Broadband cable television and computer network

Abstract

A communication system is provided which may comprise an upstream source of broadband communications and a downstream local area network, wherein the upstream source of broadband communications is coupled to the downstream local area network through a notch filter. In some embodiments, the upstream source of broadband communications may be a cable television service provider, and the local area computer network may use existing cable television wiring as communication cable.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A network bus comprising: 
 a notch filter coupled to a coaxial cable, said coaxial cable routed in a tree configuration to a plurality of locations of a building, said notch filter configured to filter out a portion of video signals carried by said coaxial cable; and    a frequency converter, coupled to said coaxial cable, configured to receive signals from said coaxial cable at a first frequency and to forward said signals at a second frequency, wherein said first and second frequencies are within said filtered out portion.    
     
     
         2 . The network bus of  claim 1 , wherein said frequency converter is configured to forward said signals via said coaxial cable.  
     
     
         3 . The network bus of  claim 2 , wherein said building comprises a residential building.  
     
     
         4 . The network bus of  claim 1 , wherein said video signals are delivered to said coaxial cable from a headend equipment of a community antenna television system.  
     
     
         5 . The network bus of  claim 1 , wherein said filtered out portion comprises a frequency range from approximately 50 MHz to approximately 750 MHz.  
     
     
         6 . A local area computer network comprising: 
 a notch filter configured to receive a signal from a cable television transmission system and to filter out a portion of said signal in the range of approximately 50 MHz to approximately 750 MHz to produce a filtered signal;    a community antenna television wire configured to receive said filtered signal and routed in a tree configuration to a plurality of locations of a residence, said wire coupled to said notch filter;    a plurality of computers coupled to said wire, each of said computers having a modem configured to receive and transmit broadband signals between said computers;    wherein said computers are configured to send and receive communications between different ones of said computers via said modem by modulating a carrier having a frequency within said filtered out portion    
     
     
         7 . The local area network of  claim 6 , wherein said personal computer are configured to send signals to said cable television transmission system using a carrier frequency in the range of approximately 0 MHz to approximately 50 MHz.  
     
     
         8 . The local area network of  claim 7 , wherein said modem is configured to receive a signal at a first frequency and to transmit said signal at a second frequency.  
     
     
         9 . The local area network of  claim 8 , further comprising a frequency converter configured to convert signals from said first frequency to said second frequency.  
     
     
         10 . The local area network of  claim 9 , wherein at least some of said computers are configured to receive digital data from the Internet via said wire.  
     
     
         11 . The local area network of  claim 9 , wherein at least some of said computers are configured to receive FM audio signals via said wire.  
     
     
         12 . The local area network of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of said computers is configured to receive signals from said transmission system using a carrier frequency in the range of approximately 0 MHz to approximately 50 MHz.  
     
     
         13 . A method of making a local area network, the method comprising: 
 routing community antenna television wiring in a tree configuration to different parts of a structure;    coupling a notch filter to said wiring for filtering out one or more television broadcasts delivered to said wiring by a service drop of a community antenna television distribution system;    coupling to said wiring a plurality of computing devices; and    configuring at least some of said computing devices for two-way communication with others of said computing devices, wherein the two-way communication is carried at least in part over said wiring at at least one frequency within said filtered out television broadcasts.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein each of at least some of said computing devices comprises a receiver configured to receive video signals from said headend transmission equipment, a transmitter for forwarding signals to said headend transmission equipment, and a modem configured to receive and transmit broadband signals between said computing devices.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said computing devices comprise a computer and a microprocessor controlled appliance.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said computing devices comprise an alarm system.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said filtered out television broadcasts comprise a portion of the frequency range between approximately 50 MHz to 750 MHz.  
     
     
         18 . The method of according to any of claims  14 - 17 , wherein said structure comprises a residential building.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein at least some of said computing devices transmit communications at a first frequency and receive communications at a second frequency, wherein said first and second frequency are within said filtered out television broadcasts.  
     
     
         20 . A method of networking computing devices, the method comprising: 
 coupling a notch filter to coaxial wiring carrying television signals, wherein the coaxial wiring is routed in a tree configuration to a plurality of locations in a building.    filtering out a frequency band comprising a portion of said television signals with the notch filter; and    establishing two-way communications between at least two computing devices, wherein said communications are carried at least in part over said coaxial wiring utilizing said frequency band.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said building comprises a residential building.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said residential building comprises a plurality of rooms of a residence.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said television signals are delivered to said building via a service drop of a community antenna television system.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said frequency band spans the range from approximately 50 MHz to approximately 750 MHz.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising blocking at least some of said communications from being transmitted outside said local area network via said service drop.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein at least some of said computing devices transmit said communications at a first frequency and receive said communications at a second frequency, wherein said first and second frequencies are in said frequency band.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising providing a frequency converter configured to receive said communications at said first frequency and to forward said communications at said second frequency.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein one of the computing devices sends a communication to another of the computing devices at a first frequency, and wherein said another computing device receives said communication at a second frequency.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said computing devices comprise a network computer.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said computing devices comprise a microprocessor controlled appliance.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said computing devices comprises an alarm system.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said computing devices comprise a network computer and a microprocessor controlled appliance.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said computing devices comprise a network computer, a microprocessor controlled appliance, and an alarm system.  
     
     
         34 . A network device comprising: 
 a receiver for receiving a television signal from a community antenna television system;    a transmitter for transmitting signals to a headend equipment of said community antenna television system; and    a modem configured to receive and transmit broadband signals between computing devices.    
     
     
         35 . The network device of  claim 34 , wherein said modem is configured to receive signals at a first frequency and to transmit said signals at a second frequency.  
     
     
         36 . The network device of  claim 34 , wherein said receiver is configured to receive digital data from the Internet.  
     
     
         37 . The network device of  claim 34 , wherein said receiver is configured to receive FM audio signals.  
     
     
         38 . The network device of  claim 34 , wherein said receiver is configured to receive signals in the range of approximately 50 to 750 MHz.  
     
     
         39 . The network device of  claim 34 , wherein said network device comprises a microprocessor controlled appliance.  
     
     
         40 . The network device of  claim 34 , wherein said network device comprises a computer.  
     
     
         41 . The network device of  claim 34 , wherein said computing devices comprise a microprocessor controlled appliance and an alarm system.  
     
     
         42 . A method of communicating data between computing devices comprising: 
 receiving a television signal from a headend transmission equipment of a cable television transmission system;    filtering out a portion of said television signal in the range of approximately 50 MHz to approximately 750 MHz to produce a filtered signal;    coupling said filtered signal to unlooped cable television wiring;    coupling a plurality of computing devices to said wiring, wherein each of at least some of said computing devices comprises a modem configured to receive and transmit broadband signals between said computing devices; and    establishing two-way communications, at least in part over said cable television wiring, between different ones of said computing devices via said modem using at least one frequency within said filtered out portion.    
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein each of at least some of said computing devices comprises a receiver configured to receive signals from said headend transmission equipment and a transmitter for forwarding signals to said headend transmission equipment.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising forwarding a signal from at least one of said computing devices to said transmission system using a frequency in the range of approximately 0 MHz to approximately 50 MHz.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said wiring is routed in a tree configuration to a plurality of different locations of a residential building.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said wiring comprises coaxial cable.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said computing devices comprise a network computer.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said modem in configured to receive communications at a first frequency and to send communications at a second frequency.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising coupling a frequency converter to said wiring, wherein said frequency converter receives a communication at a first frequency and forwards said communication at a second frequency.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said computing devices comprise a personal computer.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein said computing devices comprise a microprocessor controlled appliance.