R. F. signal distribution

Apparatus for distributing a plurality of signals between N input means and M output means of the apparatus, said apparatus including:

• M multiplexing circuits in series, each circuit having an output means forming a respective one of said M output means of said apparatus, and each circuit including N tunable filter/coupler combinations wherein each of said N tunable filter/coupler combinations includes:
• a tunable reflectance filter;
• a first port for being in signal communication with a respective one of said N input means;
• a second port for outputting a signal or component thereof having been input via said first port and reflected by said tunable reflectance filter;
• a third port for inputting a signal;
• and
• a fourth port for outputting at least one of a signal having been input via said first port and transmitted by said tunable reflectance filter and a signal having been input via said third port and reflected by said reflectance filter;
• means, associated with each of said M multiplexing circuits, for passing the signals output by the fourth port of the last tunable filter/coupler combinations making up the multiplexing circuit to a respective M output means;
• and
• means for passing the signals output from the second ports of each of the tunable filter/coupler combinations of a given multiplexing circuit to the first ports of the corresponding tunable filter/coupler combinations of a next succeeding multiplexing circuit.

Apparatus for distributing a plurality of signals between N input means and M output means of the apparatus, said apparatus including M multiplexing circuits in series, each circuit having an output means forming a respective one of said M output means of the apparatus and each circuit including N tunable filter/coupler combinations, wherein each of said N tunable filter/coupler combinations includes:

• input port means for being in signal communication with a respective one of said N input means of the apparatus;
• means for supplying signals passed by said tunable filter/coupler combinations to the output means of the associated multiplexing circuit;
• and
• means for selectively adjusting the reflectance characteristics of the tunable filter/coupler combination, whereby the signals supplied to said input means may be reconfigurably distributed to one or more selected output means.

A method of reconfigurably distributing N input signals between M output means which comprises supplying said N input signals to distribution apparatus which includes M multiplexing circuits each including N tunable filter/coupler combinations, each of said combinations being controllable selectively to pass a signal applied thereto and each multiplexing circuit having a respective output means to which signals passed by the filter/coupler combinations are supplied, comprising the steps of:

• applying each of said N input signals to a respective tunable filter/coupler combination on a first one of said M multiplexing circuits;
• supplying any signal not passed by a given tunable filter/coupler combination to a respective filter/coupler combination on one of the remaining multiplexing circuits;
• and
• controlling the transmission characteristics of each of said tunable filter/coupler combinations to effect a desired distribution of said N input signals.

Apparatus for distributing a plurality of signals between N input means and M output means, said apparatus comprising:

• a series of M multiplexing circuits, each circuit including N tunable filter/coupler combinations, one of said N combinations associated with a respective one of said N input means, and said N combinations having their outputs connected in cascade fashion comprising a means for supplying signals passed by said combination to a multiplexer output means which forms a respective one of said M output means:
• means for controlling the transmission characteristics of each of said tunable filter/coupler combinations and for selectively passing a signal applied thereto:
• and
• means for interconnecting said multiplexing circuits, said interconnecting means being capable of providing a signal path between each tunable filter/coupler combination and an associated one of said N input means, whereby a signal supplied to one of said N input means may be distributed to a selected one of said M output means by appropriate control of the transmission characteristics of the filter/coupler combinations associated with said input terminal, wherein each tunable filter/coupler combination includes two hybrid coupler means interconnected by tunable reflectance filter means and said combination defines a first port for receiving a signal, a second port for outputting a signal having been input via said first port and reflected by said reflectance filter, a third port for receiving a further signal and a fourth port for outputting at least one of a signal having been input via said first port and transmitted by said filter and a signal having been input via said third port and reflected by said filter.