CATV ENTRY ADAPTER AND METHOD FOR DISTRIBUTING CATV AND IN-HOME ENTERTAINMENT SIGNALS

• US 20160234547A1
• Filed: 04/20/2016
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PPC Broadband Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PPC Broadband Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Inventors: Wells, Chad T., Egan, John M., Halik, Gregory F., Newby, Charles F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,781,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• 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 21/63 Control signaling related to video distribution between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients or between remote clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing real-time session protocols H04L65/1101; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/104 Switchers or splitters

Abstract

A cable television (CATV) entry adapter connects to a CATV network and serves as a hub in an In-Home Entertainment (IHE) network. IHE signals may be communicated between passive and active ports of an embodiment of the entry adapter through a pair of directional couplers which allow an IHE-enabled embedded multimedia terminal device (eMTA) at the passive port to communicate with multimedia devices of the IHE network connected to the active ports. An IHE frequency rejection filter is used in some embodiments to confine IHE signal to a single subscriber premise. In some embodiments a bidirectional IHE bandpass filter is used to enable IHE signals to pass between the passive and active ports of the CATV entry adapter.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled).

21. A cable television (CATV) entry adapter device comprising:

an entry port configured to connect to an upstream CATV network;

a passive port configured to connect to a first downstream subscriber device, the passive port electrically connecting to the entry port via a passive signal communication path;

a plurality of active ports configured to connect to a respective plurality of downstream subscriber devices, the plurality of active ports electrically connecting to the entry port via an active signal communication path;

a bidirectional splitter/combiner comprising a common terminal, a first leg terminal, and a second leg terminal, wherein the bidirectional splitter/combiner is configured to conduct a plurality of signals between the common terminal, the first leg terminal, and the second leg terminal, the plurality of signals comprising;

a CATV downstream signal in a first frequency range;

a CATV upstream signal in a second frequency range; and

an in-home entertainment (IHE) signal in a third frequency range; and

an IHE rejection filter connected between the common terminal of the bidirectional splitter/combiner and the entry port,

wherein;

the IHE rejection filter prevents conduction of signals in the third frequency range from passing to the entry port, and

the IHE rejection filter allows signals in the first frequency range and the second frequency range to pass between the bidirectional splitter/combiner and the entry port.

22. The CATV entry adapter of claim 21, wherein:

the active signal communication path includes at least one active device between the entry port and the plurality of active ports; and

the passive signal communication path lacks any active devices between the entry port and the passive port.

23. The CATV entry adapter of claim 22, wherein that active signal communication path conducts the CATV downstream signal and the CATV upstream signal.

24. The CATV entry adapter of claim 23, wherein the at least one active device conditions the CATV downstream signal.

25. The CATV entry adapter of claim 22, wherein the active signal communication path comprises:

a CATV active downstream signal communication path between the first leg terminal of the bidirectional splitter/combiner and at least one of the plurality of active ports, the CATV active downstream signal communication path including a first filter that only passes signals in the first frequency range; and

a CATV active upstream signal communication path between the first leg terminal of the bidirectional splitter/combiner and at least one of the plurality of active ports, wherein the CATV active downstream signal communication path includes a second filter that only passes signals in the second frequency range.

26. The CATV entry adapter of claim 25, further comprising an IHE signal communication path between the first leg terminal of the bidirectional splitter/combiner and at least one of the plurality of active ports, wherein the IHE signal communication path includes a third filter that only passes signals in the third frequency range.

27. The CATV entry adapter of claim 21, further comprising a housing directly connected to the entry port, the passive port, the plurality of active ports, the housing enclosing the passive signal communication path, the active signal communication path, the IHE signal communication path, and the bidirectional splitter/combiner.

28. A method of using a cable television (CATV) entry adapter, comprising:

conducting a CATV downstream signal having a first frequency range from an entry port of the CATV entry adapter to an active port of the CATV entry adapter;

conducting a CATV upstream signal having a second frequency range from the active port and the entry port;

conducting the CATV downstream signal from the entry port to a passive port of the CATV entry adapter;

conducting the CATV upstream signal from the passive port to the entry port;

conducting an in-home entertainment (IHE) signal having a third frequency range between the active port and the passive port; and

blocking the IHE signal from the entry port.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the blocking comprises filtering-out all signals in the third frequency range.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the conducting the CATV downstream signal from the entry port to the active port comprises:

conducting the CATV downstream signal via an active downstream signal communication path between the entry port and the active port, wherein the active downstream signal communication path is configured to only pass signals in the first frequency range.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the conducting CATV upstream signal from the active port and the entry port comprises:

conducting the CATV upstream signal via an active upstream signal communication path between the active port and the entry port, wherein the active upstream signal communication path is configured to only pass a signal in the second frequency range.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the conducting IHE signal between the active port and the passive port comprises:

conducting the IHE signal via an IHE signal communication path between the active port and the passive port, wherein the IHE signal communication path is configured to only pass a signal in the third frequency range.

33. A device comprising:

an entry port configured to connect to an upstream cable television (CATV) network;

a passive port configured to connect to a first downstream subscriber device, the passive port electrically connecting the entry port via a passive signal communication path;

at least one active port configured to connect to at least a second downstream subscriber device, the at least one active port electrically connecting to the entry port via an active signal communication path;

a first bidirectional splitter/combiner, the first bidirectional splitter/combiner comprising a common terminal, a first leg terminal, and a second leg terminal;

a first directional coupler comprising;

a first input port electrically connected to the at least one active port,

a first through port electrically connected to the first leg terminal of the first bidirectional splitter/combiner, and

a first coupled port; and

a second directional coupler comprising;

a second input port electrically connected to the passive port;

a second through port electrically connected to the second leg terminal of the first bidirectional splitter/combiner; and

a second coupled port electrically connected to the first coupled port of the first directional coupler,

wherein a signal in an in-home entertainment (IHE) frequency range is conducted between the passive port and the at least one active port through and IHE signal communication path between the first through port and the second through port.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein:

the active signal communication path includes at least one active device between the entry port and the at least one active port; and

the passive signal communication path lacks any active devices between the entry port and the passive port.

35. The device of claim 33, wherein:

the first bidirectional splitter/combiner is configured to split a first signal in a CATV downstream frequency range received at the common terminal, and the first bidirectional splitter/combiner is configured to combine a second signal in a CATV upstream frequency range received at the first leg terminal with a third signal in the CATV upstream frequency range received at the second leg terminal.

36. The device of claim 33, further comprising a second bidirectional splitter/combiner electrically connected between the input port of the first directional coupler and the at least one active port.

37. The device of claim 33, wherein the electrical connection between the first leg terminal of the first bidirectional splitter/combiner and the first through port of the first directional coupler comprises:

a CATV downstream signal communication path, wherein the CATV downstream signal communication path is configured to only conduct a signal in a CATV downstream frequency range; and

a CATV upstream signal communication path, wherein the CATV upstream signal communication path is configured to only conduct a signal in a CATV upstream frequency range.

38. The device of claim 37, wherein the CATV upstream signal communication path comprises an ingress noise mitigation circuit that is configured to suppress upstream ingress noise.

39. The device of claim 33, wherein the IHE signal communication path is configured to only conduct the signal in the IHE frequency range.

40. The device of claim 33, further comprising a housing directly connected to the entry port, the passive port, the at least one active port, the housing enclosing the passive signal communication path, the active signal communication path, and the IHE signal communication path.