DOCSIS out-of-band control signal frequency conversion for legacy set-top boxes

1. A method comprising:

at an upstream device, up-converting a first downstream set-top box control signal to a two to eight megahertz (MHz) control channel at a frequency that is above a cable television system upstream communications band such that a resulting up-converted set-top box control channel is at a frequency that is above a guard band for the cable television system upstream communications band and greater than 200 MHz; and

transmitting the up-converted set-top box control channel using a downstream communications band.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein up-converting comprises one of up-converting from baseband or up-converting from the set-top box control band, wherein the set-top box control band comprises a frequency range from 70 MHz to 130 MHz.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein up-converting comprises up-converting to a frequency selected from the group including a frequency in a cable television system downstream communications band, a frequency above the cable television system forward communications band, and a frequency greater than 1002 MHz.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein up-converting comprises encapsulating the first downstream set-top box control signal using Data-Over-Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) for transmission over a radio frequency (RF) channel in a cable television system downstream communications band.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

up-converting a second downstream set-top box control signal for transmission over the up-converted set-top box control channel; and

transmitting the second up-converted set-top box control signal using the up-converted set-top box control channel.

6. A method comprising:

at a downstream device, down-converting a previously up-converted downstream set-top box control signal to a frequency in a set-top box control band, wherein the previously up-converted downstream set-top box control signal comprises a two to eight megahertz (MHz) control channel at a frequency that is above a guard band for a cable television system upstream communications band such that the up-converted set-top box control channel is at a frequency that is greater than 200 MHz; and

injecting the downstream set-top box control channel into a set-top box communications pathway.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein down-converting comprises down-converting to the set-top box control band in a 70-130 MHz frequency range.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the downstream device includes a remotely addressable device that is remotely programmed with a down-conversion frequency.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the downstream device includes cable modem functionality to decapsulate set-top box control signal information from a Data-Over-Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) radio frequency (RF) channel, and the method further comprising conditioning the set-top box control signal information for transmission to the set-top box.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the downstream device comprises a dongle-type device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the dongle-type device receives power from one of a Universal Serial Bus adapter, a power supply, and a power adapter.

12. An apparatus comprising:

an input port that:

receives a downstream set-top box control signal; and

one or more circuits that:

up-convert the downstream set-top box control signal to a two to eight megahertz (MHz) control channel at a frequency that is above a cable television system upstream communications band such that a resulting up-converted set-top box control channel is at a frequency that is above a guard band for the cable television system upstream communications band and greater than 200 MHz; and

inject the up-converted set-top box control channel into a downstream communications band.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the input port receives the downstream set-top box control signal at baseband or in the set-top box control band, and the one or more circuits up-convert the downstream set-top box control signal from one of baseband or the set-top box control band, wherein the set-top box control band comprises a frequency range from 70 MHz to 130 MHz.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the one or more circuits up-convert the downstream set-top box control signal to a frequency selected from the group including a frequency in a cable television system downstream communications band, a frequency above the cable television system forward communications band, and a frequency greater than 1002 MHz.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a Data-Over-Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) network interface and the one or more circuits cause the up-converted downstream set-top box control channel to be transmitted on a DOCSIS radio frequency (RF) channel.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the one or more circuits:

up-convert a second downstream set-top box control signal for transmission over the up-converted set-top box control channel; and

transmit the second up-converted set-top box control channel.

17. A system comprising the apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising an out-of-band set-top box (STB) control signal down-converter that down-converts the set-top box control channel to a frequency band within a 70-130 MHz frequency range.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the out-of-band STB control signal down-converter receives programming instructions to set the downstream set-top box control channel down-conversion frequency or to tune to an up-conversion frequency.

19. An apparatus comprising:

one or more circuits that:

down-convert a previously up-converted downstream set-top box control signal to a frequency in a set-top box control band, wherein the previously up-converted downstream set-top box control signal comprises a two to eight megahertz (MHz) control channel at a frequency that is above a guard band for a cable television system upstream communications band such that the up-converted set-top box control channel is at a frequency that is greater than 200 MHz; and

inject the downstream set-top box control channel into a set-top box communications pathway.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the one or more circuits down-convert the set-top box control signal to a 70-130 MHz frequency range.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the one or more circuits receive programming instructions to set the downstream set-top box control signal down-conversion frequency and/or to tune to an up-conversion frequency.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the one or more circuits are housed in a dongle-type device.

23. The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising a power interface that receives power from one of a Universal Serial Bus adapter, a power supply, and a power adapter.

24. The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising one or more amplifiers that amplify signals passing through the apparatus.

25. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the one or more circuits:

extract control packets from previously up-converted downstream set-top box control signal without down-conversion; and

transmit the control packets at a corresponding down-conversion frequency.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , further comprising an interface unit that:

connects to a wired or wireless network; and

transmits the control packets over the wired or wireless network.

27. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the one or more circuits:

extract control packets from a Data-Over-Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) radio frequency (RF) channel; and

transmit the control packets comprising one of at a corresponding down-conversion frequency and using out-of-band set-top box signaling.

28. The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising an interface unit that:

connects to a wired or wireless network; and

receives control information to set the downstream set-top box control signal down-conversion frequency or to tune to an up-conversion frequency.