Methods for controlling CATV signal communication between a CATV network and an in-home network, and preserving downstream CATV signal strength within the in-home network

• US 10,154,304 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2018
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PPC Broadband Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PPC Broadband Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Inventors: Wells, Chad T., Egan, Jr., John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dubasky, Gigi L
• Application Number:
  US15/880,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20180152755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 320 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63 Control signaling related to video distribution between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients or between remote clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing real-time session protocols H04L65/1101; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/104 Switchers or splitters

Abstract

A method for controlling communications between a cable television (CATV) network and a client network while preserving downstream CATV signal strength includes receiving a downstream CATV signal from a common terminal of a diplexer at a data port, blocking the downstream CATV signal from transmitting to a high frequency terminal of the diplexer, receiving an upstream CATV signal at the common terminal from the data port, receiving a first Multimedia over Coaxial Alliance (MoCA) signal at the common terminal from the data port, blocking the first MoCA signal from being transmitted to a low frequency terminal of the diplexer, receiving the first MoCA signal from the diplexer at network ports, receiving a second MoCA signal from at the low frequency terminal, blocking the second MoCA signal from transmitting to the high frequency terminal, and receiving the first MoCA signal from the common terminal at the data port.

Claims

1. A method for controlling upstream and downstream communications between a cable television (CATV) network and a client network while preserving downstream CATV signal strength in the client network, the method comprising:

receiving a downstream CATV signal in a downstream CATV frequency band at an entry port of an entry adapter of a multimedia over coaxial alliance (MoCA) network;

splitting the downstream CATV signal using a first splitter of the MoCA device, wherein the first splitter has a first splitter output and a second splitter output that each receive the downstream CATV signal;

receiving the downstream CATV signal from the first splitter output at a low frequency terminal of a first diplexer of the entry adapter;

preventing the downstream CATV signals from being transmitted from the low frequency terminal to a high frequency terminal of the first diplexer;

receiving the downstream CATV signals from a common terminal of the first diplexer at second splitter;

splitting the downstream CATV signals using the second splitter, wherein the second splitter comprises a plurality of splitter outputs that receive the downstream CATV signal;

receiving the downstream CATV signals from the plurality of splitter outputs of the second splitter at a plurality of network ports of the entry adapter;

receiving the downstream CATV signals from the second splitter output of the first splitter at a low frequency terminal of a second diplexer of the entry adapter;

preventing the downstream CATV signals from being transmitted from the low frequency terminal of the second diplexer to a high frequency terminal thereof;

receiving the downstream CATV signal from a common terminal of the second diplexer at a data port;

receiving a first upstream CATV signal in an upstream CATV frequency band that is at least partially lower than the CATV downstream frequency band from at least one network port at one of the plurality of splitter outputs of the second splitter;

receiving the first upstream CATV signal from the second splitter at the common terminal of the first diplexer;

preventing the first upstream CATV signal from being transmitted to the high frequency terminal of the first diplexer;

receiving the first upstream CATV signal at the first splitter output of the first splitter from the low frequency terminal of the first diplexer;

receiving the first upstream CATV from the first splitter at the entry port;

receiving a first MoCA signal in a MoCA frequency band that is at least partially higher than the downstream CATV frequency band at one of the plurality of splitter outputs of the second splitter from one of the network ports;

transmitting the first MoCA signal from the one of the plurality of splitter outputs to another at least one of the plurality of splitter outputs of the second splitter;

transmitting the first MoCA signal from the another at least one of the plurality of splitter outputs of the second splitter to at least one network port of the plurality of network ports connected to the another at least one of the plurality of splitter outputs of the second splitter;

receiving the first MoCA signal from the second splitter at the common terminal of the first diplexer;

preventing the first MoCA signal from being transmitted from the common terminal of the first diplexer to the low frequency terminal thereof;

receiving the first MoCA signal from the high frequency terminal of the first diplexer at the high frequency terminal of the second diplexer,

preventing the first MoCA signal from transmitting from the high frequency terminal of the second diplexer to the low frequency terminal thereof;

receiving the first MoCA signal from the common terminal of the second diplexer at the data port;

receiving a second MoCA signal from the data port at the common terminal of the second diplexer;

preventing the second MoCA signal from transmitting from the common terminal of the second diplexer to the low frequency terminal thereof;

receiving the second MoCA signal from the high frequency terminal of the second diplexer at the high frequency terminal of the first diplexer;

preventing the second MoCA signal from transmitting from the high frequency terminal of the second diplexer to the low frequency terminal thereof;

receiving the second MoCA signal from the common terminal of the first diplexer at the second splitter;

splitting the second MoCA signal so as to transmit the second MoCA signal to the plurality of splitter outputs of the second splitter; and

receiving the second MoCA signal from the plurality of second splitter outputs at the plurality of network ports.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first diplexer is configured to separate high and low frequency bands of signals so as to block first MoCA signals from reaching the entry port, and the second diplexer is configured to separate high and low frequency bands of signals so as to block the second MoCA signals from reaching the entry port.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first diplexer is configured to separate the high and low frequency bands of signals so as to block first MoCA signals from reaching the entry port at all times during operation of the first diplexer, and the second diplexer is configured to separate the high and low frequency bands of signals so as to block the second MoCA signals from reaching the entry port at all times during operation of the second diplexer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data port comprises a primary port configured to communicate with a server network interface, and the plurality of network ports comprise a secondary port configured to communicate with a client network interface.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

converting, using the server network interface, multimedia content from the downstream CATV signals into network signals via the entry adapter;

communicating the network signals to the client network interface via the entry adapter;

communicating, using the client network interface, information constituting at least some of the upstream CATV signals to the server network interface via the entry adapter;

converting, using the server network interface, the information constituting at least some of the upstream CATV signals communicated from the client network interface into converted upstream CATV signals; and

allowing the converted upstream CATV signals to be communicated to the entry port via the first diplexer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the downstream and upstream CATV signals and the second MoCA signal are made available to the server and client network interfaces so that a subscriber device coupled to at least one of the client network interfaces is configured to interact with not only the downstream and upstream CATV signals, but also the second MoCA signals.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

storing, using the server network interface, downstream CATV signals; and

supplying network signals to the client network interface based on the stored downstream CATV signals.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second signal splitters and the first and second diplexers are passive electronic components, and the downstream and upstream CATV signals pass respectively from and to the CATV network through the first and second diplexers without substantial attenuation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second MoCA signals have a higher frequency than all of the CATV signals, and wherein the first and second diplexers are configured to separate the MoCA signals from the CATV signals based on the higher frequency of the MoCA signals.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the MoCA frequency band is from 1125 MHz to 1525 MHz, the upstream CATV frequency band is from 5 MHz to 42 MHz, and the downstream CATV frequency band is from 54 MHz to 1005 MHz.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the entry port is directly connected to the first splitter without any intermediate components therebetween.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first splitter is directly connected to the first and second diplexers without any intermediate components therebetween.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second splitter is directly connected to the plurality of network ports without any intermediate components therebetween.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the second splitter comprises a single splitter with three or more outputs, each connected to one of the plurality of network ports.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein preventing the first upstream CATV signal from being transmitted to the high frequency terminal of the first diplexer comprises filtering the first upstream CATV signal so as to reduce a signal strength of the first upstream CATV signal transmitted to the high frequency terminal of the first diplexer, wherein preventing the first MoCA signal from being transmitted from the common terminal of the first diplexer to the low frequency terminal thereof comprises filtering the first MoCA signal so as to reduce a signal strength of the first MoCA signal that is transmitted to the low frequency terminal, wherein preventing the second MoCA signal from transmitting from the common terminal of the second diplexer to the low frequency terminal thereof comprises filtering the second MoCA signal so as to reduce a signal strength of the second MoCA signal that is transmitted to the low frequency terminal of the second diplexer, and wherein preventing the second MoCA signal from transmitting from the high frequency terminal of the second diplexer to the low frequency terminal thereof comprises filtering the second MoCA signal so as to reduce a signal strength of the second MoCA signal that is transmitted to the low frequency terminal of the second diplexer.

16. A method for controlling upstream and downstream communications between a cable television (CATV) network and a client network while preserving downstream CATV signal strength in the client network, the method comprising:

receiving a downstream CATV signal in a downstream CATV frequency band from an entry port of an entry adapter for a multimedia over coaxial alliance (MoCA) device at a low frequency terminal of a diplexer of the entry adapter;

blocking the downstream CATV signal from transmitting from the low frequency terminal to a high frequency terminal of the diplexer;

receiving the downstream CATV signal from a common terminal of the diplexer at a data port of the entry adapter;

receiving an upstream CATV signal in an upstream CATV frequency band at the common terminal of the diplexer from the data port, wherein the upstream CATV frequency band is at least partially lower than the downstream CATV frequency band;

blocking the upstream CATV signal from transmitting from the common terminal to the high frequency terminal of the diplexer;

receiving the upstream CATV signal from the low frequency terminal of the diplexer at the entry port;

receiving a first MoCA signal at the common terminal of the diplexer from the data port, wherein the first MoCA signal is in a MoCA frequency band that is at least partially higher than the downstream CATV frequency band;

blocking the first MoCA signal from being transmitted from the common terminal to the low frequency terminal of the diplexer;

receiving the first MoCA signal from the high frequency terminal of the diplexer at an input of a splitter of the entry adapter;

splitting the first MoCA signal such that the first MoCA signal is received at a plurality of splitter outputs;

receiving the first MoCA signal from the plurality of splitter outputs at a plurality of network ports of the entry adapter;

receiving a second MoCA signal at one of a plurality of splitter outputs from one of the network ports, wherein the second MoCA signal is in the MoCA frequency band;

transmitting the second MoCA signal from the one of the plurality of splitter outputs to another one of the plurality of splitter outputs and to the input of the splitter;

receiving the second MoCA signal at another one of the network ports from the another one of the plurality of splitter outputs;

receiving the second MoCA signal from the input of the splitter at the low frequency terminal of the diplexer;

blocking the second MoCA signal from transmitting from the low frequency terminal to the high frequency terminal; and

receiving the first MoCA signal from the common terminal of the diplexer at the data port.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the entry port, the data port, the plurality of network ports, the splitter, and the diplexer are positioned together within a single housing.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the splitter and the diplexer are passive electronic components, and wherein power is provided to the entry adapter solely through the downstream CATV signals, the upstream CATV signals, the MoCA signals, or a combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the downstream and upstream CATV signals pass respectively from and to the CATV network through the diplexer without any substantial attenuation.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the first and second MoCA signals have a higher frequency than all of the CATV signals, and wherein the diplexer is configured to separate the first and second MoCA signals from the upstream CATV signals based on the higher frequency of the MoCA signals.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the entry port is directly connected to the splitter without any intermediate components therebetween, the splitter is directly connected to the diplexer without any intermediate components therebetween, and the splitter is directly connected to the plurality of network ports without any intermediate components therebetween.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the splitter comprises a single splitter with three or more outputs, each connected to one of the plurality of network ports.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein blocking the downstream CATV signal from transmitting from the low frequency terminal to the high frequency terminal of the diplexer comprises attenuating the downstream CATV signal, so as to reduce a signal strength thereof.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein blocking the first MoCA signal from being transmitted from the common terminal to the low frequency terminal of the diplexer comprises attenuating the first MoCA signal, so as to reduce a signal strength thereof.