Interactive data over voice communication system and method

• US 7,149,289 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2004
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United Access Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Inline Connection Corporation
• Inventors: Goodman, David D., Domnitz, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US10/970,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20050117721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 379/90.01, 379/93.01, 379 9305- 9308, 379/93.15, 379/93.26, 379/93.28, 379/93.37, 379/110.01, 37910201-10203, 348/14.01, 348 1408- 1413, 348/734
• US Class Current: 379/90.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/81 combined with telephone network over which the broadcast is continuously available
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/104 Switchers or splitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 the cable being constituted by a pair of wires
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An interactive system and method for communicating data over a network of twisted pair wiring that is in active use as a conductive path for telephone signals. A first channel is used for transmission of data from a signal interface to a transceiver. The data is made available to the signal interface from an external source of information. The transceiver communicates data in the reverse direction of a second channel. The transceiver can sendcontrol signals upstream to indicate which audio/video content is to be sent back. Information communicated in the reverse channel can be received as a light signal, with the light signal recreated at the opposite end of the link.

Claims

1. A system for communicating information comprising:

a subsystem, a transceiver, a signal interface, and an information source,

a path coupled to the subsystem and the transceiver, wherein the path is a two-wire conductive path; and

a first branch coupled to the signal interface and a first point on the path, wherein the first branch is a two-wire conductive branch;

wherein,

the subsystem transmits a first voiceband signal onto the path, receives a second voiceband signal from the path, and is operable to process telephone signals;

the signal interface receives a first information set from the information source and transmits onto the first branch a first signal that encodes the first information set;

the transceiver receives a second information set and transmits onto the path a second signal that encodes the second information set;

the transceiver receives the first signal from the path, and substantially recovers the first information set from the first signal; and

the signal interface receives the second signal from the first branch and substantially recovers the second information set from the second signal; and

wherein

the power spectrum of the first signal is substantially confined within a first frequency band;

the power spectrum of the second signal is substantially confined within a second frequency band;

a highest frequency of the second frequency band is below a highest frequency of the first frequency band; and

a lowest frequency of the second frequency band is above voiceband and below a lowest frequency of the first frequency band.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the subsystem provides the information content of the second voiceband signal to a communications network.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein a portion of the first signal, a portion of the second signal, and a portion of the first voiceband signal are transmitted simultaneously on the path.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the information source provides any of a plurality of information sets and wherein information encoded in the second signal includes information that has an influence on which of the plurality of information sets are encoded in the first signal;

the transceiver receives the second information set by receiving a third signal that encodes the second information set

the first information set includes video information

the transceiver passes information in the first information set to a video monitor operable to display the video information

the video information is displayed while the transceiver receives at least a portion of the first signal.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the third signal is a radiated signal.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein:

said first information set includes audio information;

said transceiver passes said first information set to a device operable to convert said information to sound; and

said second information set is encoded in a radiated signal as said second signal is received by said signal interface.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a first low pass filter and a second branch, the second branch coupled to a first telephone device and the path, the first low pass filter operable to present a high impedance to signals above voiceband that are conducted from the path onto the second branch and allow passage of voiceband signals; and

a second low pass filter and a third branch, the third branch coupled to a second telephone device and the path, the second low pass filter operable to present a high impedance to signals above voiceband that are conducted from the path onto the third branch and allow passage of voiceband signals.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the third signal is an infrared signal.

9. The system of claim 4 further comprising a first high pass filter operable to present a high impedance to voiceband signals conducted from the path onto the first branch and allow passage of signals above voiceband.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the transceiver is located inside a building.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the signal interface is located inside the building.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the width of the second frequency band is less than the width of the first frequency band.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the frequencies spanned by the second frequency band are below a lowest frequency of the first frequency band.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first high pass filter operable to present a high impedance to voiceband signals conducted from the path onto the first branch and allow passage of signals above voiceband.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the first high pass filter presents a high impedance to voiceband signals conducted from the path onto the first branch to substantially prevent attenuation of voiceband signals on the path.

16. The system of claim 14 further comprising a first low pass filter and a second branch, the second branch coupled to a first telephone device and the path, the first low pass filter operable to present a high impedance to signals above voiceband that are conducted from the path onto the second branch and allow passage of voiceband signals.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the first low pass filter presents a high impedance to signals above voiceband that are conducted from the path onto the second branch to substantially prevent attenuation of signals above voiceband on the path.

18. The system of claim 16 further comprising a second low pass filter and a third branch, the third branch coupled to a second telephone device and the path, the second low pass filter operable to present a high impedance to signals above voiceband that are conducted from the path onto the third branch and allow passage of voiceband signals.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the second low pass filter presents a high impedance to signals above voiceband that are conducted from the path onto the third branch to substantially prevent attenuation of signals above voiceband on the path.

20. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second branch coupled to the path, wherein substantially all of the first information set is recovered despite reflected signals created by the second branch.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the information source provides any of a plurality of information sets and wherein information encoded in the second signal includes information that has an influence on which of the plurality of information sets are encoded in the first signal.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein information encoded in the second signal includes a command to interrupt transmission of the first signal.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the first information set includes video information.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the transceiver passes the information in the first information set to a video monitor operable to display the video information.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the video information is displayed while the transceiver receives at least a portion of the first signal.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the video monitor is an NTSC television.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein receiving the second information set by the transceiver includes receiving a third signal that encodes the second information set.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the third signal is a radiated signal.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the third signal is an infrared signal.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein the second information set is created by manual input.

31. The system of claim 1 wherein the sub-system subsystem is a voice switch.

32. The system of claim 1 wherein the first information set includes audio information.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein information in the first information set is passed by the transceiver to a device operable to convert the audio information to sound.

34. The system of claim 1 further including a gap band wherein the frequencies spanned by said gap band are above the lowest frequency of said first frequency band and below the highest frequency of said first frequency band.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein a first noise is induced on the path within the gap band.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the source of the first noise is a radio transmitter.

37. The system of claim 1, wherein the first information set includes at least part of a video signal.

38. The system of claim 1, wherein the first information set includes at least part of a television signal.

39. The system of claim 1, wherein the first information set encodes at least part of a video signal.

40. The system of claim 1, wherein the lowest frequency of the second frequency band is just high enough above the voiceband to eliminate interference with voiceband signals.

41. The system of claim 1, wherein the first information set encodes an NTSC video signal.

42. A method for communicating information comprising:

transmitting a first voiceband signal onto a path and receiving a second voiceband signal from the path, wherein the path is a two-wire conductive path;

transmitting onto the path a first signal while presenting a high impedance to voiceband signals on the path, the first signal encoding a first information set;

transmitting onto the path a second signal while presenting a high impedance to voiceband signals on the path, the second signal encoding a second information set;

receiving the first signal from the path and substantially recovering the first information set from the first signal; and

receiving the second signal from the path, and substantially recovering the second information set from the second signal; and

wherein

the power spectrum of the first signal is substantially confined within a first frequency band, and the power spectrum of the second signal is substantially confined within a second frequency band;

a highest frequency of the second frequency band is below a highest frequency of the first frequency band; and

a lowest frequency of the second frequency band is above voiceband and below a lowest frequency of the first frequency band; and

wherein

the first signal, and the second signal are electrical signals.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the information content of the second voiceband signal is provided to a communication network.

44. The method of claim 42 wherein a portion of the first signal, a portion of the second signal, and a portion of the first voiceband signal are transmitted simultaneously on the path.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein:

the source of information provides any set of a plurality of information sets and wherein information encoded in the second signal includes information that has an influence on which of the plurality of information sets are encoded in the first signal;

the first information set includes video information;

receiving the second information set includes receiving a third signal that encodes the second information set;

the video information in the first information is converted to visible images;

the first signal is transmitted onto the path and the second signal is received from the path at a first point on the path, and

the second signal is transmitted onto the path and the first signal is received from the path at a second point on the path, wherein said second point is separate from said first point.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the first information set encodes an NTSC video signal.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein as the second information set is substantially recovered from the second signal the second information set is encoded in a light signal.

48. The method of claim 45 wherein the third signal is a radiated signal.

49. The method of claim 45 wherein the third signal is an infrared signal.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein as the second information set is substantially recovered from the second signal the second information set is used to recreate the third infrared signal.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein as said second information set is recovered from said second signal, at least part of said second information set is encoded in a radiated signal, and as said first information set is recovered from said first signal, at least part of said first information set is converted to sound.

52. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

the method further including presenting a high impedance to the first and second signals and allowing voiceband signals to pass at a first location; and

presenting a high impedance to the first and second signals and allowing voiceband signals to pass at a second location, wherein the second location, the first point, the second point, and the first location are all located separate from each other.

53. The method of claim 42 wherein the first signal is transmitted onto the path and the second signal is received from the path at a first point on the path.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein the second signal is transmitted onto the path and the first signal is received from the path at a second point on the path, wherein said second point is separate from said first point.

55. The method of claim 54 further comprising presenting a high impedance to the first and second signals and allowing signals within the voiceband to pass at a first location, wherein said first location is separate from said first point and said second point.

56. The method of claim 55 further comprising presenting a high impedance to the first and second signal and allowing signals within the voiceband to pass at a second location, wherein the second location is separate from the first point, the second point, and the first location.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein the presenting a high impedance to the first signal reduces attenuation of signals above voiceband.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein substantially all of the first information set is recovered from the first signal despite reflections of the first signal on the path.

59. The method of claim 42 wherein the first frequency band is wider than the second frequency band.

60. The method of claim 42 wherein the frequencies spanned by the second frequency band are below a lowest frequency of the first frequency band.

61. The method of claim 42 wherein the source of information provides any of a plurality of information sets and wherein information encoded in the second signal includes information that has an influence on which of the plurality of information sets are encoded in the first signal.

62. The method of claim 42 wherein information encoded in the second signal includes a command to interrupt transmission of the first signal.

63. The method of claim 42 wherein the first information set includes video information.

64. The method of claim 63 further comprising converting the video information in the first information set to visible images.

65. The method of claim 42 wherein receiving the second information set includes receiving a third signal that encodes the second information set.

66. The method of claim 65, wherein the third signal is a first radiated signal.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein as the second information set is substantially recovered from the second signal the second information set is converted to a light signal.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein said plurality of information sets includes information sets from different sources, and said second information set has an influence on the determination of which of said plurality of information sets is encoded in said first signal.

69. The method of claim 66, wherein as said second information set is recovered from said second signal, at least part of said second information set is encoded in a second radiated signal, and as said first information set is recovered from said first signal, at least part of said first information set is converted to sound.

70. The method of claim 65 wherein the third signal is an infrared signal.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein as the second information set is substantially recovered from the second signal the second information set is used to recreate the received infrared signal.

72. The method of claim 42 wherein the second information set is created by manual input.

73. The method of claim 42 further comprising providing a gap band, wherein the frequencies spanned by said gap band are above the lowest frequency of said first frequency band and below the highest frequency of said first frequency band.

74. The method of claim 73 wherein the gap band includes frequencies allocated to amateur radio.

75. The method of claim 42, wherein the first information set includes at least part of a video signal.

76. The method of claim 42, wherein the first information set includes at least part of a television signal.

77. The method of claim 42, wherein the first information set encodes video information.

78. The method of claim 42, wherein the lowest frequency of the second frequency band is just high enough above the voiceband to eliminate interference with voiceband signals.