Set Top Box Extender Service Agent Wi-Fi Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Providing comprehensive Wi-Fi coverage throughout a home is challenging due to obstacles that attenuate signals, requiring the installation of Wi-Fi extenders and additional backhaul cables, which can be inconvenient and costly.
Innovation Solution
The extender service agent is downloaded and configured on a set-top box to pair with a router, providing broadband Internet connectivity via a backhaul connection and extended wireless IP connectivity using a fronthaul connection, with user presence detection to optimize power usage and broadcast Wi-Fi signals only when necessary, eliminating the need for separate Wi-Fi extenders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a single Wi-Fi router is used to provide coverage, then device complexity is reduced, but Wi-Fi coverage area is limited due to signal attenuation from obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the Wi-Fi coverage function by deploying extender service agents on multiple set-top boxes distributed throughout the home. Each STB acts as an independent coverage node, dividing the overall coverage area into multiple zones that can overcome obstacles individually, thereby expanding total coverage while maintaining system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The extender service agent acts as an intermediary between the main router and client devices in areas with poor direct coverage. It receives Wi-Fi signals from the router, processes them locally, and retransmits them to extend coverage to distant or obstacle-blocked areas, effectively mediating the signal transmission problem.
2Area of stationary object
If Wi-Fi extenders are installed to improve coverage, then Wi-Fi coverage area is expanded, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase due to cable layout requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes set-top boxes universal by enabling them to perform both their traditional media processing function and Wi-Fi extension function simultaneously. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate extender devices and their associated cable installations, as existing STBs throughout the home are leveraged to provide coverage expansion.
Solution Approach 2:
The extender service agent creates virtual copies of the router's Wi-Fi functionality on distributed STBs. Instead of physically installing hardware extenders with cables, the system copies the essential Wi-Fi signal generation and transmission capabilities to multiple locations through software deployment, greatly simplifying installation.
3Area of stationary object
If extenders are deployed to enhance coverage, then Wi-Fi coverage area is improved, but cost increases due to additional hardware purchases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables existing set-top boxes to serve dual purposes: their original media reception and processing function, plus Wi-Fi signal extension. This eliminates the need to purchase separate extender hardware devices, as the STBs already present in the home are repurposed to provide coverage expansion, reducing overall system cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The system leverages the existing infrastructure of set-top boxes that are already deployed throughout the home for media services. By enabling these self-sufficient devices to also provide Wi-Fi extension, the system eliminates the need for additional dedicated hardware purchases, as the existing devices serve themselves by taking on multiple functions.
Data Source
AI summary
A set top box (STB) providing enhanced Wi-Fi coverage. The STB downloads and configures an extender service agent for implementing extender capability at the STB. pairing the extender service agent with a router, and providing extended wireless IP connectivity using a fronthaul connection via the antenna to clients in range of IP signals radiated by the antenna. When the STB uses a wired backhaul connection all of an available bandwidth is used for the fronthaul connection, and when a wireless backhaul connection is used, the available bandwidth is split between the backhaul connection and the fronthaul connection.