Field technician communicator
First Claim
1. A communication system for field technicians of a cable network, comprising:
- at least one portable technician communicator, each configured to couple to a coaxial cable connector of the cable network, and each capable of enabling full duplex communications using selected upstream and downstream channels of the cable network; and
a central communicator, for coupling to the cable network at a point of distribution, comprising;
a plurality of transceivers, each for establishing a communication link with any technician communicator that is connected to the cable network;
a switch matrix, coupled to the plurality of transceivers, that forwards upstream and downstream communications between linked technician communicators; and
a controller, coupled to the switch matrix, that detects requests by technician communicators to establish a communication connection, that sends a connection request to target devices, that detects a response indication from target devices and that controls the switch matrix to establish communication connections.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A hand-held cable communicator unit for technicians that enables voice and data communications across a cable network. The communicator includes a cable connector, a diplex filter, a transceiver circuit, an audio circuit and a control circuit. The transceiver circuit tunes to selected downstream and upstream channels signals. The audio circuit enables bidirectional voice communications using the selected channels signals via the cable network. The control circuit establishes a communication link and initiates and terminates communications. A communication system for field technicians of a cable network includes at least one communicator and a central communicator located at a point of distribution of the cable network. The central communicator includes transceivers, a switch matrix and a controller. Each central transceiver establishes a communication link with any linked communicator. The switch matrix forwards upstream and downstream communications between linked communicators. The controller performs functions to establish communication connections.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A communication system for field technicians of a cable network, comprising:
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at least one portable technician communicator, each configured to couple to a coaxial cable connector of the cable network, and each capable of enabling full duplex communications using selected upstream and downstream channels of the cable network; and
a central communicator, for coupling to the cable network at a point of distribution, comprising;
a plurality of transceivers, each for establishing a communication link with any technician communicator that is connected to the cable network;
a switch matrix, coupled to the plurality of transceivers, that forwards upstream and downstream communications between linked technician communicators; and
a controller, coupled to the switch matrix, that detects requests by technician communicators to establish a communication connection, that sends a connection request to target devices, that detects a response indication from target devices and that controls the switch matrix to establish communication connections. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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16. A cable technician communicator that is configured as a hand-held unit and that enables voice and data communications across a cable network, comprising:
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a cable connector;
a diplex filter coupled to the cable connector;
a transceiver circuit, coupled to the diplex filter, that tunes to selected downstream and upstream channels signals;
an audio circuit, coupled to the transceiver circuit, that enables bidirectional voice communications using the selected downstream and upstream channels signals via the cable network;
a control circuit, coupled to the transceiver circuit and the audio circuit, that establishes a communication link and that initiates and terminates communications. - View Dependent Claims (17, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification