System for communicating digital data on a standard office telephone system
First Claim
1. In combination with a local telephone network including a plurality of telephone handsets each located at a different station, and each adapted to be connected by a wire pair to a telephone exchange for communicating voice band signals therebetween, apparatus for enabling a plurality of digital data devices distributed amongst said stations to communicate data signals between one another over said wire pairs without interfering with said voice band signals, said apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of station units, each located at a different one of said station, and each having a pair of station network terminals connected to a first end of one of said wire pairs;
low pass filter means in each of said station units for coupling one of said telephone handsets to said pair of station network terminals;
processing means in each of said station units responsive to data supplied by a data device connected thereto for outputting Manchester encoded data nd responsive to Manchester encoded data supplied thereto for outputting data to said data device;
means including high pass filter means in each of said station units for coupling said processing means to said pair of network terminals;
a plurality of hub units each having a pair of hub network terminals connected to a second end of one of said wire pairs;
low pass filter means in each of said hub units for coupling said pair of hub network terminals to said telephone exchange;
processing means in each of said hub units responsive to Manchester encoded data received at the hub network terminals of that hub unit for outputting related data to all other hub units for transmission via wire pairs to station units connected thereto; and
means including high pass filter means in each of said hub units for coupling the processing means therein to the hub network terminals thereof.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network for enabling a local area telephone system to simultaneously carry digital data and analog voice signals on the same tansmission medium. Such a system typically includes a PBX and twisted wire pairs connected to distributed telephone handsets. The network incorporates distributed station units for coupling both voice band signals from telephone handsets and RF signals from data devices to the wire pairs. The station units are physically interconnected in a star configuration with respect to a hub module preferably located in a telephone closet. The hub module includes a plurality of hub units, each uniquely connected by a wire pair to one of the station units. Each station unit and each hub unit incorporates passive filter means to separate voice band and RF band signals. A token passing procedure is used to assign network control to the multiple station units in logical sequence.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. In combination with a local telephone network including a plurality of telephone handsets each located at a different station, and each adapted to be connected by a wire pair to a telephone exchange for communicating voice band signals therebetween, apparatus for enabling a plurality of digital data devices distributed amongst said stations to communicate data signals between one another over said wire pairs without interfering with said voice band signals, said apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of station units, each located at a different one of said station, and each having a pair of station network terminals connected to a first end of one of said wire pairs; low pass filter means in each of said station units for coupling one of said telephone handsets to said pair of station network terminals; processing means in each of said station units responsive to data supplied by a data device connected thereto for outputting Manchester encoded data nd responsive to Manchester encoded data supplied thereto for outputting data to said data device; means including high pass filter means in each of said station units for coupling said processing means to said pair of network terminals; a plurality of hub units each having a pair of hub network terminals connected to a second end of one of said wire pairs; low pass filter means in each of said hub units for coupling said pair of hub network terminals to said telephone exchange; processing means in each of said hub units responsive to Manchester encoded data received at the hub network terminals of that hub unit for outputting related data to all other hub units for transmission via wire pairs to station units connected thereto; and means including high pass filter means in each of said hub units for coupling the processing means therein to the hub network terminals thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In a system including a plurality of stations where each station includes a voice telephone device and/or a digital data device, a network for interconnecting said devices for enabling voice communication between said telephone devices and digital communication between said data devices, said network including:
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a plurality of station units each having a station network terminal; a plurality of hub units each having a hub network terminal; and a plurality of lines each connecting the station network terminal of a different one of said station units to the hub network terminal of a different one of said hub units; each of said station units including; bidirectional voice band means of recoupling a telephone device to said station unit'"'"'s station network terminal; and bidirectional RF band means for coupling a data device to said station unit'"'"'s station network terminal; each of said hub units including; bidirectional voice band means for coupling said hub unit'"'"'s hub network terminal to a telephone exchange; and bidirectional RF band means for coupling said hub unit'"'"'s hub network terminal to all other hub units for transmission to station units connected thereto. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21)
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19. In a system including a plurality of stations where each station includes a voice telephone device and/or a digital data device, a network for interconnecting said devices for enabling voice communication between said telephone devices and digital communication between said data device, said network including:
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a plurality of station units each having a station network terminal; a plurality of hub units each having a hub network terminal; and a plurality of separate lines each connecting the station network terminal of a different one of said station units to the hub network terminal of a different one of said hub units; each of said station units including; bidirectional low pass filter means for coupling a telephone device to said station unit'"'"'s station network terminal; transmitter means; receiver means; bidirectional high pass filter means for coupling said station unit'"'"'s transmitter means and said receiver means to said station unit'"'"'s station network terminal; and processing means including Manchester encode/decode means for generating a Mancester encoded signal modulated by data supplied by a data device to output Manchester encoded data to said transmitter means and responsive to Manchester encoded data received from said receiver means for supplying decoded data to said data device; each of said hub units including; bidirectional low pass filter means for coupling said hub unit'"'"'s hub network terminal to a telephone exchange; transmitter means; receiver means; bidirectional high pass filter means for coupling said hub unit'"'"'s transmitter means and said receiver means to said hub unit'"'"'s hub network terminal; and processing means responsive to Manchester encoded data received from said hub unit receiver means for supplying related Manchester encoded data to all other hub units for transmission to station units connected thereto.
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22. In combination with a local telephone network including a plurality of telephone handsets each located at a different station, and each adapted to be connected by a wire pair to a telephone exchange for communicating voice band signals therebetween, apparatus for enabling a plurality of data devices distributed amongst said stations to communicate digital data between one another over said wire pairs without interfering with said voice band signals, said apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of station units, each located at a different one of said stations, and each having a pair of station network terminals connected to a first end of one of said wire pairs; low pass filter means in each of said station units for coupling voice band signals supplied by a telephone handset connected thereto to said pair of station network terminals; processing means in each of said station units for encoding data supplied by a data device connected thereto to output RF band serially encoded digital signals having substantially no DC component, and for decoding RF band serially encoded digital signals supplied thereto having substantially no DC component to output data to said data device; means including high pass filter means in each of said station units for bidirectionally coupling said RF band signals between said processing means and said pair of network terminals; a plurality of hub units each having a pair of hub network terminals connected to a second end of one of said wire pairs; low pass filter means in each of said hub units for coupling said pair of hub network terminals to said telephone exchange; processing means in each of said hub units responsive to RF band serially encoded digital signals having substantially no DC component received at the hub network terminals of that hub unit for outputting related RF band serially encoded digital signals to all other hub units for transmission via wire pairs to station units connected thereto; and means including high pass filter means in each of said hub units for bidirectionally coupling said RF band signals between the processing means therein and the hub network terminals thereof. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification