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Wide area fiber and tv cable fast packet cell network

  • US 5,870,395 A
  • Filed: 06/18/1997
  • Issued: 02/09/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/04/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A shared communication transmission distribution system for the bi-directional transmission of cell packets over a cable TV broadcast distribution system as a shared communications channel, said system comprising:

  • a first bi-directional transmission path; and

    a second bi-directional transmission path;

    wherein said first bi-directional transmission path includes;

    a first feeder cable having an up-stream end and a downstream end having a defined length therebetween divided into an up-stream section and a downstream section;

    a first feeder amplifier serially connected between said up-stream and downstream sections of said first feeder cable to convey broadcast TV signals downstream on said first feeder cable, wherein said feeder amplifier has a downstream terminal;

    a first bandpass filter having a first terminal coupled to said downstream terminal of said first feeder amplifier and a second terminal connected to said downstream section of said first feeder cable, said first bandpass filter having a lower cut-off frequency and an upper cut-off frequency with frequencies of the commercial TV band being between said lower and upper cut-off frequencies;

    a first tap along the length of said downstream section of said first feeder cable downstream of said first bandpass filter, with said first tap having an upper cut-off frequency that is above the upper cut-off frequency of said first bandpass filter;

    a first drop cable having an up-stream end connected to said first tap, and having a downstream end;

    a first slave transceiver connected to the downstream end of said first drop cable to receive downstream signals from said first drop cable and to deliver up-stream signals to said first drop cable;

    a first low pass filter having a downstream terminal and an up-stream terminal, said downstream terminal being connected to said second terminal of said first bandpass filter and said up-stream terminal being coupled to said up-stream section of said first feeder cable up-stream of said first feeder amplifier, said first low pass filter having an upper cut-off frequency that is below the lower cut-off frequency of said first bandpass filter;

    a third section of said first feeder cable, said third section being serially coupled to said downstream section and extending further downstream;

    a second feeder amplifier serially connected between said downstream and third sections of said first feeder cable to convey broadcast TV signals downstream on said first feeder cable, wherein said second feeder amplifier has an up-stream terminal and a downstream terminal;

    a second bandpass filter having a first terminal coupled to said downstream terminal of said second feeder amplifier and a second terminal connected to said third section of said first feeder cable, said second bandpass filter having a lower cut-off frequency and an upper cut-off frequency that are substantially the same as said lower and upper cut-off frequencies of said first bandpass filter;

    a second tap along the length of said third section of said first feeder cable downstream of said second bandpass filter, with said second tap having an upper cut-off frequency that is substantially the same as said first tap;

    a second drop cable having an up-stream end connected to said second tap, and having a downstream end;

    a second slave transceiver connected to the downstream end of said second drop cable to receive downstream signals from said second drop cable and to deliver up-stream signals to said second drop cable;

    a second low pass filter having a downstream terminal and an up-stream terminal, said downstream terminal being connected to said second terminal of said second bandpass filter and said up-stream terminal being coupled to said downstream section of said first feeder cable up-stream of said second feeder amplifier, said second low pass filter having an upper cut-off frequency that is substantially the same as the upper cut-off frequency of said first low pass filter; and

    a two stage filter connected between said up-stream terminal of said second feeder amplifier and said downstream section of said first feeder cable, said two stage filter having;

    a third bandpass filter having a first terminal connected to said up-stream terminal of said second feeder amplifier and a second terminal, said third bandpass filter having a lower cut-off frequency and an upper cut-off frequency that are substantially the same as said lower and upper cut-off frequencies of said first bandpass filter;

    a third low pass filter having a first terminal coupled to said up-stream terminal of said second feeder amplifier and a second terminal, said third low pass filter having an upper cut-off frequency that is substantially the same as the upper cut-off frequency of said first low pass filter; and

    a fourth low pass filter having a first terminal connected to said downstream section of said first feeder cable, and a second terminal connected to said second terminal of each of said third bandpass filter and said third low pass filter, said fourth low pass filter having an upper cut-off frequency that is substantially the same as the upper cut-off frequency of said first bandpass filter; and

    wherein said second bi-directional transmission path includes;

    a second feeder cable having a first section with said first section having a first end and a second end;

    a first high pass filter having an up-stream terminal coupled to said second end of said first section of said second feeder cable and a downstream terminal connected to said downstream terminal of said first bandpass filter wherein said first high pass filter has a lower cut-off frequency that is above the upper cut-off frequency of said first bandpass filter;

    a second section of said second feeder cable serially coupled to said second end of said first section of said second feeder cable, said second section having a first end and a second end; and

    a second high pass filter having an up-stream terminal coupled to said second end of said second feeder cable and a downstream terminal connected to said downstream terminal of said second bandpass filter wherein said second high pass filter has a lower cut-off frequency that substantially the same as said lower cut-off frequency of said first high pass filter; and

    an FTU/headend processor coupled to first end of said first section of said second feeder cable to send packet cells to and from said first slave transceiver; and

    wherein said first slave transceiver, responsive only to packet cells addressed to itself, upon receipt of instructions from said FTU/headend processor transmits packet cells to said FTU/headend processor, and wherein the transmission of said packet cells is restricted to frequencies above the upper frequency of said commercial TV band; and

    wherein said FTU/headend processor also sends packet cells to and from said second slave transceiver, wherein said second slave transceiver, responsive only to packet cells addressed to itself, upon receipt of instructions from said FTU/headend processor transmits packet cells to said FTU/headend processor, and wherein the transmission of said packet cells is restricted to frequencies above the upper frequency of said commercial TV band.

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