JP2001285183A - Internet connection system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an Internet connection system that can easily connect with the Internet at a high-speed without the need for a new wiring work. SOLUTION: The Internet connection system is provided with a base station 2 installed outdoor and a terminal station 4 that is installed on a place capable of communicating with the base station. The base station 2 transmits an outgoing information signal from a provider via an antenna 24 to the terminal station 4. The terminal station 4 receives the incoming information signal sent from the base station by using its antenna 26 and outputs the signal to a personal computer 52, transmits an incoming information signal from the personal computer 52 to the base station 2 via the antenna 26, and the base station 2 receives the incoming information signal sent from the terminal station 4 to provide an output of the signal to the provider.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an apparatus for connecting information terminal equipment to the Internet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, information terminal devices, for example, personal computers have been widely used in ordinary households. In the use of personal computers, connection to the Internet has been the focus of most attention. For connection to the Internet, a modem provided in a personal computer is mainly used, or ISDN is mainly used.

[0003]

However, the modem is also an IS
Both DNs use a telephone line, and even the ISDN with the highest information transmission speed has only 64 KB / s.
It takes a lot of time to capture data. Internet connection using CATV is also gradually becoming popular. In this case, data can be captured at an order of magnitude faster than that using a telephone line. However, a non-subscriber of the CATV must newly subscribe to the CATV and newly perform cable wiring work to the house of the non-subscriber. In addition, although Internet connection using wireless communication is considered, the operating frequency is 2.4 GHz, the operating frequency band cannot be widened, and a large transmission speed is higher than that using CATV. I can't get it. Although the use of a higher frequency, for example, 5.3 GHz is also considered, the higher the frequency, the more difficult and expensive the circuit configuration of the equipment to be used.

An object of the present invention is to provide an Internet connection device which can easily connect to the Internet at high speed without performing new wiring work, and a base station and a terminal station used for the same.

[0005]

An Internet connection device according to the present invention includes a base station installed outdoors and a terminal station communicable with the base station.
The base station transmits a downlink information signal from a provider from the antenna to the terminal station. The provider may be located at a position remote from the base station, and the provider and the base station are connected by an optical fiber cable or a coaxial cable. The terminal station receives the transmitted downlink information signal and outputs it to an information terminal device, and transmits an uplink information signal from the information terminal device from an antenna to the base station, wherein the base station ,
It receives the transmitted uplink information signal and outputs it to the provider.

[0006] In the Internet connection apparatus configured as described above, an uplink information signal and a downlink information signal are transmitted wirelessly between a base station and a terminal station. Therefore, CAT
There is no need to perform new cable wiring work as in the case of using V (wired). In addition, high-speed data transmission can be performed as compared to connection using a telephone line by ISDN or a modem.

[0007] The downlink information signal transmitted from the base station to the terminal station is frequency-converted to a higher frequency than the downlink information signal transmitted from the provider to the base station. In this case, the terminal station frequency-converts the received downlink information signal to the original frequency and outputs it to the information terminal device.

[0008] The higher the transmission frequency, the wider the usable frequency bandwidth. Therefore, the transmission speed can be increased by using a high frequency for the transmission of the downlink information signal, which often transmits a relatively large amount of data.

Downlink information and uplink information signals from a terminal station can be input / output to / from an indoor television terminal through at least a television broadcast signal transmission path. In this case, the information terminal device is connected to the television terminal.

In general, in a home, a transmission path such as a coaxial cable often exists for transmitting a television broadcast signal received by an antenna to an indoor television terminal. Therefore, if the upstream and downstream information signals are transmitted via this transmission path, it is not necessary to newly lay a transmission path indoors.

[0011] The base station for Internet connection according to the present invention comprises: frequency conversion means for frequency-converting a downlink information signal transmitted from a provider to a converted downlink information signal having a higher frequency than the frequency of the downlink information signal; A transmitting antenna for transmitting an output signal, and a receiving antenna for receiving an uplink information signal transmitted from an information terminal station at a remote position and transmitting the uplink information signal to the provider are provided.

[0012] The terminal station for Internet connection according to the present invention may have a higher frequency than the frequency of the downlink information signal, which is transmitted from an antenna after the base station installed outdoors converts the frequency of the downlink information signal from the provider. A receiving antenna for receiving the converted downlink information signal, a frequency converting means for frequency-converting the converted downlink information signal received by the receiving antenna into a downlink information signal of the original frequency, and outputting the downlink information signal to an information terminal device; A transmission antenna for transmitting an uplink information signal from a device toward the base station.

When these base stations and terminal stations are used, a frequency higher than the original frequency can be used for transmission of the downlink information signal, so that the transmission amount of the downlink information can be increased, and the information terminal equipment can also be used. It is only necessary to have a function of processing the downlink information signal from the base station, and the information terminal device itself does not need to have a frequency conversion unit.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An Internet connection device according to one embodiment of the present invention has a base station 2 and a terminal station 4, as shown in FIG. The base station 2 is provided in a location with a good view, such as the upper part of a telephone pole 6 outdoors. The base station 2 is connected to a server of a provider remote from the base station 2 via a transmission line, for example, an optical fiber cable 8 and an optical-electrical converter (O / E converter) 10. The terminal station 4 is installed in a place where the base station 2 such as a veranda of a general home 12 can be seen. Base station 2
The terminal station 4 communicates wirelessly with the terminal station 4 as described later.

As shown in FIG. 2, the base station 2 has an input / output terminal 14, which is an optical-to-electrical converter 10 shown in FIG.
It is connected to the. An Internet downlink information signal is supplied to the input / output terminal 14 from the server of the provider via the optical-electrical converter 10.

The downlink information signal is supplied to a terminal 16a of the transmission / reception switch 16. The downlink information signal is, for example, 2.4.
It is a high frequency signal of GHz. The transmission / reception switch 16 is connected to the terminal 1
6a, terminals 16b and 16c are provided. The signal supplied from the terminal 16a is transmitted to the terminal 16b, but not transmitted to the terminal 16c, and the signal supplied to the terminal 16c is transmitted to the terminal 16a. This is a kind of so-called Y circulator that is transmitted but not transmitted to the terminal 16b. Therefore, the downlink information signal supplied to the terminal 16a is
b and not transmitted to the terminal 16c.

The downstream information signal at the terminal 16b is supplied to frequency conversion means, for example, a mixer 18. The mixer 18 is supplied with a local oscillation signal of, for example, 2.9 GHz from a local oscillator 20. Therefore, the mixer 18
Converts the downlink information signal into a 5.3 GHz converted downlink information signal and outputs the converted downlink information signal. This converted downlink information signal is
The signal is amplified by the amplifier 22, output to the transmission antenna 24T of the antenna unit 24, and transmitted from the transmission antenna 24T.

This converted downlink information signal is received by the receiving antenna 26R of the antenna section 26 of the terminal station 4 shown in FIG. 3, amplified by the amplifier 28, and supplied to frequency conversion means, for example, a mixer 30. This mixer 3
The local oscillator 32 also supplies a local oscillation signal of 2.9 GHz to 0. Accordingly, the mixer 30 reconverts the converted downlink information signal into a 2.4 GHz reconverted downlink information signal and outputs the signal.

The reconverted downstream information signal is transmitted to the transmission / reception switch 3
4 terminal 34c. The transmission / reception switch 34 is configured similarly to the transmission / reception switch 16. Therefore, the terminal 34
The signal supplied to the terminal a is transmitted to the terminal 34b, but not transmitted to the terminal 34c. The signal supplied to the terminal 34c is transmitted to the terminal 34a but not transmitted to the terminal 34b. Accordingly, the reconverted downstream information signal supplied to the terminal 34c is output to the terminal 34a, and is supplied from this to the input / output terminal 38 via the DC blocking capacitor 36.

The reconverted downstream information signal from the input / output terminal 38 is supplied to a mixer 40 as shown in FIG. The mixer 40 is supplied with UHF, VHF or both terrestrial television broadcast signals received by the terrestrial TV antenna 42. Further, in the mixer 40,
A satellite broadcast signal, a satellite communication signal or both satellite signals received by a BS (CS) antenna 44 are also provided. The mixer 40 mixes the re-converted downstream information signal, the terrestrial television broadcast signal, and the satellite signal, and supplies the mixed signal to the distributor 42 in the home 12, where the signal is divided into a plurality of signals and connected to the television terminal 44 of each room. Is output. In FIG. 1, only one television terminal 44 is shown.

The reconverted downstream information signal, terrestrial television broadcast signal and satellite signal that have passed through the television terminal 44 are supplied to a demultiplexer 46, where the reconverted downstream information signal and the terrestrial television broadcast signal and satellite The signal is split into a signal and a signal. The terrestrial television broadcast signal and the satellite signal are supplied to a television receiver 48, and the terrestrial television broadcast, satellite broadcast, satellite communication, and the like are viewed by a viewer.

The reconverted downstream information signal is supplied to the adapter 50, and is converted into a signal that can be processed by the information terminal equipment, for example, the personal computer 52, and supplied to the personal computer 52. Therefore,
A downlink information signal having a relatively large amount of information and requiring a long time for transmission is transmitted from the base station 2 to the terminal station 4 as a converted downlink information signal converted to a frequency higher than the original frequency. Can be reduced in time required for transmission. In addition, in the general household 12, the mixer 40, the distributor 42, the respective television terminals 44, and the coaxial cable for connecting these, so that terrestrial television broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, and satellite communication can be viewed in a plurality of rooms. Is often already installed. Therefore, indoor wiring work is almost unnecessary.

The data that the personal computer 52 intends to transmit to the Internet is transmitted to the adapter 5
0, the signal is converted into an up-link information signal of, for example, 2.4 GHz.
2. The signal is transmitted to the terminal station 4 via the mixer 40. In addition,
The duplexer 46, the distributor 42, and the mixer 40 are bidirectional, capable of transmitting not only a downlink information signal but also an uplink information signal.

In the terminal station 4, as shown in FIG. 3, an upstream information signal is supplied to a terminal 34a of a transmission / reception switch 34 via an input / output terminal 38 and a DC blocking capacitor 36. This uplink information signal is transmitted to the terminal 34b, amplified by the amplifier 54, and transmitted by the transmitting antenna 26T of the antenna unit 26.
Supplied to As a result, the uplink information signal is wirelessly transmitted to the base station 2, and the reception antenna 24 of the antenna unit 24
Received by R. The received upstream information signal is amplified by the amplifier 56 and is supplied to the terminal 16 of the transmission / reception switch 16.
c. As described above, the uplink information signal from the terminal station 4 is transmitted to the base station 2 by radio. Generally, the data amount of the uplink information signal is smaller than the information amount of the downlink information signal. Therefore, sufficiently high-speed transmission can be performed to the base station 2 without frequency conversion to a high frequency unlike the downlink information signal.

The upstream information signal supplied to the terminal 16c is:
The signal is output to the terminal 16a, and is supplied to the optical-electrical converter 10 shown in FIG. Here, the upstream information signal is converted into an optical signal, and the optical fiber cable 8
Is supplied to the provider's server via

According to this Internet connection device, the upstream and downstream information signals are transmitted by radio communication between the base station 2 and the terminal station 4, so that the CATV Internet is used by non-CATV subscribers. In this way, no new cable laying work is required, and the base station 2
It is only necessary to install the terminal station 4 on a veranda or the like of a general household. Therefore, installation work becomes very simple. In addition, since the transmission of the downlink information signal from the base station 2 to the terminal station 4 uses a high frequency, a high transmission rate can be obtained, and the transmission of the downlink information signal having a large amount of information can be performed at a high speed. can do. In addition, since both the base station 2 and the terminal station 4 perform frequency conversion only for the downlink information signal, the base station 2 and the terminal station 4 have a relatively simple configuration including a mixer for a downlink signal, a local oscillator, and respective antennas for transmission and reception. Is easy. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the base station 2 and the terminal station 4 correspond one-to-one, a plurality of terminal stations 4 may correspond to one base station 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the base station 2
Which receives an AC voltage from the power supply terminal 60, rectifies, smoothes, and converts the AC voltage into a voltage, and supplies the AC voltage to the local oscillator 20, the mixer 18, the amplifiers 22, 56, etc. to operate them. Let me. The power supply unit 58 may be configured to receive a DC voltage from the power supply terminal 60 and stabilize the supply.

As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal station 4 also has a power supply 62
have. The power supply unit 62 stabilizes a DC voltage externally supplied through the input / output terminal 38 and supplies the stabilized DC voltage to the mixer 30, the local oscillator 32, the amplifiers 28 and 54,
Activate these. In addition, similarly to the base station 2, a power terminal is provided separately from the input / output terminal 38, and based on the DC voltage or the AC voltage supplied to the power terminal, the mixer 3
0, a DC voltage to operate the local oscillator 32 and the amplifiers 28, 54 may be obtained.

In the above-described embodiment, the mixer 40 is provided.
This is for transmitting the signal from the (CS) antenna 44 to each room in the home. However, the mixer 40, the terrestrial television antenna 42, and the BS (CS) antenna 44 are removed, and only the downlink information signal from the terminal station 4 or the uplink information signal to the terminal station 4 is transmitted using a coaxial cable or the like. , May be supplied to the distributor 42. Alternatively, the distributor 42, the television terminal 44, and the duplexer 46 are also removed, and the downstream information signal from the terminal station 4 and the upstream information signal to the terminal station 4 are directly transmitted to one adapter 50 and the personal computer 52. It may be transmitted. In addition, although the personal computer 52 is used as the information terminal device, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a mobile phone or a PHS can be used. The base station 2 and the server of the provider communicated using the optical fiber cable 8 and the optical-electrical converter 10, but may communicate using a coaxial cable.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily connect to the Internet without performing new wiring work, and to transmit a downstream information signal having a relatively large amount of information at a high speed. can do.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an Internet connection device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a base station used in the Internet connection device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a terminal station used in the Internet connection device of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Base station 4 Terminal station 24 26 Antenna 52 Personal computer (information terminal equipment)

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A base station installed outdoors and a terminal station installed at a position capable of communicating with the base station, wherein the base station transmits a downlink information signal from a provider from an antenna to the terminal Transmitting to the station, the terminal station receives the transmitted downlink information signal, and outputs it to the information terminal device, and directs the uplink information signal from the information terminal device from the antenna to the base station. An Internet connection device that transmits and the base station receives the transmitted uplink information signal and outputs the received uplink information signal to the provider. 2. The Internet connection device according to claim 1, wherein the downlink information signal transmitted from the base station to the terminal station has a higher frequency than a downlink information signal transmitted from the provider to the base station. Converted,
An Internet connection device, wherein the terminal station frequency-converts a received downlink information signal to an original frequency and outputs the converted signal to the information terminal device. 3. The Internet connection device according to claim 1, wherein the downlink information and the uplink information signal are transmitted via at least a transmission path through which a television broadcast signal is transmitted.
An Internet connection device that inputs and outputs data to and from an indoor television terminal, and wherein the information terminal device is connected to the television terminal. 4. A frequency conversion means for frequency-converting a downlink information signal transmitted from a provider to a converted downlink information signal having a higher frequency than the frequency of the downlink information signal; a transmission antenna for transmitting an output signal of the frequency conversion unit; A base station for Internet connection, comprising: a receiving antenna for receiving an uplink information signal transmitted from an information terminal station at a remote position and transmitting the uplink information signal to the provider. 5. A receiving antenna for receiving a converted downlink information signal having a frequency higher than the frequency of the downlink information signal, wherein the base station installed outdoors has frequency-converted the downlink information signal from the provider and transmitted from the antenna. Frequency conversion means for frequency-converting the converted downlink information signal received by the receiving antenna into a re-converted downlink information signal of the original frequency and outputting the converted information signal to an information terminal device; A terminal station for Internet connection, comprising: a transmitting antenna for transmitting to a station.