# US 2021/0280956 A1 · Uninterruptable tap

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- Number: US 2021/0280956 A1
- Document ID: US20210280956A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/809,064
- Filed: 2020-03-04
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-04
- Assignees: Holland Electronics, LLC
- Applicants: Holland Electronics LLC
- Inventors: Michael Holland; George Goebel
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210280956A1

## CPC

- H04N 7/104: {Switchers or splitters}
- G02B 6/4416: {Heterogeneous cables}
- H01P 3/06: Coaxial lines
- H01P 5/12: Coupling devices having more than two ports (H01P5/04 takes precedence)
- H04L 12/6418: {Hybrid transport}
- H04L 2012/6421: {Medium of transmission, e.g. fibre, cable, radio, satellite}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- H01P: WAVEGUIDES; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE (operating at optical frequencies G02B)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A coaxial tap in a hybrid fiber coaxial cable distribution system serves subscribers with an RF signal while passing the RF signal and an equipment supply voltage to devices downstream of the tap.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A tap for use in a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) cable distribution system, the tap comprising:
a metallic housing for interconnection with an upstream hardline and a downstream hardline;
the hardlines transporting RF signals and equipment supply voltage signals;
the housing enclosing hardline circuits and drop circuits;
the drop circuits for servicing subscriber ports;
the hardline circuits including a bridge for passing only low frequency equipment supply voltage signals between the upstream and downstream hardlines; and,
the drop circuits for passing only high frequency signals between the upstream and downstream hardlines;
wherein an RF switch is for passing only RF signals between the upstream and downstream hardlines when the drop circuits are disconnected from the hardline circuits.

### Claim 2

A tap for use in a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) cable distribution system, the tap comprising:
a metallic housing for interconnection with an upstream hardline and a downstream hardline;
the housing enclosing hardline circuits and drop circuits;
the drop circuits servicing subscriber ports;
the hardline circuits including a bridge for separating RF signals and equipment supply voltage signals;
the separated equipment supply voltage signals transferred from one of the hardlines to the other hardline;
the separated RF signals transferred to the drop circuits and back to the bridge when an RF switch status indicates the drop circuits are connected to the hardline circuits; and,
the separated RF signals bypassing the drop circuits and transferred back to the bridge when switch status indicates that the drop circuits are not connected to the hardline circuits.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The tap of claim 2 further comprising:
an RF switch actuator; and,
the actuator moving in response to movement of the drop circuits with respect to the hardline circuits.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The tap of claim 3 further comprising:
connectors for electrically connecting the drop circuits and the hardline circuits;
the RF switch in a first state when the connectors are mated; and,
the RF switch in a second state when the connectors are not mated.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The tap of claim 2 further comprising:
connectors for electrically connecting the drop circuits and the hardline circuits; and,
wherein moving the drop circuits away from the hardline circuits in a direction that disconnects the drop circuits from the hardline circuits changes the state of the RF switch.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The tap of claim 5 wherein moving the drop circuits toward the hardline circuits in a direction that connects the drop circuits and the hardline circuits changes the state of the RF switch.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The tap of claim 2 wherein the drop circuits pass RF signals when the RF switch is open.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The tap of claim 7 wherein the drop circuits do not pass RF signals when the RF switch is closed.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The tap of claim 8 wherein the RF switch employs a single contact for closing a circuit between connectors used to interconnect the drop circuits and the hardline circuits.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The tap of claim 9 wherein the RF switch employs plural contacts for closing a circuit between connectors used to interconnect the drop circuits and the hardline circuits.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The tap of claim 8 further comprising:
first and second connectors used to interconnect the drop circuits and the hardline circuits;
an RF switch in a circuit between the first and second connectors;
the bridge including a first diplexer and a second diplexer;
the first diplexer coupled to the upstream hardline, the first connector, and the second diplexer; and,
the second diplexer coupled to the second connector and the downstream hardline.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The tap of claim 11 wherein RF signals originating at the headend are separated into RF signals and equipment supply voltage signals at the first diplexer and at the second diplexer RF signals transported by the RF switch or drop circuits are recombined with equipment supply voltage signals transported by the bridge.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The tap of claim 12 wherein subscriber RF signals that originate from a subscriber using this tap or in a tap downstream of this tap are transported to the headend via the first diplexer.

### Claim 14

A tap for use in a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) cable distribution system, the tap comprising:
a metallic housing for interconnection with an upstream hardline and a downstream hardline;
the housing enclosing hardline circuits and drop circuits;
the drop circuits including a splitter and a directional coupler;
the drop circuits for servicing subscriber ports;
the hardline circuits including a bridge for separating RF signals and equipment supply voltage signals;
the separated equipment supply voltage signals transferred from one of the hardlines to the other hardline;
an RF switch and an RF switch state for allowing transport of the separated RF signals to the drop circuits and back to the bridge; and,
an RF switch state for allowing transport of the separated RF signals back to the bridge independent of the drop circuits.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The tap of claim 14 further comprising:
connectors for interconnecting the directional coupler with the drop circuits; and,
the directional coupler separable from the tap when connectors are separated.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The tap of claim 15 further comprising:
a penetration in the housing; and,
the penetration exposing the directional coupler.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The tap of claim 15 wherein the housing includes a body with hardline connections the body further including a face with F-Type ports and a penetration.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The tap of claim 16 further comprising:
a metallic closure for covering the penetration and shielding tap internals from ingress or egress of RF signals via the penetration.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The tap of claim 18 wherein removal of the metallic closure allows the directional coupler to be exchanged with, due to the bridge, no interruption of downstream equipment supply voltage and with, due to the RF switch, substantially no interruption of downstream RF service.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The tap of claim 19 further comprising:
a wire clamp extending from the housing; and,
the wire clamp on a housing surface opposite a surface bearing F-Type ports.