US 11,974,080 B2 · Apparatus and methods for integrated high-capacity data and wireless IoT (internet of things) services

Abstract

Architectures, methods and apparatus for providing data services (including enhanced ultra-high data rate services and IoT data services) which leverage existing managed network (e.g., cable network) infrastructure, while also providing support and in 10 some cases utilizing the 3GPP requisite NSA functionality. Also disclosed are the ability to control nodes within the network via embedded control channels, some of which “repurpose” requisite 3GPP NSA infrastructure such as LTE anchor channels. In one variant, the premises devices include RF-enabled receivers (enhanced consumer premises equipment, or CPEe) configured to receive (and transmit) OFDM waveforms via a 15 coaxial cable drop to the premises. In another aspect of the disclosure, methods and apparatus for use of one or more required NSA LTE channels for transmission of IoT user data (and control/management data) to one or more premises devices are provided.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A computer readable apparatus comprising a non-transitory storage medium, the non-transitory storage medium comprising at least one computer program having a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions configured to, when executed on a processing apparatus of a computerized apparatus, cause the computerized apparatus to:

cause communication of Internet of Things (IoT) data to one or more computerized IoT devices for termination at the one or more computerized IoT devices via a repurposed portion of at least one existing radio frequency (RF) channel of a managed content delivery network, one or more computerized premises devices also served by the managed content delivery network for services provided by at least one 3GPP 5G NR (Third Generation Partnership Project—Fifth Generation New Radio) compliant radio frequency channel operating over the managed content delivery networks;
wherein the repurposed portion of the at least one existing RF channel comprises an IoT channel of a predetermined carrier frequency and coexisting with upstream and downstream spectrum such that the IoT channel is configured for transmission and receipt of the IoT data by the one or more computerized premises devices without a need for the one or more computerized premises devices to upconvert or downconvert the predetermined carrier frequency.

A computerized method of operating a hybrid fiber coax (HFC) radio frequency (RF) network having an RF operating spectrum so that extant hybrid fiber coax (HFC) infrastructure is used to deliver at least one of (i) control data or (ii) IoT (Internet of Things) data to at least one computerized premises apparatus, the computerized method comprising:

generating OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) waveforms, the OFDM waveforms comprising the at least one of (i) the control data or (ii) the IoT data;
and
transmitting the generated OFDM waveforms over at least a first portion of the HFC RF network using at least a first frequency band to the at least one computerized premises apparatus, the transmitting of the generated OFDM waveforms over at least the first portion of the HFC RF network using at least the first frequency band comprising transmitting of the at least one of (i) the control data or (ii) the IoT data over an otherwise unused portion of the RF operating spectrum that is below a user frequency band, the at least one computerized premises apparatus configured to upconvert the OFDM waveforms to the user frequency band.

A computerized method of operating a network having at least a portion comprising radio frequency (RF)-capable wireline infrastructure to deliver respective IoT (Internet of Things) data to respective ones of IoT devices disposed at different premises, the computerized method comprising:

allocating a plurality of physical resource blocks (PRBs) within a prescribed portion of a frequency spectrum carried by the RF-capable wireline infrastructure;
generating OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) waveforms, the OFDM waveforms comprising the respective IoT data disposed within one or more of the allocated plurality of PRBs, wherein the disposition of the respective IoT data within one or more of the allocated plurality of PRBs is representative of a separate logical IoT channel within a long-term evolution (LTE)-complaint channel;
upconverting the generated OFDM waveforms to a user frequency band;
and
transmitting the generated OFDM waveforms over at least the RF-capable wireline infrastructure.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and methods for integrated high-capacity data and wireless IoT (internet of things) services

Life of this patent

Apparatus and methods for integrated high-capacity data and wireless IoT (internet of things) services

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16