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US 12,451,926 B2Granted
Systems and methods for transmitting Wi-Fi signals over a co-axial radio frequency (RF) cable
AssigneeDISH Technologies L.L.C.
InventorArun Pulasseri Kalam
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A Wi-Fi mesh network uses a co-axial radio frequency (RF) cable to communicate between a central Wi-Fi mesh network node and one or more satellite Wi-Fi mesh network nodes instead of communicating wirelessly over the air between those nodes. In an example embodiment, the Wi-Fi signals are down-converted to a ˜500 MHz frequency range at the central Wi-Fi mesh network node and then passed through the RF cable. At the receiving end, the down-converted signal is then up-converted back from the ˜500 MHz frequency range to one of the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz or 6 GHz frequency bands, which may then be wirelessly transmitted via Wi-Fi chipset of the satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node.
Claims17
A system for transmitting Wi-Fi signals over a co-axial radio frequency (RF) cable, the system comprising:
- a central Wi-Fi mesh network node of a Wi-Fi local area network (LAN), the central Wi-Fi mesh network node including:
- at least one central Wi-Fi mesh network node antenna;
- at least one Wi-Fi signal downconverter coupled to a respective central Wi-Fi mesh network node antenna
- at least one central Wi-Fi mesh network node memory that stores central Wi-Fi mesh network node computer instructions;
- and
- at least one central Wi-Fi mesh network node processor that executes the central Wi-Fi mesh network node computer instructions to cause actions to be performed, the actions including:
- providing a Wi-Fi computer network signal to the at least one downconverter;
- causing the at least one downconverter to downconvert the Wi-Fi computer network signal to a frequency that can be transmitted on the co-axial RF cable and received by a satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node of the Wi-Fi LAN via the co-axial RF cable;
- and
- outputting the downconverted Wi-Fi computer network signal via a first coaxial cable connection port to be received by the satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node via the co-axial RF cable;
- and
- the satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node, the satellite Wi-Fi mesh node including:
- a plurality of satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node antennas:
- a plurality of Wi-Fi signal upconverters, in which each Wi-Fi signal upconverter of the plurality of Wi-Fi signal upconverters is coupled to a respective satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node antenna of the plurality of satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node antennas;
- a Wi-Fi signal splitter coupled to the plurality of Wi-Fi signal upconverters, wherein the Wi-Fi signal splitter has a second co-axial cable connection port that is configured to be operably coupled to the co-axial RF cable;
- at least one satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node memory that stores satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node computer instructions;
- and
- at least one satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node processor that executes the satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node computer instructions to cause actions to be performed, the actions including:
- receiving a combined Wi-Fi computer network signal at the splitter via the second co-axial cable connection port:
- causing the splitter to split the combined Wi-Fi computer network signal into a plurality of Wi-Fi computer network signals and transmit a respective Wi-Fi computer network signal of the plurality of Wi-Fi computer network signals to each upconverter of the plurality of Wi-Fi signal upconverters;
- causing each upconverter of the plurality of upconverters to upconvert the received respective Wi-Fi computer network signal to generate a respective up-converted Wi-Fi computer network signal:
- transmitting each respective up-converted Wi-Fi computer network signal to a respective antenna of the plurality of satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node antennas;
- and
- wirelessly transmitting each respective up-converted Wi-Fi computer network signal from the respective antenna at which the respective up-converted Wi-Fi computer network signal was received.
21 more elements
A kit for transmitting Wi-Fi signals over a co-axial radio frequency (RF) cable, the kit comprising:
- a Wi-Fi signal conversion device configured to be communicatively coupled to a central Wi-Fi mesh network node of a Wi-Fi local area network (LAN), the central Wi-Fi mesh network node including a plurality of central Wi-Fi mesh network node antennas, the Wi-Fi signal conversion device comprising:
- a housing;
- at least one Wi-Fi signal downconverter in the housing, in which the at least one Wi-Fi signal downconverter is configured to be communicatively coupled to a respective central Wi-Fi mesh network node antenna;
- at least one central Wi-Fi mesh network node memory in the housing that stores central Wi-Fi mesh network node computer instructions;
- and
- at least one central Wi-Fi mesh network node processor in the housing that executes the central Wi-Fi mesh network node computer instructions to cause actions to be performed, the actions including:
- providing a Wi-Fi computer network signal to the at least one downconverter;
- causing the at least one downconverter to downconvert the Wi-Fi computer network signal to a frequency that can be transmitted on the co-axial RF cable and received by an RF co-axial cable signal conversion device coupled to a satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node of the Wi-Fi LAN via the co-axial RF cable;
- and
- outputting the downconverted Wi-Fi computer network signal via a first coaxial cable connection port to be received by the satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node via the co-axial RF cable;
- and
- the RF co-axial cable signal conversion device configured to be communicatively coupled to the satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node, the satellite Wi-Fi mesh node including a plurality of satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node antennas, the RF co-axial cable signal conversion device comprising:
- a housing;
- a plurality of Wi-Fi signal upconverters in the housing, in which each Wi-Fi signal upconverter of the plurality of Wi-Fi signal upconverters is configured to be coupled to a respective satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node antenna of the plurality of satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node antennas:
- a Wi-Fi signal splitter in the housing coupled to the plurality of Wi-Fi signal upconverters, wherein the Wi-Fi signal splitter has a second co-axial cable connection port that is configured to be operably coupled to the co-axial RF cable;
- at least one satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node memory in the housing that stores satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node computer instructions;
- and
- at least one satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node processor in the housing that executes the satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node computer instructions to cause actions to be performed, the actions including:
- receiving a combined Wi-Fi computer network signal at the splitter via the second co-axial cable connection port;
- causing the splitter to split the combined Wi-Fi computer network signal into a plurality of Wi-Fi computer network signals and transmit a respective Wi-Fi computer network signal of the plurality of Wi-Fi computer network signals to each upconverter of the plurality of Wi-Fi signal upconverters:
- causing each upconverter of the plurality of upconverters to upconvert the received respective Wi-Fi computer network signal to generate a respective up-converted Wi-Fi computer network signal;
- transmitting each respective up-converted Wi-Fi computer network signal to a respective antenna of the plurality of satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node antennas;
- and
- wirelessly transmitting each respective up-converted Wi-Fi computer network signal from the respective antenna at which the respective up-converted Wi-Fi computer network signal was received.
21 more elements
A method for transmitting Wi-Fi signals over a co-axial radio frequency (RF) cable, the method comprising:
- receiving a Wi-Fi computer network signal by at least one downconverter;
- the at least one downconverter downconverting the Wi-Fi computer network signal to a frequency that can be transmitted on the co-axial RF cable and received by a satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node of a Wi-Fi LAN via the co-axial RF cable;
- outputting the downconverted Wi-Fi computer network signal via a first coaxial cable;
- connection port to be received by the satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node via the co-axial RF cable;
- and
- receiving a combined Wi-Fi computer network signal at a splitter via a second co-axial cable connection port;
- the splitter splitting the combined Wi-Fi computer network signal into a plurality of Wi-Fi computer network signals;
- transmitting a respective Wi-Fi computer network signal of the plurality of Wi-Fi computer network signals to each upconverter of a plurality of Wi-Fi signal upconverters;
- each upconverter of the plurality of upconverters upconverting a received respective Wi-Fi computer network signal to generate a respective up-converted Wi-Fi computer network signal;
- outputting each respective up-converted Wi-Fi computer network signal to a respective antenna of a plurality of satellite Wi-Fi mesh network node antennas;
- and
- wirelessly transmitting each respective up-converted Wi-Fi computer network signal from the respective antenna at which the respective up-converted Wi-Fi computer network signal was received.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.