Method and apparatus for combined access network and home network using a dual-role device

1. A network node for operation in a premises, the network node comprising:

a first network port;

a second network port;

a physical (PHY) layer comprising a radio frequency (RF) front end, wherein the RF front end is operable to, at least:

receive signals from and transmit signals to a first network external to the premises operating in accordance with a first network protocol through the first network port over a first communication medium external to the premises; and

receive signals from and transmit signals to a second network of the premises and operating in accordance with a second network protocol through the second network port over a second communication medium of the premises; and

a node function controller (NFC) that is operable to, at least:

select a mode of a plurality of modes comprising:

a first network mode, in which the network node operates as an access network node of the first network external to the premises and does not operate on the second network of the premises; and

a second network mode, in which the network node operates as a network controller of the second network of the premises and does not operate on the first network external to the premises, wherein the network node operates as a network controller by at least in part scheduling communications for other nodes of the second network of the premises where such communications are directly between or among the other nodes; and

operate the network node in the selected mode,

wherein the signals received from the first network comprise a Media Access Plan (MAP) for communications over the first communication medium and wherein the NFC operates to generate a MAP for the second network for communications over the second communication medium based, at least in part, on the MAP received from the first network.

2. The network node of claim 1 , wherein the first and second networks transmit on the same frequency.

3. The network node of claim 1 , wherein the first and second networks transmit on different frequencies, and the PHY layer comprises an RF front end that is switched between operating on the first network at a first frequency in the first network mode and operating on the second network at a second frequency in the second network mode.

4. The network node of claim 1 , wherein the MAP generated for the second network ensures that signals communicated by the network node in the first network when the network node is operating as an access network node in the first network are mutually exclusive in time from signals communicated by the network node in the second network operating as a network controller in the second network, but that signals communicated between nodes other than the network node in the first network are allowed to overlap in time with signals communicated by the network node in the second network operating as the network controller in the second network.

5. A network node for operation in a premises, the network node comprising:

a first network port;

a second network port;

a physical (PHY) layer comprising a radio frequency (RF) front end, wherein the RF front end is operable to, at least:

receive signals from and transmit signals to a first network external to the premises operating in accordance with a first network protocol through the first network port over a first communication medium external to the premises; and

receive signals from and transmit signals to a second network of the premises and operating in accordance with a second network protocol through the second network port over a second communication medium of the premises; and

a node function controller (NFC) that is operable to, at least:

select a mode of a plurality of modes comprising:

a first network mode, in which the network node operates as an access network node of the first network external to the premises and does not operate on the second network of the premises; and

a second network mode, in which the network node operates as a network controller of the second network of the premises and does not operate on the first network external to the premises, wherein the network node operates as a network controller by at least in part scheduling communications for other nodes of the second network of the premises where such communications are directly between or among the other nodes; and

operate the network node in the selected mode,

wherein the network node operates as a network coordinator for both the first and second networks, and the NFC generates MAPs for the first network and for the second network that ensure that communications of the network node operating in the first network mode are mutually exclusive in time from communications of the network node operating in the second network mode, but that signals communicated between nodes other than the network node in the first network are allowed to overlap in time with signals communicated by the network node in the second network operating as the network controller in the second network.

6. A network node for operation in a premises, the network node comprising:

a network function controller operable to, at least:

operate the network node in a first network mode in which the network node functions as a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) node in a first network, which is a wide area network external to the premises, and does not communicate in a second network, which is a local area network of the premises, by at least in part operating to:

couple an RF front end of the network node to a first network port;

decouple the first network port from a first impedance matching circuit; and

couple a second network port to a second impedance matching circuit; and

while operating the network node in the first network mode, request admission to the first network, including requesting that the first network adjust transmission cycles on the first network to accommodate operation of the network node in the second network;

operate the network node in a second network mode in which the network node functions as a network controller node in the second network and does not communicate in the first network, by at least in part operating to:

couple the RF front end of the network node to the second network port;

decouple the second network port from the second impedance matching circuit; and

couple the first network port to the first impedance matching circuit; and

alternate operation of the network node between at least the first network mode and the second network mode,

wherein the network function controller operates to request admission to the first network by, at least in part, requesting that a periodic sequence of Absence Time Intervals (ATIs) be established in the first network during which the network node may participate in the second network without participating in the first network and during which network nodes other than the network node may participate in the first network.

7. The network node of claim 6 , comprising:

a multiplexer circuit controlled by the network function controller;

a first switching circuit comprising a first terminal coupled to the multiplexer circuit, and a second terminal coupled to the first impedance matching circuit; and

a second switching circuit comprising third terminal coupled to the multiplexer circuit, and a fourth terminal coupled to the second impedance matching circuit.

8. The network node of claim 6 , wherein the network function controller operates to select between at least the first network mode and the second network mode based, at least in part, on synchronized medium access timing for the first and second networks.

9. The network node of claim 6 , wherein the first network is a managed access wide area network, and the second network is a managed access local area mesh network.

10. The network node of claim 6 , wherein the transmission cycles of the first network temporally overlap transmission cycles of the second network.

11. The network node of claim 6 , wherein the network function controller operates to synchronize beacon transmission of the network node during the ATIs.

12. A network node comprising:

a first network port;

a second network port;

a physical (PHY) layer comprising a radio frequency (RF) front end, wherein the RF front end is operable to, at least:

receive signals from and transmit signals to a first network external to the premises operating in accordance with a first network protocol through the first network port; and

receive signals from and transmit signals to a second network of the premises, operating in accordance with a second network protocol through the second network port,

wherein at least a portion of first communications over the first network and at least a portion of second communications over the second network occur simultaneously; and

a Media Access Control (MAC) layer coupled to the PHY layer, wherein the MAC layer is operable to, at least:

select between at least a first network mode, in which the network node operates as a customer premises equipment (CPE) node on the first network external to the premises and does not communicate in the second network of the premises, and a second network mode, in which the network node operates as a network controller (NC) node on the second network of the premises and does not communicate in the first network external to the premises, wherein the network node operates as a network controller by at least in part scheduling communications for other nodes of the second network of the premises where such communications are directly between or among the other nodes; and

control PHY layer utilization of the first network port and the second network port in accordance with the selected network mode,

wherein the MAC layer is operable to generate a request for admission to the first network to be transmitted to the first network by the PHY layer while the network node is operating in the first network mode, wherein the request for admission to the first network comprises information regarding medium access of the second network, and

wherein the request for admission to the first network comprises a request to establish a periodic sequence of Absence Time Intervals (ATIs) in the first network during which the network node may participate in the second network without participating in the first network and during which network nodes other than the network node may participate in the first network.

13. The network node of claim 12 , wherein the information regarding medium access comprises information regarding the timing of beacons in the second network.

14. The network node of claim 12 , wherein:

the PHY layer comprises a network switching circuit comprising a signal input, a control input, a first output and a second output, wherein the signal input is coupled to the RF front end, the first output is coupled to the first network port, the second output is coupled to the second network port, and the control input is coupled to the MAC layer; and

the MAC layer is operable to send a first control signal to the control input to select the first output and thereby couple the RF front end to the first network port when the network node is operating in first network mode, and to send a second control signal to the control input to select the second output and thereby couple RF front end to the second network port when the network node is operating in second network mode.

15. The network node of claim 14 , wherein the PHY layer comprises:

a first impedance match circuit;

a second impedance match circuit; and

at least one switch operable to:

couple the first impedance match circuit to the first network port and decouple the second impedance match circuit from the second network port, when the RF front end is coupled to the second network port; and

couple the second impedance match circuit to the second network port and decouple the first impedance match circuit from the first network port when the RF front end is coupled to the first network port.

16. The network node of claim 12 , wherein the first network is a managed wide area network, and the second network is a managed home network.

17. The network node of claim 12 , wherein:

transmissions on the first network are organized as a continuous stream of access cycles;

transmissions on the second network are organized within a continuous stream of beacon cycles; and

the information regarding medium access of the second network comprises information about the beacon cycles.

18. The network of claim 12 , wherein the request for admission to the first network comprises information regarding ATI length; ATI periodicity; and/or ATI starting time for the requested periodic sequence of Absence Time Intervals (ATIs).

19. The network of claim 12 , wherein the MAC layer schedules transmission and reception of packets by nodes other than the network node over the second network during an ATI.

20. The network of claim 12 , wherein the first network port and the second network port are coupled to a common RF front end through a common multiplexer.