through the home network. A subscriber device 16. The passive nature of the CATV inlet adapter 10e improves its reliability. The relatively small number of internal components, namely, a duplexer 92 and a four-way splitter 74, also reduces the cost of the adapter 10e.

[0073] Compared to the components of the inlet adapter 10e (FIG. 7), the CATV inlet adapter 10f shown in FIG. 8 uses

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T is an additional two-way splitter 80, and has an eMTA port 52 for connecting a modem 56 and a VoIP phone 58. The input 82 of the dual splitter 80 is connected to the inlet port 50. The output terminal 84 of the splitter 80 is connected to the eMTA port 52, and the other output terminal 85 of the splitter 80 is connected to the low-pass terminal 88 of the duplexer 92.

[0074] The downstream and upstream CATV signals 22 and 40 are conducted between the inlet port 50 and both the eMTA port 52 and the main port 54p. The copy of the downstream CATV signal 22 reaches both the eMTA port 52 and the main port 54p after having been split by the two-way splitter 80 only once. Because only one split of the downstream CATV signal 22 has occurred, the downstream CATV signal 22 reaching both the eMTA port 52 and the main port 54p has a relatively high signal strength. Therefore, the portal adapter 10f transmits the high-quality downstream CATV signal 22 to both the modem 56 and the connected VOIP telephone 58 and the server network interface 64.

[0075] The advantage of the CATV entrance adapter 10f is that it provides reliable telephone service through the eMTA port 52, which does not depend on the functionality of the network interfaces 64 and 66. As a result, reliable telephone service is available. In addition, because the single signal split from the signal splitter 80 sufficiently reduces the quality of the downstream CATV signal 22 to adversely affect the performance of the server network interface 64 in obtaining CATV content, the portal adapter 10f reliably transmits the content of the downstream CATV signal 22 . When high-quality content is transmitted as a network signal 78 from the server network interface 64 to the client interface device 66 connected to the subscriber device 16, the high-quality content is maintained. In addition to the slight reduction in signal strength produced by the splitter 80, the communication containing the downstream CATV signal 22 for the multimedia content of the subscriber device 16 is essentially the same as the communication described in conjunction with the CATV portal adapter 10e (FIG. 7) the same.

[0076] The CATV inlet adapter described herein provides many advantages over other currently known CATV inlet adapters. Each CATV entrance adapter can provide multimedia content from the CATV network to any subscriber device connected to the adapter through direct communication with downstream CATV signal 22 or through the use of network signal 78. Each CATV entrance adapter is also used as an intra-home network The hub of 14 works. Each CATV inlet adapter is composed of passive components, and therefore does not require external power sources other than the CATV signals 22 and 40 and the network signal 78, thus not only improving the reliability of the adapter itself, but also reducing service calls. Compared with the traditional CATV inlet adapter that needs to split the signal for each subscriber device in the house, each CATV inlet adapter achieves the substantial strength of the downstream CATV signal 22 by limiting the number of times the downstream signal 22 is split. Critical communications through the CATV network, such as lifeline telephone services, are maintained by CATV signals transmitted through the CATV network to ensure that such critical communications are not adversely affected by multiple splits of the CATV signal. The CATV entrance adapter also minimizes the risk of accidents or failures that the CATV service provider is responsible for.

[0077] These and other benefits and advantages will become clearer when the improvements of the present invention are fully understood. The preferred embodiments of the present invention and many of its improvements have been described in detail. This description has preferred examples for implementing the present invention, and these preferred descriptions are not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the following claims.

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