Abstract:
An audio/visual (A/V) transceiver is provided for supplying intent access to a computing device. The A/V receiver comprises a first format module configured to receive and process electronic data in a first format and an Ethernet module configured to transmit electronic data to the computing device in Ethernet format via an Ethernet port. The transceiver further comprises a bridging application executing on a processor, the bridging application configured to convert internet data in the first format into the Ethernet format. A method is also provided for supplying internet access to a computing device over an audio/visual (A/V) receiver. The method comprises receiving an internet signal in a first protocol standard at an A/V receiver, bridging the internet signal in the first protocol standard into a second protocol standard understood by the computing device, and transmitting the internet signal in the second protocol standard to the computing device.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/745,943 filed on Dec. 26, 2012. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention generally relates to providing access to a network, and more particularly relates to systems and methods for providing access to a local area or other network via an audiovisual receiver. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Most internet or other wide-area-network (WAN) users receive their internet services via a cable, digital service line (DSL), telephone, satellite or other broadband-type connection. This connection is typically provided by a service provider to a modem located in the user&#39;s home, business or other premises. The modem&#39;s connection to the wide area network is commonly shared between multiple devices located within the premises through a wireless or hard-wired network, such as a Wi-Fi, Ethernet or other local area network (LAN). To that end, the modem typically communicates with one or more gateways, routers, hubs, repeaters and/or other devices that permit sharing of the WAN connection. A Wi-Fi or similar gateway, for example, broadcasts wireless internet signals throughout the user&#39;s location; alternately or additionally, a wired Ethernet connection could facilitate communications between the modem or router and the end user. 
     For some users, television and broadband network connections are received from the same cable, telephone or satellite provider. Even though television and broadband signals may be delivered to the home via a common wire, however, television and network signals are typically distributed separately from each other throughout the home. Television signals, for example, are typically first received and distributed throughout the home at a set top box (STB), outdoor unit (ODU) or the like rather than at the modem that typically receives broadband network signals. 
     Often, challenges arise in delivering network access to devices located throughout the home. Various desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background section. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     Various systems, methods and devices described below provide Ethernet, Wi-Fi, TCP/IP or other network service across a MoCA or similar cable connection that is typically used for delivering television signals. Network signals can be encapsulated within MoCA or similar frames, for example, so that network traffic can be bridged, routed or otherwise provided from a LAN associated with a transmitting receiver to a new LAN associated with the receiving A/V receiver. A STB acting as a home media gateway on a wired or wireless network, for example, could encapsulate Ethernet or Wi-Fi traffic into MoCA frames that are transmitted over a coaxial wire to another receiver that ordinarily processes television programming. The receiving receiver, in turn, re-transmits the received network traffic via its network interface, thereby creating a bridge to a new LAN. This new LAN, in turn, can provide extended wired or wireless network access to devices in closer proximity to the television receiver that receives the encapsulated signals. Return traffic to can be processed in a similar manner, with network traffic encapsulated into a MoCA or similar format for transmission across the coaxial television connection to a television receiver on the opposite side of the bridged network. 
     Some embodiments provide a method executable by a television or other audio/visual (A/V) receiver to supply network access via a cable television connection. The method suitably comprises receiving a network signal according to a first format at the A/V receiver, wherein the network signal is received from a local area network; encapsulating the network signal in the first protocol standard into a second format different from the first format that is transmittable on the cable television connection; and transmitting the encapsulated network signal in the second format to a second A/V receiver that extracts the encapsulated network signal from the second format and re-transmits the network signal in the first format via a network interface of the second A/V receiver. 
     Various other embodiments, aspects and other features are described in more detail below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       Exemplary embodiments will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary television receiver system; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an exemplary television receiver device; 
         FIGS. 3  is a functional block diagram of a method for providing network access via an audio-visual transceiver; and 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram of an exemplary system for bridging local area networks over a coaxial cable. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background or the following detailed description. 
     Generally speaking, efficient network service distribution may be accomplished by utilizing unused Ethernet capabilities of television or other audio/visual (A/V) receivers that are already in place, thereby eliminating the need for running Ethernet cable between rooms or buying additional wireless modems. Many set top boxes (STBs), television receivers and the like are now able to communicate as clients on a wired or wireless local area network (LAN), such as an Ethernet or Wi-Fi LAN. To that end, many such devices incorporate hardware interfaces to Ethernet, Wi-Fi and/or other types of LANs. While these interfaces were traditionally used to establish the device as a client on the network, the same interface could alternately be used to provide network access to a new wired or wireless LAN, thereby allowing other devices in the proximity of the television receiver to obtain network service when such service would otherwise be inconvenient, if not unavailable. 
     The television receiver therefore acts as a network bridge, router, gateway or the like by encapsulating and/or translating network traffic from the new LAN so that it can be transmitted over a MoCA or similar connection typically used for distributing television signals throughout the premises. The television receiver could encapsulate TCP/IP or other network traffic on the LAN into MoCA packets, for example, that could be routed over a coaxial or other television cable for retransmission, forwarding or other actions as appropriate. 
       FIG. 1  presents an exemplary server/client system that may be modified to provide internet services throughout a location.  FIG. 1  shows internet access provided by a satellite  1  that is broadcasting to an internet antenna  11   b . However, the manner of sourcing the internet is not a pertinent part of the novel subject matter provided herein. Internet access by the modem  12  may be via a Data Subscription Line (DSL) or cable just as well as via satellite broadcast. Further, “internet” access could equivalently refer to any public or private wide area network, such as a telephone network, a private intranet, or any other network based upon TCP/IP or other protocols, as desired. 
     The system of  FIG. 1  includes a television receiver  13  (e.g., a set top box), which receives and decodes broadcast television signals.  FIG. 1  shows receiver  13  receiving television signals from the satellite  1  via dedicated A/V antenna  11   a;  equivalent embodiments could receive television signals via coaxial cable, digital subscriber line (DSL), or any other wired or wireless media. The receiver  13  illustrated in  FIG. 1  comprises three separate tuners  13 A-C to allow A/V signals to be de-multiplexed into three separate channels  3   a - c  communicating with three separate A/V receivers  15 A-C wirelessly or via cable. A specific non-limiting example of a suitable receiver  13  may be known in the art by the trade name Hopper® sold by Echostar Corporation of Englewood, Colo. A specific non-limiting example of a suitable A/V receiver  15 A-C may be known in the art by the trade name Joey®, also sold by Echostar, although many other different products or devices could be equivalently used. A specific, non-limiting example of a home entertainment networking protocol is that established protocol approved by the Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA®). The satellite receiver  13  in this instance may have an RG6 port for both input and output, with this port using bandstacking to three internal satellite tuners and MoCA technology to provide HD feeds to up to 3 “Joey” transceivers across the same RG6 cable that comes in. Equivalent embodiments could be implemented using cable television STBs, other brands or models of DBS STBs, or other television receiver components as desired. Such components may provide any number of television signals to any number of remote stations using any type of wired or wireless television distribution channels. 
       FIG. 2  is a functional block diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting A/V receiver  15  of a suitable type contemplated herein. Among other components, the A/V receiver  15  includes an Ethernet, WiFi or other network port  16 , a MoCA or other cable bridge  20 , a network bridge  30 , a television  40 , a processor  50 , a memory  60 , and an input/output (I/O) module  70 . Network port(s)  16  may provide physical connection between an A/V receiver  15   a - c  and a user computing device  17   a - c , either directly via cable or wirelessly. The MoCA® bridge  20  may be a standalone device or may be integrated within the A/V transceiver  15 . 
     The A/V receiver  15  of  FIG. 1  includes a MoCA® application that contains instructions allowing the A/V receiver  15  to receive, translate, encapsulate and/or process data according to the MoCA® protocol. The A/V receiver  15  also includes an Ethernet module or card  30  that is configured to receive, translate and process data pursuant to the Ethernet protocol or the like. Although this discussion of the  FIG. 1  embodiment uses MoCA and Ethernet as an example, equivalent embodiments could operate with wireless (e.g., WiFi) or other networking protocols and/or different television/cable protocols other than MoCA, 
     A/V receiver  15  includes a bridging application S 230  that is run by the processor  50  and that operates the A/V receiver  13  to receive and provide audio/visual signals to a television  40 . To handle the conversion of network data transmission between the MoCA®/coaxial protocol and the network protocol and thereby utilize network port  16 , S 230  application may be augmented or modified to handle such bridging functions. The modified bridging application is referred to hereinafter as S 230 ′. 
       FIG. 3  is a functional flow chart of an exemplary method for providing network access via a television or other A/V receiver  15 . The method begins at process  210  where the A/V receiver  15  receives an network signal from the receiver  13  in MoCA home entertainment networking standard, which is the same standard in which the A/V data is received for television viewing. That is, the MoCA connection is used to transfer both television content and network data to receiver  15 ; the MoCA connection may also carry return network data to receiver  13 , along with any control signals or the like issued by receiver  13  to receiver  15 . At process  220 , the modified bridging application S 230 ′ de-encapsulates or otherwise translates the network signal from the MoCA standard to into the conventional network standard (e.g, Ethernet, WiFi, etc.). At process  230 , the extracted network signal is then re-transmitted on the wired or wireless network  53  to the users computing device  17 . In various embodiments, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, TCP/IP or other network packets are simply encapsulated within MoCA headers (or the like) so that network packets received by A/V receiver  15  are simply passed as MoCA traffic to receiver  13 . Receiver  13  then extracts the encapsulated network packet from the MoCA frame and re-transmits the extracted network packet on its own LAN. A/V receiver  15  similarly encapsulates some or all of the packets on its own LAN into MoCA frames for transmission to receiver  13 , which similarly re-transmits the extracted network data on its own LAN. The MoCA connection may therefore be used to provide a bridge between the LAN coupled to receiver  13  and the LAN coupled to A/V receiver  15 . 
     In some implementations, receivers  13  and/or  15  could additionally provide routing or gateway functions, as appropriate. To that end, receivers  13 ,  15  could select only some of the network traffic for encapsulating and bridging over the MoCA connection. Network traffic that is selected for routing across the MoCA connection could include, for example, only traffic intended for devices on the other side of the MoCA bridge, only traffic that conforms to certain protocols, only traffic intended for eventual routing to the WAN, or any other traffic as desired. Receivers  13  and/or  15  could also act as gateways by providing protocol conversions, address translation and/or other functions on the network traffic itself. Other embodiments could include additional or alternate features as desired. 
       FIG. 4  is a diagram of an exemplary system  400  in which a MoCA or other coaxial cable connection  3  is used to create a virtual bridge  408  between two local area networks  406 ,  53 . This virtual bridge  408  could be used, for example, to facilitate connections from a client device  17  to network  406  and/or WAN  405 , as desired. Note that the coaxial connection  3  is typically used to transport television signals that are received and decoded by receiver  13  to receiver  15  for presentation on a television or other display attached to receiver  15 . These television signals are typically transported within MoCA or similar frames. To that end, cable connection  3  can be used to provide simultaneous transport of television and encapsulated network data within a common MoCA or similar framework. That is, MoCA constructs (or the like) can support simultaneous transmission of television and encapsulated network traffic on cable connection  3 , as desired. 
     As noted above, most users connect to the Internet or another WAN via a modem  402 . Typically, an Ethernet hub, router, WiFi gateway or other device  404  allows the WAN connection to be shared between multiple devices executing within a home, business or other premises. Typically, device  404  creates a wired or wireless LAN  406  that can be shared between various devices  13 ,  417  and the like. 
     Often, however, LAN  406  may not extend far enough to connect all of the devices on the premises. This may be due to unavailability of wiring in the case of a wired Ethernet LAN, or the physical distance between devices may be too great for effective wireless communications. The MoCA (or other coaxial) connections between television receivers can therefore be used to extend network communications to devices  17  that would otherwise lack convenient network access. Devices  17  could include, for example, media players, disk players, video game consoles, televisions and/or other components that are frequently located in the same cabinet, entertainment center, or other environment as media receiver  15 . In various embodiments, the LAN interface  432  could be connected to an Ethernet hub or the like so that multiple devices could share the service provided by interface  432 . In other embodiments, device  17  could provide an effective wireless repeater or the like to extend the range of a wireless network  406 . Various embodiments could provide additional or alternate features in many different types of network environments, as appropriate. 
     Addressing can be handled in any manner. In various embodiments, receiver  13  assigns MoCA addresses for the various receivers  13 ,  15  communicating on coaxial connection  3 . Typically, addresses on network  406  are assigned by router/gateway device  404 . In embodiments that encapsulate network traffic  442  into MoCA packets  444  for bridging or other transport over cable  3 , the network  53  formed by the receiving device  15  could be considered to be a continuation of network  406 . Address requests from devices  17  on network  53  may therefore be encapsulated and transported over connection  3  to device  404  in such embodiments; device  404  would respond to the address request from device  17  as if the request emanated from a device (e.g., device  417 ) on network  406 . This effectively creates a single virtual LAN  408  that incorporates the two LANs  406 ,  53  into a common address space, as appropriate. Other embodiments could provide a routing or gateway feature at receiver  15  (and/or receiver  13 ) to issue addresses on LAN  53  and/or to selectively route traffic between LANs  53  and  406 , as desired. 
     In operation, then, each media receiver  13  and/or  15  is able to receive network packets  442  in TCP/IP or another format at its network interface and to encapsulate the received network packet into a MoCA or similar format  444  for transmission via the receiver&#39;s coaxial interface. Each receiver is also able to receive encapsulated packets  444  via its coaxial interface from the other receiver(s), and to extract the encapsulated network content  442  for re-transmission via the receiver&#39;s network interface. Receiver  13 , for example, suitably receives network traffic  442  from LAN  406  at network interface  430 , encapsulates the received data  442  into MoCA frames  444  or the like, and retransmits the MoCA data on connection  3 . Receiver  13  also receives encapsulated network traffic  442  from receiver  15  via connection  3  and extracts the encapsulated traffic  442  for re-transmission on network  406 . Receiver  15  similarly receives network traffic  442  on LAN  53  and encapsulates it in MoCA frames  444  for transmission via connection  3  to receiver  13 . Encapsulated traffic  442  received at receiver  15  from receiver  13  is extracted and re-transmitted on LAN  53  via network interface  432 , as appropriate. These functions may be carried out by software S 230 ′ in either receiver  13  and/or  15 ; software S 230 ′ may additionally or alternately perform protocol conversion, routing, packet modifications or other functions as desired. 
     As described herein, then, set top boxes, television receivers or the like can be used to expand home network capabilities by bridging Ethernet, WiFi or other network traffic across MoCA or other television connections. This allows the Ethernet, WiFi and/or other network capabilities of the receiver to be repurposed or expanded, as appropriate, to act as a network bridge, router or gateway rather than simply as a client to a network hosted by another device. 
     As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as exemplary is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. 
     While the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing various embodiments of the invention, it should be appreciated that the particular embodiments described above are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. To the contrary, various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described without departing from the scope of the invention.