ITTV20000057A1 - IMPROVEMENT OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF WIDEBAND SERVICES - Google Patents

Description

"IMPROVEMENT IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF BROADBAND SERVICES"

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to an improvement in the distribution of broadband services.

Modern telecommunications networks present new opportunities for operators and subscribers by expanding the offer beyond traditional telephony to new services; the new services offered make use of data transmissions to a series of devices capable of allowing their use and generally installed at the users.

Therefore the telecommunications networks themselves are evolving more and more towards data transmission and, in the case of newly built networks, not being linked to previous legacies, they are structured to carry basic telephony, videoconferencing, video on demand, access via data. high-speed Internet, home banking, home shopping.

Access to these services presupposes the presence of special equipment at the users capable of decoding and making the services available; apparatuses are known which receive high-speed data transmission, generally structured in packets and allocate the various packets to the various services.

High-speed transmission is typically carried out in cities and residential areas using fiber optic cables.

In the new generation networks, the fiber is brought up to the building, while the operators who already have an older generation network are generally adopted innovative transport technologies that allow to maximize the use of these networks or use radio access systems. .

Figure 1 illustrates the known and typical structure of a new generation network where the emerging operator constitutes its private network 1 by means of optical fibers, which constitute the heart of the network itself; the network carries information, be it voice, video or data, using the Internet Protocol (IP); the subscribers, indicated with the number 2, are reached through optical fibers 3 or radio link 4. The network allows access to the Internet, indicated with the number 5, to which it is directly connected since the same communication protocol is shared.

In the case of connections to users connected to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) 6, special apparatuses called "gateways" 7 provide for the necessary signal and protocol translations.

Whether the new technologies are of interest to newly established operators, or whether they are existing operators who want to expand their offer, one of the most important problems to be overcome is the transport of these new services inside the buildings.

In fact, there are significant problems, such as the need to transport data with high bandwidth (on average 10 Mbit / s per user), the need to carry out work to lay out new cables, generating inconvenience for the masonry work to be carried out and cost increases, especially if such works must be done in buildings of fine artistic / architectural value.

The main task of the subject matter of the present invention is therefore to solve the technical problems highlighted, eliminating the drawbacks of the cited known art and therefore devising an invention that allows to transport data with a high bandwidth (on average 10 Mbit / s per user ), while avoiding the laying of new cables and possible masonry works, particularly in buildings of valuable or artistic / architectural value

Within the scope of the above aim, another important object is to provide an invention which allows the distribution of broadband signals in buildings by using existing infrastructures. Another important object is to provide an invention which allows a single user to be provided with at least telephone and fax, high-speed Internet access, electronic mail, video streaming, video on demand and videoconferencing services.

Not least object is to provide an invention which is structurally simple, the same having low manufacturing and installation costs.

The aforementioned task and purposes, as well as others that will appear more clearly later, are achieved by an improvement in the distribution of broadband services consisting of a method for the distribution of broadband services which is characterized by the fact of conveying said services , through a network based on the IP protocol (Internet Protocol), through a television system and / or telephone twisted pair and / or coaxial cable and / or electrical system wires located in a building, with the interposition of a centralized device capable of distributing said signals to individual users.

Advantageously, the improvement in the distribution of broadband services consists in a centralized concentration device which is characterized in that it comprises an interface for an incoming broadband signal carried by a network based on the IP (Internet Protocol) protocol, means being present for the subdivision of the passband among several users by means of a television system and / or telephone pair and / or coaxial cable and / or wires of the electrical system located in a building.

Conveniently, this improvement allows a 10 Mbit Ethernet standard signal to be transmitted transparently without adaptations.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the detailed description of a particular embodiment, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates, in a schematic view, an example of the known art; Figure 2 illustrates, in a schematic view, the typical positioning of the device;

Figure 3 illustrates, in a schematic view, the structure of the device; Figure 4 illustrates, in a schematic view, the structure of a usable interface;

Figure 5 illustrates, in a schematic view, the structure of a usable decoder.

With reference to the aforementioned figures, the improvement in the distribution of broadband services allows services to be conveyed from a network based on the IP protocol (Internet Protocol), the distribution taking place for example through the television system 8 of a building and / or twisted pair telephone and / or coaxial cable and / or wires of the electrical system located in a building, with the interposition of a centralized concentration device 9 suitable for distributing said signals to individual users.

Obviously, the services normally provided by the television system will continue to be provided without any interference.

The improvement consists of a centralized concentration device installed in a suitable position within a common room of the building to be served.

Figure 2 illustrates the typical positioning of the device: it resides in a position adjacent, for example, to the switchboard 10 of the television system 8, to which the TV antenna 11 is connected.

The television system distributes the signal by means of dividers 12 typically arranged on each floor of the building, the Tv sockets 13 being connected to each divider 12.

The concentrating device 9 receives the broadband services via optical fiber 3 or via a radio link 4; the broadband signals, transposed on appropriately positioned radio frequency channels, are added to the TV signals by means of a mixer 14 and can thus reach the various units of the building.

The concentrating device 9 accepts an incoming broadband signal coming from the broadband network; in order to be able to use the network flexibly, the centralized concentration device 9 can mount different types of interface cards 15, according to specific needs.

By way of example, the following are provided as input interfaces 15: radio, optical fiber, ADSL and VDSL.

The concentration device 9 provides for the subdivision of the passband supplied at the input between the users of the condominium, each of whom is served with a card that conveys the broadband signal, for both directions, on one or two frequencies of the spectrum comprised between 47 and 860 MHz for the purpose of transmitting the signal through the antenna system.

It follows from this that two frequencies must be reserved for each user in the case of duplex filli transmission or one frequency in the case of half duplex transmission and that these frequencies must be free from other transmissions.

The transmission mode used is preferably QPSK (Quadrature Phase Shift Keying) used in satellite transmission, or QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) used in transmission via coaxial cable, in continuous or "burst" mode, also configurable: the choice of this scheme is influenced by the fact that antenna regret is designed for unidirectional transmission, ie from the antenna switchboard 10 to the apartments and that the signals in the opposite direction are intentionally attenuated. The QPSK and the Q AM have the characteristics of robustness suitable to withstand severe attenuation conditions without degradation and therefore does not require modifications of the system itself.

Another peculiarity of the centralized concentration device 9 is its ability to transmit a 10Mbit Ethernet standard signal in a transparent manner, without any form of "contention", that is, without adaptations which, despite having a physical Ethernet interface, actually transmit at a lower speed. of the 10 Mbit of the standard.

In detail, figure 3 illustrates the structure of the centralized concentration device 9: an input interface 15 receives the broadband signal from a radio link 4 or from an optical fiber 3 or from a link on an ADSL or VDSL twisted pair indicated by the number 16.

The interfaced signal has sufficient bandwidth to serve the connected users; a router 17 divides the broadband signal into a series of signals, typically 10 Mbit, each dedicated to a single user.

The centralized concentrating device 9 then accommodates a series of cards 18 each containing the necessary circuitry suitable for transmitting the broadband signal through the distribution circuit Tv.

Each board therefore contains a digital modulator / demodulator 19 which, as already mentioned, modulates and demodulates the data to be transmitted in QPSK or Q AM, and a RE 20 modulator / demodulator which positions the broadband service in a channel free from TV broadcasts. band.

There is therefore the mixer or mixer 14 which adds the signals thus modulated to the signals of the TV system, as shown in Figure 2.

To complement the centralized concentration device 9 there is a power supply 22 and a supervision and control board 23 which allows the operator to configure the system and perform diagnostic operations.

The signal transmitted in this way is received by an interface unit located in the apartment or real estate unit to be served.

Figure 4 illustrates the structure of this interface: it has a socket 21 to be connected to the TV socket on the wall, a connector 24 to supply the signal to any television set 25 and an Ethernet 10baseT interface, indicated with the number 26, for the interfacing with decoders 27 for decoding and use of broadband services.

A timer 28 tunes the signal transmitted by the concentration apparatus: the signal thus received is sent to a digital demodulator 19 which presents the data thus received to a MAC (Media Access Control) block 29 which has the task of formatting the data according to the 10BT Ethernet standard.

A subsequent MAC block 29 creates the physical interface with the Ethernet network to which the service decoders 27 are then connected.

The data to be sent to the operator are taken from the MAC block 29 and processed by a QPSK or QAM modulator 30 which in turn sends the modulated signal to a conversion block RE 31 which positions the signal in the programmed RF channel.

The mixer 14 provides for the combination of the signals in reception and transmission.

By way of example but not exhaustive, figure 5 is attached which illustrates the typical decoder of telephone and data services (Internet access): the device, often known as CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) or Residential Gateway, picks up the signal 32 in 10BT Ethernet format from the receiving / transmitting module illustrated in Figure 4 through a dedicated Ethernet interface 26.

A router 17 assigns priority to the received data packets and separates the voice packets from the video and data; the voice packets are sent to a processor 33 Voice Over Ip (VoIP) which processes the signals from and for the analog interfaces 34 to which the normal telephones 35 are connected. The video packets are sent to an Ethernet interface to which a decoder (Set Top Box) 36 for decoding video broadcasting and video on demand services.

The data packets, such as those coming from the Internet, are sent to a Hub block 37 for sorting to the Personal Computers (PC) 38 always connected via Ethernet interfaces.

Again by way of example but not exhaustively, the concept referred to in the centralized concentration device 9 described here can be applied to means of transport other than the coaxial cable and therefore from the TV antenna system and capable of transmitting the signals thus modulated: these means are identifiable in the telephone pairs that may be available, in the wires of the electrical system (power line) or by radio transmission with limited range to the building to be covered.

It has thus been found that the invention has achieved the intended aim and objects, having devised a method and a device which allow to overcome the barriers which prevent the transport of broadband telecommunications services to users.

The device therefore allows data to be transported with a high bandwidth (on average 10 Mbit / s per user), while avoiding the laying of new cables and possible masonry work, particularly in buildings of fine or artistic / architectural value; it also allows the distribution of broadband signals in buildings using existing infrastructures and allows to provide a single user with at least telephone and fax services, high-speed Internet access, e-mail, video streaming, video on demand , videoconferencing. Of course, the invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the same inventive concept.

The materials used, as well as the dimensions that constitute the individual components of the invention, may of course be more pertinent according to specific requirements.

Claims (5)

R I V E N D I C A Z I O N I 1) Improvement in the distribution of broadband services consisting of a method for the distribution of broadband services which is characterized by the fact of conveying these services, through a network based on the IP protocol (Internet Protocol), through a television system and / o telephone twisted pair and / or coaxial cable and / or wires of the electrical system located in a building, with the interposition of a centralized device capable of distributing said signals to individual users. 2) Improvement in the distribution of broadband services consisting of a centralized concentration device which is characterized by the fact that it includes an interface for an incoming broadband signal carried by a network based on the IP (Internet Protocol) protocol, means being present for the subdivision of the bandwidth among multiple users by means of a television system and / or telephone twisted pair and / or coaxial cable and / or electrical system wires located in a building. 3) Improvement according to claims 1 and / or 2 which is characterized in that it allows a 10 Mbit Ethernet standard signal to be transmitted transparently without adaptations. 4) Improvement according to one or more of the preceding claims which is characterized by the fact of providing an interface towards the broadband network capable of accepting signals from optical fiber or from a radio terminal or from a telephone pair through ADSL or VDSL systems, the transmission of broadband services using the coaxial cables of the TV system, the possible use of telephone pairs available in the building, electrical cables or local radio transmission limited to the building. 5) Improvement as per one or more of the preceding claims which is characterized by the fact of providing bidirectional transmission with QPSK modulation scheme, QPSK or QAM burst and the transparent transmission of an IP signal over Ethernet without bandwidth restriction (contention) 6) Improvement according to one or more of the preceding claims which is characterized by the fact that said centralized concentration device, which can be installed in a suitable position within a common room of the building to be served as a position preferably adjacent to the switchboard of the television system to which the TV antenna is connected, receives broadband services via optical fiber or via a radio link; the broadband signals, transposed on appropriately positioned radiofrequency channels, being added to the TV signals by means of a mixer and thus being able to reach the various units of the building. 7) Improvement according to claims 1 and 6 characterized by the fact that said device accepts an input broadband signal coming from the broadband network through radio, optical fiber, ADSL and VDSL input interface cards. 8) Improvement according to claims 1 and 7 characterized by the fact that said concentration device subdivides the passband supplied at the input among the users of the condominium, each of whom is served with a card that conveys the broadband signal, for both the directions, on one or two frequencies of the spectrum between 47 and 860 MHz in order to transmit the signal through the antenna. 9) Improvement according to claims 1 and 8 characterized by the fact that in said device the transmission mode used is preferably QPSK (Quadrature Phase Shifit Keying) used in satellite transmission, or QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) used in transmission via coaxial cable, in continuous or "burst" mode. 10) Improvement as per one or more of the preceding claims which is characterized by the fact that said centralized concentration device transmits a 10Mbit Ethernet standard signal in a transparent manner, without any form of "contention", or without adaptations which, while presenting a physical Ethernet interface actually transmit at speeds lower than the standard 10 Mbit. 11) Improvement according to one or more of the preceding claims which is characterized by the fact that said centralized concentrating device comprises an input interface that receives the broadband signal from a radio link or from an optical fiber or from a twisted pair link ADSL or VDSL with interfaced signal having sufficient bandwidth to serve the connected users; a router that divides the broadband signal into a series of signals, typically 10 Mbit, each dedicated to a single user. 12) Improvement according to one or more of the preceding claims which is characterized by the fact that said centralized concentration device accommodates a series of cards each containing the necessary circuitry suitable for transmitting the broadband signal through the TV distribution circuit, each of said cards containing a digital modulator / demodulator that modulates and demodulates the data to be transmitted in QPSK or QAM, and an RF modulator / demodulator that positions the broadband service in a channel free from TV transmissions, being also present a mixer or mixer which adds the signals thus modulated to the signals of the TV system. 13) Improvement according to one or more of the preceding claims, which is characterized by the fact that said centralized concentration device comprises a power supply and a supervision and control board which allows the operator to configure the system and perform diagnostic operations 14) Improvement according to one or more of the preceding claims which is characterized by the fact that said centralized concentration device transmits a signal which is received by an interface unit located in the apartment or real estate unit to be served, said interface having a socket from connect to the TV socket on the wall, a connector to supply the signal to any television set and an Ethernet lObaseT interface for interfacing with decoders for decoding and use of broadband services, a tuner tuning the signal transmitted by the device of concentration. 15) Improvement according to claims 1 and 14 characterized by the fact that the signal thus received is sent to a digital demodulator which presents the data thus received to a MAC (Media Access Control) block which has the task of formatting the data according to the Ethernet standard 10BT, a subsequent MAC block creating the physical interface with the Ethernet network to which service decoders are then connected. 16) Improvement according to claims 1 and 15 characterized by the fact that the data to be sent to the operator are taken from said MAC block and processed by a QPSK or QAM modulator which in turn sends the modulated signal to an RF conversion block which positions the signal in the programmed RE channel, a mixer providing for the combination of the received and transmitted signals. 17) Improvement as per one or more of the preceding claims which is characterized by the fact of using a decoder for telephone and data services (Internet access) of the type known as CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) or Residential Gateway picks up the signal in Ethernet format 10BT from said receiving / transmitting module by means of a suitable Ethernet interface, a router assigning priority to the received data packets and separating the voice packets from the video and data; the voice packets are sent to a Voice Over IP (VoIP) processor which processes the signals to and from the analog interfaces to which the normal telephones are connected. 18) Improvement as per claims 1 and 17 characterized by the fact that the video packets are sent to an Ethernet interface to which a decoder (Set Top Box) will be connected for the decoding of video broadcasting and video on demand services, the data packets , such as those coming from the Internet, being sent to a Hub block for sorting to Personal Computers (PCs) always connected via Ethernet interfaces.