Method and apparatus for delivering passband and telephony signals in a coaxial cable network

• US 5,440,335 A
• Filed: 05/28/1993
• Issued: 08/08/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comcast MO Group Incorporated (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: U.S. West Advanced Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Beveridge, Gregory J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woo, Stella L.
• Application Number:
  US08/068,455
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 348/6, 348/7, 348/8, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 348/14, 348/16, 348/17, 455/6.3, 455/3.1, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.1
• US Class Current: 725/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/79 using downlink of the CATV systems, e.g. audio broadcast via CATV network
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/94 Telephonic networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/84
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/97 using uplink of the CATV systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/02 for frequency-division multiplexing H04Q11/0001 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for delivering passband and telephony signals including signal combining and splitting. The method and device employs passive electronics in the form of L-filters, high pass filters and low pass filters to deliver baseband telephone communications and interactive video communications.

Claims

1. An apparatus for delivering video and baseband telephony signals to a subscriber on a coaxial cable network including a pair of coaxial cables comprising:

a network interface;

a baseband below passband unit connected to said network interface;

a signal combiner operatively associated with said baseband below passband unit, said combiner including at least one pair of L-filters to allow baseband telephony signals to be added to passband video signals on said pair of coaxial cables; and

a signal splitter connected to said signal combiner by said pair of coaxial cables, said splitter including a high pass filter and a low pass filter such that said high pass filter permits transmission of all passband signals and blocks all telephony signals to said subscriber and said low pass filter blocks all passband signals and permits transmission of all telephony signals to said subscriber.

2. A method for delivering video and telephony signals to a subscriber on a coaxial cable network including a pair of coaxial cables comprising the steps of:

combining passband video signals and baseband telephony signals on said pair of coaxial cables;

splitting said signals from said pair of coaxial cables onto a pair of F-fitting coaxial connectors and an RJ-11 telephone jack;

blocking all baseband telephony signals on said pair of F-fitting connector; and

blocking all passband video signals on said RJ-11 telephone jack.