Patent Application
20160172808
The disclosed subject matter relates generally to audio-video connectivity, and, for example, to a compact combination wall-mounted module that combines alternating current (AC) power with audio-video signaling.
Until relatively recently, televisions were designed only to receive and display content via over-the-air broadcasts. In parallel with the advent of cable television, optical disk players, streaming video set-top boxes, and on-line audio-video content, modern televisions have evolved to support reception and display of content from a variety of data sources. To accommodate these disparate data sources, today's televisions may include several different types of audio/video (A/V) input ports, including but not limited to high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), universal serial bus (USB), RJ45, or other such ports.
In some scenarios, an A/V source device—e.g., digital video disk (DVD) or high-definition disk players, streaming video boxes, etc.—may be located near the television, allowing that device to be plugged directly into the appropriate input port of the television. In other configurations, the A/V source device may be located in a different room relative to the television, requiring the A/V cable connecting the television to the source device to be routed through the wall. In these latter configurations, the A/V cable from the source device may be terminated on the rear side of a wall plate on which is mounted an A/V output port for connection to the television. To ensure that alternating current (AC) power does not cross over onto the A/V signal lines (a potential safety hazard), users are often required to install two separate wall boxes—one housing an electrical outlet to provide power to the television, and a second housing the A/V signal output port.
Moreover, the finite power and signal integrity capabilities of the A/V signal cable often limit the allowable distance between the television and the A/V signal source. As the distance between the television and the signal source increases in excess of these signal integrity capabilities, signal levels may be attenuated as a function of cable resistance and the signal becomes increasingly susceptible to interference and signal timing errors.
The above-described deficiencies of current A/V configuration architectures are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems of current technology, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with the state of the art, and corresponding benefits of some of the various non-limiting embodiments described herein, may become further apparent upon review of the following detailed description.
The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosed subject matter in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the various embodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview of the various embodiments. It is intended neither to identify key or critical elements of the various embodiments nor to delineate the scope of the various embodiments. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the disclosure in a streamlined form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
Various embodiments relate to a combination module that combines AC power and A/V signaling in a compact modular form factor. In one or more embodiments, a combination module can comprise a single-gang wall box and a front-mounted faceplate. An AC power receptacle can be installed in a first section of the wall box (e.g., the top or bottom section), with the AC outlet facing outward through the faceplate. An A/V port can be installed in a second section of the wall box, above or below the AC outlet. The A/V port can conform to any appropriate A/V port type, including but not limited to HDMI, USB, DisplayPort, RJ-45, or other port types. The combination module can be mounted near an A/V source or display device, thereby providing both AC power and signal connectivity for the device. The combination module passes A/V signals between the front-facing A/V port on the faceplate and a rear-facing A/V port that connects to an A/V signal cable within the wall (e.g., an HDMI cable, a category cable, etc.). The A/V signal cable can be routed from the rear of the combination module to another wall-mounted module located near a mating device, allowing signals to be sent from a content source device to a display device in another location.
In some embodiments, the A/V port may be a pass-through port that passively conveys A/V signals between the front-facing A/V port and the rear-facing A/V port. In other embodiments, the A/V port may be part of an active A/V signal transceiver module that includes active electronics for signal extension, amplification, correction, and/or conversion. In such embodiments, the combination can also include an AC-to-DC power converter that converts alternating current (AC) power from the AC receptacle to direct current (DC) power suitable for powering the transceiver electronics. This configuration eliminates the need for separate power adaptors and associated AC outlets.
In some embodiments, the A/V signal transceiver can include protocol transformation functionality that converts the A/V signal between a native format corresponding to the A/V port type on the front face of the module and a non-copper format (e.g., fiber optic or wireless) corresponding to the rear-facing signal port. By converting the A/V signal to a non-copper (non-conductive) format within the combination module, the risk of electrical crossover between the AC wiring and the signal wiring within the wall box is reduced or eliminated.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the disclosed subject matter, then, comprises one or more of the features hereinafter more fully described. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative aspects of the subject matter. However, these aspects are indicative of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the subject matter can be employed. Other aspects, advantages, and novel features of the disclosed subject matter will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings. It will also be appreciated that the detailed description may include additional or alternative embodiments beyond those described in this summary.
The subject disclosure is now described with reference to the drawings wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the subject disclosure. It may be evident, however, that the subject disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing the subject disclosure.
As used in the subject specification and drawings, the terms “object,” “module,” “interface,” “component,” “system,” “platform,” “engine,” “selector,” “manager,” “unit,” “store,” “network,” “generator” and the like are intended to refer to a computer-related entity or an entity related to, or that is part of, an operational machine or apparatus with a specific functionality; such entities can be either hardware, a combination of hardware and firmware, firmware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. In addition, entities identified through the foregoing terms are herein generically referred to as “functional elements.” As an example, a component can be, but is not limited to being, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, a program, and/or a computer. By way of illustration, both an application running on a server and the server can be a component. One or more components may reside within a process and/or thread of execution and a component may be localized on one computer and/or distributed between two or more computers. Also, these components can execute from various computer-readable storage media having various data structures stored thereon. The components may communicate via local and/or remote processes such as in accordance with a signal having one or more data packets (e.g., data from one component interacting with another component in a local system, distributed system, and/or across a network such as the Internet with other systems via the signal). As an example, a component can be an apparatus with specific functionality provided by mechanical parts operated by electric or electronic circuitry, which is operated by software, or firmware application executed by a processor, wherein the processor can be internal or external to the apparatus and executes at least a part of the software or firmware application. As another example, a component can be an apparatus that provides specific functionality through electronic components without mechanical parts, the electronic components can include a processor therein to execute software or firmware that confers at least in part the functionality of the electronic components. Interface(s) can include input/output (I/O) components as well as associated processor(s), application(s), or API (Application Program Interface) component(s). While examples presented hereinabove are directed to a component, the exemplified features or aspects also apply to object, module, interface, system, platform, engine, selector, manager, unit, store, network, and the like.
In order to simplify the hardware and installation requirements and to reduce wall space requirements, one or more embodiments of the present disclosure provide a wall-mounted assembly that combines the AC power receptacle with the A/V port in a single integrated module that can be installed in a standard single gang wall box.
AC power terminals are provided on the rear side of the module to allow the AC receptacle to be connected to building main AC power (e.g., via a breaker). These AC power terminals can comprise any suitable type, including but not limited to push-in terminals 318 and/or screw terminals 320 or modular connector such as Leviton Lev-Lok®. An A/V port 322—in this case, an HDMI port—is also provided on the rear side, allowing the HDMI cable from the data source to be plugged into the module.
The module housing 310 and faceplate 302 fully enclose the AC power receptacle 312 and A/V signal pass-through module 314 inside the combination module 324, and the combination module 324 can be installed in a single gang wall box and mounted to a wall. As shown in
The example combination module illustrated in
A/V signal receiver module 616 is housed in the lower section of the module housing 620, and comprises A/V signal extender circuitry (e.g., an HDMI, HDBaseT, or DisplayPort extender chipset, or other signal conditioning and amplification electronics) configured to amplify weakened signals received via the A/V signal input port 618 on the rear side of the combination module 602. In this example, A/V signal input port 618 is an RJ-45 port for receiving HDBaseT signals over category cable (e.g., CAT-5, CAT-6, etc.). In some embodiments, the A/V signal receiver module 616 can also correct signal timing to comply with HDMI signal specifications.
To provide power to the A/V signal receiver module 616, an AC-to-DC power converter 614 is housed in the upper portion of the module housing 620 and is electrically connected to AC power receptacle 612. When the AC power receptacle 612 is connected to main AC power, power converter 614 converts AC power from the receptacle to DC power—e.g., 120 AC volts (VAC) to 3.3 DC volts (VDC)—which is fed to A/V signal receiver module 616 via an internal connection 628.
The AC power receptacle 612, AC-to-DC power converter 614, and A/V signal receiver module 616 are fully enclosed by the module housing 620 and faceplate 604 (with the exception of the outlets/ports exposed on the front and rear sides of the combination module 602). In some embodiments, faceplate 604 may include ventilation slots 622 to promote airflow and heat dissipation, mitigating the risk of overheating of the signal extender chipset of the A/V signal receiver module 616. The A/V signal receiver module 616 may also include other heat dissipation features, including but not limited to heat sinks or thermal sensing and control in order to maintain a proper operating temperature and to limit temperatures to levels that comply with appropriate building and safety codes.
Though depicted as a receiver in
The configuration illustrated in
Power cable 702 connects the AC power terminals on the rear side of combination module 602 with main AC power (e.g., via a breaker), providing AC power to outlet 606 and to the AC/DC power converter 614. In addition to powering the A/V signal receiver module 616, DC power from the power converter 614 can also serve as a power-over-HDBaseT (PoH) power source for the HDBaseT link, thus providing DC power to the mating HDMI input module 706. This PoH power can be used to power the indicators 708 on the HDMI input module 706, as well as any other electronics included in the module (e.g., signal amplification and conditioning electronics, heat monitoring and control electronics, etc.). The indicators 610 and 708 on the display and source sides, respectively, can be configured to convey when a connection between the devices is detected, to provide fault indication and to indicate functions such as end-to-end test conditions during initial installation. For example, one of the indicators 610 on combination module 602 may be configured to illuminate when a connection to content source 508 over the HDBaseT link is detected, and one of the indicators 708 on the mating HDMI input module 706 can be configured to illuminate when a connection to the television 106 is detected. In another example, separate indications may be used to indicate when a module detects a connection to another module, and when the module detects a connection to a valid content source or display device. In such example configurations, one of the indicators 610 on combination module 602 may illuminate a first color when the connection to the mating HDMI module is detected over the HDBaseT link, and illuminate a second color when the content source 508 is plugged into the HDMI input module. Communication circuitry in the respective modules (and powered by PoH power on the HDbaseT link sourced by power converter 614) can be configured to perform appropriate handshaking and device detection functions to support these indication functions.
In some configurations, the pass-through type combination module 324 and the active combination module 602 can be used together in one communication link if power to the content source is also required.
Using the general configurations illustrated in
Different models of both the A/V module 906 and the AC power module 904 can be made available to allow the user to select the particular combination of AC power and A/V modules best suited for a particular installation. For example, different models of the A/V module 906 can be made available to support a variety of signal port types, including but not limited to HDMI, DisplayPort, USB, DVI, Thunderbolt, coaxial, binding post, banana jack, RJ-45, RJ11, RCA, BNC, etc. Moreover, for some or all display port types, sub-variants of the A/V module can be made available for either active modules—which include signal extender, amplification, conditioning, and/or conversion electronics—or pass-through modules, which only pass the signals (unconditioned) between the receiver port 916 on the rear of the module and the output port 908 on the front of the module. Indicators 910 are provided on the front face of A/V module 906 for models that include active electronics.
AC power module 904 includes an AC power outlet 912 on its front face and AC terminals 914 on its rear face for connection to main AC power. AC power module 904 may be provided either with or without an integrated AC/DC power converter. For example, users may select an AC power module 904 that includes a power converter if the module is to be used with an A/V module that includes active electronics requiring DC power. In some embodiments, DC power can be passed from the AC power module 904 to the A/V module 906 by installing a DC power jumper 918 internally between DC output terminals on the AC power module 904 and DC input terminals on the A/V module 906. In other embodiments, the faceplate 902 and associated modules 906 and 904 may be installed through an open front face of a specialized combination module housing (structurally similar to module housings 310 and 620) which includes a communication bus mounted on the rear inside surface. In such embodiments, the communication bus interfaces with the AC power and A/V modules when the modules are installed in the module housing. The communication bus can facilitate exchange of power and signaling between the AC power and A/V modules within the wall box. In such embodiments, the rear surfaces of AC power module 904 and A/V module 906 can include additional communication module interface ports that electrically connect to the communication bus when the modules are installed in the module housing. In still other embodiments, this communication bus can be a part of the faceplate 902.
Some electrical codes (e.g., National Electric Code) may not allow both AC power and low voltage A/V signals to reside within the same wall box gang without a barrier between the AC and low voltage compartments. Accordingly, for embodiments in which the modular system depicted in
The examples described above are designed to support a variety of in-wall copper cable connections between the source end module and the receiving end module (e.g., category cable provisioned with HDBaseT, standard HDMI cables, etc.). Additionally, some embodiments of the combination modules described herein can leverage fiber optic technology to send the A/V signal from the content source device to the television or display. Since fiber optic cables do not conduct electricity, placing the A/V signals on fiber optic cable within the module effectively isolates the A/V signals from the AC power, allowing the A/V signal lines and AC power lines to reside in the same gang without the need for a divider between the AC power and low-voltage signal sides of the gang or the need to enclose the AC power, AC/DC conversion module, and low-voltage signal modules within a single monolithic block.
As in previous examples, A/V port 1208 can comprise substantially any type of audio/video port, including but not limited to HDMI, USB, VGA, DVI, DisplayPort, coaxial, etc. A/V port 1208 may also be an audio-only port in some embodiments. The A/V port 1208 is connected to a signal converter 1224 inside the combination module. The combination of signal converter 1224 and fiber optic transceiver 1226 is configured to convert A/V signals into fiber optic signals, and vice versa, thereby allowing fiber optic cables 1228 to be used instead of copper HDMI or category cables for the in-wall cable. Accordingly, fiber optic terminals 1216 may be located on the rear side of the combination module 1202, allowing fiber optic cables 1228 to be terminated on the module inside the wall.
Specifically, optical signals are received via fiber optic cables 1228 and received at fiber optic transceiver 1226 inside the combination module 1202. Fiber optic transceiver 1226 converts the optical signals to electrical signals. Signal converter 1224 receives the electrical signals from fiber optic transceiver 1226 and converts them to A/V signals, which are then output via A/V port 1208. In the reverse direction, signal converter 1224 converts A/V signals from A/V port 1208 to electrical signals, which are then passed to fiber optic transceiver 1226 which converts them to optical signals, for transmission on fiber optic cables 1228. Signal converter 1224 and fiber optic transceiver 1226 can be combined into a single module.
Combination module 1202 includes an AC/DC power converter 1222 to provide DC power to signal converter 1224. Similar to power converter 614, power converter 1222 receives AC power from AC power receptacle 1220 and converts the AC power to an appropriate level of DC power required by the signal converter 1224. Wiring between the AC power receptacle 1220 and power converter 1222, and between power converter 1222 and signal converter 1224, is internal to the combination module 1202.
In some embodiments, A/V port 1208 may be a removable, front-loaded module similar to A/V module 906 described above. This allows the user to swap A/V port types in and out of module housing 1218 as needed depending on the type of A/V connection required by the television or content source. In these embodiments, the A/V module electrically connects to the power converter 1222 and the signal converter 1224 when inserted through the front face of faceplate 1204, mitigating the need to rewire the A/V module to the other internal components. In some embodiments, the removable A/V module may include both the A/V port 1208 and the signal converter 1224, the latter of which electrically connects to the fiber optic transceiver 1226 when the A/V module is inserted through faceplate 1204.
Some embodiments of the fiber optic combination module may also be provided without AC power capabilities. In such embodiments, the AC power portion of the module may be replaced with pass-through data ports that can be used for additional signaling, with power being provided from a mating combination module at another location.
Since combination module 1402 does not include an AC receptacle or power converter, signal converter 1406 receives DC power from power converter 1222 of the mating combination module 1202. To this end, a low voltage DC power cable 1408 connected to DC output terminals 1416 on the rear side of combination module 1202 can be routed through the wall and connected to DC input terminals 1418 on the rear side of combination module 1402. Internal wiring routes this DC power to signal converter 1406. DC power cable 1408 can also be combined in a single cable sheath with fiber optic cable 1410.
Using this arrangement, AC power is only needed at one end of the A/V link (though a DC cable 1408 must be run between the two combination modules in addition to the fiber optic cable 1410).
Pass-through connectors 1420 on the front face of combination module 1402 can provide data ports for additional data lines within the wall (e.g., Ethernet ports, USB ports, etc.). Moreover, some embodiments of combination module 1402 may include additional electronics that deliver a portion of the DC power received on the DC power cable 1408 to one or more of the connectors 1420, turning those connectors into charging ports for charging portable devices (e.g., USB charging ports).
This configuration depicted in
The AC power receptacle 1608, AC/DC power converter 1610, A/V signal pass-through 1612, and wireless transceiver component 1614 are fully enclosed within the module housing 1618 and faceplate 1622 (except for the outlets, ports, and terminals that face outward through the faceplate 1604 and the rear surface of the housing). As in previous examples, indicators 1620 on the front face of the combination module 1602 can indicate A/V communication status and health information. In one or more wireless embodiments, indicators 1620 may include separate indicators for wireless communication statuses (e.g., wireless link OK, mating combination module found, etc.) and A/V communication statuses (A/V data received/sent, etc., source device ready, display device ready, etc.). In some embodiments, the combination module 1602 may also include audible feedback for certain status indications.
In one or more embodiments, the AC power receptacle 1608 and the A/V port 1606 (and associated electronics) may conform to a modular form factor similar to that depicted in
In general, removable A/V modules corresponding to the form factors depicted in
In some embodiments, combination module 1820 can include charging status indicators 1818 that convey status information relating to operation of USB charging port 1808 including, but not limited to, an indication that charging power is present at the USB charging port 1808, a charging status of a connected USB device (e.g., “connected and charging,” “charging complete,” “no device detected,” etc.), or other such status information. The status indicators 1818 can comprise any suitable visual or audible output components; e.g., light emitting diodes (LEDs), audible signal generators, electronic text display etc.
Although examples of combination modules have been described herein as combining AC power receptacles and A/V signal ports within an integrated housing, some embodiments may include other types of data ports in place of the A/V signal port without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
Moreover, combination module 1902 can serve as a power-over-Ethernet injector by routing the converted PoE power to punch-down terminals 1916 (e.g., 110 insulation displacement contact punch-down terminals) on the rear side of combination module 1902. Conductors of an Ethernet cable that are broken out and terminated on punch-down terminals 1916 are thereby provisioned with PoE power. Punch-down terminals 1914, located above the outgoing PoE punch-down terminals 1916, can serve as data terminals for Ethernet port 1906, allowing data to be exchanged between an Ethernet cable terminated on the punch-down terminals 1914 and Ethernet port 1906.
In order to provide a context for the various aspects of the disclosed subject matter,
With reference to
The system bus 2318 can be any of several types of bus structure(s) including the memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus or external bus, and/or a local bus using any variety of available bus architectures including, but not limited to, 8-bit bus, Industrial Standard Architecture (ISA), Micro-Channel Architecture (MSA), Extended ISA (EISA), Intelligent Drive Electronics (IDE), VESA Local Bus (VLB), Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), Universal Serial Bus (USB), Advanced Graphics Port (AGP), Personal Computer Memory Card International Association bus (PCMCIA), and Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI).
The system memory 2316 includes volatile memory 2320 and nonvolatile memory 2322. The basic input/output system (BIOS), containing the basic routines to transfer information between elements within the computer 2312, such as during start-up, is stored in nonvolatile memory 2322. By way of illustration, and not limitation, nonvolatile memory 2322 can include read only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory 2320 includes random access memory (RAM), which acts as external cache memory. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM is available in many forms such as synchronous RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct Rambus RAM (DRRAM).
Computer 2312 also includes removable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer storage media.
It is to be appreciated that
A user enters commands or information into the computer 2312 through input device(s) 2336. Input devices 2336 include, but are not limited to, a pointing device such as a mouse, trackball, stylus, touch pad, keyboard, microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, TV tuner card, digital camera, digital video camera, web camera, and the like. These and other input devices connect to the processing unit 2314 through the system bus 2318 via interface port(s) 2338. Interface port(s) 2338 include, for example, a serial port, a parallel port, a game port, and a universal serial bus (USB). Output device(s) 2340 use some of the same type of ports as input device(s) 2336. Thus, for example, a USB port may be used to provide input to computer 2312, and to output information from computer 2312 to an output device 2340. Output adapters 2342 are provided to illustrate that there are some output devices 2340 like monitors, speakers, and printers, among other output devices 2340, which require special adapters. The output adapters 2342 include, by way of illustration and not limitation, video and sound cards that provide a means of connection between the output device 2340 and the system bus 2318. It should be noted that other devices and/or systems of devices provide both input and output capabilities such as remote computer(s) 2344.
Computer 2312 can operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as remote computer(s) 2344. The remote computer(s) 2344 can be a personal computer, a server, a router, a network PC, a workstation, a microprocessor based appliance, a peer device or other common network node and the like, and typically includes many or all of the elements described relative to computer 2312. For purposes of brevity, only a memory storage device 2346 is illustrated with remote computer(s) 2344. Remote computer(s) 2344 is logically connected to computer 2312 through a network interface 2348 and then physically connected via communication connection 2350. Network interface 2348 encompasses communication networks such as local-area networks (LAN) and wide-area networks (WAN). LAN technologies include Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), Copper Distributed Data Interface (CDDI), Ethernet/IEEE 802.3, Token Ring/IEEE 802.5 and the like. WAN technologies include, but are not limited to, point-to-point links, circuit switching networks like Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN) and variations thereon, packet switching networks, and Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL).
Communication connection(s) 2350 refers to the hardware/software employed to connect the network interface 2348 to the system bus 2318. While communication connection 2350 is shown for illustrative clarity inside computer 2312, it can also be external to computer 2312. The hardware/software necessary for connection to the network interface 2348 includes, for exemplary purposes only, internal and external technologies such as, modems including regular telephone grade modems, cable modems and DSL modems, ISDN adapters, and Ethernet cards.
The above description of illustrated embodiments of the subject disclosure, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosed embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. While specific embodiments and examples are described herein for illustrative purposes, various modifications are possible that are considered within the scope of such embodiments and examples, as those skilled in the relevant art can recognize.
In this regard, while the disclosed subject matter has been described in connection with various embodiments and corresponding figures, where applicable, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments can be used or modifications and additions can be made to the described embodiments for performing the same, similar, alternative, or substitute function of the disclosed subject matter without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the disclosed subject matter should not be limited to any single embodiment described herein, but rather should be construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims below.
In addition, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. Moreover, articles “a” and “an” as used in the subject specification and annexed drawings should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form.
What has been described above includes examples of systems and methods illustrative of the disclosed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every combination of components or methodologies here. One of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “possesses,” and the like are used in the detailed description, claims, appendices and drawings such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
