Catv system in which chanel selection signal is transmitted from the subscriber location

• US 5,729,281 A
• Filed: 05/18/1995
• Issued: 03/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasai, Hiroyuki, Tanabe, Manabu, Yamamoto, Hiroaki, Utsumi, Kuniaki, Fujito, Katsuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan J.
• Application Number:
  US08/443,699
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 348/6, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 455/42, 455/3.1, 455/4.1
• US Class Current: 725/119
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/76 Wired systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/77 using carrier waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/78 CATV [Community Antenna Television] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/90 Wireless transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A center station 1 generates an all-channel signal 2 obtained by multiplexing signals on all channels, and transmits the signals to a selective distribution station 10 through 1 wire transmission line such as an optical fiber. Subscribers'"'"' transmitting devices 40₁ to 40_N transmit requests for channels to be received by corresponding subscribers'"'"' receiving devices 30₁ to 30_N to the selective distribution station 10 in a radio transmission system. The selective distribution station 10 selects the signals on the channels requested from the all-channel signal 2 in response to requests to receive channels serving as up-signals transmitted in a radio transmission system from the subscribers'"'"' transmitting devices 40₁ to 40_N, and distributes and transmits the selected signals to the subscribers'"'"' receiving devices 30₁ to 30_N as down-signals.

Claims

1. A CATV system for distributing and transmitting signals of a plurality of channels to a plurality of subscribers, said system comprising:

a center station for generating the signals of the plurality of channels;

a plurality of subscriber'"'"'s receiving devices respectively provided for said plurality of terminals;

a plurality of subscriber'"'"'s transmitting devices corresponding to said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s receiving devices, wherein said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s transmitting devices independently transmits requests to receive predetermined channels from the plurality of channels, as up-signals by radio frequencies; and

a selective distribution station, interposed between said center station and said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s receiving devices, for selectively distributing and transmitting the signals for the requested channels generated in said center station and requested by said subscriber'"'"'s transmitting devices, wherein the signals for the requested channels are received by respective ones of said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s receiving devices.

2. The CATV system according to claim 1, wherein:

an all-channel signal obtained by multiplexing the signals of all of the plurality of channels is transmitted by said center station to said selective distribution station; and

said selective distribution station selects the signals for channels requested by said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s transmitting devices from said all-channel signal and transmits the selected signals to respective ones of said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s receiving devices.

3. The CATV system according to claim 1, wherein said selective distribution station requests said center station to transmit the signals for requested channels in response to requests for channels by said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s transmitting devices, and transmits the signals for the requested channels received from said center station to respective ones of said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s receiving devices.

4. The CATV system according to claim 3, wherein:

said selective distribution station constitutes one of a plurality of selective distribution stations which are connected to said center station by a transmission line having a tree shape or bus shape arrangement; and

said selective distribution stations respectively transmit requests to transmit signals of requested channels to said center station through said transmission line in response to requests for channels from any respective ones of said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s transmitting devices.

5. The CATV system according to claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s receiving devices are connected to said selective distribution station by a transmission line having a bus shape arrangement, and wherein said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s receiving devices are respectively assigned frequency bands for down-signals;

said selective distribution station frequency-division multiplexes the signals of the plurality of channels according to said assigned frequency bands for respective ones of said plurality of said subscriber'"'"'s receiving devices, and transmits the frequency-division multiplexed signals to said transmission line as the down-signals; and

said subscriber'"'"'s receiving devices receive the signals for requested channels in accordance with said assigned frequency bands.

6. The CATV system according to claim 3, wherein said selective distribution station selects the signals for requested channels in the shape of a baseband signal or an intermediate frequency signal, modulates the signals of the channels according to said assigned frequency bands of respective ones of said plurality of said subscriber'"'"'s receiving devices, frequency-division multiplexes the modulated signals, and then transmits the signals to the transmission line as the down-signals.

7. The CATV system according to claim 5, wherein:

a TDM digital signal obtained by time-division multiplexing the signals of the plurality of channels is transmitted by said center station to said selective distribution station; and

said selective distribution center selects from said TDM digital signal the signals of the requested channels, modulates the selected signals for the respective channels in said assigned frequency bands for respective ones of said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s receiving devices, frequency-division multiplexes the modulated signals, and then transmits the signals to said transmission line as the down-signals.

8. The CATV system according to claim 3, wherein:

an FDM signal obtained by frequency-division multiplexing the signals of the plurality of channels is transmitted by said center station to said selective distribution station; and

said selective distribution station selects from said FDM signal the signals for the requested channels in the shape of a baseband signal or an intermediate frequency signal, modulates the selected signals of the respective channels in said assigned frequency bands for respective ones of said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s receiving devices, frequency-division multiplexes the modulated signals, and then transmits the signals to said transmission line as the down-signals.

9. The CATV system according to claim 5, wherein:

an FDM signal obtained by frequency-division multiplexing the signals of the plurality of channels is transmitted by said center station to said selective distribution station; and

said selective distribution station selects from said FDM signal the signals of the requested channels, up-converts or down-converts the selected signals for the respective channels in said assigned frequency bands for respective ones of said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s receiving devices, frequency-division multiplexes the converted signals, and then transmits the signals to said transmission line as the down-signals.

10. The CATV system according to claim 5, wherein frequency bands for television broadcasting signals are assigned as the frequency bands for the down-signals.

11. The CATV system according to claim 1, wherein the up-signals from said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s transmitting devices are transmitted to said center station through said selective distribution station without changing the shapes of the signals halfway, are demodulated in said center station, and then are transmitted to said selective distribution station from said center station.

12. The CATV system according to claim 1, wherein:

said subscriber'"'"'s transmitting devices also have functioning capabilities of a portable telephone terminal; and

said selective distribution station has functioning capabilities of a portable telephone radio base station capable of transmitting and receiving portable telephone signals.

13. The CATV system according to claim 12, wherein the up-signals from said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s transmitting devices are transmitted to said center station through said selective distribution station without changing shapes of the signals halfway.

14. The CATV system according to claim 13, wherein:

said selective distribution station constitutes one of a plurality of selective distribution stations which are connected to said center station by a transmission line in a tree shape or a bus shape arrangement; and

the up-signals from said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s transmitting devices are transmitted to said center station through said transmission line after going through said plurality of selective distribution stations.

15. The CATV system according to claim 12, wherein said selective distribution station transmits response signals which correspond to respective up-signals from said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s transmitting devices to said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s receiving devices in the shapes of an image signal, a character signal, or a voice signal.

16. The CATV system according to claim 12, wherein said selective distribution station transmits response signals which correspond to respective up-signals from said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s transmitting devices to said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s receiving devices in the shapes of a character signal or a voice signal by radio signals.

17. The CATV system according to claim 4, wherein said center station also functions as at least one of said plurality of selective distribution stations.

18. The CATV system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s transmitting devices can transmit the up-signals corresponding to said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s receiving devices.

19. The CATV system according to claim 1, wherein each of said subscriber'"'"'s transmitting devices include means for transmitting up-signals corresponding to said plurality of subscriber'"'"'s devices.