Abstract:
A data communications device is mountable in a variety of locations. The data communications device comprises a housing and a wireless communications device contained within the housing. An antenna mounted within the housing is in electrical communication with the wireless communications device and receives and transmits radio signals. A power plug for provides electrical power to the wireless communications device mounted in the housing.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 60/881,991 filed Jan. 23, 2007. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to the field of data communications devices, and, more particularly, to a data communications device having an internal directional antennae instead of external omni-directional antenna. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In the modern world, data communications includes WiFi (which means Wireless Fidelity), WiMax, BPL (Broad Band over Powerlines), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), EVDO (Evolution Data Optimized), EDGE (Enhanced Data Rate for Global Evolution), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), HSDPA (High Speed Download Packet Access), PLC (powerline controller), cellular, wired and wireless transport of broadband internet voice data video traffic, GSM (Groupe Special Mobile) or any combination thereof. It also permits a local (“neighborhood”) wired and wireless network to exist and to connect to a larger network or internet. 
         [0004]    One embodiment of the present invention uses existing streetlights for power and mounting to facilitate such data communications. Streetlights are well known in the art and are known as street lights, street lamps, light standards or lamp standards in various areas of the country. A streetlight is a tall light source positioned on the edge of a road, or in a parking lot, or other places needing rumination and is turned on at night to provide. Most streetlights now use either timers or photocells that are plugged into streetlights taps to be turned on and off. 
         [0005]    Other devices use such taps or adapter cords that plug into streetlights in a similar way, however, these devices only power external devices attached to the streetlight. Typically, such taps provide power via external wires to things like remote cameras, etc. or as a power supply for remote electrical operations. Unlike these devices, the present invention is not essentially a “power strip” or an “extension cord”, it is a device that itself enables data communication networks which uses internal antennae requiring less weight and which do not protrude and which are adapted to be directly connected to such devices as the lamp head of an existing streetlight. 
         [0006]    Some data communications devices are mounted on streetlights intrusively tap into power provided for the light and require more than the use of an existing plug outlet. However, current devices employ linear exterior antennae which extend upwardly and downwardly from the device which is usually affixed to the streetlight via brackets or, alternatively, to the light&#39;s supporting arm or pole. These unsightly antennae are not aesthetically pleasing. In addition, upwardly extending external antennae often cannot be deployed with permission of utility companies due to possible interference with overhanging power lines as shown in  FIG. 1 . Lastly, the brackets and the device itself are often bulky and heavy and are more difficult to install and can cause problems when hung on the horizontally extending portion of a streetlight. Streetlights may not be designed to handle the extra weight of the heavier devices and associated antennae. 
         [0007]    Thus, there is a need for a data communications device which is lightweight, aesthetically move pleasing and easier and hence less expensive to install and which does not interfere with nearby power lines and the like. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,222,503 entitled “System and Method of Integrating and Concealing Antennas, Antenna Subsystems and Communications Subsytems” which issued on Apr. 24, 2001 to Gietema et al. discloses wireless repeaters in streetlamps (Element 6 in FIG. 1B; Col. 11, line 60). 
         [0009]    U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0248511 entitled “Repeater for Telecommunications Network” which published on Dec. 9, 2004 to Flynn provides wireless repeaters on streetlights (Paras [0003] and [0065]). 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,654,616 entitled “Wireless Area Network Having Flexible Backhauls for Creating Backhaul Network” which issued on Nov. 25, 2003 to Pope, Jr. et al. shows a broadband WLAN with lamppost microcel radioport (Element 20 in FIG. 3; Col. 4, lines 65-67). 
         [0011]    U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0275430 entitled “Voltage Level Shifting Circuit and Method” which published on Dec. 15, 2005 to Griebling has a wireless access point on street light (FIG. 7; Par. [0053]). 
         [0012]    None of the known prior art disclose the combination set forth herein. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    It is an object of this invention to provide data communications device which plugs into an existing streetlight for power and uses internal antennae to transmit signals. 
         [0014]    Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The present invention may be more readily described by reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a bottom and side perspective view of the present invention on a streetlight; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a top and side blow up view of the invention of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a top partial cross sectional view of the invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is perspective side and top view of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a perspective side and bottom view of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  shows the present invention used with a cord inserted into a standard wall plug; 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  is a perspective top and side view of one embodiment of the present invention with the top thereof removed; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  is a schematic showing how the present invention is used. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0024]    Referring more particularly to the drawings by characters of reference,  FIGS. 1-5  disclose combinations of features which constitute the components of a data communications device  10  of the present invention. In the presently preferred embodiment, data communications device  10  is sandwiched between a top  12  of a streetlight  14  and transmits electrical power to a second electrical device, in the illustrated embodiment, a photocell  16 . 
         [0025]    In the prior art, photocell  16  plugs directly into a receptacle  18  provided on top  12  and turns streetlight  14  on or off depending upon the ambient light. In the present invention, device  10  includes an electrical plug  11  which plugs directly into receptacle  18  and photocell  16  then plugs into a device receptacle  20  positioned atop device  10 . Photocell  16  functions identically as in the prior art, turning streetlight  14  on and off depending upon the ambient light. 
         [0026]    The present invention uses electricity from receptacle  18  to power a standard communications device  22 . 
         [0027]    The individual components of the present invention are commercially available from a number of sources. Streetlights with receptacles are provided by such companies as Westinghouse, for example, their OV25 Silverliner® streetlights. Photocells are available from companies such as Precision Multiple Controls, Inc. of Midland Park, N.J. or EcoVantage Energy, Inc. Appropriate power taps are available from Whitehead Industries, Inc. of Northbrook, Ill. as Brad Harrison® Luminaire Power Taps. Suitable wireless communications devices are available from multiple sources such as Netgate.com of Kailua, Hi., Ituner Networks Corp. of Fremont, Calif. and Design of Systems on Silicon of Valencia, Spain. 
         [0028]    Turning now to  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  7 , the present invention includes a housing  70  comprising a lower circular base  72  having a cover  74  mounted thereto. Cover  74  comprises a sidewall  76  forming a cylinder having an axis and inner diameter corresponding to that of circular base  72 . A top  78  encloses the end of sidewall  76  opposite base  72 . Base  72  and cover  74  define a cavity  80  for mounting and protecting communications device  22  therein. Base and cover  74  are preferably connected via a plurality of screws  75 . 
         [0029]    An upper opening  82  is centered on top  78  and a lower opening  84  is centered on base  72  for mounting device receptacle  20  and receptacle  18 , respectively, to device  10 . Device receptacle  20  and receptacle  18  can be modified for other uses. For example, in  FIG. 6 , device  10  mounts to a stand  89  and is connected to a plug  90  by a cord  88 . In this embodiment, receptacle  18  is simply be a standard household plug  92 . To allow a user to continue to use wall plug  90 , device receptacle  20  would receive a standard plug  92  instead of the prior photocell  16 . 
         [0030]    Another important variant is shown in  FIG. 7 , namely, the use of an internal antennae  100  which have four functions, namely, aesthetics to avoid an unsightly external antenna, protection by having said antennae  100  contained within cavity  80  of housing  70 , reduced weight by elimination of the need for heavy metal connectors to affix the external antennae and lastly to avoid outwardly extending antennae interfering with nearby power lines  101  and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, four curved walls  102  extend upwardly from base  72  forming an arc like structure contained within cavity  80 . Arced fence antenna elements  104  are mounted to each wall  102  via insulator plugs  106  and electrical connectors  108 . Antenna elements  104  are separated from corresponding wall  102  by foam  109  by a distance generally determined by the radio frequency employed. For example, an antenna transmitting at 15 millimeters wavelength would be separated from wall  102  by a distance equal to that wavelength. The four arced antenna elements  104 , as shown, provide omnidirectional coverage for the radio signals therefrom. 
         [0031]    As another optional element is shown in  FIG. 3  whereby a heat shield  120  is mounted atop cover  74  thereby providing shade to device  10 . Heat shield  120  can further include an embedded antenna  122  in electrical communication with communications device  22  for transmitting radio signals therefrom. 
         [0032]      FIG. 8  shows the data communications device  10  interacting with three metropolitan area networks  40  as well as the internet  42  via a gateway  44 . The illustrated gateway  44  is a Xfire Hopgate but those skilled in the art will recognize that many other systems would be compatible with the present invention. In addition, the metropolitan area networks  40  are shown to utilize HopWARE Mesh Architecture including Xnet Viper-II wireless systems  46  which interact with WiFi cellular phones  48  and desktop users  50 . Such wireless systems  46  can also interact, via a PCL gateway  52  with laptop computer  54 , digital camera  56 , answering machine  58 , telephone  60 , wireless router  62  as well as desktop user  50 . 
         [0033]    Although only certain embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.