CATV entry adapter and method for preventing interference with eMTA equipment from MoCA Signals
DCFirst Claim
1. A cable television (CATV) entry adapter used at a subscriber premises and having an entry port for communicating CATV downstream and upstream signals with a CATV network, a passive port for communicating the CATV downstream and upstream signals with an embedded Multimedia Terminal Adapter subscriber equipment connected to the passive port, and a plurality of active ports for communicating the CATV upstream and downstream signals with CATV active subscriber equipment connected to the active ports, the active ports also communicating Multimedia over Coax Alliance(MoCA) signals between MoCA-enabled subscriber equipment connected to the active ports in a MoCA network, the CATV entry adapter comprising:
- a first bidirectional splitter/combiner having a common terminal connected to the entry port to communicate the CATV downstream and upstream signals with the CATV network, the first bidirectional splitter/combiner also having a first and a second signal component leg, the first bidirectional splitter/combiner splitting CATV downstream signals received from the CATV network into split CATV downstream signals and supplying the split CATV downstream signals to both the first and the second signal component legs, the first bidirectional splitter/combiner creating a single combined upstream signal from each upstream signal received at the first and the second signal component legs and supplying the combined upstream signal to the CATV network through the common terminal;
a passive signal communication path extending between the first signal component leg of the first bidirectional splitter/combiner and the passive port to conduct passive CATV downstream signals and passive CATV upstream signals between the eMTA subscriber equipment connected to the passive port and the first signal component leg of the first bidirectional splitter/combiner;
an active signal communication path extending from the second signal component leg of the first bidirectional splitter/combiner to conduct active CATV downstream signals and active CATV upstream signals to and from the second signal component leg of the first bidirectional splitter/combiner;
a second bidirectional splitter/combiner having a common terminal and a plurality of separate signal component legs which each connect to an active port, the second bidirectional splitter/combiner splitting each signal received at its common terminal into split signals and supplying each split signal to each of the signal component legs, the second bidirectional splitter/combiner also creating a combined active signal from each CATV upstream signal and MoCA signal received at each signal component leg and supplying the combined active signal to its common terminal, wherein the MoCA signals traverse between the signal component legs of the second bidirectional splitter/combiner when communicating the MoCA signals between the MoCA-enabled subscriber equipment connected to the active ports;
the second bidirectional splitter/combiner performing the aforesaid signal splitting and signal combining on CATV downstream signals, CATV upstream signals and MoCA signals; and
a first MoCA frequency rejection filter connected between the active signal communication path and the second bidirectional splitter/combiner, the first MoCA frequency rejection filter applying at least 30 decibels of attenuation to the MoCA signals present at the common terminal of the second bidirectional splitter/combiner and passing the CATV upstream and downstream signals communicated to and from the active ports.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A community access or cable television (CATV) entry adapter interfaces to a CATV network and serves as a hub in a Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) network. MoCA signals communicated between active ports of the entry adapter are rejected by MoCA frequency rejection filters to avoid interfering with the functionality of an eMTA subscriber device connected to a passive port of the entry adapter, without interfering with the passage of CATV upstream and downstream active and passive signals.
231 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A cable television (CATV) entry adapter used at a subscriber premises and having an entry port for communicating CATV downstream and upstream signals with a CATV network, a passive port for communicating the CATV downstream and upstream signals with an embedded Multimedia Terminal Adapter subscriber equipment connected to the passive port, and a plurality of active ports for communicating the CATV upstream and downstream signals with CATV active subscriber equipment connected to the active ports, the active ports also communicating Multimedia over Coax Alliance(MoCA) signals between MoCA-enabled subscriber equipment connected to the active ports in a MoCA network, the CATV entry adapter comprising:
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a first bidirectional splitter/combiner having a common terminal connected to the entry port to communicate the CATV downstream and upstream signals with the CATV network, the first bidirectional splitter/combiner also having a first and a second signal component leg, the first bidirectional splitter/combiner splitting CATV downstream signals received from the CATV network into split CATV downstream signals and supplying the split CATV downstream signals to both the first and the second signal component legs, the first bidirectional splitter/combiner creating a single combined upstream signal from each upstream signal received at the first and the second signal component legs and supplying the combined upstream signal to the CATV network through the common terminal; a passive signal communication path extending between the first signal component leg of the first bidirectional splitter/combiner and the passive port to conduct passive CATV downstream signals and passive CATV upstream signals between the eMTA subscriber equipment connected to the passive port and the first signal component leg of the first bidirectional splitter/combiner; an active signal communication path extending from the second signal component leg of the first bidirectional splitter/combiner to conduct active CATV downstream signals and active CATV upstream signals to and from the second signal component leg of the first bidirectional splitter/combiner; a second bidirectional splitter/combiner having a common terminal and a plurality of separate signal component legs which each connect to an active port, the second bidirectional splitter/combiner splitting each signal received at its common terminal into split signals and supplying each split signal to each of the signal component legs, the second bidirectional splitter/combiner also creating a combined active signal from each CATV upstream signal and MoCA signal received at each signal component leg and supplying the combined active signal to its common terminal, wherein the MoCA signals traverse between the signal component legs of the second bidirectional splitter/combiner when communicating the MoCA signals between the MoCA-enabled subscriber equipment connected to the active ports; the second bidirectional splitter/combiner performing the aforesaid signal splitting and signal combining on CATV downstream signals, CATV upstream signals and MoCA signals; and a first MoCA frequency rejection filter connected between the active signal communication path and the second bidirectional splitter/combiner, the first MoCA frequency rejection filter applying at least 30 decibels of attenuation to the MoCA signals present at the common terminal of the second bidirectional splitter/combiner and passing the CATV upstream and downstream signals communicated to and from the active ports. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of preventing Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) signals communicated between MoCA-enabled subscriber devices connected in a MoCA network and to a CATV entry adapter from interfering with communications from an embedded Multimedia Terminal Adapter subscriber device connected by the CATV entry adapter to a CATV network, the method comprising:
- connecting the eMTA subscriber device to a passive port of the entry adapter;
communicating passive downstream and upstream signals between the CATV network and the eMTA subscriber device through the entry adapter and the passive port;
connecting each MoCA-enabled subscriber device to one of a plurality of active ports of the entry adapter;communicating MoCA signals through the entry adapter and the active ports between the MoCA-enabled subscriber devices in the MoCA network; splitting CATV downstream signals received from the CATV network within the entry adapter into split CATV downstream signals and supplying one split downstream signal to the passive port and supplying other split CATV downstream signal to the active ports; combining upstream signals received from the passive and active ports within the entry adapter into a combined upstream signal and supplying the combined upstream signal from the entry adapter to the CATV network; combining CATV upstream signals and MoCA signals received from the active ports within the entry adapter into a combined active signal; applying at least 30 decibels of attenuation to the MoCA signals within the combined active signal by supplying the combined active signal to a first MoCA frequency rejection filter within the entry adapter; and passing the CATV upstream signals within the combined active signal through the first MoCA frequency rejection filter; reflecting split reflected MoCA signals from the first MoCA frequency rejection filter to the active ports; traversing MoCA signals between the active ports when communicating the MoCA signals between the MoCA-enabled subscriber equipment connected to the active ports; and adding the power of the split reflected MoCA signals and the power of the traversed MoCA signals at the active ports to enhance the power of the MoCA signals conducted from the active ports to the MoCA-enabled subscriber equipment. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- connecting the eMTA subscriber device to a passive port of the entry adapter;
Specification