Remote hub television and security systems

• US 4,574,305 A
• Filed: 08/11/1983
• Issued: 03/04/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tocum Incorporated
• Inventors: Campbell, John G., Schoeneberger, Carl F.
• Primary Examiner(s): George, Keith E.
• Application Number:
  US06/522,908
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 358/86, 358/114, 455/4, 455/5, 179/5 R
• US Class Current: 725/119
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/085 using central distribution transmission lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

A data communications system provides for the transmission of television signals from a central station to a plurality of remote user stations and the transmission of security data from the user stations back to the central station. The downstream television signals and upstream security data are processed through a plurality of remote hub stations, each servicing several of the remote user terminal stations. The remote hub stations convert downstream television control data and programming signals for reception by the users serviced by that station. The remote hub station also receive security monitoring data transmitted from each user station and generate additional security data for the central station. In one embodiment, the remote hub processing station includes a plurality of converters, each transmitting downstream on a separate dedicated communication link to a remote user station. Each dedicated link also transmits security data upstream from the remote user station to the remote hub processing station. A logic unit at the remote hub station controls the operation of the converters and processes the upstream security data for transmission to the central station. In said embodiment, each user station includes a data separator unit connected to the dedicated communication link from the remote hub processing station for directing downstream television signals to the user'"'"'s television receiver and directing upstream security data to the logic of the remote hub processing station. The security data is generated at each user station by a plurality of security monitoring devices each providing an alarm status signal to an arming control panel which generates the security data to be transmitted upstream. Another embodiment eliminates the converters at the remote hub processing station in favor of a plurality of splitters transmitting the television signals to the users. Transmission of the signals from the remote hub station to the user stations is carried out by using conventional RF, baseband or optic modulation techniques and may include conventional crosspoint switching techniques.

Claims

1. In a data communication system in which data, including television signals, are transmitted from a central station to a plurality of remote user stations at different levels of service, and data including security information are transmitted from the remote user stations to the central station, the combination comprising:

(a) a remote hub processing station in communication with and located remote from the central station and the plurality of user stations, having;

(1) first splitter means for splitting the television signals transmitted by the central station into a plurality of television signals, one for each level of service provided to the remote user stations,

(2) a plurality of second splitter means in communication with said first splitter means, each second splitter means receiving a portion of one of said plurality of television signals and splitting said one signal into a plurality of user television signals for said remote user stations,

(3) a plurality of filter means, each filter means receiving one of said plurality of television signals and transmitting to one of said second splitter means said portion of one of the television signals representative of one level of service provided to the plurality of user stations,

(4) a plurality of data communication links, each extending from one of said second splitter means to one of the remote user stations,

(5) security data separator means connected to each of said plurality of data communication links for receiving security signals from said remote user stations and transmitting the security signals on a common security bus,

(6) security logic means in communication with said security bus for generating security data representative of the security signals from the remote user stations, and

(7) transmitter means in communication with said security logic means for transmitting the security data to the central station, and

(b) a plurality of adapter means in communication with said remote hub processing station, each adapter means being located at one of said remote user stations, and having;

(1) frequency separator means in communication with one of said data communication links for receiving the user television signals from one of said second splitter means and for transmitting the security signals to said security data separator means,

(2) a plurality of security monitoring devices, each having an alarm means for selectively generating an alarm signal representative of the status of the security monitoring device,

(3) security arming means connected to each of said security monitoring devices for receiving said alarm signals and generating the security signals representative of the status of the security monitoring devices to the frequency separator means.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the television signals are transmitted to the frequency separator on the data communication link at a radio frequency, and the security signals are transmitted to the security data separator means on said data communication link at a frequency substantially different from the frequency of the television signals.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the data communication link is a coaxial cable.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the data communication link is a fiber optic cable.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said security data separator means is a low frequency filter type for passing the radio frequency television signals from the plurality of second splitter means and removing the low frequency security signals from the remote user stations for transmission on the security bus.