Wireless access point

Abstract

An access point device and access point system support wireless and wired communications. The access point includes a front face and a rear housing sized to fit within a conventional wall box, e.g., a single gang box. The electrical components associated with the access point device include a plurality of printed circuit boards that are configured in an H-shaped or U-shaped manner, such that they fit within the rear housing. Interface members are provided to facilitate communications between and among the printed circuit boards. At least one jack is provided in the front face of the access device for wired communication, and a plug is outwardly directed from the rear housing to facilitate network connection. Power for the access point device is supplied over a cable or conduit that engages the outwardly directed plug using Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) technology. The printed circuit boards include circuitry for managing operation of the access device and, in exemplary embodiments, includes power control circuitry to moderate potential heat generation.

Description

BACKGROUND [0001] 1. Technical Field [0002] The present disclosure is directed to access points for communication applications and, more particularly, to access points that include wireless functionality. The disclosed access points are generally sized for mounting in or with respect to a conventional wall box and, beyond the disclosed wireless functionality, additionally support one or more jack and / or connector based communication modalities. [0003] 2. Background Art [0004] In the field of communications, technological developments continue to drive the adoption of wireless technologies. For example, it has become commonplace for individuals to employ laptop computers with wireless communication capabilities to access and communicate across networks. Once wireless communication is established with a network, the laptop user can generally establish and / or engage in far reaching network-based communications, e.g., over local area networks, wide area networks, the Internet, etc. The ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018] The circuit boards associated with the disclosed access points are adapted to support and manage the various functionalities of the access point, e.g., the receipt, processing and transmission of signals, power processing and management, and the generation of signals reflecting operative conditions and the like. The H-shaped or U-shaped configuration of the circuit boards disclosed herein permits advantageous space utilization and permits the disclosed access points to be utilized in conjunction with a conventional electrical box, e.g., a single gang wall box, while supporting a full range of access point functionalities, including the processing of both wireless and w

Problems solved by technology

Existing 802.11 access points suffer from various limitations and/or drawbacks.

For example, current Wi-Fi access points are generally bulky, need to be connected via a patch cord, and often require an external po

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