Patent ID: 7123701

Claim:
A network for transporting power and multiplexed data and digital telephone signals, said network comprising: first, second and third nodes; first and second wiring segments in a building, each comprising at least two conductors for carrying at least the multiplexed data and digital telephone signals, and said at least two conductors of at least one of said segments is configured to additionally carry a power signal; and a power consuming component connected to said at least one of said wiring segments and powered by the power signal carried by said at least one of said wiring segments wherein: said data and digital telephone signals are carried multiplexed over the same conductors in each of the wiring segments; said first wiring segment connects said first and second nodes together to form, with said first and second nodes, a first packet based bi-directional communication link; said second wiring segment connects said first and third nodes together to form, with said first and third nodes, a second packet based bi-directional communication link; said first node contains a coupling unit coupling said first and second communication links together; said coupling unit is one of: a repeater; a bridge; and a router; said first node is connectable to at least one data unit for coupling the connected data unit to said coupling unit; at least one of said nodes is connected to a remote data unit external to the building for coupling the remote data unit to at least one of said communication links; at least one of said nodes is connected to a remote telephone service unit external to the building for coupling the remote digital telephone service signal of the remote telephone service unit to at least one of said communication links; and at least one of said nodes is connectable to a digital telephone device for coupling the digital telephone device to the remote digital telephone service signal.