Twisted pair communication system

• US 6,192,399 B1
• Filed: 07/10/1998
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United Access Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: CAIS, INCORPORATED, Inline Connection Corporation
• Inventors: Goodman, David D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, RUEBEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/113,526
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 348/12, 348/13, 379/93.08, 379/93.09, 379/212, 379/207, 379/220, 379/90.1, 379/217, 370/489-498, 370/445-448
• US Class Current: 725/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/44 Star or tree networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 the cable being constituted by a pair of wires

Abstract

A communication system for passing information between information services and terminal devices over a twisted wire pair network. The information services include a telephone exchange and other services, such as a data network and a television distribution system. The terminal devices include telephones and other devices, such as computers and televisions. The system includes a main information interface coupled to the information services and to the twisted wire pair network, which couples the terminal devices and to the main information interface. The wiring network includes multiple active telephone pairs for passing voice signals between the telephone exchange and telephones. The information interface includes circuitry for combining on the active telephone pairs (a) telephone signals in a telephone frequency band passing between the telephone exchange and the one or more telephones and (b) high frequency signals in a high band of frequencies higher that those of the telephone frequency band passing information between the other information services and one or more of the terminal devices.

Claims

1. A communication system for passing communication between a plurality of terminal devices, including telephones and computers, and a plurality of information services, including a telephone network and a data network, comprising:

a twisted pair wiring network coupled to the terminal devices including a plurality of separate twisted pair wiring networks for passing voice signals in a telephone voice frequency band between the telephone network and the one or more telephones on each of said separate twisted pair wiring networks, wherein each separate twisted pair wiring network includes a two-conductor network; and

circuitry for combining telephone and data signals including

a first data hub coupled to the data network and including a plurality of data ports each associated with a different one of the separate twisted pair wiring networks, wherein the first data hub includes circuitry for inhibiting transmission of data received from the data network and addressed to a computer coupled to one of the data ports from being transmitted on other of the data ports, and

for each of the data ports, circuitry coupled to the telephone network and to said data port, coupled to the separate twisted pair wiring network associated with said data port, and configured to combine on said separate twisted pair wiring network (a) telephone voice signals in the telephone voice frequency band passing between the telephone network and the one or more telephones on said separate network, and (b) high frequency signals in a high band of frequencies higher that those of the telephone voice frequency band passing information between said data port and one or more of the computers coupled to said separate twisted pair wiring network, wherein the circuitry coupled to the telephone network and to said data port further includes a first media adapter including circuitry for communicating with the first data hub over more than two conductors and for communicating with the one or more computers on said separate twisted pair wiring network over the two-conductor network and configured to communicate with the first data hub using Ethernet signals over four conductors, and wherein the first media adapter further includes circuitry coupled to the two-conductor network for transmitting a first control signal in a first frequency band to indicate that it is transmitting data onto the two-conductor network in the high band of frequencies and for detecting a second control signal in a second frequency band while transmitting said first control signal, said second control signal indicative of another device transmitting data onto the two-conductor network in the high band of frequencies, whereby the signals in the first and second frequency band provide information for detecting data collisions on the two-conductor network.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the signal in the first frequency band is a tone at a first frequency above the telephone voice frequency band, and the signal in the second frequency band is a tone at a second frequency different from the first frequency and above the telephone voice frequency band.

3. A communication system for passing communication between a plurality of terminal devices, including telephones and computers, and a plurality of information services, including a telephone network and a data network, comprising:

a twisted pair wiring network coupled to the terminal devices including a plurality of separate twisted pair wiring networks for passing voice signals in a telephone voice frequency band between the telephone network and the one or more telephones on each of said separate twisted pair wiring networks; and

circuitry for combining telephone and data signals including

a first data hub coupled to the data network and including a plurality of data ports each associated with a different one of the separate twisted pair wiring networks, wherein the first data hub includes circuitry for inhibiting transmission of data received from the data network and addressed to a computer coupled to one of the data ports from being transmitted on other of the data ports,

for each of the data ports, circuitry coupled to the telephone network and to said data port, coupled to the separate twisted pair wiring network associated with said data port, and configured to combine on said separate twisted pair wiring network (a) telephone voice signals in the telephone voice frequency band passing between the telephone network and the one or more telephones on said separate network, and (b) high frequency signals in a high band of frequencies higher that those of the telephone voice frequency band passing information between said data port and one or more of the computers coupled to said separate twisted pair wiring network,

a wiring block having a plurality of corresponding pairs of contacts, wherein for each pair, one contact is coupled to the telephone network, and the other contact is coupled to the separate twisted pair wiring network, said wiring block being configured to accept a connector between the pairs of contacts such that in the absence of an inserted connector, each pair of contacts are directly electrically coupled, and

a connector inserted between the pairs of contacts, wherein the connector includes a plurality of low-pass filters, each associated with a different of the pairs of contact and providing signal path in the telephone voice frequency band between the contacts of said pair of contact.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the connector is coupled to first data hub and includes circuitry for providing a signal path in the high band of frequencies between the first data hub and the separate twisted pair wiring network and for providing a signal path in the telephone voice frequency band between the telephone exchange and the separate telephone wiring network.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the wiring block includes a telephone 110 wiring block, and the connector forms a cover over a face of the wiring block.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the connector includes an RJ-21 jack for attaching a cable that couples the connector to the first data hub.

7. A device for connecting to a twisted pair wiring block having a plurality of corresponding pairs of contacts, wherein said wiring block is configured to accept a connector between the pairs of contacts such that in the absence of an inserted connector, each pair of contacts are directly electrically coupled, said device comprising:

a first connector for insertion between the pairs of contacts, including contacts for mating with a first contact and a second contact of each of the pairs of contacts;

a second connector providing a plurality of contacts, each of said contacts corresponding to a different one of the pairs of contacts of the wiring block;

circuitry for providing a signal path in a first band of frequencies between the first contact and the second contact of each of the pairs of contacts of the wiring block;

circuitry for providing a signal path in a second band of frequencies higher than the frequencies of the first band of frequencies between the each of the contacts on the second connector and the first contact of the corresponding pair of contacts on the wiring block.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the wiring block includes a telephone 110 wiring block, and the device forms a cover over a face of the wiring block.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the second connector includes an RJ-21 jack.