Two-way communication over a single transmission line between one or more information sources and a group of telephones, computers, and televisions
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A communication system comprising:
- a central transceiver-switch system for communicating with a plurality of subsystems;
a communication line for providing information from at least one source of information to the central transceiver-switch system, wherein the at least one source of information is configured to send a plurality of information streams to the central transceiver-switch system;
wherein the central transceiver-switch system is operable to;
select a forward data stream from among the plurality of information streams, the selection being influenced by information in the forward data stream;
select a forward video stream from among the plurality of information streams, the selection being influenced by information in the forward video stream;
generate a downstream signal encoding the forward data stream and the forward video stream, the downstream signal substantially confined to a downstream band lying above a telephone voice band, in which at least part of the downstream band covers frequencies above 1 MHz;
couple the downstream signal onto a first path for transmission to at least one of the subsystems, the first path comprising at least one two-conductor path between the central transceiver-switch system and a signal interface of each of the subsystems; and
receive a backward signal from the first path and recover substantially all of a reverse data stream and a reverse control stream from the backward signal; and
wherein each of the subsystems is operable to;
receive the downstream signal at a signal interface, the signal interface being operable to;
generate a forward data signal encoding the forward data stream;
transmit the forward data signal to a first transceiver operable to receive the forward data signal and to provide a first destination device with the forward data stream;
receive an upstream data signal from the first transceiver, wherein the first destination device generates the reverse data stream and provides the reverse data stream to the first transceiver and the first transceiver generates the upstream data signal encoding the reverse data stream;
generate a forward video signal encoding the forward video stream;
transmit the forward video signal to a second transceiver operable to receive the forward video signal and provide a second destination device with the forward video stream;
receive an upstream control signal from the second transceiver, wherein the second transceiver generates the upstream control signal encoding the reverse control stream;
generate the backward signal encoding both the reverse data stream and the reverse control stream;
transmit the backward signal over the first path to the central transceiver-switch system;
receive a downstream telephone communication stream from the first path, wherein the downstream telephone communication stream is encoded using at least some frequencies above the telephone voice band and the downstream telephone communication stream includes voice information and non-voice information;
convert the received downstream telephone communication stream into downstream ordinary telephone signals, the downstream ordinary telephone signals including voice signals within the telephone voice band and non-voice signals within the telephone voice band;
transmit the downstream ordinary telephone signals onto a second path between the signal interface and a first telephone device;
receive upstream ordinary telephone signals from the second path;
convert the upstream ordinary telephone signals into an upstream telephone communication stream encoded using at least some frequencies above the telephone voice band; and
transmit the upstream telephone communication stream onto the first path.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for communicating data over a plurality of telephone lines between a source of information and a plurality of destinations of data, wherein each of the telephone lines connects to a different one of the plurality of destinations and also carries voice signals to and from a plurality of telephone devices.
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Citations
93 Claims
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1. A communication system comprising:
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a central transceiver-switch system for communicating with a plurality of subsystems; a communication line for providing information from at least one source of information to the central transceiver-switch system, wherein the at least one source of information is configured to send a plurality of information streams to the central transceiver-switch system; wherein the central transceiver-switch system is operable to; select a forward data stream from among the plurality of information streams, the selection being influenced by information in the forward data stream; select a forward video stream from among the plurality of information streams, the selection being influenced by information in the forward video stream; generate a downstream signal encoding the forward data stream and the forward video stream, the downstream signal substantially confined to a downstream band lying above a telephone voice band, in which at least part of the downstream band covers frequencies above 1 MHz; couple the downstream signal onto a first path for transmission to at least one of the subsystems, the first path comprising at least one two-conductor path between the central transceiver-switch system and a signal interface of each of the subsystems; and receive a backward signal from the first path and recover substantially all of a reverse data stream and a reverse control stream from the backward signal; and wherein each of the subsystems is operable to; receive the downstream signal at a signal interface, the signal interface being operable to; generate a forward data signal encoding the forward data stream; transmit the forward data signal to a first transceiver operable to receive the forward data signal and to provide a first destination device with the forward data stream; receive an upstream data signal from the first transceiver, wherein the first destination device generates the reverse data stream and provides the reverse data stream to the first transceiver and the first transceiver generates the upstream data signal encoding the reverse data stream; generate a forward video signal encoding the forward video stream; transmit the forward video signal to a second transceiver operable to receive the forward video signal and provide a second destination device with the forward video stream; receive an upstream control signal from the second transceiver, wherein the second transceiver generates the upstream control signal encoding the reverse control stream; generate the backward signal encoding both the reverse data stream and the reverse control stream; transmit the backward signal over the first path to the central transceiver-switch system; receive a downstream telephone communication stream from the first path, wherein the downstream telephone communication stream is encoded using at least some frequencies above the telephone voice band and the downstream telephone communication stream includes voice information and non-voice information; convert the received downstream telephone communication stream into downstream ordinary telephone signals, the downstream ordinary telephone signals including voice signals within the telephone voice band and non-voice signals within the telephone voice band; transmit the downstream ordinary telephone signals onto a second path between the signal interface and a first telephone device; receive upstream ordinary telephone signals from the second path; convert the upstream ordinary telephone signals into an upstream telephone communication stream encoded using at least some frequencies above the telephone voice band; and transmit the upstream telephone communication stream onto the first path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A communication system comprising:
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a first telephone device; a first transceiver; a second transceiver; a first destination device coupled to the first transceiver; a second destination device coupled to the second transceiver; a signal interface coupled to the first telephone device over a first path, coupled to the first transceiver over a first transceiver path, and coupled to the second transceiver over a second transceiver path; and wherein; the first telephone device is adapted to conduct ordinary telephone communication by transmitting signals onto the first path and receiving signals from the first path, wherein the transmitted and the received signals are within a telephone voice band; the signal interface is adapted to; receive a downstream signal encoding both a forward data stream and a forward video stream, the downstream signal encoded within a downstream band and including frequencies above the telephone voice band, in which at least part of the downstream band covers frequencies above 1 MHz; generate a forward data signal encoding the forward data stream; transmit the forward data signal on the first transceiver path to the first transceiver; generate a forward video signal encoding the forward video stream; transmit the forward video signal on the second transceiver path to the second transceiver; receive a downstream telephone communication stream, wherein the downstream telephone communication stream is encoded at least in part at frequencies above the telephone voice band; generate downstream ordinary telephone signals including non- voice signals within the telephone voice band; transmit the downstream ordinary telephone signals to the first telephone device; the first transceiver is adapted to; receive the forward data signal from the first transceiver path; provide the forward data stream to the first destination device; receive a reverse data stream from the first destination device; generate an upstream data signal encoding the reverse data stream; and transmit the upstream data signal on the first transceiver path to the signal interface; the second transceiver is adapted to; receive the forward video signal from the second transceiver path; provide the forward video stream to the second destination device; generate an upstream control signal encoding a reverse control stream; and transmit the upstream control signal on the second transceiver path to the signal interface; and the signal interface is farther adapted to generate a backward signal encoding at least one of the reverse data stream or the reverse control stream for transmission over a second path. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A communication system comprising:
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a central transceiver-switch system adapted to communicate with a plurality of subsystems; a communication line for providing information from at least one source of information to the central transceiver-switch system, wherein the at least one source of information is configured to send a plurality of information streams to the central transceiver-switch system over the communication line; wherein the central transceiver-switch system is configured to; generate telephone communication signals encoded at least partially within a frequency band above a telephone voice band based on ordinary telephone signals within the telephone voice band received from a telephone exchange; produce at least one forward information stream from the plurality of information streams, wherein the at least one forward information stream includes video information and data; generate a first downstream signal encoding a first part of the forward information stream and a second downstream signal encoding a second part of the forward information stream, the forward information stream substantially recoverable from the first downstream signal and the second downstream signal, the first downstream signal encoded within a downstream band lying at least partially above the telephone voice band, and at least part of the downstream band includes frequencies above 1 MHz; couple the first downstream signal onto a first path, the second downstream signal onto a second path, and the telephone communication signals onto at least one of the first path or the second path for transmission to at least one of the subsystems; and receive a first upstream signal from the first path and a second upstream signal from the second path to recover substantially all of a computer information stream and a control information stream from the first upstream signal and the second upstream signal; and wherein each of the subsystems includes a telephone device, a first destination device, and a second destination device, each of the subsystems configured to; generate ordinary telephone signals based at least in part on the telephone communication signals received from the central transceiver-switch system, wherein the generated ordinary telephone signals include non-voice signals within the telephone voice band; conduct ordinary telephone communication with the telephone device by transmitting the generated ordinary telephone signals to and receiving ordinary telephone signals from the telephone device, wherein the signals received from the telephone device are transmitted in the subsystem within the telephone voice band; generate images on the first destination device using video information in the forward information stream; transmit data in the forward information stream to the second destination device; generate a reverse information stream including the computer information stream provided by the second destination device and the control information stream encoded in an infrared signal; encode a first part of the reverse information stream in the first upstream signal and a second part of the reverse information stream in the second upstream signal, the reverse information stream being substantially recoverable from the first upstream signal and the second upstream signal; and couple the first upstream signal onto the first path and the second upstream signal onto the second path, wherein the first upstream signal is encoded using at least some frequencies above the telephone voice band. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A communication system comprising:
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a first telephone device coupled to a first path, the first telephone device configured to conduct ordinary telephone communications by transmitting upstream ordinary telephone signals onto the first path and receiving downstream ordinary telephone signals from the first path, wherein the upstream ordinary telephone signals and the downstream ordinary telephone signals are substantially confined within a telephone voice band; a first destination device; a first transceiver coupled to the first destination device, the first transceiver configured to; receive a forward data signal encoding a forward data stream from a first transceiver path; provide the forward data stream to the first destination device; receive a reverse data stream from the first destination device; generate an upstream data signal encoding the reverse data stream; and couple the upstream data signal to the first transceiver path; a second destination device; a second transceiver coupled to the second destination device, the second transceiver configured to; receive a forward video signal encoding a forward video stream from a second transceiver path; provide the forward video stream to the second destination device; receive a reverse control stream; generate an upstream control signal encoding the reverse control stream; and couple the upstream control signal to the second transceiver path;
a signal interface coupled to the first path, the signal interface configured to;receive a downstream telephone communication stream from a second path, the downstream telephone communication stream encoded within a frequency band including frequencies above the telephone voice band; generate the downstream ordinary telephone signals including non-voice signals within the telephone voice band based, at least in part, on the received downstream telephone communication stream; couple the downstream ordinary telephone signals onto the first path; receive the upstream ordinary telephone signals from the first path; generate an upstream telephone communication stream based, at least in part, on the upstream ordinary telephone signals, the upstream telephone communication stream encoded within a frequency band including frequencies above the telephone frequency band; couple the generated upstream telephone communication stream onto the second path; receive a downstream signal encoding the forward data stream and the forward video stream from the second path, the downstream signal substantially confined to a downstream band lying above the telephone voice band, in which at least part of the downstream band covers frequencies above 1 MHz; generate the forward data signal encoding the forward data stream; couple the forward data signal to the first transceiver path; generate the forward video signal encoding the forward video stream; couple the forward video signal to the second transceiver path; receive the upstream data signal from the first transceiver path and receive the upstream control signal from the second transceiver path; generate a backward signal encoding the upstream data signal and the upstream control signal; and couple the backward signal onto the second path. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A communication system comprising:
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a central transceiver-switch system adapted to communicate with a plurality of subsystems; at least one communication line for providing information from at least one source of information to the central transceiver-switch system, wherein the at least one source of information is configured to send a plurality of information streams to the central transceiver-switch system over the at least one communication line; wherein the central transceiver-switch system is configured to; receive downstream telephone signals; produce at least one forward information stream from the plurality of information streams and the downstream telephone signals, wherein the at least one forward information stream includes video information, data, and telephone communication information, and the telephone communication information includes voice information and at least one of ringing or hookswitch information; generate a downstream signal encoding the forward information stream, the forward information stream substantially recoverable from the downstream signal, the downstream signal encoded within a downstream band including frequencies lying above a telephone voice band; couple the downstream signal onto a first path for transmission to a selected one of the plurality of subsystems; receive an upstream signal from the first path to recover substantially all of a computer information stream, a control information stream, and upstream telephone communication information from the upstream signal; and couple the computer information stream to at least one communication line for transmission to one or more of the at least one source of information; couple the control information stream to at least one communication line for transmission to one or more of the at least one source of information; and wherein the selected subsystem includes a signal interface, a telephone device, a first destination device, and a second destination device, the selected subsystem configured to; generate downstream ordinary telephone signals based on the telephone communication signals received in the downstream signal, wherein the generated downstream ordinary telephone signals include at least one of ringing or hookswitch components used to establish an ordinary telephone communication link between the signal interface and the telephone device across a twisted pair wire; conduct ordinary telephone communication with the telephone device across the ordinary telephone communication link by transmitting the generated downstream ordinary telephone signals to and receiving upstream ordinary telephone signals from the telephone device within the telephone voice band, wherein the upstream ordinary telephone signals include upstream telephone communication information; generate images on the first destination device using the video information in the forward information stream recovered from the downstream signal; transmit data in the forward information stream to the second destination device; receive control data encoded in an infrared signal; generate a control information stream based on the control data; generate a reverse information stream including the computer information stream provided by the second destination device, the control information stream, and the upstream telephone communication information; encode the reverse information stream in the upstream signal, the reverse information stream being substantially recoverable from the upstream signal and being encoded within an upstream band including frequencies lying above the telephone voice band; and couple the upstream signal onto the first path. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. A method of communication comprising:
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receiving information from at least one source of information at a central transceiver-switch system, wherein the at least one source of information is configured to send a plurality of information streams to the central transceiver-switch system; selecting a forward data stream from among the plurality of information streams, the selection being influenced by information in the forward data stream; selecting a forward video stream from among the plurality of information streams, the selection being influenced by information in the forward video stream; generating a downstream signal encoding the forward data stream and the forward video stream, the downstream signal encoded within a downstream band including signals lying above a telephone voice band, in which at least part of the downstream band covers frequencies above 1 MHz; transmitting the downstream signal to at least one of a plurality of subsystems, wherein the downstream signal is transmitted across at least one two-conductor path between the central transceiver-switch system and the at least one subsystem; receiving the downstream signal at a particular subsystem; generating a forward data signal encoding the forward data stream at the particular subsystem; transmitting the forward data signal within the particular subsystem to a first transceiver operable to receive the forward data signal and to provide a first destination device with the forward data stream; receiving an upstream data signal within the particular subsystem from the first transceiver, wherein the first destination device generates a reverse data stream and provides the reverse data stream to the first transceiver and the first transceiver generates an upstream data signal encoding the reverse data stream; generating a forward video signal encoding the forward video stream at the particular subsystem; transmitting the forward video signal within the particular subsystem to a second transceiver operable to receive the forward video signal and provide a second destination device with the forward video stream; receiving an upstream control signal within the particular subsystem from the second transceiver, wherein the second transceiver generates the upstream control signal encoding a reverse control stream; generating a backward signal encoding both the reverse data stream and the reverse control stream at the particular subsystem; transmitting the backward signal from the particular subsystem to the central transceiver- switch system; receiving a downstream telephone communication stream encoded in the downstream signal at the particular subsystem, wherein the downstream telephone communication stream is encoded at least in part using frequencies above the telephone voice band and the downstream telephone communication stream includes voice information and non-voice information; converting the received downstream telephone communication stream into downstream ordinary telephone signals at the particular subsystem, the downstream ordinary telephone signals including voice signals within the telephone voice band and non-voice signals within the telephone voice band; transmitting the downstream ordinary telephone signals within the particular subsystem to a first telephone device; receiving upstream ordinary telephone signals within the particular subsystem from the first telephone device; converting the upstream ordinary telephone signals within the particular subsystem into an upstream telephone communication stream having frequencies above the telephone voice band; transmitting the upstream telephone communication stream encoded within the backward signal from the particular subsystem to the central transceiver-switch system; and receiving the backward signal from the at least one subsystem and recovering substantially all of the reverse data stream and the reverse control stream from the backward signal. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65)
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66. A communication method comprising:
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conducting ordinary telephone communication by transmitting signals onto a first path from a first telephone device and receiving signals from the first path at the first telephone device, wherein the transmitted and the received signals are within a telephone voice band; receiving a downstream signal encoding a forward data stream, a forward video stream, and downstream telephone communication signals, the downstream signal encoded within a downstream band including at least some frequencies lying above the telephone voice band, in which at least part of the downstream band covers frequencies above 1 MHz; generating a forward data signal encoding the forward data stream; transmitting the forward data signal on a first transceiver path to a first transceiver; generating a forward video signal encoding the forward video stream; transmitting the forward video signal on a second transceiver path to a second transceiver; generating downstream ordinary telephone signals including non-voice signals within the telephone voice band based on the downstream telephone communication signals; transmitting the downstream ordinary telephone signals to the first telephone device; receiving the forward data signal from the first transceiver path; providing the forward data stream to a first destination device; receiving a reverse data stream from the first destination device; generating an upstream data signal encoding the reverse data stream; transmitting the upstream data signal on the first transceiver path; receiving the forward video signal from the second transceiver path; providing the forward video stream to the second destination device; generating an upstream control signal encoding a reverse control stream; transmitting the upstream control signal on the second transceiver path; generating a backward signal encoding both the reverse data stream and the reverse control stream for transmission over a second path. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70)
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71. A communication system comprising:
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a transmission line adapted to conduct a downstream signal and an upstream signal; a signal interface; a first video receiver; a first television connected to the first video receiver; a first video path between the signal interface and the first video receiver, the first video path adapted to conduct a first video information stream from the signal interface to the first video receiver; a computer; a telephone; wherein; the transmission line is adapted to conduct the downstream signal towards the signal interface for receipt by the signal interface, the downstream signal encoding a forward digital information stream, the forward video information stream, and a forward stream of telephone information having both voice information and non-voice information; at least a part of the forward telephone information stream received by the signal interface is encoded at frequencies above voiceband; the signal interface is adapted to communicate the first video information stream over the video path to the video receiver; the first television is adapted to produce images from the first video information stream; the video receiver is adapted to receive a wireless signal encoding a control information stream and to communicate the control information stream over the first video path to the signal interface; the signal interface is adapted to communicate the forward digital information stream to the computer; the computer is adapted to communicate a reverse digital information stream to the signal interface; the signal interface is adapted to conduct ordinary telephone communication with the telephone by sending the forward telephone information stream to the telephone and receiving a reverse telephone information stream from the signal interface; the signal interface is configured to apply the upstream signal onto the transmission line, wherein the upstream signal encodes the control information stream, the reverse digital information stream, and the reverse telephone information stream, and wherein at least a part of the reverse telephone information stream applied by the signal interface onto the transmission line is encoded at frequencies above voiceband; and the control information stream influences the content of the first video information stream. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79)
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80. A communication method comprising:
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encoding a video information stream, a forward digital information stream, and a forward telephone information stream in a downstream signal; conducting the downstream signal in a first direction over a transmission line, wherein the forward telephone information stream includes at least one of ringing or hookswitch information and at least part of the forward telephone information stream is encoded using frequencies above voiceband; receiving the downstream signal from the transmission line; extracting the video information stream from the downstream signal; generating images on a first television using the extracted video information stream; receiving a wireless control signal encoding a control information stream; conducting a first signal encoding the control information stream; extracting the forward digital information stream from the downstream signal; communicating the extracted forward digital information stream to a computer; communicating a reverse digital information stream in a direction opposite to a direction of the communication of the extracted forward digital information stream; establishing ordinary two-way communication with a telephone, wherein information communicated to the telephone comprises the forward telephone information stream encoded in the downstream signal and information communicated from the telephone comprises a reverse telephone information stream; encoding the control information stream, the reverse digital information stream, and the reverse telephone information stream in an upstream signal; and conducting the upstream signal over the transmission line in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction; wherein said control information stream influences content of the video information stream. - View Dependent Claims (81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86)
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87. A communication system comprising:
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a first transmission line; a second transmission line; a signal interface; a first video path; a second video path; a first video receiver; a second video receiver; a first television connected to the first video receiver; a second television connected to the second video receiver; a computer; an ordinary telephone; wherein; the first transmission line and the second transmission line comprise extended two-conductor transmission lines adapted to transmit a first downstream signal comprising voltage variations transmitting across the first transmission line towards the signal interface and a second downstream signal comprising voltage variations transmitting across the second transmission line towards the signal interface; the signal interface is adapted to receive the first downstream signal and the second downstream signal from the first transmission line and the second transmission line; the energy of the first downstream signal and the second downstream signal is concentrated at frequencies above voiceband; information communicated to the signal interface over the extended two- conductor transmission lines in the first downstream signal and the second downstream signal comprises a first video information stream, a second video information stream, and a forward digital information stream; the signal interface is adapted to conduct ordinary two-way telephone communication with the ordinary telephone based on telephone communication streams transmitted over the first transmission line at frequencies concentrated above voiceband; the signal interface is adapted to communicate a first video information stream to the first video receiver over the first video path and a second video information stream to the second video receiver over the second video path; the first television is adapted to generate images from the first video information stream and the second television is adapted to generate images from the second video information stream; the first video receiver is adapted to receive a wireless control signal encoding a control information stream and to communicate the control information stream to the signal interface over the first video path; the signal interface is adapted to communicate the forward digital information stream to the computer, and the computer is adapted to communicate a reverse digital information stream to the signal interface; the signal interface is adapted to generate a first upstream signal comprising voltage variations transmitting away from the signal interface on the first transmission line and to generate a second upstream signal comprising voltage variations transmitting away from the signal interface on the second transmission line; information communicated over the extended two-conductor transmission lines in the first upstream signal and the second upstream signal comprises the reverse digital transmission stream and the control information stream; and the control information influencing content of the first video information stream. - View Dependent Claims (88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93)
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Specification