Cable television system with separate radio frequency hub and ethernet hub

• US 7,519,297 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2003
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: II-VI Delaware, Inc. (Coherent Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Finisar Corporation (II-VI Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dybsetter, Jerry, Hahin, Jayne, Ellis, William H., Lawson, Arthur Michael, Mostert, Willem A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh; Dalzid
• Application Number:
  US10/703,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20040244049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 398/58, 398/59, 398 66- 68, 398 70- 72, 398/74, 398/115
• US Class Current: 398/115
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0227 Operation, administration, maintenance or provisioning [OAMP] of WDM networks, e.g. media access, routing or wavelength allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0247 Sharing one wavelength for at least a group of ONUs
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0252 Sharing one wavelength for at least a group of ONUs, e.g. for transmissions from-ONU-to-OLT or from-ONU-to-ONU
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0282 WDM tree architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0283 WDM ring architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0298 with sub-carrier multiplexing [SCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/22 Adaptations for optical transmission

Abstract

The present invention relates to a Cable Television (CATV) that includes a head end with a radio-frequency hub and an Ethernet hub to separately process data transmitted within the CATV. Specifically, the radio-frequency hub receives the data, extracts radio-frequency data therefrom, outputs the extracted radio-frequency data, and transmits the data to the Ethernet hub, which is external to the radio-frequency hub. The Ethernet hub receives the data from the radio-frequency hub, extracts Ethernet data from the data, outputs the extracted Ethernet data to an Ethernet data port, inputs additional Ethernet data from the Ethernet data port, incorporates the additional Ethernet data into the data, and transmits the data, with the additional Ethernet data incorporated therein, to a receiver.

Claims

1. A head end system for receiving a data signal originating from a data loop including a transmitter and a receiver, said head end system comprising:

(a) a radio-frequency circuit configured to;

(i) receive the data signal from the transmitter,

(ii) extract radio-frequency data from said data signal,

(iii) output said extracted radio-frequency data, and

(iv) transmit at least a portion of said data signal to an Ethernet circuit, said Ethernet circuit being external to the radio-frequency circuit; and

(b) said Ethernet circuit being configured to;

(i) receive said at least the portion of said data signal from said radio-frequency circuit,

(ii) extract Ethernet data from said at least the portion of said data signal,

(iii) output said extracted Ethernet data to one or more Ethernet data ports,

(iv) input additional Ethernet data from said one or more Ethernet data ports,

(v) incorporate said additional Ethernet data into said at least the portion of said data signal, and

(vi) transmit said at least the portion of the data signal, with said additional Ethernet data incorporated therein, to the receiver;

wherein said Ethernet circuit and said radio-frequency circuit each include a controller logic, said controller logic comprising a first section configured to control a plurality of operations related to said Ethernet data, a second section configured to control a plurality of operations related to said radio-frequency data, and a third section configured to control a plurality of operations related to both said Ethernet data and said radio-frequency data, wherein said first section is not enabled in said radio-frequency circuit and said second section is not enabled in said Ethernet circuit.

2. The head end system of claim 1, wherein said radio-frequency circuit comprises:

(a) an optoelectronic receiver configured to;

(i) receive said data signal in an optical form,

(ii) convert said data signal to an electrical form, the radio-frequency data extracted from said data signal while in the electrical form; and

(b) an optoelectronic transmitter configured to

(i) convert said at least the portion of the data signal to said optical form; and

(ii) transmit said at least the portion of said data signal in an optical form.

3. The head end system of claim 1, wherein said Ethernet circuit comprises:

(a) a second optoelectronic receiver, said second optoelectronic receiver being configured to;

(i) receive said at least the portion of said data signal in an optical form,

(ii) convert said at least the portion of said data signal to an electrical form, said Ethernet data extracted from said at least the portion of said data signal while in the electrical form, said additional Ethernet data incorporated into said at least the portion of the data signal while in said electrical form; and

(b) a second optoelectronic transmitter, said second optoelectronic transmitter being configured to;

(i) convert said at least the portion of said data signal to back to said optical form, and

(ii) transmit said at least the portion of said data signal in said optical form.

4. The head end system of claim 1, wherein said radio-frequency circuit further comprises one or more pull-up resistors to enable said second section.

5. The head end system of claim 1, wherein said Ethernet circuit further comprises one or more pull-up resistors to enable said first section.

6. A head end system for receiving a data signal originating from a data loop including a transmitter and a receiver, said head end system comprising:

(a) a radio-frequency circuit configured to;

(i) receive the data signal from the transmitter,

(ii) extract radio-frequency data from said data signal,

(iii) output said extracted radio-frequency data, and

(iv) transmit at least a portion of said data signal to an Ethernet circuit, said Ethernet circuit being external to the radio-frequency circuit; and

(b) said Ethernet circuit being configured to;

(i) receive said at least the portion of said data signal from said radio-frequency circuit,

(ii) extract Ethernet data from said at least the portion of said data signal,

(iii) output said extracted Ethernet data to one or more Ethernet data ports,

(iv) input additional Ethernet data from said one or more Ethernet data ports,

(v) incorporate said additional Ethernet data into said at least the portion of said data signal, and

(vi) transmit said at least the portion of the data signal, with said additional Ethernet data incorporated therein, to the receiver;

wherein said Ethernet circuit and said radio-frequency circuit each include a controller logic, said controller logic configurable to control a plurality of operations related to said Ethernet data, configurable to control a plurality of operations related to said radio-frequency data, and a third section configured to control a plurality of operations related to both said Ethernet data and said radio-frequency data, said Ethernet circuit including a plurality of pull-up resistors to configure said Ethernet circuit to control said plurality of operations related to said Ethernet data, and said radio-frequency circuit including another plurality of pull-up resistors to configure said radio-frequency circuit to control said plurality of operations related to said radio-frequency data.

7. A head end system for receiving a data signal originating from a data loop including a transmitter and a receiver, said head end system comprising:

(a) a radio-frequency circuit configured to;

(i) receive the data signal from the transmitter,

(ii) extract radio-frequency data from said data signal,

(iii) output said extracted radio-frequency data, and

(iv) transmit at least a portion of said data signal to an Ethernet circuit, said Ethernet circuit being external to the radio-frequency circuit; and

(b) said Ethernet circuit being configured to;

(i) receive said at least the portion of said data signal from said radio-frequency circuit,

(ii) extract Ethernet data from said at least the portion of said data signal,

(iii) output said extracted Ethernet data to one or more Ethernet data ports,

(iv) input additional Ethernet data from said one or more Ethernet data ports,

(v) incorporate said additional Ethernet data into said at least the portion of said data signal, and

(vi) transmit said at least the portion of the data signal, with said additional Ethernet data incorporated therein, to the receiver;

wherein said Ethernet circuit includes a first field programmable gate array and said radio-frequency circuit includes a second field programmable gate array, said first field programmable gate array and said second field programmable gate array including an identical, configurable field programmable gate array code, and said identical field programmable gate array code configured to process said Ethernet data in said first field programmable gate array and said identical field programmable gate array code configured to process said radio-frequency data in said second field programmable gate array.