Apparatus and method for extending a cable modem data service over wireless links
View Patent ↗An apparatus and method are presented to allow the extension of a data cable modem service, for example DOCSIS, over a wireless link. According to the invention a wireless hub transceiver is connected to a distribution coax cable of, for example, a DOCSIS based system. The downstream data is transferred over a wireless link to a remote subscriber radio frequency (RF) unit connected to a cable modem that provides the downstream data to the subscriber. Similarly, upstream data is sent from the subscriber cable modem over the wireless link to the wireless hub transceiver where such data is inserted back to the distribution coax cable.
1. An apparatus for providing a cable television (CATV) upstream and downstream data service with wireless connectivity, comprising:
a splitter;
an embedded cable modem controller connected to said splitter, the embedded cable modem controller being configured to determine a DOCSIS carrier frequency mapping from cable to air;
a downstream channel unit connected to said splitter and also connected to an automatic gain control (AGC) module;
an upstream channel unit connected to said splitter and further connected to a programmable gain unit (PGU); and
an up-converter and a down converter each having an antenna connection, said up-converter connected to said AGC and said down-converter connected to said PGU, wherein said down-converter and said up converter are connected to a single local oscillator, said single local oscillator connected to a phase locked loop (PLL).
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said single local oscillator is operable at an oscillation frequency that is half a desired band frequency.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said oscillation frequency is 2.86 GHz.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further configured to use a first wireless frequency range for upstream transmission, a second wireless frequency range for a downstream transmission, and a frequency gap between said first wireless frequency range and said second wireless frequency range.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said wireless upstream frequency range is within a range of 5.810 GHz to 5.875 GHz.
6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said wireless downstream frequency is within the range of 5.725 GHz to 5.770 GHz.
7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a frequency guard range is within a range of 5.770 GHz to 5.810 GHz.
8. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said transmission band comprises license free frequency band.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said cable television (CATV) upstream and downstream data service conforms with a over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS).
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an antenna comprised of a puck-style bandstop filter for separating said upstream and downstream signals.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said upstream channel unit is configured to:
upconvert a data signal of said data service to a first intermediate frequency (IF); and
downconvert said first IF to a second IF.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said first IF is approximately 1220 MHz.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said second IF is approximately 44 MHz.
14. An apparatus for adding upstream and downstream wireless data transmission to a data service provided on a cable television (CATV) network, comprising:
a splitter unit (SU) connected to a distribution coax cable of said CATV; and
a wireless hub transceiver (WHT) connected to said SU, said WHT comprising an up-converter, a down-converter and an embedded cable modem controller being configured to determine a DOCSIS carrier frequency mapping from cable to air,
wherein said down-converter and said up-converter are each connected to a single local oscillator, said single local oscillator connected to a phase locked loop (PLL).
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:
an antenna connected to said WHT for wireless transmission of downstream data to at least one subscriber radio frequency unit (SRFU) and reception of upstream data from said at least one SRFU.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said single local oscillator is operable at an oscillation frequency that is half a desired band frequency.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said oscillation frequency is approximately 2.86 GHz.
18. The apparatus of claim 14 , configured to use:
a first wireless frequency range for upstream transmission, a second wireless frequency range for a downstream transmission, and a guard frequency gap between said first wireless frequency range and said second wireless frequency range.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein said wireless upstream frequency range is within a range of 5.725 GHz to 5.770 GHz.
20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein said wireless downstream frequency range within a range of 5.810 GHz to 5.875 GHz.
21. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein said frequency guard range within a range of 5.770 GHz and 5.810 GHz.
22. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein said transmission band comprises a license free frequency band.
23. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said antenna comprises a puck-style bandstop filter for separating said upstream and downstream signals.
24. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said cable television (CATV) upstream and downstream data service conforms with an over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS).
25. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said WHT is configured to:
upconvert a data signal of said data service to a first intermediate frequency (IF); and
downconvert said first IF to a second IF.
26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein said first IF is approximately 1220 MHz.
27. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein said second IF is approximately 44 MHz.