Home network system and method
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.
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.