U.S. patent application number 11/712508 was filed with the patent office on 2007-07-05 for telephone system having multiple distinct sources and accessories therefor.
This patent application is currently assigned to SERCONET, LTD.. Invention is credited to Yehuda Binder.
Application Number | 20070153836 11/712508 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32587496 |
Filed Date | 2007-07-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070153836 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Binder; Yehuda |
July 5, 2007 |
Telephone system having multiple distinct sources and accessories
therefor
Abstract
In conjunction with a data communication network carrying
multiple telephony signals and allowing for connection of telephone
sets, a system and method in which two external feeders connect to
the data network at two distinct points via two distinct devices.
The data network can be based on dedicated wiring or can use
existing in-premises medium such as telephone, powerlines or CATV
wiring. In the latter case, the wiring can still carry the original
service for which it was installed. The external telephone
connections can be based on the traditional PSTN, CATV network,
cellular telephone network or any other telephone service provider
network, using specific adapter for any medium used. In the case of
connection to a POTS telephone signal, VoIP gateway (or any other
converter) is required.
Inventors: |
Binder; Yehuda; (Hod
Hasharon, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BROWDY AND NEIMARK, P.L.L.C.;624 NINTH STREET, NW
SUITE 300
WASHINGTON
DC
20001-5303
US
|
Assignee: |
SERCONET, LTD.
Ra'anana
IL
|
Family ID: |
32587496 |
Appl. No.: |
11/712508 |
Filed: |
March 1, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10492411 |
Apr 12, 2004 |
|
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PCT/IL04/00178 |
Feb 24, 2004 |
|
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11712508 |
Mar 1, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
370/493 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M 7/006 20130101;
H04M 2215/42 20130101; H04M 1/2535 20130101; H04W 80/00 20130101;
H04W 88/16 20130101; H04M 15/8044 20130101; H04M 2215/745 20130101;
H04L 12/6418 20130101; H04W 92/02 20130101; H04L 12/2801 20130101;
H04M 2207/20 20130101; H04M 7/121 20130101; H04M 2207/14 20130101;
H04M 7/0069 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
370/493 |
International
Class: |
H04J 1/02 20060101
H04J001/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 13, 2003 |
IL |
154921 |
Claims
1. A system in a building for connecting a first telephone set to
an Internet Protocol (IP)-based telephone network other than a
Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), for use with a PSTN
suitable for providing Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), the PSTN
being operated by a first telephone service provider and comprising
a local loop connecting a telephone wire pair in the building to
the PSTN, and an IP-Based telephone service network external to the
building for carrying Voice over IP (VoIP) packets and operated by
a second telephone service provider different from the first
telephone service provider, said system comprising: a wireless home
network utilizing radio-frequency propagation for connecting
locations within the building to each other, the wireless home
network being connected for carrying a digital data signal in a
digital data frequency band, the digital data signal containing one
or more digitized telephone signals; a gateway coupled to said
wireless home network, said gateway being couplable to the PSTN and
to the IP-Based telephone service network and being operative to
pass the one or more digitized telephone signals between the
IP-Based telephone service network and said wireless home network;
and a first adapter housed in a single enclosure connected to said
wireless home network and connectable to the first telephone set,
said first adapter being operative for converting between analog
and digital telephone signals and to couple a first digitized
telephone signal carried over said wireless home network to the
first telephone set.
2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a second
adapter coupled to said wireless home network and connectable to a
second telephone set, said second adapter being operative for
converting between analog and digital telephone signals and to
couple a digitized telephone signal carried over said wireless home
network to the second telephone set.
3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the digital data signal
to be carried over said wireless home network substantially
conforms to Bluetooth or IEEE802.11.
4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the local loop is
connected for carrying a Digital Subscriber Loop (DSL) signal.
5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the DSL signal is an
ADSL signal.
6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the IP-Based telephone
service network is concurrently a cable television (CATV) network
for delivering video and comprises coaxial cabling.
7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the IP-Based telephone
service network is connected to conduct communications via
satellite.
8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the IP-Based telephone
service network is connected to conduct communications over power
lines.
9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the IP-Based telephone
service network is connected to conduct communications with radio
frequency signals.
10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the IP-Based telephone
service network is based on one of the following protocols:
cellular; LMDS; MMDS; IEEE802.11; and Bluetooth.
11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the IP-Based telephone
service network is connected to conduct communications over
fibers.
12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the IP-Based
telephone service network is connected to conduct communications
based on Fiber To The Home (FTTH) technology.
13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the IP-based telephone
network or the telephone service provided by the second telephone
service provider is based on one or more of: Session Initiation
Protocol (SIP); IETF RFC 3261; Media Gateway Control Protocol
(MGCP); ITU-T H.323; IETF RFC 2705; and any variant thereof.
14. The system according to claim 1, wherein said system is further
connectable to multiple telephone sets, and said system further
provides an IP-PBX functionality for routing telephone calls
between the multiple telephone sets and external telephone service
connections.
15. The system according to claim 1, wherein said gateway is
further operative to convert between a digitized telephone signal
carried over the IP-Based telephone service network and a POTS
signal.
16. The system according to claim 1 wherein said single enclosure
is mountable into an outlet cavity or an outlet opening.
17. The system according to claim 1, wherein said single enclosure
is constructed to have at least one of the following: a form
substantially similar to that of a standard outlet; wall mounting
elements substantially similar to those of a standard wall outlet;
a shape allowing direct mounting in an opening or cavity; and a
form to at least in part substitute for a standard outlet.
18. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first adapter is
pluggable into an existing outlet.
19. A device for coupling a digitized telephone signal carried over
a wireless home network to a telephone set in a building, telephone
wire pair in the building being coupled to a Public Switched
Telephone Network (PSTN) via a local loop, the PSTN being suitable
for providing Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) and being operated
by a first telephone service provider, the wireless home network
being connected for carrying a digital data signal in a digital
data frequency band, the digital data signal containing one or more
digitized telephone signals coupled to an IP-Based telephone
service network external to the building, the IP-Based telephone
service network being connected for carrying Voice over IP (VoIP)
packets and being operated by a second telephone service provider
different from the first telephone service provider, said device
comprising: an antenna for coupling to the wireless home network; a
radio frequency (RF) transceiver operable for bidirectional digital
data communication with one or more additional transceivers of the
same type as said transceiver over the wireless home network; a
telephone connector for connecting to the telephone set; a
multiport unit coupled to pass a digitized telephone signal between
said telephone connector and said RF transceiver; a converter for
converting between analog and digital telephony signals coupled
between said telephone connector and said multiport unit; and a
single enclosure housing said antenna, said RF transceiver, said
telephone connector, said multi-port unit and said converter,
wherein said device is operative to connect the telephone set to a
telephone service provided by the second telephone service
provider.
20. The device according to claim 19, wherein the wireless home
network is connected to further carry a second digitized telephone
signal, and said device is further operative to couple the second
digitized telephone signal carried over the wireless home network
to a second telephone set.
21. The device according to claim 20, further being connectable to
multiple telephone sets, said device further providing an IP-PBX
functionality for routing telephone calls between the multiple
telephone sets and external telephone service connections.
22. The device according to claim 19, wherein the digital data
signal carried over the wireless home network substantially
conforms to Bluetooth or IEEE802.11 specifications, and said RF
transceiver is respectively a Bluetooth or IEEE802.11
transceiver.
23. The device according to claim 19, wherein the IP-based
telephone network or the telephone service provided by the second
telephone service provider is based on one or more of: Session
Initiation Protocol (SIP); IETF RFC 3261; Media Gateway Control
Protocol (MGCP); ITU-T H.323; IETF RFC 2705; and any variant
thereof.
24. The device according to claim 19, wherein said single enclosure
is mountable into an outlet cavity or outlet opening.
25. The device according to claim 19, wherein said single enclosure
is constructed to have at least one of the following: a form
substantially similar to that of a standard outlet; wall mounting
elements substantially similar to those of a standard wall outlet;
a shape allowing direct mounting in an outlet opening or cavity;
and a form to at least in part substitute for a standard
outlet.
26. The device according to claim 19, wherein said device is
pluggable into an existing outlet.
27. A gateway in a building for connecting a telephone set in the
building to an Internet Protocol (IP)-Based telephone network other
than a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) via a wireless home
network, the gateway being for use with a PSTN suitable for
providing Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), the PSTN being
operated by a first telephone service provider and comprising a
local loop connected to a telephone wire pair in the building, and
the gateway further being for use with an IP-Based telephone
service network external to the building, the IP-Based telephone
service network being connected for carrying one or more digitized
Voice over IP (VoIP) telephone signals and being operated by a
second telephone service provider different from the first
telephone service provider, the wireless home network being coupled
for carrying a digital data signal in a digital data frequency
band, and the digital data signal containing one or more digitized
Voice over IP telephone signals, said gateway comprising: an
antenna for coupling to the wireless home network in the building;
and a port coupled to said antenna for connecting to the IP-Based
telephone service network external to the building to be coupled to
one or more digitized telephone signals, wherein said gateway is
operative to pass one or more digitized telephone signals between
the IP-Based telephone service network and the wireless home
network.
28. The gateway according to claim 27, wherein the digital data
signal carried over the wireless home network substantially
conforms to Bluetooth or IEEE802.11 specifications.
29. The gateway according to claim 27, wherein the local loop is
connected for carrying a Digital Subscriber Loop (DSL) signal.
30. The gateway according to claim 29, wherein the IP-Based
telephone service network is concurrently a cable television (CATV)
network for delivering video and comprises coaxial cabling.
31. The gateway according to claim 27, wherein the IP-Based
telephone service network is connected to conduct communications
via satellite.
32. The gateway according to claim 27, wherein the 1P-Based
telephone service network is connected to conduct communications
over powerlines.
33. The gateway according to claim 27, wherein the IP-Based
telephone service network is connected to conduct communications
with radio frequency signals.
34. The gateway according to claim 33, wherein the IP-Based
telephone service network is based on one of the following
protocols: cellular; LMDS; MMDS; IEEE802.11; and Bluetooth.
35. The gateway according to claim 27, wherein the IP-Based
telephone service network is connected to conduct communications
over fibers.
36. The gateway according to claim 35, wherein the IP-Based
telephone service network is connected to conduct communications
based on Fiber To The Home (FTTH) technology.
37. The gateway according to claim 27, wherein the IP-based
telephone network or the telephone service provided by the second
telephone service provider is based on one or more of: Session
Initiation Protocol (SIP); IETF RFC 3261; Media Gateway Control
Protocol (MGCP); ITU-T H.323; IETF RFC 2705; or any variant
thereof.
38. The gateway according to claim 27, further being connectable to
multiple telephone sets, said gateway being operable to further
provide an IP-PBX functionality for routing telephone calls between
the multiple telephone sets and external telephone service
connections.
39. The gateway according to claim 27, wherein said gateway is wall
mountable.
40. A system for connecting a telephone set in a building to
multiple Internet Protocol (IP)-based telephone networks external
to the building, said system comprising: a first IP-Based telephone
service network external to the building and connected for carrying
at least a first digitized telephone signal containing Voice over
IP (VoIP) packets and operated by a first telephone service
provider; a second IP-Based telephone service network distinct from
the first IP-Based telephone service network and external to the
building and connected for carrying at least a second digitized
telephone signal containing Voice over IP (VoIP) packets and
operated by a second telephone service provider different from said
first telephone service provider; a wireless home network
communicating with radio-frequency signals for connecting between
locations within the building, said wireless home network being
operative for carrying a digital data signal in a digital data
frequency band, the digital data signal containing one or more
digitized telephone signals; a first adapter housed in a single
enclosure and coupled to said wireless home network and connectable
to a first telephone set, said first adapter being operative for
converting between analog and digitized telephone signals, and
being operative to couple first and second digitized telephone
signals carried over said wireless home network to the first
telephone set.
41. The system according to claim 40, further comprising a gateway
housed in a second single enclosure and coupled to said wireless
home network, said gateway being coupled to said first and second
IP-Based telephone service networks and being operative to pass the
first and second digitized telephone signals between each of said
1P-Based telephone service networks and said wireless home
network.
42. The system according to claim 41, wherein said gateway is
further operative to convert between a digitized telephone signal
carried over the first IP-Based telephone service network and a
POTS signal.
43. The system according to claim 40, further comprising a second
adapter coupled to said wireless home network and connectable to a
second telephone set, said second adapter being operative for
converting between analog and digital telephone signals and for
coupling the second digitized telephone signal carried over said
wireless home network to the second telephone set.
44. The system according to claim 40, wherein the digital data
signal to be carried over said wireless home network substantially
conforms to Bluetooth or IEEE802.11 specifications.
45. The system according to claim 40, wherein one of said first and
second IP-Based telephone service networks is connected to said
wireless home network in the building over a local loop that is
connected for carrying a Digital Subscriber Loop (DSL) signal.
46. The system according to claim 45, wherein the DSL signal is an
ADSL signal.
47. The system according to claim 40, wherein at least one of said
first and second IP-Based telephone service networks is
concurrently a cable television (CATV) network for delivering video
and comprises coaxial cabling.
48. The system according to claim 40, wherein at least one of said
first and second IP-Based telephone service networks is connected
to conduct communications via satellite.
49. The system according to claim 40, wherein at least one of said
first and second IP-Based telephone service networks is connected
to conduct communications over power lines.
50. The system according to claim 40, wherein at least one of said
first and second IP-Based telephone service networks is connected
to conduct communications with radio frequency signals.
51. The system according to claim 50, wherein said at least one of
said IP-Based telephone service networks is based on one of the
following protocols: cellular; LMDS; MMDS; IEEE802.11; and
Bluetooth.
52. The system according to claim 40, wherein at least one of said
first and second IP-Based telephone service networks is connected
to conduct communications over fibers.
53. The system according to claim 52, wherein said at least one of
said IP-Based telephone service networks is connected to conduct
communications based on Fiber To The Home (FTTH) technology.
54. The system according to claim 40, wherein at least one of the
first and second digitized telephone signals is based on at least
one of: Session Initiation Protocol (SIP); IETF RFC 3261; Media
Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP); ITU-T H.323; IETF RFC 2705; and
any variant thereof.
55. The system according to claim 40, wherein said system is
further connectable to multiple telephone sets, and said system
further provides an IP-PBX functionality for routing telephone
calls between the multiple telephone sets and external telephone
service connections.
56. The system according to claim 40 wherein said single enclosure
is mountable into an outlet cavity or an outlet opening.
57. The system according to claim 40, wherein said single enclosure
is constructed to have at least one of the following: a form
substantially similar to that of a standard outlet; wall mounting
elements substantially similar to those of a standard wall outlet;
a shape allowing direct mounting in an outlet opening or cavity;
and a form to at least in part substitute for a standard
outlet.
58. The system according to claim 40, wherein said first adapter is
pluggable into an existing outlet.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.
10/492,411, which is a U.S. National-Phase Application of
PCT/IL2004/000178, filed on Feb. 24, 2004, the disclosure of which
is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to the field of telephony
systems within a house, used for home, office, enterprise or
factory applications, connected to a network.
Telephony, Definitions and Background
[0003] The term "telephony" herein denotes in general any kind of
telephone service, including analog and digital service, such as
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN).
[0004] Analog telephony, popularly known as "Plain Old Telephone
Service" ("POTS") has been in existence for over 100 years, and is
well designed and well-engineered for the transmission and
switching of voice signals in the 3-4 KHz portion (or "voice-band")
of the audio spectrum. The familiar POTS network supports
real-time, low-latency, high-reliability, moderate-fidelity voice
telephony, and is capable of establishing a session between two
end-points, each using an analog telephone set.
[0005] The terms "telephone", "telephone set", and "telephone
device" herein denote any apparatus, without limitation, which can
connect to a Telco operated Public Switched Telephone Network
("PSTN"), including apparatus for both analog and digital
telephony, non-limiting examples of which are analog telephones,
digital telephones, facsimile ("fax") machines, automatic telephone
answering machines, voice modems, and data modems.
[0006] The term "network" herein denotes any system that allows
multiple devices to send and receive information of any kind,
wherein each device may be uniquely identified for purposes of
sending and receiving information. Networks include, but are not
limited to, data networks, control networks, cable networks, and
telephone networks. A network according to the present invention
can be a local area network (LAN) or part of a wide-area network,
including the Internet.
Telephone System
[0007] FIG. 1 shows a typical telephone system installation in a
house. The Figure shows a network 10 for a residence or other
building, wired with a telephone line 14, which has a single wire
pair that connects to a junction-box (not shown), which in turn
connects to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 11 via a
cable (`local loop`) 15a, terminating in a public switch, which
establishes and enables telephony from one telephone to another. A
plurality of telephones 13a and 13b may connect to telephone lines
14 via a plurality of telephone outlets 12a and 12b. Each outlet
has a connector (often referred to as a "jack"), commonly being in
the form of RJ-11 connectors in North-America. Each outlet may be
connected to a telephone unit via a compatible "plug" connector
that inserts into the jack.
[0008] Wiring 14 is normally based on a serial or "daisy-chained"
topology, wherein the wiring is connected from one outlet to the
next in a linear manner; but other topologies such as star, tree,
or any arbitrary topology may also be used. Regardless of the
topology, however, the telephone wiring system within a residence
always uses wired medium: two or four copper wires terminating in
one or more outlets which provide direct access to these wires for
connecting to telephone sets.
Outlets
[0009] The term "outlet" herein denotes an electromechanical device
that facilitates easy, rapid connection and disconnection of
external devices to and from wiring installed within a building. An
outlet commonly has a fixed connection to the wiring, and permits
the easy connection of external devices as desired, commonly by
means of an integrated connector in a faceplate. The outlet is
normally mechanically attached to, or mounted in, a wall.
Non-limiting examples of common outlets include: telephone outlets
for connecting telephones and related devices; outlets used as part
of `structured wiring` infrastructure (e.g. for Ethernet based
network), telephone outlets for connecting telephone sets to the
PSTN, CATV outlets for connecting television sets, VCR's, and the
like; and electrical outlets for connecting power to electrical
appliances. An outlet as used herein, can also be a device composed
of a part that has a fixed connection to the wiring and is
mechanically attached to, or mounted in, a wall, and a part that is
removably mechanically attached and electrically connected to the
first-mentioned part, i.e. a device in which the first part is a
jack or connector used for both electrical connection and
mechanical attachment. The term "wall" herein denotes any interior
or exterior surface of a building, including, but not limited to,
ceilings and floors, in addition to vertical walls.
[0010] Telephone installation in recently built residential houses
and common in offices is shown in FIG. 2, allowing for external
multi-telephone lines connection and for various switching
functionalities (e.g. intercom). The installation 20 is based on
`star` topology and employing PBX 12, having multiple telephone
ports. Telephones 17a, 17b, 17c and 17d are each distinctly
connected to a different PBX 12 ports via connections 21a, 21b, 21c
and 21d respectively. The PBX 12 also provides three ports for
incoming telephone lines 15a, 15b and 15c originated in the PSTN
11.
POTS Multiplexer
[0011] Typically each POTS telephone connection requires an
independent wire pair. In the case wherein multiple telephone lines
are carried between two points, many wire pairs are thus required.
In order to allow for carrying multiple telephone services over
several copper pairs, a POTS multiplexer system is commonly used
(also known as DLC--digital Loop Carrier). Basically, the telephony
signals are carried in digitized and multiplexed form over a cable
comprising one or two wire pairs. Such a system is shown in FIG. 3,
describing POTS multiplexer system 30 based on exchange side
mux/demux 33 and customer side mux/demux 34, connected by two wires
32a and 32b. Telephone lines 31a, 31b, 31c and 31d from the PSTN 11
are connected to the exchange side mux/demux 33, wherein the
incoming signals are digitized and multiplexed (commonly time
multiplexed TDM, such as E1 or T1 systems), and transmitted over
the wire pair 32 to the customer side mux/demux 34. The digitized
telephony signals are demultiplexed and restored as analog POTS
form, and fed to the respective telephone sets 17a, 17b, 17c and
17d via links 35a, 35b, 35c and 35d respectively, connected to the
appropriate customer side mux/demux 34. The process is
simultaneously applied in the telephone sets to PSTN
[0012] direction, hence supporting full telephone service. WO
97/19533 to Depue teaches an example of such POTS multiplexer.
Commonly, such prior art systems do not provide any switching
functionality, and are mainly used for carrying multiple telephone
signals from one point to another remote point. As such, cabling 35
is required from each telephone set 17 to the relevant port of
customer side unit 34. Similarly, WO 01/28215 to Bullock et al.
teaches a POTS multiplexer over power-lines.
[0013] WO 01/80595 to the same inventor of this application teaches
a system allowing for reduced cabling requirements. The system 40
shown in FIG. 4 is based on `distributed` customer side mux/demux
34. A PBX/MUX 12 connects to the PSTN 11 for multiple incoming
telephone lines 15a, 15b and 15c, similar to the function of the
exchange side mux/demux 33 of system 30. However, as a substitute
to the single customer side mux/demux 34 multiple mux units 41 are
provided. Telephone sets 17a, 17b and 17c are respectively coupled
to mux units 41a, 41b and 41c. The mux units 41a, 41b, 41c and
PBX/MUX 12 digitally communicate with each other, allowing each
telephone set to connect to any of the incoming lines 15 or to
another telephone set for intercom function. In such a way, there
is no need to route new cable from each telephone set to a central
place, but rather to a nearby mux unit 41.
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
[0014] Recently, a solution for combining both telephony and data
communications into a single network is offered by the
Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) approach. In this technique,
telephone signals are digitized and carried as data across the LAN.
Such systems are known in the art, and an example of such a system
50 is shown in FIG. 5. The system 50 is based on a Local Area
Network (LAN) 53 environment, commonly using Ethernet IEEE802.3
standard interfaces and structure. The LAN can be used to
interconnect computers (not shown) as well as other end-units, as
well as IP telephone sets 54a, 54b and 54c shown. An example of IP
telephone set 54 is Voice Service IP-Phone model DPH-100M/H from
D-Link Systems, Inc. of Irvine, Calif., USA. IP-PBX unit 52 is also
connected to the LAN and manages the voice data routing in the
system. Many routing protocols are available, such as IETF RFC
3261SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), ITU-T H.323 and IETF RFC
2705 MGCP (Media Gateway Control
[0015] Protocol). Examples of such a SIP based IP-PBX 52 is ICP
(integrated Communication Platform) Model 3050 from Mitel Networks
of Ottawa, Ontario Canada. Connection to the PSTN 11 is made via
VoIP Gateway 55a, operative to convert an incoming analog POTS
telephone signal to a digital and IP packet based protocol used
over the LAN. An example of such VoIP Gateway 55 supporting four
PSTN lines is MediaPack.TM. Series MP-104/FXO of AudioCodes Ltd. In
Yehud, Israel. Such a system 50 allows for full telephone
connectivity similar to performance of POTS PBX-based system (such
as in FIG. 2). In most cases, such a network allows also for data
networking (non-voice traffic), such as computers and peripherals,
and connection to the Internet.
[0016] A VoIP MTA (Multimedia Terminal Adapter) is also known in
the art, operative to convert IP protocol carrying telephony
signals into POTS telephone set interface. Examples of such a VoIP
MTA supporting four POTS telephone sets are MediaPack.TM. Series
MP-104/FXS of AudioCodes Ltd. In Yehud, Israel and two-ports Voice
Service Gateway model DVG-1120 from D-Link.RTM. Systems, Inc. of
Irvine, Calif., USA. A system 60 shown in FIG. 6 demonstrates the
use of such VoIP MTAs 64. The system 60 is identical to system 50,
except for replacing the IP phones 54b and 54c with POTS telephone
sets 17a and 17b. In order to enable the usage of these telephone
sets 17a and 17b, respective VoIP MTAs 64a and 64b are added as the
mediation devices between the analog telephony and the IP
telephony. The addition of MTAs 64 allows for the same basic system
functionality, although POTS telephones 17 are used rather than IP
telephones 54. The combination of telephone set 17 connected to
VoIP MTA 64 allows connection to an IP network, in the same manner
that the IP telephone 54 is connected thereto, and providing
similar functionality. EP 0824298 to Harper teaches an example a
network conforming to such a system.
[0017] An example of the system 60 based on IP/Ethernet (IEEE802.3)
LAN as internal network 53 is shown in FIG. 7 as system 70. The LAN
comprises a switch 71 as a multi-port concentrating device in a
`star` topology wiring structure. It is understood that any type of
device having multiple network interfaces and supporting a suitable
connectivity can be used, non-limiting examples of which include a
shared hub, switch (switched hub), router, and gateway. Hence, the
term "switch" used herein denotes any such device. An example of
the switch 71 is DSS-8+ Dual-Speed 8-Port Desktop Switch from
D-Link Systems, Inc. of Irvine, Calif., USA, having 8 ports. The
network 70 comprises a dedicated cabling 73, such as Category 5
`Structured Wiring`. Such a network commonly uses 10BaseT or
100BaseTX Ethernet IEEE802.3 interfaces and topology. In such a
network, outlets 72a, 72b and 72c are connected to the switch 71
via respective cables 73a, 73b and 73c. POTS Telephone sets 17a and
17b are connected via respective VoIP MTAs 64a and 64b to the
respective outlets 72a and 72b, using connections 74a and 74b
respectively. IP Telephone 54a connects directly (without VoIP MTA)
via a connection 74c to the outlet 72c, which connects to a port in
the switch 71 via cable 73c. The internal network connects to PSTN
11 via VoIP gateway 55a connected to another port of the switch 71,
and IP-PBX 52 connects to another port of switch 71. Such a network
allows for the telephones 17a, 17b and 54a to interconnect and also
to connect to the external PSTN 11.
Home Networks
[0018] Implementing a network 70 in existing buildings typically
requires installation of new wiring infrastructure 73. Such
installation of new wiring may be impractical, expensive and
hassle-oriented. As a result, many technologies (referred to as "no
new wires" technologies) have been proposed in order to facilitate
a LAN in a building without adding new wiring. Some of these
techniques use existing wiring used also for other purposes such as
telephone, electricity, cable television, and so forth. Doing so
offers the advantage of being able to install such systems and
networks without the additional and often substantial cost of
installing separate wiring within the building. In order to
facilitate multiple use of wiring within a building, specialized
outlets are sometimes installed, which allow access to the wiring
for multiple purposes. An example of home networking over coaxial
cables using outlets is described in WO 02/065229 published 22 Aug.
2002 entitled: `Cableran Networking over Coaxial Cables` to Cohen
et al. Other `no new wire` technologies employ non-wired media.
Some use Infrared as the communication medium, while others use
radio frequency communication, such as IEEE802.11 and
BlueTooth.
[0019] An example of a network 60 in a house based on using
powerline-based home network implementing network 53 is shown as
network 80 in FIG. 8. The medium for networking is the in-house
power lines 81, which are used for carrying both the mains power
and the data communication signals. For the sake of simplicity, the
power related functions are not shown in the Figure. A PLC modem 82
converts data communication interface (such as Ethernet IEEE802.3)
to a signal which can be carried over the power lines, without
affecting and being affected by the power signal available over
those wires. An example of such PLC modem 82 is HomePlug1.0 based
Ethernet-to-Powerline Bridge model DHP-100 from D-Link Systems,
Inc. of Irvine, Calif., USA. D-Link is a registered trademark of
D-Link Systems, Inc. PLCs 82a, 82b, 82c, 82d and 82e are all
connected to the powerline 81 via the respective power outlets 88a,
88b, 88c, 88d and 88e, forming a local area network over the
powerline allowing for data networking for the units connected
thereto. The connection is commonly effected by a cord connected to
a power outlet being part of the power line medium 81. Such a
network 80 allows for the IP-PBX 52, PSTN 11 via VoIP gateway 55a,
telephones 17a and 17b via the respective VoIP MTAs 64a and 64b and
IP telephone 54a to communicate with each other, as well as to
share external connection to the PSTN 11, as was offered by network
70. However, no additional and dedicated wiring is required.
[0020] Another home network medium may be the telephone wiring. It
is often desirable to use existing telephone wiring simultaneously
for both telephony and data networking. In this way, establishing a
new local area network in a home or other building is simplified,
because there is no need to install additional wiring.
[0021] The PLC modem 82 uses the well-known technique of frequency
domain/division multiplexing (FDM), and provides means for
splitting the bandwidth carried by a wire into a low-frequency band
capable of carrying an analog telephony signal and a high-frequency
band capable of carrying data communication or other signals.
Examples of relevant prior-art in this field are the technology
commonly known as HomePNA (Home Phoneline Networking Alliance), WO
99/12330 to Foley and as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,443 to
Dichter (hereinafter referred to as "Dichter"). Dichter and others
suggest a method and apparatus for applying a frequency
domain/division multiplexing (FDM) technique for residential
telephone wiring, enabling the simultaneous carrying of telephony
and data communication signals. The available bandwidth over the
wiring is split into a low-frequency band capable of carrying an
analog telephony signal and the ADSL signals, and a high-frequency
band capable of carrying home network communication signals. In
such a mechanism, telephony and ADSL are not affected, while a home
networking communication capability is provided over existing
telephone wiring within a house.
[0022] WO 01/71980 published Sep. 27, 2001 entitled "Telephone
Outlet and System for a Local Area Network Over Telephone Lines"
and WO 03/005691 published Jan. 16, 2003 entitled "Telephone outlet
with packet telephony adapter, and a network using same" both in
the name the present inventor and assigned to the present assignee,
and which are incorporated by reference for all purposes as if
fully set forth herein, describe home networking over telephone
wiring, based on outlets, which allows for conducting of digital
telephony data as well as POTS and ADSL signals over in-house
telephony wiring. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,130,893 to Whittaker
et al. teaches an IP-based telephony network based on telephone
wiring.
[0023] Many of the above figures and networks involve external
connection to the PSTN to provide telephony services over
telephone-dedicated wiring and owned by a telephone company.
However, there are today multiple technologies for connecting
premises to external telephone services, both terrestrial and via
the air:
[0024] 1. Cable television cabling, mostly coaxial cable based,
used for delivering video channels, as well as broadband data and
telephony to the house.
[0025] 2. Satellite communication.
[0026] 3. Power lines communication, wherein the power lines
carrying power to the house are also used for data
communication.
[0027] 4. Wireless communications using radio frequency such as
cellular, LMDS and many other wireless technologies.
[0028] 5. Fiber, such as Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) or other similar
technologies.
[0029] The availability of plural telephone service providers, each
using a different access medium, allows for a house dweller, for
example, to have multiple telephone lines from different providers.
For example, a telephone line may be available from the CATV
provider, added to the traditional telco oriented telephone
line.
[0030] Common to all above prior art systems, the incoming
telephone lines into the house are connected to a single unit: PBX
12 of system 20 in FIG. 2, exchange side mux/demux 33 of system 30
in FIG. 3, PBX/MUX 12 of system 40 in FIG. 4 and VoIP gateway 55a
of systems 50 and 60 in FIGS. 5 and 6, respectively. However, the
additional telephone line, for example from the CATV provider, may
be available in a distinctly different place. An example of system
20 modified to support both telco (PSTN) and CATV originated
telephone lines is shown as system 90 in FIG. 9. In addition to
connections to the PSTN 11, an incoming telephone line from CATV
network 91 via VoIP gateway 55b is shown. Typically the VoIP
gateway is integrated into a cable-modem or set-top-box, and
connects to the CATV network 91 via a CATV outlet, connecting to
the coaxial cable wiring installation. Since in most cases the VoIP
gateway 55b is not located near the PBX 12, there is a need to
install new cable 92 from the VoIP gateway 55b to a port in the PBX
12. Such installation is expensive, time consuming and not
aesthetic.
[0031] There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be
highly advantageous to have, a method and system for allowing easy
and minimum cabling structure for sharing the telephony service
from multiple sources or being fed at distinct locations. This goal
is met by the present invention
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0032] The invention discloses a data communication network
carrying digitized telephone signals, such as VoIP based network.
Digital telephones (such as IP telephones in VoIP environment) can
be coupled to the network, as well as POTS telephone sets via
respective adapters (e.g. VoIP MTA). The network is coupled to
multiple telephone services, each connected to a distinct point in
the network. For example, in case of wired network, the services
may be coupled to different places of the wiring medium. Similarly,
the services can be coupled to different devices in the network.
The telephone service signal is either of digital type and thus
directly connected to the data network, or of POTS analog type,
requiring respective adapter (e.g. VoIP gateway). A routing means
(e.g. IP-PBX) provides the required routing of the digitized
telephone signal between all telephone related equipment connected
to the network: telephone sets and telephone services.
[0033] The data network may use either dedicated wiring (such as in
Ethernet `structured wiring` systems) or wiring used for other
services, such as telephone, CATV or power
carrying pair. The network comprises modems for communicating over
the wiring medium. The access to the network wiring may use
outlets. The telephone services may use different media such as
PSTN, CATV, wireless or cellular telephone networks.
[0034] The invention further describes an apparatus for coupling a
telephone service to the data network. Such apparatus comprises a
modem for data communication over the network medium. In the case
of coupling to analog based telephone service, the apparatus may
also comprise a VoIP gateway for converting the analog telephone
service signal to digital. The apparatus may also comprise a multi
port connectivity device allowing for data unit (or digital
telephone) to access the network by sharing the same modem. The
apparatus may further comprise an adapter for connecting POTS
telephone set to the network via the apparatus. In another
embodiment the apparatus comprises a routing means. In the case
wherein the network medium also carries another service (such as
POTS telephony, CATV or power), the apparatus may comprise a
service dedicated means to separate the service signal from the
data communication signal, and to provide access (e.g. via the
standard service connector) to the service.
[0035] The apparatus may be integrated into an outlet. The outlet
may be telephone outlet, CATV outlet or power outlet relating to
using the respective telephone, CATV and power wiring as the
network medium.
[0036] The telephone service may be a mobile telephone service,
such as wireless or cellular telephone network. In such a case, an
associated adapter is required to access the telephone service. In
one embodiment, a mobile or cellular telephone set is used to
communicate with the respective mobile or cellular telephone
network. The mobile (or cellular) telephone set can be a detachable
device, allowing the user the option to use it as a mobile unit or
as access to the disclosed system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0037] The invention is herein described, by way of non-limiting
example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
[0038] FIG. 1 shows a prior art in-house telephone installation
having daisy-chain topology.
[0039] FIG. 2 shows a prior art in-house PBX-based telephone
installation.
[0040] FIG. 3 shows a prior art POTS multiplexer (DLC) system.
[0041] FIG. 4 shows a prior art telephone system allowing for
distributing multiple telephone lines to multiple telephone sets
using minimum cables.
[0042] FIG. 5 shows a general prior-art VoIP network connected to a
PSTN.
[0043] FIG. 6 shows a general prior-art VoIP network connected to a
PSTN and using POTS telephone sets.
[0044] FIG. 7 shows a general prior-art structure-wiring Ethernet
based VoIP network connected to a PSTN and using POTS telephone
sets.
[0045] FIG. 8 shows a prior-art power lines based VoIP network
connected to a PSTN and using POTS telephone sets.
[0046] FIG. 9 shows a prior art in-house PBX-based telephone
installation connected to both PSTN and CATV network.
[0047] FIG. 10 shows a general VoIP network according to the
present invention connected to PSTN and CATV networks.
[0048] FIG. 11 shows a structure-wiring Ethernet based VoIP network
according to the present invention.
[0049] FIG. 12 shows a power lines based VoIP network according to
the present invention.
[0050] FIG. 13 shows a phone lines based VoIP network according to
the present invention.
[0051] FIG. 14 shows an outlet and phone lines based VoIP network
according to the present invention.
[0052] FIG. 15 shows an outlet and phone lines based VoIP network
according to the present invention, wherein the outlet further
allows for IP telephone connection.
[0053] FIG. 16 shows an outlet and phone lines based VoIP network
according to the present invention, wherein the outlet further
allows for POTS telephone connection.
[0054] FIG. 17 shows an outlet and phone lines based VoIP network
according to the present invention, wherein the outlet further
allows for POTS telephone connection and includes IP-PBX
functionality.
[0055] FIG. 18 shows a telephone outlet according to the present
invention.
[0056] FIG. 18a shows a pictorial view of an outlet according to
the present invention.
[0057] FIG. 19 shows a telephone outlet according to the present
invention further allowing for non-IP telephone connection.
[0058] FIG. 20 shows a general outlet according to the present
invention.
[0059] FIG. 21 shows a general VoIP network according to the
present invention connected to PSTN and cellular networks.
[0060] FIG. 22 shows a telephone outlet according to the present
invention comprising cellular adapter.
[0061] FIG. 23 shows a general VoIP network according to the
present invention connected to the cellular network via cellular
telephone.
[0062] FIG. 24 shows a telephone outlet according to the present
invention comprising cellular phone adapter.
[0063] FIG. 25a shows a pictorial view of an outlet according to
the present invention having cellular telephone adapter and
detached cellular telephone.
[0064] FIG. 25b shows a pictorial view of an outlet according to
the present invention having cellular telephone adapter and
cellular telephone attached thereto.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0065] The principles and operation of a network and system
according to the present invention may be understood with reference
to the drawings and the accompanying description. Many of the
systems that are described below are based on the networks
described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9 of the drawings,
which in some cases show systems comprising more than one
interconnected network. In the following description the term
"system" is used to denote a composite network based on the
interconnection of more than one network. In such a system, the
component networks can themselves be composite networks. To this
extent, the terms "network" and "system" are used interchangeably.
The drawings and descriptions are conceptual only. In actual
practice, a single component can implement one or more functions;
alternatively, each function can be implemented by a plurality of
components and circuits. In the drawings and descriptions,
identical reference numerals indicate those components that are
common to different embodiments or configurations.
[0066] The principle of the invention is shown as system 100 in
FIG. 10. System 100 shown is based on the network 60 in FIG. 6. The
network 60 is modified to include an additional incoming telephone
line from a CATV network 91 via a VoIP gateway 55b. It should be
noted that the incoming telephone line from the VoIP gateway 55a
and the data signal representing the incoming telephone line from
the VoIP gateway 55b are connected to the network at distinct and
different points, and each of the above-mentioned incoming
telephone lines connects to a distinct and different device in the
network. The telephone associated packets in the network are routed
and managed by the IP-PBX 52 to allow full voice connectivity,
allowing for incoming telephone calls from the PSTN 11 and CATV
network 91 to be routed to any of the telephone sets 17a, 17b and
54a as required, as well as forwarding outgoing calls from the
telephone sets to the two external networks as required.
[0067] A system according to a first embodiment of the invention is
shown in FIG. 11. The system 110 is basically similar to the
prior-art network 70. However, CATV network 91 is added providing
an additional telephone line, whose signal is converted to a
digital form by a VoIP gateway 55b. The VoIP gateway 55b connects
to the network by outlet 72d, which in turn connects to the switch
71 via cable 73d. The IP-PBX 52 serves as a router for routing
telephone calls between the PSTN 11, CATV network 91, IP Telephone
54a and POTS sets 17a and 17b. It should be noted that CATV network
91, via its respective VoIP gateway 55b, connects additional
external telephone lines to the network 110, and connects to the
network via outlet 72d, being a distinct and different point of
connection from the PSTN 11. Furthermore, each of the above
external networks: PSTN 11 and CATV network 91 each is connected to
a distinct respective VoIP gateway device 55a or 55b.
[0068] As can be demonstrated in FIG. 11, while the PSTN 11 is
coupled to switch 71 via VoIP gateway 55a, the CATV network 91 is
coupled to the network wiring 73d via outlet 72d, being distinct
and different point of the network medium. Furthermore, while PSTN
11 connects to VoIP gateway 55a, the CATV network 91 connects to
VoIP Gateway 55b, which may be a distinct and different device.
[0069] While system 110 is based on dedicated wiring as the
networking medium, the invention can be equally applied to home
networking using existing in-house wiring. Such a network 120 is
shown in FIG. 12 and is based on the powerline-based network 80 of
FIG. 8. While network 80 connects solely to the external PSTN 11,
system 120 allows for the addition of the CATV network 91 as a
source for an external telephone line. VoIP Gateway 55b converts
the telephone signal carried by the CATV network 91 to digital IP
based signal, which in turn connects to the powerline medium 81 via
PLC modem 82f In this case, the IP network 53 of system 100 is
implemented by the powerline medium 81 together with the multiple
PLC modems 82 connected thereto.
[0070] As can be seen in FIG. 12, while the PSTN 11 is coupled to
the network medium 81 outlet 88e via PLC modem 82e and VoIP gateway
55a, the CATV network 91 is coupled to the network wiring 81 via
outlet 88f, constituting a distinct and different point of the
network medium. Furthermore, while PSTN 11 connects to VoIP gateway
55a, the CATV network 91 connects to VoIP Gateway 55b and PLC modem
82f, which may be distinct and different devices.
[0071] An additional embodiment of the invention over an in-house
wiring IP network is shown as system 130 in FIG. 13. While the
system 130 shown is similar in its configuration to system 120,
system 130 uses telephone wiring 89 (rather than powerlines 81) as
the communication medium. In order to allow such networking all PLC
modems 82 of system 120 are substituted with PNC (PhoNe wiring
Communication) modems 132. Examples of PNC 132 are model TH102-A
10+ Mbps Home Phoneline to Ethernet Converter from Compex Inc, of
Anaheim, Calif. USA and based on HomePNA2.0 and Model HG-101B
Ethernet to 1 Mbps HomePNA Converter from Netronix Inc. of HsinChu,
Taiwan. Such modems are known in the art to carry data
communication signals over the telephone line without interfering
with the POTS telephone signal carried over the same wires using
the lower spectrum. The telephone wiring 89 can be configured in
three distinct options:
[0072] Not carrying any POTS signals. In this configuration, the
telephone wiring used for the data networking is not used for
carrying any analog POTS signal. This can be the case wherein
multiple pairs are available, and one is selected solely for the
data communication purpose.
[0073] Carrying PSTN originated POTS signal. In this installation,
the telephone pair 89 is used to also carry PSTN 11 originated POTS
telephony signal as shown in FIG. 14. The same telephone line can
also be connected to the VoIP gateway 55a to be carried in a
digital form within the network. This configuration can support
`life-line` functionality, wherein the basic telephone service is
required to exist even in the case of power outage.
[0074] Carrying non-PSTN originated POTS signal. Similar to (b),
POTS signal is also carried over the telephone pair 89. However,
such telephone service is originated from a source other than the
PSTN 11. Any POTS telephone line can use the pair 89, and in
particular the POTS line originated by CATV network 91, as shown in
FIG. 15.
[0075] As can be seen in FIG. 13, while the PSTN 11 is coupled to
the network medium 89 outlet 83e via PNC modem 132e and VoIP
gateway 55a, the CATV network 91 is coupled to the network wiring
89 via outlet 83f, being a distinct and different point of the
network medium. Furthermore, while PSTN 11 connects to VoIP gateway
55a, the CATV network 91 connects to VoIP Gateway 55b and PNC modem
132f, which may be distinct and different devices.
[0076] While systems 120 and 130 in FIGS. 12 and 13, respectively
describe powerline and phone line based home networks respectively,
it should be appreciated that the invention can be equally applied
to any other type of home network, such as CATV coaxial based and
non-wired systems. For example, in the case of using CATV coaxial
cable as the communication medium, the powerline 81 will be
replaced with the coaxial cable, and the PLC modems 82 will be
substituted with equivalent coaxial cable modems. Similarly, for
the case of wireless home network, the PLC modems 82 will be
substituted with Radio Frequency transceivers. As such, any
reference to a PNC modem 132 and telephone wire pair 89 hereinafter
will be understood to represent any other networking technology and
medium.
Outlet
[0077] In order to save space, cost and to allow easy installation
and operation it is commonly advised to integrate multiple
functions into a single device. Specifically relating to system
130, the VoIP Gateway 55b and the PNC modem 132f may be integrated
into a device designated as CATV adapter 133 shown in FIG. 13. Such
an adapter 133 supports one port for connection to a telephone line
originated in the CATV network 91, and the other port connects to
the telephone wire pair 89 via outlet 83f. Further savings in
space, cost and complexity can be achieved by integrating functions
into a telephone outlet. Such a structure is illustrated in system
140 of FIG. 14, wherein the CATV adapter 133 is integrated to
compose telephone outlet 141. The outlet 141 connects to the
telephone wiring 89 in a way similar to connecting any outlet to
the wiring, and has a port 142 for connection to CATV network 91,
preferably on the faceplate of the outlet. Outlet 141 supports
single external port 142, and hence offers limited
functionality.
[0078] An improved outlet 151, supporting dual functions, is
illustrated in FIG. 15 as part of system 150. Rather than direct
connection between the VoIP gateway 55b and the PNC modem 132f of
outlet 141, outlet 151 provides a switch unit 71a in between the
gateway 55b and the modem 132f. The switch 71a represents any
multi-port networking unit, such as a hub, switched hub or router.
Two of the ports are used to allow for connection of the gateway
55b to the PNC modem 132f, thus preserving the functionality of
outlet 141. However, additional port is used for connecting
external units to the network via connection 152. In system 150,
the port 152 is used to connect an IP telephone 54b to the IP
network, in addition to its role of connectivity to CATV network
91. Similarly, outlet 161, shown as part of system 160 in FIG. 16,
supports connection of a POTS telephone set 17c rather than IP
telephone set 54b of outlet 151. A VoIP MTA 64c is added between a
dedicated port 162 and the switch 71a, allowing for connection of
the analog set 17c to the IP network. In another embodiment
according to the invention, an outlet 171 shown as part of system
170 in FIG. 17 also comprises IP-PBX 52a functionality, obviating
the need for a distinct device 52 (along with its associated PNC
modem 132d). As such, outlet 180 provide four distinct
functionalities: incoming telephone line connection 142, POTS
telephone set connection 162, IP telephone set connection 152 and
IP-PBX function 52a. According to the present invention, any one or
more of the above four functions can be implemented in an
outlet.
[0079] An outlet 180 comprising all above outlet functionalities is
shown in FIG. 18. The outlet is coupled to the telephone wiring via
connector 183, which connects to the switch 71b via PNC modem 132f.
The outlet 180 provides three distinct ports. Port 142 serves for
connection to incoming POTS telephone service, preferably via the
CATV network 91, and is coupled to the switch 71b via VoIP gateway
55b. Port 162 serves for connection to a POTS telephone set 17, and
is coupled to the switch 71b via VoIP MTA 64c. Port 152 constitutes
a data connector that is directly connected to the switch 71b and
allows for connection of an IP telephone 54. In addition, the
outlet 180 comprises an IP-PBX functionality 52a.
[0080] A pictorial view of a telephone outlet 180 is shown in FIG.
18a. The general shape of the outlet fits as a substitute for
existing telephone outlets in North-America, and uses screws 181a
and 181b to fasten the outlet to a wall fixture. A RJ-45 connector,
commonly used for 10/100BaseT IEEE802.3 interfaces, is used as port
152, and RJ-11 jacks, commonly used for POTS telephony, are used
for ports 142 and 162.
[0081] As explained above, the telephone wire pair can also be used
to carry analog POTS telephone in the lower part of the frequency
spectrum, in addition to serving as a medium for the data network.
Outlet 180 described above does not provide any access to such POTS
signal. In order to couple to this signal, outlet 180 should be
modified to outlet 190 shown in FIG. 19. Such an outlet 190
comprises all the functions of outlet 180. However, the PNC modem
132f is not directly connected to the telephone wire pair via port
183, but rather via a high pass filter (BPF) 191, allowing passing
of a signals above the POTS telephony spectrum. A low pass filter
(LPF) 192 is added, also connected to the telephone wiring port
183. Such LPF 192 allows only the POTS telephony signal to pass
through to port 193. In a basic embodiment, HPF 191 is implemented
as an in-series capacitor and LPF 192 is implemented as an
in-series connected inductor. This set 194 of filters HPF 191 and
LPF 192 serves as coupling unit and is known to allow carrying of
both POTS telephony and digital data signals over the telephone
wire pair. A POTS telephone set 17 can be connected to the POTS
telephone service via port 193. Furthermore, the POTS connection
can be used for `life-line` using switches (relays) known in the
art, which routes the POTS signal into port 162 in the case of
power outage or any other lack of telephone service availability
through port 162.
[0082] In the case wherein the medium used for data networking is
other than telephone wiring, the PNC modem 132f, the coupling unit
194 and the connector 193 should be modified accordingly. For
example, in the case of powerline as the networking medium, the PNC
modem 132f should be substituted with PLC modem 82 and the filters
in the coupling unit 194 should be modified to pass the power mains
(60 Hz in North America, 50 Hz in Europe) to a power socket that
replaces the telephone connector 193. Similarly, the HPF 191 should
be substituted with HPF operative to pass the data signals but
block the power mains signal. In the case of coaxial cable medium,
other set of filters (such as Band Pass Filter BPF) may be
used.
[0083] A general schematic structure of an outlet 200 supporting
dual service wiring is shown in FIG. 20, coupled to a wiring via
port 204. The regular service signal, being POTS telephony, mains
power, CATV or any other signal is conveyed via the service
splitter 203 to the standard service socket 202, being telephone,
power or CATV connected respectively. A modem 201 adapted for use
with the medium of choice (e.g. PNC modem 132f) supports
transmission over the wiring, and is coupled to the wiring
connection 204 (e.g. in-wall telephone wiring connection 183) via
the service splitter 203 (e.g. coupling unit 194). The service
splitter 203 is operative to allow the two signals to be conveyed
over the wiring with minimum interference with each other.
[0084] While the above outlet description related to existing
in-home wiring, the invention can be equally applied to
`structured-wiring` networks such as network 110 of FIG. 11. In
such a configuration, outlet 72 will be modified to comprise VoIP
gateway 55b. In addition, VoIP MTA 64, switch 71 (if required) and
IP-PBX 52 functionalities can also be integrated into the outlet.
In general, outlet 180 applies to such a configuration with the
exception of obviating the need for PNC modem 132f, since the
wiring can be directly connected to the in-outlet switch.
Cellular
[0085] The system 100 in FIG. 10 according to the invention
involves external telephone line originated via CATV network 91.
However, it is apparent that the invention equally applies to any
telephone line connection to premises, either terrestrial or via
the air. The cellular network in known to carry telephone calls
over the air to cellular telephones. As such, the cellular network
can also be the originating network of the telephone line, as shown
in FIG. 21 describing network 210 as a substitute to the CATV
network 91 of system 100 the cellular network 213 is used. The
coupling to such a network 213 usually requires antenna 211,
connected to a cellular adapter 212. Such adapters are known in the
art to provide POTS telephone line originated by the cellular
network 213. This POTS telephone line is converted to digital by
the VoIP Gateway 55b and connects to the network 53. Other
non-limiting examples of non-wired networks can be based on
infrared and Radio Frequency, such as IEEE802.11, LMDS, MMDS,
satellite or Bluetooth.
[0086] In general, any of the outlets described above equally
applies to such scenario, just by coupling the cellular adapter 212
to port 142 of the relevant outlet. However, in such case it will
be appreciated that there is benefit in integrating the cellular
adapter 212 and the antenna 211 into the outlet, obviating the need
for external and stand-alone devices. Such outlet 220 is shown in
FIG. 22.
[0087] As an alternative to the cellular adapter 212 and the
antenna 211, a standard cellular telephone 241 together with known
in the art cellular phone adapter 242 can be used in order to
access the cellular network, as shown in network 240 in FIG. 23. An
example of cellular phone adapter 242 is CellSocket.TM. from WHP
Wireless, Inc. of Melville, N.Y., USA.
[0088] In another embodiment of the present invention referring to
network 240, the outlet 250 shown in FIG. 24 comprises the cellular
phone adapter 242, and provides a port 251 for connection to the
cellular telephone 241. While the connection between the telephone
241 and port 251 of outlet 250 can use a cable, in a preferred
embodiment the cellular telephone 241 can plug-in both mechanically
and electronically to an outlet. This configuration, shown in FIG.
24, allows for the cellular telephone 241 user to choose between
either carrying it and utilizing its mobility or plugging it into
the outlet. In the latter case, an incoming telephone call can be
routed via the network 53 to one or more of the non-mobile
telephone sets connected to the network. A pictorial view of outlet
250 is shown in FIGS. 25a and 25b. The outlet 250 shown is based on
outlet 180 shown in FIG. 18a, wherein a cradle adapter 251 is
added, comprising a mechanical cradle adapter and electrical
connector for housing, securing and connecting to cellular
telephone 241 shown. FIG. 25a shows the cellular telephone 241
detached from the outlet 250, while FIG. 25b shows the cellular
telephone 241 inserted into the outlet 250.
[0089] Although the invention has been so far described as relating
to Ethernet/IP-based home networking, the invention can be
similarly applied to any type of data network. Furthermore,
although packet networks are the most common for local area
networks and wide area networks, the invention is not restricted to
packet networks only, and can be applied to any digital data
network, where network entities are identified uniquely by
addresses.
[0090] Furthermore, although the invention has been described as
relating to networks based on continuous electrical conducting
medium (telephone, CATV, or electrical power), and the relevant
modem and associated circuitry are connected in parallel to the
wiring infrastructure, the invention can be applied equally to the
case wherein the wiring is not continuous, but is in discrete
segments. Such an arrangement is disclosed in WO 0007322 published
Feb. 10, 2000 and entitled "Local Area Network of Serial
Intelligent Cells" in the name of the present inventor and assigned
to the present assignee, which is incorporated by reference for all
purposes as if fully set forth herein.
[0091] While the invention has been described with respect to a
home network, it will be appreciated that the invention equally
applies to any in-house network connected to an external network.
Local area networks (LAN) within offices, factories or enterprises
can equally use the invention.
[0092] While the invention has been described with respect to a
limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many
variations, modifications, derivatives, combinations and other
applications of the invention may be made.
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