Branched path communications apparatus for routing communications signals
AssigneeHolme Communications Systems, Inc.
InventorWilliam Raymond Holme
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A path routing arrangement to perform path routing operations for wideband communications between subscriber terminals of a communications system is disclosed. To enable such communications the invention incorporates principles of frequency division to allow communications carriers to share a common transmission path, a plurality of which transmission paths may be selectively defined through a branched path path routing arrangement, desired paths being so defined to allow bi-directional carrier transmission between calling ones and called ones of the subscriber terminals.
Claims17
A path routing arrangement for use in a frequency division branched path carrier communications system, said path routing arrangement comprising:
- a. an integer number N of first transmission tracks and an equal number of second transmission tracks;
- b. branched path means interconnecting said first transmission tracks and said second transmission tracks in a branched path manner for selectively providing a desired carrier transmission path between a preselected one of said first transmission tracks and a preselected one of said second transmission tracks whereby a desired transmission path through said path routing arrangement is defined for a first communications carrier having a predetermined first carrier frequency and propagating in a first direction along the defined path and for a second communications carrier having a predetermined second carrier frequency and propagating in the opposite direction along the defined path;
- said second carrier frequency being different than said first carrier frequency by a predetermined amount;
- said branched path means including an integer number N of third transmission tracks defining branching paths between said first transmission tracks and said second transmission tracks;
- said desired transmission path being a transmission path defined by said preselected transmission tracks and a unique one of said third transmission tracks which is interconnected with said preselected first and second tracks;
- each of said transmission tracks and any carrier transmission path so defined being electrically unbalanced and shielded to substantially confine communications carriers propagating therein and allowing communication carriers gaining access thereto to propagate in and energize the transmission track or path, as the case may be.
A frequency division branched path path routing system for interconnecting a plurality of subscriber terminals to allow bi-directional carrier communications to take place between calling ones and called ones of the subscriber terminals, each subscriber terminal being adapted to transmit communications signals on a pre-assigned first carrier frequency and being adapted to receive communications signals on a second pre-assigned carrier frequency different in frequency from the first carrier frequency by a pre-assigned amount;
- said system including a branched path path routing arrangement for performing path routing operations between called ones and calling ones of the subscriber terminals;
- said arrangement comprising:
- a. a plurality of each of first and second transmission tracks, each first transmission track and each second transmission track acting in association with one of the subscriber terminals;
- b. branched path means interconnecting said first transmission tracks and said second transmission tracks in a branched path manner for selectively providing a desired carrier transmission path between a pre-selected one of said first transmission tracks and a pre-selected one of said second transmission tracks to define a transmission path through said path routing arrangement for communications between the calling subscriber terminal associated with said pre-selected first transmission track and the called subscriber terminal associated with said second transmission track;
- said branched path means including a plurality of third transmission tracks.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.