General Instrument Corporation

Next Level Communications

Steve Sheppard

Charles Anthony Eldering

A J McInnis

William Weeks

Thomas Eames

A residential gateway (RG) for distributing video, data and telephony services to multiple devices within a residence is disclosed. The RG receives signals from a telecommunications network, converts the signals to formats compatible with the multiple devices, and transmits the appropriate signals to the appropriate devices. Optical Remote Control devices (RCs) associated with remotely located televisions (TVs) transmit channel select commands to the RG as optical signals. The optical signals are received by an optical receiver located in close proximity to the remotely located TVs. The optical signal is then converted to an RF signal by an RF transmitter which transmits the RF signal over coaxial cable. A Remote Antennae Module (RAM) extracts the channel select command from the RF signal and provides it to the RG.

Optical conversion device

A Residential Gateway (RG) for distributing video, data and telephone services to multiple devices within a residence is disclosed. The RG receives signals from a telecommunications network, converts the signals to formats compatible with the multiple devices, and transmits the appropriate signals to the appropriate devices. Wireless remote control devices (RCs) associated with remotely located televisions (TVs) transmit channel select commands to the RG as wireless signals. The wireless signals are received by Remote Antennae Packages (RAPs) coupled to the remotely located TVs. The RAPs transmit the wireless signals over coaxial cable to a Media Interface Device (MID) coupled to the RG. The MID extracts the channel select commands and forwards them to the RG. The MID is also capable of combining and splitting TV signals, and adjusting the impedance of network signals so that they can be transmitted over the coaxial cable.

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Sebastopol, CA, United States of America

Steve Sheppard