JP4503130B2 - Internet connection device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for connecting an information terminal device to the Internet.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, the spread of information terminal devices such as personal computers to general households has been spreading. In the use of personal computers, connection to the Internet has received the most attention. For connection to the Internet, a modem provided in a personal computer is mainly used, or ISDN is mainly used.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, both modems and ISDN use telephone lines, and even with the fastest information transmission speed, ISDN has only 64 KB / s, and it takes a lot of time to capture data. Internet connection using CATV is also gradually spreading. In this case, data can be taken in at an order of magnitude faster than that using a telephone line. However, non-CATV subscribers must newly join CATV and perform new cable wiring work to their homes. Although Internet connection using radio is also considered, the use frequency is 2.4 GHz, and the use frequency band cannot be widened, and the transmission speed is larger than that using CATV. I can't get it. Moreover, although 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 used.
[0004]
An object of the present invention is to provide an Internet connection apparatus that can easily connect to the Internet at high speed without performing new wiring work, and a base station and a terminal station used therefor.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An Internet connection apparatus according to the present invention includes a base station installed outdoors and a terminal station installed so as to be communicable with the base station. The base station converts the downlink information signal from the provider to a frequency higher than that of the downlink information signal, and transmits the signal from the antenna to the terminal station. The provider may be arranged at a position away 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 frequency-converted downlink information signal, converts the frequency to the original frequency, and passes through a coaxial cable that is provided in a general household and transmits at least a television broadcast signal. Output to the information terminal device, and frequency-convert data from the information terminal device into an uplink information signal having the same frequency as the downlink information signal and supply the uplink information signal to the antenna via the coaxial cable. The base station 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 the base station and the terminal station. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform a new cable wiring work as in the case of using CATV (wired). In addition, high-speed data transmission can be performed as compared with connection using a telephone line by ISDN or modem. Also, the higher the frequency of transmission, the wider the usable frequency bandwidth. Therefore, the transmission speed can be increased by using a high frequency for transmission of the downlink information signal that often transmits a relatively large amount of data. In general, a transmission path such as a coaxial cable often exists in a home to transmit a television broadcast signal received by an antenna to an indoor television terminal. Therefore, if uplink and downlink information signals are transmitted through this transmission line, there is no need to newly lay a transmission line even indoors.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As shown in FIG. 1, an Internet connection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base station 2 and a terminal station 4. The base station 2 is provided in a place with a good view, such as the upper part of an outdoor utility pole 6, for example. The base station 2 is connected to a provider's server at a location 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 household 12 can be seen. As will be described later, the base station 2 and the terminal station 4 communicate wirelessly.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 2, the base station 2 has an input / output terminal 14, which is connected to the photoelectric converter 10 shown in FIG. 1. An Internet downlink information signal is supplied to the input / output terminal 14 from the provider's server via the photoelectric converter 10.
[0016]
This downlink information signal is supplied to the terminal 16 a of the transmission / reception switch 16. The downlink information signal is, for example, a 2.4 GHz high frequency signal. The duplexer 16 has terminals 16b and 16c in addition to the terminal 16a, and the signal supplied from the terminal 16a is transmitted to the terminal 16b, but not transmitted to the terminal 16c, but is supplied to the terminal 16c. This signal is a kind of so-called Y circulator that is transmitted to the terminal 16a but not transmitted to the terminal 16b. Therefore, the downlink information signal supplied to the terminal 16a is transmitted to the terminal 16b and not transmitted to the terminal 16c.
[0017]
The downstream information signal at the terminal 16b is supplied to frequency conversion means, for example, the mixer 18. For example, a local oscillation signal of 2.9 GHz is supplied to the mixer 18 from the local oscillator 20. Therefore, the mixer 18 frequency-converts the downlink information signal into a converted downlink information signal of 5.3 GHz, and outputs it. This converted downlink information signal is amplified by the amplifier 22, is output to the transmission antenna 24T of the antenna unit 24, and is transmitted from the transmission antenna 24T.
[0018]
This converted downlink information signal is received by the receiving antenna 26R of the antenna unit 26 of the terminal station 4 shown in FIG. 3, amplified by the amplifier 28, and supplied to the frequency converting means, for example, the mixer 30. The mixer 30 is also supplied with a local oscillation signal of 2.9 GHz from a local oscillator 32. Therefore, the mixer 30 reconverts the converted downlink information signal into a 2.4 GHz reconverted downlink information signal and outputs the result.
[0019]
This reconverted downlink information signal is supplied to the terminal 34 c of the transmission / reception switch 34. The transmission / reception switch 34 is configured in the same manner as the transmission / reception switch 16. Therefore, the signal supplied to the terminal 34a 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 transmitted to the terminal 34b. Not. Therefore, the reconverted downlink information signal supplied to the terminal 34 c is output to the terminal 34 a and is supplied from there to the input / output terminal 38 via the DC blocking capacitor 36.
[0020]
The reconverted downlink information signal from the input / output terminal 38 is supplied to the 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, the mixer 40 is also supplied with satellite broadcast signals, satellite communication signals, or both satellite signals received by the BS (CS) antenna 44. The mixer 40 mixes the reconverted downlink 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 it is distributed to a plurality of terminals and supplied to the television terminal 45 in each room. Is output. In FIG. 1, only one television terminal 45 is shown.
[0021]
The reconverted downlink information signal, the terrestrial television broadcast signal, and the satellite signal that have passed through the television terminal 45 are supplied to the demultiplexer 46, and are converted into the reconverted downlink information signal, the terrestrial television broadcast signal, and the satellite signal. It is demultiplexed. The terrestrial television broadcast signal and the satellite signal are supplied to the television receiver 48, and the terrestrial television broadcast, satellite broadcast, satellite communication, and the like are viewed by the viewer.
[0022]
The reconverted downlink information signal is supplied to the adapter 50, converts the reconverted downlink information signal into a signal that can be processed by the information terminal device, for example, the personal computer 52, and supplies the converted signal to the personal computer 52. Accordingly, a downlink information signal that has a relatively large amount of information and requires 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. The time required for transmission during this period can be shortened. Moreover, in the general household 12, the mixer 40, the distributor 42, each television terminal 45, and the coaxial cable for connecting them so that terrestrial television broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, and satellite communication can be viewed in a plurality of rooms. Is often already installed. Therefore, almost no indoor wiring work is required.
[0023]
Data that the personal computer 52 intends to transmit to the Internet is converted by the adapter 50 into an upstream information signal of 2.4 GHz, for example, and passes through the duplexer 46, the television terminal 45 , the distributor 42, and the mixer 40. To the terminal station 4. The duplexer 46, the distributor 42, and the mixer 40 are bidirectional ones that can transmit not only the downlink information signal but also the uplink information signal.
[0024]
In the terminal station 4, as shown in FIG. 3, the upstream information signal is supplied to the terminal 34 a of the transmission / reception switch 34 via the input / output terminal 38 and the DC blocking capacitor 36. This uplink information signal is transmitted to the terminal 34b, amplified by the amplifier 54, and supplied to the transmission antenna 26T of the antenna unit 26. Accordingly, the uplink information signal is wirelessly transmitted to the base station 2 and received by the receiving antenna 24R of the antenna unit 24. The received uplink information signal is amplified by the amplifier 56 and supplied to the terminal 16 c of the transmission / reception switch 16. Thus, the uplink information signal from the terminal station 4 is transmitted to the base station 2 by radio. In general, 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 performing frequency conversion to a high frequency like a downlink information signal.
[0025]
The upstream information signal supplied to the terminal 16c is output to the terminal 16a, and is supplied to the photoelectric converter 10 shown in FIG. Here, the upstream information signal is converted into an optical signal and supplied to the server of the provider via the optical fiber cable 8.
[0026]
According to this Internet connection apparatus, since uplink and downlink information signals are transmitted between the base station 2 and the terminal station 4 by wireless communication, the CATV Internet is used by non-CATV subscribers. No new cable laying work is required, and it is only necessary to install the base station 2 outside the house and the terminal station 4 on the veranda of a general household. Therefore, the installation work becomes very simple. Also, since the downlink information signal is transmitted from the base station 2 to the terminal station 4 using a high frequency, the transmission rate can be increased, and even a downlink information signal with a large amount of information can be transmitted at high speed. can do. In addition, since both the base station 2 and the terminal station 4 perform frequency conversion only on 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. In FIG. 1, an example in which the base station 2 and the terminal station 4 correspond one-to-one is shown, but a plurality of terminal stations 4 may correspond to one base station 2.
[0027]
As shown in FIG. 2, the base station 2 has a power supply unit 58, which is supplied with an AC voltage from a power supply terminal 60, rectifies, smoothes, and converts the AC voltage into a local oscillator 20, a mixer 18. These are supplied to the amplifiers 22, 56, etc., to operate them. The power supply unit 58 can also be configured to receive a DC voltage from the power supply terminal 60 and stabilize it.
[0028]
As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal station 4 also has a power supply unit 62. The power supply unit 62 stabilizes a DC voltage supplied from the outside via the input / output terminal 38, supplies the stabilized DC voltage to the mixer 30, the local oscillator 32, and the amplifiers 28 and 54, and operates them. As with the base station 2, a power supply terminal is provided separately from the input / output terminal 38, and the mixer 30, the local oscillator 32, and the amplifiers 28 and 54 are operated based on the DC voltage or AC voltage supplied to the power supply terminal. A DC voltage to be obtained may be obtained.
[0029]
In the above embodiment, the mixer 40 is provided because the signals from the terrestrial television antenna 42 and the BS (CS) antenna 44 are also transmitted 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 and the uplink information signal to the terminal station 4 are utilized using a coaxial cable or the like. , May be supplied to the distributor 42. Alternatively, the distributor 42, the television terminal 45, and the duplexer 46 are also removed, and the downlink information signal from the terminal station 4 and the uplink information signal to the terminal station 4 are directly transmitted to one adapter 50 and the personal computer 52. It may be transmitted. Further, although the personal computer 52 is used as the information terminal device, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a mobile phone, a PHS, or the like can be used. In addition, the base station 2 and the provider server communicate using the optical fiber cable 8 and the optical-electrical converter 10, but may communicate using a coaxial cable.
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily connect to the Internet without performing new wiring work, and it is possible to transmit a downlink information signal having a relatively large amount of information at a high speed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an Internet connection apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a base station used in the Internet connection apparatus of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a terminal station used in the Internet connection apparatus of FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Base station 4 Terminal station 24 26 Antenna 52 Personal computer (information terminal equipment)

Claims (2)

A base station installed outdoors and a terminal station installed at a position where the base station can communicate with the base station, and the base station sets the downlink information signal from the provider to a frequency higher than the downlink information signal. Frequency-converted and transmitted from the antenna to the terminal station, and the terminal station receives the transmitted frequency-converted downlink information signal, converts the frequency to the original frequency, and is provided in a general household. Output to an information terminal device via a coaxial cable through which at least a television broadcast signal is transmitted, and frequency-convert data from the information terminal device into an upstream information signal having the same frequency as the downstream information signal, Supplied to an antenna via a coaxial cable and transmitted to the base station, and the base station receives the transmitted uplink information signal and outputs it to the provider Internet connection device.   2. The internet connection device according to claim 1, wherein the coaxial cable is connected to an indoor television terminal, and the information terminal device is connected to the television terminal.

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