Cable television network with upstream channel specialized for sending upstream information signals

• US 5,794,117 A
• Filed: 03/14/1996
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Benard, Fran.cedilla.ois
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, John W.
• Application Number:
  US08/615,929
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 348/6, 348/7, 348/12, 348/13, 348/180, 348/192, 348/193
• US Class Current: 725/121
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/22 Adaptations for optical transmission

Abstract

The network comprises a tree specialized in sending information signals upstream, comprising optical-fibre branches. In a junction (L5), an opto-electric conversion is performed in a receiver (RPR5, RPR6) and an electro-optical conversion in a transmitter (RPE2). In the electrical part of a junction, the transmitter of the junction (RPE2) polls the receivers of the junction (RPR5, RPR6) to receive therefrom the messages coming from downstream (5 . . . 6 . . . 5 . . . 6 . . . ), after which a message of local origin (S) is added to those coming from downstream. Although, as a result of the polling, there is no synchronism between the retransmission and the reception of the given message, a specific process makes it possible to ensure that the messages reach an upstream receiver (RPR2) in a predetermined order (S X 5 X 6 X S X 5 X 6 . . . ), which makes it possible to recognize when all the messages have been received well.

Claims

1. Process for transmitting upstream messages in a cable television network which comprises a specific tree-like path for sending messages upstream, which path comprises a plurality of branches called upstream branches, each formed by an optical fibre, which process is characterized in that, in a junction between an upstream branch and various downstream branches, which comprises a transmitter including a converter for producing a light signal transmitted up the upstream branch from a message sequence in the form of an electric signal and, for each downstream branch, a receiver which includes a converter which produces a message in the form of an electric signal from a light signal coming from the downstream branch,

a message received from downstream and carrying a recognition code is recorded in a receiving memory,

based on messages received by the receivers and a message, called local message, generated in the junction itself to be transmitted up the upstream branch, a send message sequence is determined which comprises first messages which repeat in a delayed version the messages received by the receivers and, in the end, the local message whose presence indicates that the sequence has ended,

the same sequence is repeated indefinitely while the contents of the message are being updated, as required.

2. Process as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the receiving memories are polled periodically and a message received from downstream is recorded in the receiving memory only if the message recorded previously has been read by the transmitter.

3. Process as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, after a certain message has been applied to the transmitter in response to a polling, and while other messages continue to arrive at the receiver in a repetitive way, with said certain message among them, said certain message is waited for to occur again without any recording being effected, and the message following said certain message is then recorded.

4. Process as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that a test is made whether the latest message received in response to the periodic polling of a receiver is a local message coming from the downstream junction, and

in that case, a periodic polling of another receiver is proceeded to,

in the opposite case, the same receiver is continued to be polled.

5. Process as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a message exclusively meant for the junction situated immediately upstream is inserted between each of the other messages.

6. Cable television network comprising a tree-like path called main path which the signals follow when they leave a transmission centre, and which comprises a plurality of branches called downstream branches, each formed by an optical fibre, and a second tree-like path called upstream path which signals follow to go back to the transmission centre, and which comprises a plurality of branches called upstream branches which are each formed by an optical fibre and run parallel with a branch of the main path, characterized in that where the network comprises at least a junction between an upstream branch and various downstream branches, such a junction comprises

a receiver for each downstream branch, which includes

a converter for generating a message in the form of an electric signal from a light signal coming from the downstream branch,

and a processor having instructions to instruct the recording of this message together with a recognition code in a receiving memory,

a transmitter, which includes

a processor with instructions to

determine a sequence of send messages based on digital data which represent, on the one hand, messages received by the receivers and, on the other hand, a message called local message generated in the junction itself to be transmitted up the upstream branch, which sequence comprises

firstly, messages which repeat in a delayed version the messages received by the receivers,

and finally, the local message whose presence indicates that the sequence has ended,

and to instruct the indefinite repetition of the same sequence while the contents of the message are being updated, as required,

and a converter for producing a light signal based upon the sequence of messages and transmitted up the upstream branch.

7. Cable television network as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that instructions of the processor of the transmitter instruct a periodic polling procedure of the receiving memories, and instructions of the processor of the receiver permit of the recording in the receiving memory of a message received from downstream, only if the message recorded previously has been read by the transmitter.

8. Cable television network as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that after a certain message has been applied to the transmitter in response to a polling, and while other messages continue to arrive at the receiver in a repetitive way, with said certain message among them, instructions from the processor of the receiver instruct to wait for said certain message to occur again without any recording being effected, and to record the message following said certain message.

9. Cable television network as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the instructions of the processor of the transmitter instruct the testing whether the latest message received in response to the periodic polling of a receiver is a local message coming from the downstream junction, and

in that case, to proceed to a periodic polling of another receiver,

in the opposite case, to continue polling the same receiver.

10. Cable television network as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that instructions of the processor of the transmitter instruct the insertion of a message exclusively meant for the junction situated immediately upstream, between each of the other messages.

11. Intermediate station called "junction", intended to be used in a tree-like cable television network, between an upstream branch formed by an optical fibre that transmits signals coming from a transmission centre, and various downstream branches formed each by an optical fibre that transmits signals to the transmission centre, characterized in that it comprises

a receiver for each downstream branch, which includes

a converter for generating a message in the form of an electric signal from a light signal coming from the downstream branch,

and a processor having instructions to instruct the recording of this message together with a recognition code in a receiving memory,

a transmitter, which includes

a processor with instructions to

determine a sequence of send messages based on digital data which represent, on the one hand, messages received by the receivers and, on the other hand, a message called local message generated in the junction itself to be transmitted up the upstream branch, which sequence comprises

firstly, messages which repeat in a delayed version the messages received by the receivers,

and finally, the local message whose presence indicates that the sequence has ended,

and to instruct the indefinite repetition of the same sequence while the contents of the message are being updated, as required,

and a converter for producing a light signal based upon the sequence of messages and transmitted up the upstream branch.

12. Intermediate station as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that instructions of the processor of the transmitter instruct a periodic polling procedure of the receiving memories, and instructions of the processor of the receiver permit of the recording of a message received from downstream in the receiving memory, only if the message recorded previously has been read by the transmitter.

13. Intermediate station as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that, after a certain message has been applied to the transmitter in response to a polling, and while other messages continue to arrive at the receiver in a repetitive way, with said certain message among them, said certain message is waited for to occur again without any recording being effected, and the message following said certain message is then recorded.

14. Intermediate station as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that instructions of the processor of the transmitter instruct to test whether the latest message received in response to the periodic polling of a receiver is a local message coming from the downstream junction, and

in that case, to proceed to a periodic polling of another receiver,

in the opposite case, to continue to poll the same receiver.

15. Intermediate station as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that instructions of the processor of the transmitter instruct the insertion of a message exclusively meant for the junction situated immediately upstream between each of the other messages.