Patent ID: 7636373

Claim:
A module for coupling a wired digital data signal to a wireless data unit, for use with an existing wiring infrastructure in a building, the infrastructure including wiring at least in part in walls of the building and connected to one or more wall-mounted outlets, the wiring including at least one wire pair connected for concurrently carrying a wired digital data signal and a power signal, said module comprising: a first connector for connecting to one of the wall-mounted outlets for connection to the wiring; a transceiver coupled to said first connector and operative for full-duplex packet-based serial digital data communication of the wired digital data signal with a single mating transceiver of the same type as said transceiver over the wiring using a wired digital data protocol; a radio frequency modem operative for conducting standard-based bi-directional packet-based digital data communication of a wireless digital data signal using a wireless digital data protocol; a packet-based digital protocol adapter including one of a bridge, a router and a gateway, coupled between said transceiver and said radio-frequency modem for converting data between the wireless digital data protocol and the wired digital data protocol; and a single enclosure containing said first connector, said transceiver, said radio frequency modem and said protocol adapter, wherein said transceiver and said radio frequency modem are coupled to said first connector to be powered from the power signal carried over the wiring.