Hybrid return gate system in a bidirectional cable network
First Claim
1. A hybrid return gate system for suppressing undesirable energy in a network having a bi-directional communication path comprising a first direction and a second direction between a headend and a plurality of remote points, said system comprising:
- means for disconnecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path;
first means for connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path on occurrence of at least one reservation time slot that is dynamically assigned by a command from said headend in response to a reservation time slot request submitted by any one of said plurality of remote points; and
second means for connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path on a contention basis in response to a request from any one of said plurality of remote points.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A bi-directional cable network having a hybrid return gate system that prevents undesirable energy in the bi-directional cable network'"'"'s return path from adversely effecting the entire network whether the network is operating as a contention based network, a reservation based network, or combination of contention and reservation. The hybrid return gate system comprises a solid state radio frequency switch used to connect and disconnect the return path of a bi-directional communication path in conjunction with a transmission from one of a plurality of remote points. Transmissions from a remote point occur in one of a plurality of dynamically defined contention time slots or reservation time slots. At least one network monitoring time slot can also defined to monitor and/or test the bi-directional cable network. In one embodiment each return gate services a plurality of remote points downstream from the return gate. In a second embodiment each remote point has a dedicated return gate. In either embodiment, the switch in a return gate will connect the return path at the occurrence of a contention time slot accompanied by a return gate enabling prybar signal from a transmitting remote point. A return gate will also connect the return path at the occurrence of a reservation time slot assigned by the headend or due to any other command from the headend.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A hybrid return gate system for suppressing undesirable energy in a network having a bi-directional communication path comprising a first direction and a second direction between a headend and a plurality of remote points, said system comprising:
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means for disconnecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path; first means for connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path on occurrence of at least one reservation time slot that is dynamically assigned by a command from said headend in response to a reservation time slot request submitted by any one of said plurality of remote points; and second means for connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path on a contention basis in response to a request from any one of said plurality of remote points. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A hybrid method for suppressing undesirable energy in a network having a first direction and a second direction in a bi-directional communication path between a headend and a plurality of remote points, said method comprising:
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disconnecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path; first step of connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path on occurrence of at least one reservation time slot dynamically assigned by a command from said headend in response to a reservation time slot request submitted by any one of said plurality of remote points; and second step of connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path on a contention basis in response to a command from any one of said plurality of remote points. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A return gate system for suppressing undesirable energy in a network having a first direction and a second direction in a bi-directional communication path between a headend and a plurality of remote points, said system comprising:
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means for dynamically defining a series of reoccurring time slots selected from at least one of the group consisting of;
at least one contention time slot and at least one reservation time slot;means for restricting a transmission of a signal in said second direction of said bi-directional communication path comprising; means for transmitting a reservation time slot assignment in said first direction of said bi-directional communication path from said headend to said plurality of remote points; means for transmitting said signal in said second direction in a reservation time slot assigned to one of said plurality of remote points by said headend; first means for connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path in response to an occurrence of said reservation time slot assigned to one of said plurality of remote points that resides in a part of said network controlled by said first means for connecting; means for disconnecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path at an end of said reservation time slot; second means for connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path in response to a return gate enabling signal in said second direction of said bi-directional communication path transmitted by a remote point that resides in a part of said network controlled by said second means for connecting; and means for disconnecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path at an end of said occurrence of said contention time slot. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification