RF terminate/permit system

• US 8,141,122 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PPC Broadband Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Original Assignee: John Mezzalingua Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Alkan, Erdogan
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Son P
• Application Number:
  US12/567,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20100251324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 725121-127
• US Class Current: 725/127
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/418 External card to be used in combination with the client device, e.g. for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44245 Monitoring the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. its availability, bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

There is provided a terminate or permit device that includes an internal circuitry, which discriminates between noise and non-noise transmissions. In one embodiment, the internal circuitry comprises a switch and termination unit (“STU”) with a signal path that is used to terminate and/or permit the upstream bandwidth based on the presence of non-noise transmissions. The internal circuitry also comprises a signal processing unit (“SPU”) with a processing circuit, which is configured to identify the non-noise transmissions from the upstream bandwidth, and to cause the STU to permit the upstream bandwidth based on the presence of the non-noise transmissions.

Claims

1. A terminate or permit device implemented in a community antenna television (CATV) system comprising a premise generating an upstream bandwidth, said terminate or permit device comprising:

a first switch having a position responsive to a control, the position comprising a first position for conducting the upstream bandwidth from the premise, and a second position for terminating the upstream bandwidth;

a detection circuit coupled to a transmission line, the detection circuit for generating an input from the upstream bandwidth; and

a discrimination circuit responsive to the input, the discrimination circuit comprising;

a first circuit generating a plurality of long pulses comprising a first long pulse with a first leading edge, and a second long pulse with a second leading edge, and

a second circuit responsive to the first leading edge and the second leading edge, the second circuit generating the control,

wherein the control corresponds to an interval between the first leading edge and second leading edge, and wherein the interval for the first position is less than the interval for the second position; and

wherein the first circuit comprises a multi-vibrator that has at least one resistor with a resistor value, and at least one capacitor with a capacitor value, and wherein each of the resistor value and the capacitor value is selected so that the long pulses have a pulse length that is determined in accordance with, t_w=α

×

R×

C,

where t_w is the pulse length, a is a constant, R is the resistor value, and C is the capacitor value.

2. The terminate or permit device according to claim 1, further comprising a counter coupled to the second circuit, the counter counting a first value, and a second value that is different from the first value, wherein the counter changes from the first value to the second value in response to the interval for the first position.

3. The terminate or permit device according to claim 1, further comprising a timer coupled to the second circuit, the timer measuring a pre-determined threshold value, wherein the interval for the first position is less than the pre-determined threshold value.

4. The terminate or permit device according to claim 1, further comprising a directional coupler coupled to the detection circuit.

5. The terminate or permit device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one terminate path comprising a second switch having a terminate position corresponding to the second position of the first switch.

6. The terminate or permit device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one indicator coupled to the discrimination circuit, wherein the indicator indicates one or more of the first position and the second position.

7. A signal conditioning device implemented in a community antenna television (CATV) system for controlling an upstream bandwidth from a premise, said signal conditioning device comprising:

a transmission line comprising a first switch having a position responsive to a control, the position comprising a first position for conducting the upstream bandwidth from the premise, and a second position for terminating the upstream bandwidth;

a detection circuit coupled to the transmission line, the detection circuit for generating an input from the upstream bandwidth, wherein the detection circuit comprises a directional coupler receiving the upstream bandwidth, a log detector coupled to the directional coupler, and an amplifier coupled to the log detector;

a discrimination circuit coupled to the amplifier so as to receive the input, the discrimination circuit comprising;

a pulse adjuster circuit comprising a multi-vibrator for generating a plurality of long pulses, the long pulses comprising a first long pulse with a first leading edge, and a second long pulse with a second leading edge, and

a counting circuit comprising a counter responsive to the first leading edge and the second leading edge, the counter counting a number of the long pulses,

wherein the number of the long pulses for the first position is greater than the number of the long pulses for the second position;

wherein the multi-vibrator has at least one resistor with a resistor value, and at least one capacitor with a capacitor value, and wherein each of the resistor value and the capacitor value is selected so that the long pulses have a pulse length that is determined in accordance with, t_w=α

×

R×

C,

where t_w is the pulse length, a is a constant, R is the resistor value, and C is the capacitor value.

8. The signal conditioning device according to claim 7, wherein the number of the long pulses comprises a first number, and a second number that is different from the first number, and wherein the number of the long pulses changes from the first number to the second number in response to an interval between the first leading edge and the second leading edge.

9. The signal conditioning device according to claim 8, wherein the interval is less than a pre-determined threshold value, and wherein the pre-determined threshold value indicates a time value in which the second leading edge should follow the first leading edge.

10. The signal conditioning device according to claim 7, further comprising at least one diplexer coupled to the transmission line, the diplexer comprising at least one low pass filter for passing the upstream bandwidth to the detection circuit.

11. The signal conditioning device according to claim 7, wherein the transmission line comprises a return path for conducting the upstream bandwidth, and a forward path for conducting a downstream bandwidth to the premise.

12. The signal conditioning device according to claim 7, wherein the directional coupler has a coupling ratio greater than 17 dB.

13. A method of terminating or permitting an upstream bandwidth generated by a premise implemented in a community antenna television (CATV) system, said method comprising:

generating an input by a detection circuit;

converting the input to a plurality of long pulses by a first circuit, the long pulses comprising a first long pulse having a first leading edge, and a second long pulse having a second leading edge;

assigning, by a second circuit, a control based on an interval between the first leading edge and the second leading edge; and

switching a first switch to a position in response to the control, the position comprising a first position for conducting the upstream bandwidth from the premise, and a second position for terminating the upstream bandwidth,

wherein the interval for the first position is less than the interval for the second position;

wherein the first circuit comprises a multi-vibrator that has at least one resistor with a resistor value, and at least one capacitor with a capacitor value, and wherein each of the resistor value and the capacitor value is selected so that the long pulses have a pulse length that is determined in accordance with, t_w=α

×

R×

C,

where t_w is the pulse length, a is a constant, R is the resistor value, C is the capacitor value.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising coupling a portion of the upstream bandwidth, wherein the input is generated from the coupled portion.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising switching a second switch to a terminate position corresponding to the second position of the first switch.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising comparing the interval to a pre-determined threshold value, wherein the interval for the first position is less than the pre-determined threshold value.

17. The method according to claim 13, further comprising counting a number of long pulses, the number of long pulse comprising a first number, and a second number that is different from the first number, wherein the interval for the first number is greater than the interval for the second number.

18. The method according to claim 13, further comprising defaulting the first switch in the second position.