RADIO FREQUENCY SIGNAL DISTRIBUTION USING DATA CABLE SYSTEM

• US 20090247076A1
• Filed: 07/23/2007
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
• Original Assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
• Inventors: Proctor, Toby, Law, Alan, Bartlett, Allan
• Granted Patent: US 8,346,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/69 Spread spectrum techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels

Abstract

A system for distributing radio frequency signals using a data cable system includes a method and components that receive a radio frequency (RF) signal, identify at least one unoccupied channel on the data cable system, convert the RF signal to the frequency associated with an unoccupied channel as a converted signal, insert the converted signal into the cable, extract the converted signal from the cable as an extracted signal, convert the extracted signal to a transmission frequency as a transmission signal, and transmit the transmission signal at the transmission frequency.

Claims

1. A method for distributing radio frequency signals using a data cable system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal;

identifying at least one unoccupied channel on the data cable system;

converting the RF signal to a frequency associated with the at least one unoccupied channel as a converted signal;

inserting the converted signal into a cable of the data cable system;

extracting the converted signal from the cable as an extracted signal;

converting the extracted signal to a transmission frequency as a transmission signal; and

,

transmitting the transmission signal at the transmission frequency.

2. The method for distributing RF signals according to claim 1, wherein the step of identifying at least one unoccupied channel is performed periodically.

3. The method for distributing RF signals according to claim 1, further comprising step of:

identifying a passband of the data cable system, wherein the at least one unoccupied channel is selected within the passband.

4. The method for distributing RF signals according to claim 1, further comprising step of:

indicating the frequency of the converted signal.

5. The method for distributing RF signals according to claim 4, wherein the step of indicating the frequency of the converted signal is performed by inserting a second signal into the cable, the second signal identifying the channel on which the converted signal is placed.

6. The method for distributing RF signals according to claim 5, wherein the second signal is a spread signal.

7. The method for distributing RF signals according to claim 6, wherein the spread signal is a low rate spread spectrum signal.

9. The method for distributing RF signals according to claim 1, wherein the RF signals are telecommunications signals.

8. (canceled)

10-14. -14. (canceled)

15. An apparatus for distributing radio frequency signals using a data cable system, comprising:

a receiver that receives a radio frequency (RF) signal;

a channel identifier that identifies at least one unoccupied channel on the data cable system;

a converter that converts the RF signal to a frequency associated with the at least one unoccupied channel as a converted signal;

an insertion unit that inserts the converted signal into the cable;

an extractor that extracts the converted signal from the cable as an extracted signal;

a transmission converter that converts the extracted signal to a transmission frequency as a transmission signal; and

,

a transmitter that transmits the transmission signal at the transmission frequency.

16. The apparatus for distributing RF signals according to claim 15, wherein the insertion unit periodically inserts the converted signal into the cable.

17. The apparatus for distributing RF signals according to claim 15, further comprising:

a passband identifier that identifies a passband of the data cable system, wherein the at least one unoccupied channel is identified within the passband.

18. The apparatus for distributing RF signals according to claim 15, further comprising

a frequency indicator that indicates the frequency of the converted signal.

19. The apparatus for distributing RF signals according to claim 18, wherein the frequency indicator inserts a second signal into the cable, the second signal identifying the at least one channel on which the converted signal is placed.

20. The apparatus for distributing RF signals according to claim 19, wherein the second signal is a spread signal.

21. The apparatus for distributing RF signals according to claim 20, wherein the spread signal is a low rate spread spectrum signal.

23. The apparatus for distributing RF signals according to claim 15, wherein the RF signals are telecommunications signals.

22. (canceled)

24-30. -30. (canceled)