Audio/video distribution system

• US 5,485,630 A
• Filed: 03/31/1994
• Issued: 01/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Corporation Of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Xiaoyang, Lam, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Acosta, Juan G.
• Application Number:
  US08/221,091
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.22, 455/6.3, 455/6.1, 455/4.1, 375/36, 358/86, 348/8, 348/12, 348/13
• US Class Current: 725/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/78 CATV [Community Antenna Television] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/95 for local area
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/96 CATV systems for accessing the Internet H04H60/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/104 Switchers or splitters

Abstract

A Node "0" device for a Consumer Electronics Coaxial Bus (CXBUS) network is provided. The network has a plurality of internal cables coupled to a source of up-link signals located within a first frequency band. The up-link signals include first audio/video (A/V) signals (which may be digital or analog) and control signals. External cables provide second A/V signals located within a second frequency band. An active input section is coupled to the internal cables. The input section individually filters and amplifies the up-link signals and combines the amplified signals. The input section provides a down-link signal path. A block converter coupled to the input section converts the first A/V signal from the first frequency band to the second frequency band, and provides the converted signals at its output port. A control channel regenerator coupled to the input section receives the control signal, generates a down-link control signal, and transmits the down-link control signal to the input section. An external cable distribution section is coupled to the external cables and to the source of second A/V signals. The external cable distribution section receives either the converted signals, the second A/V signals or both, and transmits the received signals to the external cables.

Claims

1. A signal distribution subsystem adapted for use in a Node "0" device within a Coaxial Bus network that includes a plurality of internal cables coupled to a source of up-link signals located within a first frequency band, the up-link signals including audio/video signals and control channel signals, the distribution subsystem comprising:

active input section means including a plurality of amplifiers and a plurality of filters, each amplifier coupled to a respective filter thereby forming an amplifier-filter pair, each amplifier-filter pair coupled to a respectively different one of the plurality of internal cables for individually filtering and amplifying the respective up-link signals provided by the plurality of cables and for combining the up-link signals;

block converting means coupled to the active input section means for receiving and converting the audio-video signals from the first frequency band to a second frequency band, and for transmitting the converted signals to the active input section means;

control channel regenerator means coupled to the active input section means for;

(1) receiving the control channel signal, (2) generating a down-link control channel signal, and (3) transmitting the down-link control channel signal to the active input section means, wherein the converted signals and the down-link control channel signals are transmitted to the internal cables by the active input section means.

2. A distribution subsystem according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of filters comprise a plurality of low pass filters, each having an output terminal and being coupled to respective ones of said cables, and

the plurality of amplifiers comprise a plurality of pre-amplifiers, each connected to a respective low pass filter at the output terminal thereof, whereby each low pass filter attenuates the converted signals relative to the up-link signals transmitted to the respective pre-amplifier to which that low pass filter is connected.

3. A distribution subsystem according to claim 2, wherein the active input section means includes:

a plurality of directional couplers, each having a respective tap output port that couples a respective one of the plurality of internal cables to the block converting means, by which the converted signals are transmitted to the internal cables.

4. A distribution subsystem according to claim 3, wherein each of the pre-amplifiers provides an amplified signal at an output terminal thereof, and the active input section means further includes:

a resistive network coupled to the output terminals of each of the plurality of pre-amplifiers, the resistive network combining the amplified signals.

5. A distribution subsystem according to claim 4, wherein the active input section means further includes a second stage amplifier coupled to the resistive network, the second stage amplifier receiving and amplifying the combined signals from the resistive network.

6. A signal distribution device for a Coaxial Bus network that includes:

(1) a plurality of internal cables coupled to a source of up-link signals located within a first frequency band, the up-link signals including first audio/video signals and control channel signals, (2) a plurality of external cables and (3) a source of second audio/video signals located within a second frequency band, the device comprising;

active input section means including a plurality of amplifiers and a plurality of filters, each amplifier coupled to a respective filter thereby forming an amplifier-filter pair, each amplifier-filter pair coupled to a respectively different one of the plurality of internal cables for receiving, filtering, amplifying and combining the up-link signals;

block converting means coupled to the input section means for receiving and converting the first audio-video signal from the first frequency band to the second frequency band, and for providing the converted signals at an output port thereof;

control channel regenerator means coupled to the input section means (1) for receiving the control channel signal, (2) for generating a down-link control channel signal, and (3) for transmitting the down-link control channel signal to the input section means;

external cable distribution means coupled to the plurality of external cables and to the source of second audio/video signals; and

switching means coupled to the input section means, the external cable distribution means and the output port of the block converting means, for transmitting the converted signals to one of the input section means and the external cable distribution means,

wherein the external cable distribution means receives one of the converted signals and the second audio/video signals and transmits the received signals to the plurality of external cables.

7. A device according to claim 6, further comprising down-link data routing means coupled to the block converting means and the control channel regenerating means for combining the converted signals and the down-link control channel signals to form combined signals, and for transmitting the combined signals to the input section means.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein:

the plurality of filters comprise a plurality of low pass filters, each having an output terminal and being coupled to respective ones of said internal cables, and

the plurality of amplifiers comprise a plurality of pre-amplifiers, each connected to a respective low pass filter at the output terminal thereof, whereby each low pass filter attenuates the converted signals relative to the up-link signal transmitted to the respective pre-amplifier to which that low pass filter is connected.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the input section means includes:

a plurality of directional couplers, each having a respective tap output port that connects a respective one of the plurality of internal cables to a respective one of the low pass filters.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein each of the pre-amplifiers provides an amplified signal at an output terminal thereof, and the active input section means further includes:

a resistive network coupled to the output terminals of each of the plurality of pre-amplifiers, the resistive network combining the amplified signals.

11. A device according to claim 6, wherein the external cable distribution means includes means for combining the converted signals and the second audio/video signals to form combined down-link signals, and for transmitting the combined down-link signals to the external cables.