AU4352899A - Communications cabling system - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Applicant(s): BRENDON REID and DAVID SMITHSON Actual Inventor(s): BRENDON REID and DAVID SMITHSON a Address for Service: PATENT ATTORNEY SERVICES 26 Ellingworth Parade Box Hill Victoria 3128 Australia Title: COMMUNICATIONS CABLING SYSTEM The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- COMMUNICATIONS CABLING SYSTEM This invention relates to cabling systems particularly for cables that carry electronic signals to communication apparatus, or electronic signals representative of various information, for example television signals or signals from aerials, telephones and the like. The system of the present invention has particular application to buildings such as domestic dwellings, but is not limited to this application.

It is increasingly common for domestic dwellings to include electronic communications and/or control apparatus. Frequently new dwellings and commercial buildings include extensive communication cabling systems to enable the distribution of communication signals throughout the dwelling, so that televisions viewing different channels may be viewed in different rooms of the home, or a compact disc player in one room may be used as a source of the signal for listening to the musical or other content of the compact disc in other rooms throughout the building or dwelling. The distribution of communication signals throughout a dwelling is becoming more important as greater reliance is placed upon the internet for communication and the number of television channels (both cable and non-cable) is increasing.

The significant problem posed with this increased reliance upon thile distribution of communication interfaces within a dwelling is that, over time, users often wish to change the use of particular rooms within the dwelling or change their communication requirements as the communication environment externally of the house or building also changes. Thus for example, if a room in the dwelling which was formerly being used as a room in which a television was viewed is now to have the television removed and possibly replaced by some other device, a change may be needed to the cabling system of the dwelling. Alternatively, if S. an additional communication device such as a CD player or video cassette recorder or decoding apparatus for a particular coded television transmission channel needs to be included 0 25 or provided in the room, extensive cabling changes may be required. Such changes are very inconvenient and therefore expensive. Often, such changes will necessitate removal of portions of the walls of the dwelling in order to facilitate changes to the cabling system. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that communications cabling often needs to be installed by professional technicians to ensure that communications apparatus will function reliably. For example, if communications cabling is located too near cables that supply electrical energy for operating appliances in the building, then interference from the 50 or 60 hertz mains frequency may affect the signal being carried by the communications cable which can result in poor performance of the apparatus to which the cable supplies signals.

2 It is an object of the present invention to provide a communications cabling system which will at least go some way toward overcoming the foregoing disadvantages, or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

In one aspect the invention consists in a building communications cabling system including a communications signal input means, a plurality of communication interfaces, a first communication path means for conveying the communications signal from the input means to a first of the communication interfaces, a second communication path means for conveying the communications signal from the first of the communication interfaces to a second of the communication interfaces, and a distribution path means for conveying the communications signal from the first or second communication interfaces to all the communication interfaces in parallel.

In a further aspect the invention consists in a building communications cabling system including a hub connector having a plurality of connection terminations, a plurality of communication interfaces, a transmission path within the building between each communication interface and selected connection terminations of the hub, and interconnections being provided between the connection terminations of the hub to interconnect the transmission paths to provide a communication link between the 20 communication interfaces.

To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any o 25 sense limiting.

o,.i The invention consists of the forgoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples.

One preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; I_ ~1 _lli _L i lll__ill I Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communications cabling installation in accordance with the present invention, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the system of figure 1 including a communication processing apparatus, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the communications installation as illustrated in figure 2 including an infrared control system, Figure 4 is a more detailed schematic diagram of the communications installation illustrated in figure 1, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the system shown in figure 4 including additional communications processing apparatus, Figure 6 a schematic diagram of a telephone communications installation in accordance with the present invention, and Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the telephone communications system shown in figure 6 including a PABX.

.ii 15 Referring to figure 1, a schematic of a communications cabling system is shown generally referenced 1 comprising three communication interfaces (being, for example, RJ45 Outlet Connectors) referenced 2, 4 and 6, a three way splitter 8 and an antenna 10. In-wall cabling 12 is provided between the antenna 10 and the first outlet 2 and in-wall cabling 14, 16 and 18 is provided between the interfaces and the three way splitter. The transmission path between 20 the antenna 10 and the three way splitter 8 is patched within the RF sockets of each connector using links 20 to 24. The antenna 10 may receive any form of communications signal.

Therefore, signals that are received by the antenna 10, for example television transmission signals, are provided to interface 2 then on to interface 4 and interface 6 before being provided to the three way splitter 8 at which point the signal is split into three parts 26 to 30 for provision to a television outlet at each of the interfaces 2, 4 and 6. This arrangement has the advantages that various communications apparatus can be provided at each interface 2, 4 or 6 so that the communications signal that the new apparatus provides can be transmitted to each interface in the dwelling. Usually, interfaces 2, 4 and 6 will be provided in different rooms of _L il~ illll ~i ~-li iiiliill the house or dwelling.

Inclusion of further communications apparatus is illustrated in figure 2. Turning to that figure, the same reference numerals are used as in figure 1 to describe the fundamental system. The primary difference in figure 2 is that the link 20 in figure 1 has been removed and instead a video cassette recorder (VCR) 40 and base band decoder connected to the VCR by a SCART lead 44 is included in the system. Therefore, if an encoded signal is received by antenna the encoded signal is transmitted to the VCR 40 for processing and then onto the decoder 42 to be decoded into a form of signal which is appropriate for provision to a television or similar apparatus to provide a viewable picture. The decoded signal is fed back to the VCR and then to a first interface 2 and from there on to interfaces 4 and 6 before being provided to the three way splitter for distribution to the television outlet points. Thus, it can be seen that the simple removal of a link within the interface 2 allows communication apparatus to be added in a selected room within the house or building for distribution to all outlets in the house.

Therefore, the VCR 40 and decoder 42 may be provided in one room, but the television on which the signal is viewed may be provided in another. This allows a high degree of flexibility in the setup of communications apparatus within the building.

Turning to figure 3, a means for controlling the VCR 40 from another room is shown. As seen in figure 3, an infrared room sensor 50 is provided in the room in which interface 6 is installed and the sensor is patched in a hub to a connector block 52 which provided the signal to an infrared emitter 54 in interface 2. The emitter 54 provides an infrared signal to the infrared receiver of VCR 40 so as to control the channel selected for viewing.

Turning to figure 4, a more detailed schematic of the apparatus shown in figure 1 is illustrated, and provision of a satellite feed is also shown. The reference numerals that are the same as those in figure 1 indicate common features. The further features of the apparatus for figure 4 include a hub 60 having a number of terminations 61 to 65. The interfaces 2, 4 and 6 are also shown in more detail. Interfaces 2 and 4 are shown illustrating their data outlets 81 and 82, television outlet 84, radio frequency (RF) outlets 85 and 86 and satellite outlet 87. Interface 6 in this example has only data outlets 81 and 82 and television outlet 84. As can be seen in figure 4, a distribution amplifier 88 is also provided to ensure that an adequate signal is provided to the splitter for distribution. The satellite signal feed to outlets 87 and 88 is provided by a satellite splitter 89 which receives the signal from a satellite dish 91.

11~1 i il In figure 4, the antenna signal is provided to hub termination 61 from which it is supplied to the first interface 2, linked through the RF sockets 85 and 86 of interface 2 before being provided back to termination 64 of the hub from which an internal hub interconnection connects the signal through to terminal 62 for provision to the distribution amplifier 88. The three way splitter 8 provides the signals to each of the TV outlets 84 on the interfaces. It will be seen that the use of the hub 60 provides a large number of combinations and permutations of interconnection for distribution of the signals using the series loop arrangement described in the preceding figures. It will also be seen that a large number of communications interfaces may be used i.e. a large number of rooms or offices in a building may be accommodated.

Thus turning to figure 5, the apparatus for figure 4 is shown without the satellite feed, but including further communication apparatus connected to interface 6. In this figure, interface 6 includes television and data outlets. The additional apparatus includes video camera 90 which feeds composite video signals to a modulator 92 for provision into the RF socket 86 of interface 6. The other apparatus connected into the loop is laser disc player 94 and the accompanying modulator 96 the output signal for which is fed into RF socket 85 of interface 6. Therefore, the signal which is being provided from antenna 10 is provided to the input of a three way combiner 98 via hub terminations 66 and 64 and the signals derived from video camera 90 and laser disc player 94 are provided to the three way combiner via hub terminations 63 and 65. The three way combiner 98 combines the signals to form a combined 20 signal which is amplified and then distributed through the splitter to each of the TV outlets 84.

Therefore, all of the signals from the antenna 10, video camera 90 and laser disc player 94 are available on all of the three TV outlets 84 on each of the interfaces i.e. all of the signals are available in any room of the dwelling and the system has been rearranged to include the video camera and laser disc player without need of any rewiring. All that needed to be changed were the connections between hub terminations at the central hub 60 and the addition of a 9. three-way combiner 98. The combiner 98 in use can be provided within or adjacent to the hub at a central location within the dwelling so that no changes to the internal wall wiring within the dwelling need to be made.

9 9 Turning to figure 6, another application of the invention is illustrated in which the data outlets 81 and 82 of each interface are linked together and feed telephones 102 to 106. The data outlets are linked to corresponding data interfaces 112, 114 and 116 comprising RJ45 outlets.

The outlet 120 of each of the outlets 112 to 116 is connected in common to the Telecom demarcation point 122 and is linked to the first data outlet 81.

6 ~~Lr ~I ~I Ir- iliil;:-ll Turning to figure 7, the same arrangement as illustrated in figure 6 is shown but with a PABX unit which distributes individual calls to each of the outlets 120 of interfaces 112 to 116. At each wall outlet the telephones are plugged into a single outlet, such as outlet 81 (usually the white outlet) via an RJ45-BT adaptor. Where possible telephones with internal ringing capacitors are utilised and connected directly to the RJ45 socket via their own RJ45 plug.

It will be seen that the arrangement described above may also be used for telephones within the dwelling or with the distribution of other communication signals and therefore provides maximum flexibility so that dwellings are effectively "future proofed" for future developments in electronic technology. The installation of the present invention allows the user to connect telephones, modems, PABXs, computers, TVs, VCRs, pay transmission broadcast decoders, satellite decoders, video cameras etc into their domestic communication system. Furthermore, decoded pictures can be distributed to every television in a household and channels may be changed remotely. Similarly, a video cassette may be played in one room while viewed and controlled from another room. Also, a PABX phone system may be connected at a later date, by simply adding the PABX to the hub and patching it in.

The hub cabling system is preferably a Star topology cabling system employing specific S* combinations of Category 5 and Coax Cables. Of course, it will be seen that various other oo outlets apart from those described above may be used in various configurations to suit the *requirement of each individual household and user.

The preferable hardware for use in the invention as described is listed below by way of example only.

SIt is preferred that the placement of the hub is in the vicinity of access to the ceiling cavity of the dwelling and underside of the house i.e. in a floor to ceiling cupboard. It is also preferred :that the hub is placed in the vicinity of electronic sub-systems (for example alarm panel, sprinkler control) and that the hub is placed away from electronically noisy devices, for example contactors, transformers etc.

It will be seen that the present invention provides considerable advantages over the prior art.

Claims (9)

1. A building communications cabling system including a communications signal input means, a plurality of communication interfaces, a first communication path means for conveying the communications signal from the input means to a first of the communication interfaces, a second communication path means for conveying the communications signal from the first of the communication interfaces to a second of the communication interfaces, and a distribution path means for conveying the communications signal from the first or second communication interfaces to all the communication interfaces in parallel.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 including a hub whereby the first and second communication path means include return communication paths to the hub and the distribution path means includes separate transmission paths from the hub to the communication interfaces.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein at least one communication interface includes interconnection means to allow the connection of communications apparatus which modifies, or adds further information to the communications signal incident at that communication interface.

4. A building communications cabling system including a hub connector having a plurality S"of connection terminations, a plurality of communication interfaces, a transmission path within the building between each communication interface and selected connection terminations of the hub, and interconnections being provided between the connection terminations of the hub to i interconnect the transmission paths to provide a communication link between the .communication interfaces. A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein distribution means are provided so that signals from communication apparatus connected in line with any interface are distributed to the other interfaces.

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6. A system as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 wherein amplification means are provided to amplify the signals to be distributed.

7. A system as claimed in anyone of claims 4 to 6 wherein the hub is provided in a central location within the building.

8. A system as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 7 wherein the communication link comprises a series connected data loop.

9. A method of installing communication cabling in a building substantially as herein described. A building communications cabling system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. e a °o