Importance

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Abstract

Described herein is a network interface for coupling residential appliances into a code-division multiple access (CDMA) network. The network is used to convey appliance control signals and appliance status signals. The network interface includes a transmitter and/or a receiver, depending on the communications needs of the residential appliance. A spreading-code generator in the network interface generates a spreading code that identifies the residential appliance. A spreading mixer modulates a narrowband transmit signal with the spreading code, thereby generating a spread-spectrum transmit signal. The wideband transmit signal is then coupled into the physical medium of the network. In one embodiment, the physical medium is a residential wiring grid, and a wiring interface in the transmitter unit couples the spreading mixer with the residential wiring. Spread-spectrum signals received from the wiring grid are despread with an appropriate spreading code to extract the desired signal. Also described herein is a network interface for a wired network. The network interface includes a modulator configured to receive a stream of transmit data and to generate a modulated carrier signal from the data. The modulated carrier is spread by a direct-sequence spreading circuit, using a node-specific spreading code, into a wideband signal. The wideband signal is then coupled onto the wired network.

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First Claim