System and method for high speed data communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10615847-B2
Application number	US-201715787152-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2017
Priority date	Nov 27, 2006
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

A method is disclosed for delivering broadband video data to an end user device comprising transmitting broadband video data via a radio frequency transmitter to a home radio frequency receiver located at a residential power transformer providing electrical power to a home; coupling the broadband video data from the home radio frequency receiver to a first modem onto a copper power line electrically coupled to the residential power transformer; receiving the broadband data on a second modem from the copper power line; and sending from the second modem, different portions of the broadband data to each of a plurality of end user devices in the home. A system and computer program for performing the method are disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a processing system including a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
receiving video data from a first radio frequency receiver located at a residential power transformer that provides electrical power to a premises, wherein the video data is obtained wirelessly by the first radio frequency receiver from a network node via an antenna located at the residential power transformer, wherein the video data is received by the first radio frequency receiver as a millimeter-wave signal including amplitude information and phase information, wherein the millimeter-wave signal is demodulated by electro-optic sampling, wherein a power of the millimeter wave signal is limited so as to interact with the antenna located at the residential power transformer while not interacting with a second antenna at a second power transformer, and wherein the millimeter-wave signal is generated by converting an optical digital data signal using a photodiode; and
transmitting the video data to a modem at the premises via a power line extending between the residential power transformer and an internal circuit at the premises, wherein the modem communicates with the internal circuit at the premises to enable the modem to deliver the video data to each of a plurality of end user devices in the premises, wherein the video data is unicast to the each of the plurality of the end user devices in the premises.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the video data is received as encrypted data, and wherein the encrypted data is decrypted by a first end user device of the plurality of end user devices.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the video data delivered to the first end user device is carried by a different frequency that than the video data delivered to a second end user device of the plurality of end user devices.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first radio frequency receiver receives a first plurality of RF signals comprising a band of RF frequencies and wherein a first subset of the band of RF frequencies is associated with a first end user device of the plurality of end user devices and a second subset of the band of RF frequencies is associated with a second end user device of the plurality of end user devices.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the first subset of the band of RF frequencies and the second subset of the band of RF frequencies do not overlap.

6. The device of claim 4 , wherein the first plurality of RF signals received by the first radio frequency receiver are for a first local region, wherein a second plurality of RF signal are received by a second radio frequency receiver for a second local region.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the first plurality of RF signals and the second plurality of RF signals do not interfere with each other in their respective local regions, and wherein the network node comprises a digital subscriber line access multiplexer.

8. The device of claim 6 , wherein the first plurality of RF signals and the second plurality of RF signals share a same frequency band.

9. A non-transitory, machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
receiving video data from a radio frequency receiver located at a power transformer that provides electrical power to a premises via an electric power line extending between the power transformer and an internal circuit of the premises, wherein the video data is obtained wirelessly by the radio frequency receiver from a network node via an antenna located at the power transformer, and wherein the radio frequency receiver receives a first plurality of RF signals comprising a band of RF frequencies, and wherein a first subset of the band of RF frequencies is associated with a first end user device of a plurality of end user devices and a second subset of the band of RF frequencies is associated with a second end user device of the plurality of end user devices, wherein the video data is received by the radio frequency receiver as a millimeter-wave signal including amplitude information and phase information, wherein a power of the millimeter wave signal is limited so as to interact with the antenna located at the power transformer while not interacting with a second antenna at a second power transformer, wherein the millimeter-wave signal is generated by converting an optical digital data signal using a photodiode; and
transmitting the video data on the electric power line to the internal circuit at the premises, wherein a modem communicates with the internal circuit at the premises to enable the modem to deliver the video data to each of the plurality of end user devices in the premises, wherein the video data is unicast to the each of the plurality of the end user devices in the premises.

10. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the millimeter-wave signal is demodulated by electro-optic sampling.

11. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the video data is received as encrypted data, and wherein the encrypted data is decrypted by a first end user device of the plurality of end user devices.

12. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the first subset of the band of RF frequencies and the second subset of the band of RF frequencies do not overlap.

13. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a processing system including a processor, video data from a first radio frequency receiver located at a power transformer that provides electrical power to a premises via an electric power line extending between the power transformer and an internal circuit of the premises, wherein the video data is obtained wirelessly by the first radio frequency receiver from a network node via an antenna located at the power transformer, wherein a first plurality of RF signals received by the first radio frequency receiver are for a first local region, and wherein a second plurality of RF signal are received by a second radio frequency receiver for a second local region, wherein the video data is received by the first radio frequency receiver as a millimeter-wave signal including amplitude information and phase information, and wherein the millimeter-wave signal is demodulated by electro-optic sampling, wherein a power of the millimeter wave signal is limited so as to interact with the antenna at the power transformer while not interacting with a second antenna at a second power transformer, and wherein the millimeter-wave signal is generated by converting an optical digital data signal using a photodiode; and
transmitting, by the processing system, the video data on the electric power line to the internal circuit of the premises, wherein a modem communicates with the internal circuit of the premises to enable the modem to deliver the video data to each of a plurality of end user devices in the premises, wherein the video data is unicast to the each of the plurality of the end user devices in the premises.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the video data is received as encrypted data, and wherein the encrypted data is decrypted by a first end user device of the plurality of end user devices.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the video data delivered to the first end user device is carried by a different frequency that than the video data delivered to a second end user device of the plurality of end user devices.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Matthews Adrian

Classifications

• H04B3/542 Primary

  the information being in digital form · CPC title

• H04H20/61

  for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast · CPC title

• H04L12/18

  for broadcast or conference {, e.g. multicast} · CPC title

• H04H20/84

  combined with power distribution network · CPC title

• H04H20/69

  Optical systems · CPC title