A Multi-services Communications Architecture For In-home USB and IEEE-1394 Based Devices

This paper discusses a flexible in-home communications architecture interfacing external networks to Universal Serial Bus (USB) and LEEE-1394 High Performance Serial Bus based end-terminal devices. A smart network interface unit 0, or residential gateway, functions as the bridge between outside networks, namely telephony and coaxial cable plants, and existing in-home wiring formed by telephone lines, coax cable, and power lines. The USB and IEEE- 13 94 based end-terminal devices connect to the in-home wiring through wiring termination nodes (WTN) or cable termination nodes (CTN). The WTN and CTN communicate with the NIU and are basically hubs with a modified upstream port.