Network combining wired and non-wired segments
View Patent ↗A local area network ( 60 ) within a residence or other building, including both wired ( 5 ) and non-wired segments ( 53 ). The wired segments are based on new or existing wires ( 5 a, 5 b, 5 c, 5 d, 5 e ) in the building, wherein access to the wires is provided by means of outlets ( 61 a, 61 d ), such as a telephone system, electrical power distribution system, or cable television wiring system. The non-wired segments are based on communication using propagated waves such as radio, sound, or light (e.g. infrared). The wired and non-wired segments interface in the outlet, using a module ( 50 ) that serves as mediator between the segments. The module can be integrated into the outlet, partially housed in the outlet, or attached externally to the outlet. Such a network allows for integrated communication of data units ( 24 b ) connected by wires and data units ( 24 a, 24 d ) connected without wires.
1. A device for coupling a wired digital data signal to a wireless data unit in a building, for use with a telephone wiring at least in part outside of the building and point-to-point connected to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) and comprising one or two telephone wire pairs, the telephone wiring carrying the wired digital data, said device comprising:
a telephone connector for connecting to the telephone wiring;
a telephone transceiver coupled to said telephone connector and operative for full-duplex point-to-point digital data communication of the wired digital data signal using a wired digital data protocol over the telephone wiring with a mating telephone transceiver of the same type;
a radio frequency modem operative for conducting standard-based bi-directional packet-based digital data communication of a wireless digital data signal using a wireless digital data protocol;
a packet-based digital protocol adapter consisting of one of a bridge, a router and a gateway, coupled between said telephone transceiver and said radio-frequency modem for converting data between the wireless digital data protocol and the wired digital data protocol; and
a single enclosure containing said telephone connector, said high pass filter, said telephone transceiver, said radio frequency modem and said protocol adapter.
2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is further mechanically detachable from the telephone outlet.
3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless digital data signal is based on IEEE802.11 standard.
4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said telephone wiring concurrently carrying said wired digital data and a telephone signal using multiplexing.
5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein the telephone signal is an analog telephone signal, and wherein the multiplexing is a frequency division multiplexing (FDM).
6. The device according to claim 4 , wherein device is further connectable to a telephone unit, and said device further comprising a second telephone connector connectable to the telephone unit and coupled to said first telephone connector, and wherein the device is operative to pass the telephone signal between said first and second telephone connectors for coupling the telephone signal to the telephone unit.
7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the telephone signal is an analog telephone signal, the telephone unit is an analog telephone set, and the multiplexing is a frequency division multiplexing (FDM), and wherein the device further comprises a low pass filter coupled between said first and second telephone connectors for passing the analog telephone signal to the analog telephone set.
8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said device is further connectable to a wired data unit, and said device further comprises: a data connector connectable to a wired data unit; and a data transceiver coupled between said data connector and said packet-based digital protocol adapter, for conducting standard-based bi-directional packet-based digital data communication with the wired data unit.
9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein said data connector and said data transceiver are operative to constitute a standard IEEE802.3 interface.
10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said radio frequency modem is further operative to establish a wireless communication link that is part of one of: a WLL network, a LMDS network, and a satellite network.
11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said telephone transceiver is further operative for conducting standard-based bi-directional packet-based digital data communication.
12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said radio frequency modem is further operative for conducting standard-based bi-directional packet-based digital data communication with two or more identical radio frequency modems employing the wireless digital data signal, and the wireless digital data signal is a radio frequency signal conforming to a standard-based wireless digital data protocol.