Abstract:
Methods and systems are provided for facilitating wireless communications over a coaxial network coupled to a wireless communications network. The system comprises one or more set-top boxes capable of facilitating bi-directional wireless communications, one or more converting devices capable of converting between optical signaling and electrical signaling, and a base transceiver station coupled to one or more communications networks. One method comprises providing a set-top box capable of facilitating bi-directional wireless communications and providing for the communication of data through an out-of-band frequency channel. Another method comprises providing a set-top box physically coupled to a coaxial network and wireless network by a communications line having an out-of-band frequency channel, receiving a request to establish communications, and logically coupling two endpoints.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The use of mobile wireless communications technology has become increasingly important in modern society. Many individuals now use mobile phones, often referred to as “cellular phones” (but including phones that operate on digital networks such as PCS networks), as their primary in-home voice-communications devices. Today, it is common for individuals to use these phones in place of traditional land-line telephones. Mobile phones have also become an essential means of communication for businesses. There is a demand and desire to be able to use mobile phones inside office buildings and have them perform as well as when they are used outside. 
     A problem currently faced by wireless users inside buildings is that wireless signals often have poor penetration of external and internal walls. Users often experience little, intermittent, or even no reception inside large structures, resulting in the inability to originate outgoing or receive incoming calls. Additionally, users who enter large structures while in the middle of existing calls will often have their calls dropped as a result of diminishing signal strength. Today, additional services besides just voice communications are often desired to be provided by cellular wireless service providers; for example, short messaging or text messaging, wireless web connectivity, image transfer, and other services are being provided by wireless providers. The same issues that inhibit voice communications within large buildings also inhibit the use of these other services offered by wireless providers. A method for facilitating high-quality wireless communications inside buildings (or other dense structures) is needed. 
     Offices, homes, and other buildings often have existing cable-infrastructure components that, according to embodiments of the present invention, could be used to transport cellular signaling into these structures, effectively penetrating the walls of these structures. A way is needed to facilitate transmission of cellular communications signaling via these existing coaxial networks. A potential problem associated with using existing cable infrastructure is that existing cable bandwidth is reaching capacity. Delivery of traditional cable services, digital cable services, high-definition services, and data services such as high-speed Internet and voice-over-IP services, is currently consuming large quantities of the typical below-860 MHz cable frequencies. The current state of the art could be improved by providing a way to facilitate transmission of wireless communications signaling via existing coaxial networks which have little extra bandwidth in the below-860 MHz range. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the present invention solve at least the above problems by providing a system and method for, among other things, facilitating indoor wireless communications between endpoint devices via existing coaxial networks and cellular-wireless provider networks. The present invention has several practical applications in the technical arts including increasing indoor wireless signaling coverage. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, a system for facilitating wireless communications via a set-top box coupled to a cable-services-provider network and a wireless-services-provider network is provided. In this embodiment, cellular signaling is delivered to the customer premises via a network (such as a fiber network), converted to an electrical signaling format, and communicated over the coaxial network along with legacy cable services, thereby facilitating indoor wireless coverage. The cellular signaling is carried through the coaxial network, not allowing it to leak, within a portion of spectrum that is out-of-band from the current cable-services signaling. 
     In another embodiment, a method for originating a voice call at a wireless endpoint near a set-top box is provided. An in-building coaxial network containing an out-of-band frequency channel is used to transport cellular signaling to a fiber network and subsequently to a wireless provider network. In this embodiment, the call has a destination of a wireless device on the macro-cellular network. 
     In a final illustrative embodiment, a method is provided for originating a voice call at a wireless endpoint out on the macro-cellular network with a destination of a wireless endpoint near a set-top box. In these embodiments, calls may also originate on a communications network (such as the public switched telephone network or a variation thereof) or have destinations of users on the public switched telephone network. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, which are incorporated by reference herein and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a wireless communications system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 1A  is a block diagram depicting an illustrative set-top box in greater detail; 
         FIG. 1B  is a block diagram of an illustrative optical-electrical converter in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an illustrative chart displaying existing cable bandwidth usage and new cellular bandwidth usage in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a process diagram illustrating an exemplary method for practicing an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a process diagram illustrating an exemplary method for practicing another embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In one embodiment, the present invention facilitates wireless communications via a coaxial communications network coupled to a wireless communications network. Embodiments also enhance indoor wireless coverage using a set-top box coupled to a coaxial network by a communications line having an out-of-band frequency channel allocated within it. 
     Acronyms and Shorthand Notations 
     Throughout the description of the present invention, several acronyms and shorthand notations are used to aid the understanding of certain concepts pertaining to the associated system and services. These acronyms and shorthand notations are solely intended for the purpose of providing an easy methodology of communicating the ideas expressed herein and are in no way meant to limit the scope of the present invention. The following is a list of these acronyms: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 BSC 
                 Base Station Controller 
               
               
                   
                 BTS 
                 Base Transceiver Station 
               
               
                   
                 CATV 
                 Cable Television 
               
               
                   
                 HLR 
                 Home Location Register 
               
               
                   
                 MSC 
                 Mobile Switching Center 
               
               
                   
                 OEC 
                 Optical-Electrical Converter 
               
               
                   
                 RF 
                 Radio Frequency 
               
               
                   
                 STB 
                 Set-Top Box 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Further, various technical terms are used throughout this description. A definition of such terms can be found in Newton&#39;s Telecom Dictionary by H. Newton, 21 st  Edition (2005). These definitions are intended to provide a clearer understanding of the ideas disclosed herein but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 
     As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the present invention may be embodied as, among other things: a method, system, or computer-program product. Accordingly, the present invention may take the form of a hardware embodiment, a software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention takes the form of a computer-program product that includes computer-useable instructions embodied on one or more computer-readable media. 
     Computer-readable media include both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and nonremovable media, and contemplates media readable by a database, a switch, and various other network devices. Network switches, routers, and related components are conventional in nature, as are means of communicating with the same. By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable media comprise computer-storage media and communications media. 
     Computer-storage media, or machine-readable media, include media implemented in any method or technology for storing information. Examples of stored information include computer-useable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data representations. Computer-storage media include, but are not limited to RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile discs (DVD), holographic media or other optical disc storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, and other magnetic storage devices. These memory components can store data momentarily, temporarily, or permanently. 
     Communications media typically store computer-useable instructions—including data structures and program modules—in a modulated data signal. The term “modulated data signal” refers to a propagated signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed to encode information in the signal. An exemplary modulated data signal includes a carrier wave or other transport mechanism. Communications media include any information-delivery media. By way of example but not limitation, communications media include wired media, such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, infrared, radio, microwave, spread-spectrum, and other wireless media technologies. Combinations of the above are included within the scope of computer-readable media. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary operating environment for practicing the present invention is depicted and referenced generally by the numeral  100 . A mobile wireless device  110  is in communication with a set-top box  114 . Mobile wireless device  110  may be, for example, a cellular phone, PCS phone, personal data assistant (such as a BLACKBERRY-type device offered by Research In Motion Limited of Waterloo, Ontario) or other mobile wireless communications device. Set-top box  114  could be a cable television set-top box, a cable ready television, a digital cable set-top box, or any device that enables a cable television subscriber to view content currently provided by a media content service provider such as a cable television service provider. Exemplary embodiments of set-top box  114  will be described in further detail below. In addition to providing traditional cable television services, set-top box  114  also provides wireless communications services by being coupled to a wireless communications network  142 . 
     Set-top box  114  is coupled to RF combiner/divider  118  via an out-of-band channel in communications link  116 . Communications link  116  can be any in-building wired network such as a coaxial network that currently delivers cable television and/or other data services. Communications link  116  contains an out-of-band spectrum range or frequency channel within the range of about 860 MHz to 1 GHz. Communications link  116  carries cellular signaling within this out-of-band frequency channel, thereby not consuming any bandwidth associated with services in the range below 860 MHz. Communications link  116  is located within a building  120  in a preferred embodiment. Building  120  can be a home, office, or any structure (including natural structures). RF combiner/divider  118  can be any device capable of both combining and dividing RF signaling such as cable TV signaling, data-services signaling, and cellular signaling. 
     In this embodiment, RF combiner/divider  118 , in one direction, combines signaling from communications line  126  and communications line  124 . In another direction, RF combiner/divider  118  divides signaling from communications link  116  into signaling bound for line  126  and line  124 . Communications line  124  couples RF combiner/divider  118  to a cable television services network  122 . Cable television services network  122  can be any cable-services-provider network that provides television and other data services to a home, office, or other location. RF combiner/divider  118  is coupled to an optical-electrical converter  128  via a communications line  126 . Optical-electrical converter  128  is capable of both converting electrical signaling to optical signaling and converting optical signaling to electrical signaling. Optical-electrical converter  128  is also capable of up and down converting the frequency of electrical signaling. 
     Optical-electrical converter  128  is coupled to a fiber network  130 . Fiber network  130  can be any fiber-optic network such as, for example, a fiber network provided by a local exchange carrier (LEC). Fiber network  130  is coupled to an optical-electrical converter  132 , which is capable of converting between optical signaling and electrical signaling. 
     Optical-electrical converter  132  is coupled to a base transceiver station  138  via a communications link  136 . Communications link  136  carries electrical signaling  134  between optical-electrical converter  132  and base transceiver station  138 . Base transceiver station  138  may service a network of set-top boxes in one or a plurality of buildings. Base transceiver station  138  is coupled to and controlled by a base station controller  140 . Base station controller  140  performs functions such as controlling power to base transceiver station  138  as well as converting between 8 Kb mobile signaling and conventional 24 Kb voice signaling. Together, base transceiver station  138  and base station controller  140  are provisioned on a cellular wireless service provider network  142 . Base transceiver station  138  and base station controller  140  operate as any BTS and BSC currently do in a cellular-wireless-service provider network  142 . 
     Base station controller  140  and cellular-wireless-service provider network  142  are coupled to a mobile switching center  144 . Mobile switching center  144  provides an interface between the macro-cellular network and the public switched telephone network  146 . A cellular wireless provider  142  can contain many base transceiver stations such as base transceiver station  152 , which communicates with wireless endpoint devices such as a wireless endpoint  148 . Wireless endpoint  148  and base transceiver station  152  communicate via an air interface using RF signaling  150 . Base transceiver station  152  sends and receives signaling  154  to serve as an intermediary between mobile device  148  and cellular-wireless-service provider  142 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 1A , a more detailed view of set-top box  114  is provided. Set-top box  114  includes a variety of subcomponents not shown so as to not obscure the present invention. The depiction of set-top box  114  in  FIG. 1A  is provided for illustrative purposes and is not intended to limit the scope of possible set-top boxes. In one embodiment, set-top box  114  includes a connection  160  to communications link  116 , which contains an out-of-band frequency channel. In this embodiment, set-top box  114  also contains a cable/cellular splitter gateway  162 , which is capable of separating incoming cable and cellular signaling, as well as combining outgoing cable and cellular signaling. The cable signaling may include video signaling that is transmitted over a video interface  164 . Video interface  164  may, for example, be connected to any visual output device, such as a television. In addition to being connected to video interface  164 , cable/cellular splitter gateway  162  is coupled to a packet data modem  166 , which facilitates delivery of data services via a data interface  168 , which may be coupled to a device such as a personal computer. 
     After being separated at cable/cellular splitter gateway  162 , cellular signaling is transmitted via connection  170  to an up/down cellular frequency converter  172 . Frequency converter  172  is capable of both increasing the frequency of signaling and decreasing the frequency of signaling. Frequency converter  172  is also coupled to a cellular antenna  174 , which is capable of transmitting cellular signaling via RF waves  112  in an air interface. RF waves  112  are received by wireless endpoint  110 . Set-top box  114  can also include a media and content storage component  163  as well as a management logic component  161 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 1B , a more detailed illustration of optical-electrical converter  128  and RF combiner/divider  118  is shown. Optical cellular signaling  176  is received at an optical interface  178  and subsequently converted at a coaxial electric interface  180  into electrical signaling. Likewise, electrical cellular signaling  182  is received in the opposite direction at coaxial electric interface  180  and converted at optical interface  178  into optical cellular signaling  176 . Optical-electrical converter  128  also contains a cable frequency converter  184 , which is capable of increasing and decreasing the frequency of the electrical cellular signaling. The conversion between optical signaling and electrical signaling is a process known in the art. Optical-electrical converter  128  can include a variety of components including other components not shown. Optical-electrical converter  128  is coupled to RF combiner/divider  118  via a connection  126 . 
     Outgoing cellular signaling  186  is combined with incoming cable signaling  188 , which is being carried on coaxial connection  124 . RF combiner/divider  118  outputs combined cable and cellular signaling  190  via the communications link  116 , which is coupled to set-top box  114 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 2 , an illustration of the signaling bandwidth spectrum  200  that is carried in communications link  116  is shown. Bandwidth spectrum  200  includes the existing cable television bandwidth  202  as well as newly allocated cellular bandwidth  203 . The existing cable television bandwidth includes, by way of example and not limitation, upstream cable television frequency  204 , downstream analog cable frequency  206 , and digital cable television frequency  208 . Typically, existing cable television bandwidth  202  exists in a bandwidth range below 860 MHz, as depicted in  FIG. 2 . But bandwidth in the range above 860 MHz and below 1 GHz is available. This bandwidth capacity is used for new cellular bandwidth  203 , which can carry cellular signaling to and from set-top box  114 . This new cellular bandwidth  203  forms an out-of-band frequency channel, which contains an upstream cellular bandwidth  210  and a downstream cellular bandwidth  212 . The particular frequencies displayed in  FIG. 2  are merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , an exemplary process for facilitating wireless communications via a coaxial network coupled to a wireless communications network is depicted and referenced generally by the numeral  300 . In the process  300 , an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a scenario is depicted wherein a wireless user on the macro-cellular network is placing a call from a wireless endpoint  148  to a target wireless endpoint  110  near a set-top box  114  inside of a building  120 . For example, an individual in her car could be placing a phone call using her PCS to an individual at work inside his office in comparatively close proximity to a cable television set. 
     At a step  310 , wireless endpoint  110  is registered with applicable base transceiver station  138  and its location and assigned BTS/BSC are stored in a home location register (HLR) within a cellular-wireless-service provider network  142 . An HLR typically stores data on the current location of any given wireless. Typically, a mobile endpoint is associated with the nearest base transceiver station or to the base transceiver station emitting the strongest signal relative to the endpoint. In this case, the HLR would assign mobile endpoint  110  to base transceiver station  138 . Mobile endpoint  110  would communicate via set-top box  114  with base transceiver station  138  and the cellular network  142  would determine that station  138  is the station best-suited to facilitate wireless communications for endpoint  110 , which is located inside building  120 . 
     At a step  312 , base transceiver station  152  out on the macro cellular network receives signaling from wireless endpoint  148  indicative of an incoming call. This signaling will indicate to the cellular-wireless-service provider  142  the identity of a desired call recipient. At a step  314 , the desired call recipient is identified. A home agent in a cellular network performs the function of receiving incoming data calls and routing those calls to the desired endpoint. Regardless of where the mobile endpoint may be located on the macro-cellular network, the home agent will locate the mobile endpoint. At a step  316 , the appropriate base transceiver station  138  is located using the stored location of endpoint  110  in the HLR. In this case, endpoint  110  has been assigned to base transceiver station  138 . At a step  318 , the cellular signaling is transmitted to the appropriate base transceiver station  138 . 
     The electrical cellular signaling  134  is converted at a step  320  in the optical-electrical converter  132 . At a step  322 , the now optical cellular signaling is transmitted over a fiber network  130 . Once near the desired destination, at a step  324 , the optical cellular signaling is converted to electrical cellular signaling within optical-electrical converter  128 . At a step  326 , the frequency of the now electrical cellular signaling is down-converted from approximately 1,900 MHz to a frequency approximately within the range of between 975 MHz and 990 MHz, which corresponds to the cellular downstream bandwidth  212 . This down conversion process is done to facilitate transmission of the signaling within a coaxial network. At a step  328 , the down-converted cellular signaling is combined at the RF combiner/divider  118  with the native cable signaling which is inbound from the cable television services provider  122 . The output bandwidth of the RF combiner/divider was described above in  FIG. 2 . The out-of-band signaling is transported along with the existing cable signaling via the communications link  116 . And, at a step  330 , the combined cable and cellular signaling are received by set-top box  114  at connection  160 . 
     At a step  332 , the combined signaling is split by the cable/cellular splitter gateway  162 . The cable signaling is transmitted to video interface  164  and data interface  168 . The cellular signaling is transmitted via connection  170  to the cellular frequency converter  172 . At a step  334 , the cellular signaling is up converted to a frequency of about 1,900 MHz. At a step  336 , the converted cellular signaling is transmitted via the cellular antenna  174 . Cellular signaling is transmitted in the air interface via RF waves  112  to the mobile endpoint  110 . This description of exemplary process  300  only describes the downstream communication from mobile endpoint  148  on the macro cellular network to mobile endpoint  110  near set-top box  114 . In reality, downstream and upstream communications are both occurring. Upstream communications occur in the same manner using a reverse process. 
     In  FIG. 4 , an exemplary process  400  is described that provides for the upstream communication from mobile endpoint  110  near set-top box  114  to mobile endpoint  148  out on the macro-cellular network. In this case, upstream communication is described as a call originating at mobile endpoint  110  with a destination of mobile endpoint  148 . At a step  410 , set-top box  114  receives cellular signaling from mobile endpoint  110  via cellular antenna  174 . At a step  412 , the cellular signaling is down converted from a frequency of about 1,900 MHz to a frequency of approximately within 950 MHz and 965 MHz by the up-down cellular frequency converter  172 . This frequency approximately within 950 MHz and 965 MHz corresponds to the cellular upstream bandwidth  210 . At a step  414 , the cellular signaling is combined at the cable/cellular splitter gateway  162  with the cable signaling. Once combined, the cable signaling and cellular signaling are out-of-band. The bandwidth spectrum  200  was described above in connection with  FIG. 2 . At a step  416 , the combined signaling is transmitted from set-top box  114  over the in-building coaxial network via communications link  116 . 
     Before exiting the building  120 , the cellular signaling is separated from the cable signaling, at a step  418 , in the RF combiner/divider  118 . The cellular signaling exits the building over the line  126  and enters the optical-electrical converter  128 . At a step  420 , the frequency of the cellular signaling is up converted at cable frequency converter  184  to a frequency of approximately 1,900 MHz. The converted cellular signaling then enters the coaxial electric interface  180 , where at a step  422 , it is converted from electrical signaling to optical signaling. At a step  424 , the cellular signaling exits the optical interface  178  and is transmitted over fiber network  130 . The cellular signaling is received at the optical-electrical converter  132  and, at a step  426 , is converted from optical signaling to electrical signaling. Electrical signaling  134  is transmitted over a communications link  136  to base transceiver station  138  at a step  428 . At a step  430 , the base transceiver station  138  uploads the cellular signaling via base station controller  140  to the cellular wireless service provider network  142 . 
     At a step  432 , the cellular signaling is transmitted to the appropriate destination from the cellular-wireless-service provider network  142 . In this case, the destination could be a mobile endpoint  148 . In the alternative, the cellular signaling could be transmitted to a public switched telephone network  146  via a mobile switching center  144 . In another embodiment, a call could originate on a public switched telephone network  146  and proceed downstream to mobile endpoint  110  in a fashion similar to exemplary process  300  described above. Although these processes and exemplary processes  300  and  400  have been described as one-way processes, in reality the upstream and downstream processes are occurring simultaneously as voice data and metadata are transmitted between the mobile endpoints  110  and  148  or between the mobile endpoint  110  and a user on the public switched telephone network. 
     One advantage of the present invention over the prior art is its usage of an out-of-band frequency channel within the coaxial network. Usage of out-of-band frequencies would not require any substantial changes in the configuration of the existing legacy cable network. Additionally, building penetration is achieved using existing coaxial infrastructures. 
     Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as well as components not shown, are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Embodiments of the present invention have been described with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not depart from its scope. A skilled artisan may develop alternative means of implementing the aforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. Not all steps listed in the various figures need be carried out in the specific order described.