Intelligent device system and method for distribution of digital signals on a wideband signal distribution system
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. An intelligent device for transmitting information on a modulated RF signal, comprising:
- an input configured to receive a digital stream containing digital information, the digital information containing at least one destination address to which the digital information is to be sent;
an RF channel detector configured to detect which dynamically allocated RF channels are currently being used in a wideband signal distribution system, and to generate RF channel in use information identifying which of the dynamically allocated RF channels are currently being used in the wideband signal distribution system;
a traffic sensor configured to measure an information throughput of the digital information received by the input, and to generate traffic information identifying the information throughput of the received digital information;
a modulator unit configured to modulate the digital information into at least two separate dynamically allocated RF channels when the traffic information indicates that the information throughput of the digital information exceeds an information capacity of a single RF channel, and to output a modulated RF signal containing the at least two separate dynamically allocated RF channels to the wideband signal distribution system such that the digital information contained in the received digital stream is distributed across the at least two dynamically allocated RF channels output to the wideband signal distribution system; and
a processor configured toreceive the RF channel in use information generated by the RF channel detector and the traffic information generated by the traffic sensor,determine which dynamically allocated RF channels are available to carry the digital information, from among a plurality of RF channels contained in the modulated RF signal, based on the RF channels which are identified in the RF channel in use information as not currently being used in the wideband signal distribution system,determine a number of dynamically allocated RF channels from among the plurality of RF channels contained in the modulated RF signal on which to carry the digital information received by the input based on the information throughput of the digital information and the information capacity of a single RF channel,instruct the modulator unit to distribute the received digital information across at least two dynamically allocated RF channels by modulating the received digital information into the at least two dynamically allocated RF channels when the traffic information indicates that the information throughput of the digital information exceeds an information capacity of a single RF channel, andinstruct the modulator unit on which specific dynamically allocated RF channels from among the plurality of RF channels to carry the digital information in the modulated RF signal based on the determined number of dynamically allocated RF channels on which to carry the digital information, the at least one destination address contained in the digital information, and the determined available dynamically allocated RF channels which are not currently being used in the wideband signal distribution system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A plurality of intelligent device systems for use with a wideband signal distribution network, and methods for transmitting digital information and receiving digital and non-digital information onto and off of an RF carrier through a wideband signal distribution network, are disclosed. The intelligent device systems provide networks of intelligent devices that modulate and demodulate digital video, IP video/data/voice and digital wireless onto, and off of, a wideband signal distribution system, such as an analog carrier system, using existing EIA/TIA 568 standard wiring infrastructure. The methods modulate and demodulate digital video, IP video/data/voice and digital wireless onto, and off of, a wideband distribution system, such as an analog carrier system, and separate IP portions from non-IP portions.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. An intelligent device for transmitting information on a modulated RF signal, comprising:
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an input configured to receive a digital stream containing digital information, the digital information containing at least one destination address to which the digital information is to be sent; an RF channel detector configured to detect which dynamically allocated RF channels are currently being used in a wideband signal distribution system, and to generate RF channel in use information identifying which of the dynamically allocated RF channels are currently being used in the wideband signal distribution system; a traffic sensor configured to measure an information throughput of the digital information received by the input, and to generate traffic information identifying the information throughput of the received digital information; a modulator unit configured to modulate the digital information into at least two separate dynamically allocated RF channels when the traffic information indicates that the information throughput of the digital information exceeds an information capacity of a single RF channel, and to output a modulated RF signal containing the at least two separate dynamically allocated RF channels to the wideband signal distribution system such that the digital information contained in the received digital stream is distributed across the at least two dynamically allocated RF channels output to the wideband signal distribution system; and a processor configured to receive the RF channel in use information generated by the RF channel detector and the traffic information generated by the traffic sensor, determine which dynamically allocated RF channels are available to carry the digital information, from among a plurality of RF channels contained in the modulated RF signal, based on the RF channels which are identified in the RF channel in use information as not currently being used in the wideband signal distribution system, determine a number of dynamically allocated RF channels from among the plurality of RF channels contained in the modulated RF signal on which to carry the digital information received by the input based on the information throughput of the digital information and the information capacity of a single RF channel, instruct the modulator unit to distribute the received digital information across at least two dynamically allocated RF channels by modulating the received digital information into the at least two dynamically allocated RF channels when the traffic information indicates that the information throughput of the digital information exceeds an information capacity of a single RF channel, and instruct the modulator unit on which specific dynamically allocated RF channels from among the plurality of RF channels to carry the digital information in the modulated RF signal based on the determined number of dynamically allocated RF channels on which to carry the digital information, the at least one destination address contained in the digital information, and the determined available dynamically allocated RF channels which are not currently being used in the wideband signal distribution system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An intelligent device for bi-directional distribution of modulated RF signals, comprising:
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a first input configured to receive a first modulated RF signal containing multiple channels; a demodulator unit configured to demodulate at least two channels contained in the first modulated RF signal when channel in use information identifies the at least two channels as containing information addressed to at least one addressable device; a first combiner configured to combine the at least two channels demodulated by the demodulator unit into a first digital information stream when the channel in use information identifies the at least two channels as containing information addressed to the at least one addressable device, and to output the first digital information stream to the at least one addressable device; a second input configured to receive a digital stream containing digital information; a traffic sensor configured to measure an information throughput of the digital information received by the second input, and to generate traffic information identifying the information throughput of the received digital information; and a modulator unit configured to distribute the digital information contained in the received digital stream across at least two separate RF channels by modulating the digital information into the at least two separate RF channels when the traffic information indicates that the information throughput of the digital information exceeds an information capacity of a single RF channel, and to output a second modulated RF signal containing the at least two separate RF channels to a wideband signal distribution system. - View Dependent Claims (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, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. An intelligent device for transmitting information on a modulated RF signal, comprising:
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an input configured to receive a digital stream containing digital information to be sent to a wideband distribution system; an RF channel detector configured to detect which dynamically allocated RF channels, from among multiple channels contained in a modulated RF signal transmitted from the wideband distribution system, are currently being used in the wideband signal distribution system, determine, from among the dynamically allocated RF channels which are detected as being currently used in the wideband signal distribution system, which of the detected dynamically allocated RF channels are carrying digital information thereon, and generate RF channel in use information identifying (i) which of the dynamically allocated RF channels are currently being used in the wideband signal distribution system and (ii) which of the currently in use dynamically allocated RF channels are carrying digital information thereon; a traffic sensor configured to measure an information throughput of the digital information received by the input, and to generate traffic information identifying the information throughput of the received digital information; a modulator unit configured to modulate the received digital information; and a processor configured to receive the RF channel in use generated by the RF channel detector and the traffic information generated by the traffic sensor; determine which dynamically allocated RF channels are available to carry the received digital information, from among a plurality of RF channels, based on the RF channels which are identified in the RF channel in use information as not currently being used in the wideband signal distribution system, control the modulator unit to distribute the received digital information across at least two separate dynamically allocated RF channels, from among the multiple channels contained in the modulated RF signal transmitted from the wideband signal distribution system, that are determined to carry digital information thereon and that are detected to be currently available, by modulating the received digital information into at the least two separate dynamically allocated RF channels, based on the indication of channels which carry digital information in the RF channel in use information received by the processor, when the traffic information indicates that the information throughput of the digital information exceeds an information capacity of a single RF channel, instruct the modulator unit on which specific dynamically allocated RF channels to carry the digital information in the modulated RF signal based on the determined number of dynamically allocated RF channels on which to carry the digital information, the indication of RF channels which carry digital information among the determined available RF channels as identified in the RF channel in use information received by the processor, and the at least one destination address contained in the digital information, and control the modulator unit to output a modulated RF signal containing the at least two separate dynamically allocated RF channels to the wideband signal distribution system. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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Specification