SYSTEM, APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR EXPANDING THE OPERATIONAL BANDWIDTH OF A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A system for extending the transmission bandwidth of a communication network in two-way across an enhanced range of frequencies, the network comprising a head end unit, at least one hub or node connected to the head end unit, a plurality of home outlets connected to the at least one hub or node via cables and a plurality of set top boxes connected each to a home outlet unit, the enhanced range of frequencies comprising a frequency range already in use by the communication network for existing channels and an extended frequency range beyond 1 GHz for additional channels, the system comprising:
- a plurality of compensation units having input and output ports distributed at predetermined locations within the network for refreshing and maintaining the characteristics of the extended frequency range to overcome line drop losses associated with the extended frequency range due to network infrastructure topography, each compensation unit comprises a first multiplexer filter section for selecting the extended frequency range in a first direction of said communication network and a second multiplexer filter section selecting the extended frequency range in a second direction of said communication network and a first amplification section for amplifying the selected extended frequency range in a first direction of said communication network and a second amplification section for amplifying the selected extended frequency range in a second direction of said communication network, said first and said second amplification sections comprising one or more equalizers, which allow control of gain, slope and/or amplitude of the selected extended frequency range in said first or said second direction of said communication network respectively to correct cable attenuation slope over frequency introduced into the selected extended frequency range, low-pass filters to provide signal in said frequency range already in use and AC power to line distribution device, a power supply unit to supply power to said amplifying circuits and choke to extract AC power from said input port to provide power to said power supply; and
an enhanced home outlet unit comprising a filter for separating the extended frequency range from the frequency range already in use;
whereby enabling transmission of data at an extended range of frequencies and at substantially higher data rates.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A transmission network system includes a head end for generating a downstream signal having a substantially expanded range of frequencies, a communication medium, such as a fiber optic cable and coaxial cable coupled to the head end section for routing the signal through the transmission network to a plurality of subscribers, and compensation units coupled to operative components of the system for receiving the transmitted signals, selectively amplify and attenuate the signal levels within the substantially expanded range of frequencies, and forwarding the signals to the subscribers
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A system for extending the transmission bandwidth of a communication network in two-way across an enhanced range of frequencies, the network comprising a head end unit, at least one hub or node connected to the head end unit, a plurality of home outlets connected to the at least one hub or node via cables and a plurality of set top boxes connected each to a home outlet unit, the enhanced range of frequencies comprising a frequency range already in use by the communication network for existing channels and an extended frequency range beyond 1 GHz for additional channels, the system comprising:
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a plurality of compensation units having input and output ports distributed at predetermined locations within the network for refreshing and maintaining the characteristics of the extended frequency range to overcome line drop losses associated with the extended frequency range due to network infrastructure topography, each compensation unit comprises a first multiplexer filter section for selecting the extended frequency range in a first direction of said communication network and a second multiplexer filter section selecting the extended frequency range in a second direction of said communication network and a first amplification section for amplifying the selected extended frequency range in a first direction of said communication network and a second amplification section for amplifying the selected extended frequency range in a second direction of said communication network, said first and said second amplification sections comprising one or more equalizers, which allow control of gain, slope and/or amplitude of the selected extended frequency range in said first or said second direction of said communication network respectively to correct cable attenuation slope over frequency introduced into the selected extended frequency range, low-pass filters to provide signal in said frequency range already in use and AC power to line distribution device, a power supply unit to supply power to said amplifying circuits and choke to extract AC power from said input port to provide power to said power supply; and
an enhanced home outlet unit comprising a filter for separating the extended frequency range from the frequency range already in use;
whereby enabling transmission of data at an extended range of frequencies and at substantially higher data rates. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A compensation unit dividing and amplifying a signal having input and output comprising:
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a first multiplexer filter section for separating at least two downstream signal streams received from said input for selective processing;
a downstream equalizer, a downstream amplifier and a downstream tilt equalizer to control gain, slope and/or amplitude of a first signal stream of said at least two downstream signal streams representative of information units transmitted by a transmission center to users;
a second multiplexer filter section for separating at least two upstream signal streams received from said output for selective processing;
an upstream equalizer, an upstream amplifier and an upstream tilt equalizer to control gain, slope and/or amplitude of a first signal stream of said at least two upstream signal streams representative of information sent by users to an transmission center;
low-pass filters to provide signal in a second of said at least two downstream signal streams and AC power to line distribution device;
a power supply unit to supply power to said amplifiers; and
choke to extract AC power from said input to provide power to said power supply. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. In a communication network utilizing a communication media infrastructure for the transmission of a broadband signal representative of information units received from and sent to external information sources, the information units encoded into modulated electronic signals, the signals multiplexed into the broadband electronic signal, from a transmission center via diverse electronic components operative in the preservation of the transmitted signal to a plurality of users and from the plurality of users via the communication media via the diverse electronic components operative in maintaining the functional characteristics of the transmitted broadband signal to the transmission center, a method for sending information across an extended frequency range, the extended frequency range comprises frequencies beyond 1 GHz, the method comprising:
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combining signals representative of the information received from information sources into a combined broadband signal modulated across an extended frequency range;
superimposing signals representative of information units received from additional information sources onto the broadband signal;
modulating and transmitting the combined broadband signal across the extended frequency range to a plurality of users or to a transmission center;
separately amplifying the broadband signal to and from said plurality of users for compensating for line drop losses due to network infrastructure topography;
separately adding gain and slope to the broadband signal to and from said plurality of users for compensating for signal loss;
separately filtering the broadband signal to and from said plurality of users for dividing the broadband signal according to predefined frequency regions and direction of the broadband signal;
tuning the divided signal for controlling the said division of the divided signal into predefined frequency regions;
providing a signal in a frequency range already in use to a distribution unit via low-pass filters; and
extracting by a choke AC power to a power supply for supplying power to amplifying circuits;
whereby utilizing a standard transmission medium previously operating in a significantly narrower bandwidth for transmission in the extended frequency range. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification