Integrated telephone and cable communication networks
DCFirst Claim
1. A subscriber interface unit comprising:
- a cable signal receiver and tuner for receiving and tuning a first cable signal wherein said cable signal comprises at least one of a video signal, an audio signal, a voice signal and a data signal;
video and audio converters for converting at least part of said video signal and said audio signal to a format suitable for receiving at a television receiver and for supplying the converted video signal and the converted audio signal to said television receiver;
a voice converter for converting at least part of said voice signal to a format suitable for transmission over a telephone link and for supplying the converted voice signal to at least part of a telephone network;
a data converter for converting at least part of said data signal to a format suitable for transmission over either of a cable link or said telephone link and for supplying the converted data signal to at least one of said cable link and said telephone link;
a cable signal transmitter for transmitting a second cable signal over said cable link; and
a telephone signal converter, wherein a telephone signal, which comprises at least one of a video signal, an audio signal, a voice signal, a facsimile signal, and a data signal, is converted to a signal suitable for transmission on either of said cable link or said telephone link.
10 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated telephone and cable network comprising a telephone network including at least one directing center and first network cabling connecting a directing center to a multiplicity of subscribers, a cable network including at least one headend and second network cabling connecting a headend to the multiplicity of subscribers, a subscriber telephone facility including first subscriber cabling and at least one telephone appliance, a subscriber cable facility including second subscriber cabling and at least one cable appliance, and a subscriber interface unit interfacing between the subscriber telephone facility and the subscriber cable facility and the first and second network cabling whereby communication is enabled between the first subscriber cabling and the second network cabling and between the second subscriber cabling and the first network cabling.
-
Citations
36 Claims
-
1. A subscriber interface unit comprising:
-
a cable signal receiver and tuner for receiving and tuning a first cable signal wherein said cable signal comprises at least one of a video signal, an audio signal, a voice signal and a data signal; video and audio converters for converting at least part of said video signal and said audio signal to a format suitable for receiving at a television receiver and for supplying the converted video signal and the converted audio signal to said television receiver; a voice converter for converting at least part of said voice signal to a format suitable for transmission over a telephone link and for supplying the converted voice signal to at least part of a telephone network; a data converter for converting at least part of said data signal to a format suitable for transmission over either of a cable link or said telephone link and for supplying the converted data signal to at least one of said cable link and said telephone link; a cable signal transmitter for transmitting a second cable signal over said cable link; and a telephone signal converter, wherein a telephone signal, which comprises at least one of a video signal, an audio signal, a voice signal, a facsimile signal, and a data signal, is converted to a signal suitable for transmission on either of said cable link or said telephone link. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
32. A communication interfacing method comprising:
-
receiving and tuning a first cable signal wherein said first cable signal comprises at least one of a video signal, an audio signal, a voice signal and a data signal; converting, in video and audio converters, at least part of said video signal and said audio signal to a format suitable for receiving at a television receiver; supplying the converted video signal and the converted audio signal to said television receiver; converting, in a voice converter, at least part of said voice signal to a format suitable for transmission over a telephone link; supplying the converted voice signal to at least part of a telephone network; converting, in a data converter, at least part of said data signal to a format suitable for transmission over either of a cable link or said telephone link; supplying the converted data signal to at least one of said cable link and said telephone link; transmitting a second cable signal over said cable link; and converting, in a telephone signal converter, a telephone signal, which comprises at least one of a video signal, an audio signal, a voice signal, a facsimile signal, and a data signal to a signal suitable for transmission on either of said cable link and said telephone link. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
-
Specification