Frequency agile broadband communications system

An apparatus for the communication of telephony signals to and from a telephony network and to and from a plurality of subscribers of a subscription system including a subscription network having a first band of frequencies for communicating signals to subscribers in the subscription network and a second band of frequencies for communicating signals from the subscribers, comprising:

• a telephony network modulator for modulating the telephony signals from the telephony network on said first band of said subscription network utilizing a first modulation scheme;
• a subscriber terminal including a subscriber terminal demodulator for demodulating the telephony signals in said first band from the subscription network and coupling them to a subscriber;
• at least one frequency agile second modulator for modulating telephony signals from said subscriber in a selected one of a plurality of frequency subbands in said second band of the subscription network utilizing a second modulation scheme;
• and
• a telephony network demodulator for demodulating the telephony signals from said second band of the subscription network and coupling them to the telephony network.

A method of operating a communication system to couple telephony signals to and from a telephony network and to and from a plurality of subscribers of a subscription system including a tree-and-branch type broadband subscription network extending from a headend to the subscribers, comprising the steps of:

• providing a telephony network interface for telephony signals from the telephony network to the headend;
• providing an interface for telephony signals from a subscriber to a subscriber terminal connected to the subscription network;
• providing a first band of frequencies for communicating signals to subscribers from the headend;
• modulating the telephony signals from the telephony network on the first band of the subscription network utilizing a first modulation scheme;
• providing a second band of frequencies for communicating signals to the headend from subscribers;
• subdividing the second band of frequencies into a plurality of selectable subbands;
• in response to a request for telephony service with a subscriber, selectably allocating a particular one of the selectable subbands in the second band of frequencies to the subscriber;
• and
• modulating telephony signals from the subscriber in the particular subband utilizing a second modulation scheme to transmit said telephony signals from the subscriber to said telephony network interface.

A method of operating a bidirectional communication system to couple telephony signals to and from a telephony network and to and from a plurality of subscribers of a subscription system including a broadband subscription network extending from a headend to the subscribers, each subscriber having a subscriber terminal, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a multiplexed telephony signal containing a plurality of predetermined telephony signals in a plurality of telephony channels;
• demultiplexing the multiplexed telephony signal to obtain a particular telephony signal from a particular telephony channel;
• communicating the particular telephony signal from the headend to a particular subscriber at a subscriber destination associated with the particular subscriber in a first frequency band in the subscription system;
• selecting a particular subband in a second frequency band in the subscription system to receive subscriber telephony signals from the particular subscriber;
• communicating the identity of the selected particular subband in the second frequency band to the particular subscriber from the headend so as to cause a subscriber terminal to transmit the subscriber's telephony signals in the selected subband:
• communicating subscriber telephony signals from the particular subscriber at the subscriber destination to the headend in the selected particular subband;
• and
• coupling the subscriber telephony signals to the particular telephony channel.

A telephony system for communicating telephony signals between a telephony network and a broadband communication network including a headend communicating to a plurality of subscribers, comprising:

• a modulator, coupled between the telephony network and the headend, for modulating the telephony signals from the telephony network on a carrier in a first band of the broadband communication network;
• equipment for determining a selected service level for a particular subscriber and for communicating information for effecting the selected service level indicating one or more selected frequency subbands in a second band of the broadband communication network to the particular selected subscriber;
• and
• a demodulator, coupled between the telephony network and the headend, for demodulating the telephony signals from the particular subscriber in the one or more selected frequency subbands and coupling them to the telephony network.

A customer interface unit for connection to a broadband communication network, the customer interface unit operative for receiving first signals in a first frequency band from a headend associated with the broadband communication network, for receiving second signals from the headend, and for communicating telephony signals between a subscriber and the headend, said customer interface unit comprising:

• a first demodulator for demodulating first signals in the first frequency band and for coupling them to an output port of the customer interface unit;
• a second demodulator for receiving second signals and for identifying, from said second signals, one of a plurality of frequency subbands in a second band of frequencies in the broadband communication network for communicating telephony signals to the headend;
• and
• a frequency agile modulator responsive to the identified one of said plurality of frequency subbands in the second band of frequencies for modulating the telephony signals from the customer interface unit in the identified frequency subband.

A method of operating a broadband communication network, including a telephony network interface for connection to a telephony network, for communicating signals between subscribers and the telephony network, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a multiplexed incoming telephony signal from the telephony network comprising a plurality of telephony signals provided in a standard multiplexed telephony format;
• demultiplexing the incoming multiplexed telephony signal to obtain at least one selected incoming telephony signal intended for a particular subscriber on the broadband communication network;
• transmitting the selected incoming telephony signal to the particular subscriber in a first frequency band on the broadband communication network utilizing a first modulation scheme;
• receiving the selected incoming telephony signal at a customer interface unit connected to the broadband communication network associated with the particular subscriber;
• coupling the selected incoming telephony signal transmitted via the first modulation scheme to a telephony port associated with the customer interface unit;
• receiving outgoing telephony signals from a subscriber at the telephony port;
• transmitting the outgoing telephony signals on at least one assigned carrier in a selected subband in a second frequency band on the broadband communication network utilizing a second modulation scheme;
• demodulating the outgoing telephony signals transmitted via the second modulation scheme in the selected subband to obtain an outgoing telephony signal associated with the particular subscriber;
• multiplexing the outgoing telephony signal from the particular subscriber with other telephony signals associated with other subscribers to obtain a multiplexed outgoing telephony signal comprising a plurality of telephony signals in a standard multiplexed telephony format to telephony network;
• and
• coupling the multiplexed outgoing telephony signal to the telephony network.

A method of operating a bidirectional communication system to couple telephony signals to and from a telephony network and to and from a plurality of subscribers of a subscription system including a broadband subscription network extending from a headend to the subscribers, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a multiplexed telephony signal containing a plurality of predetermined telephony signals in a plurality of telephony channels;
• demultiplexing the multiplexed telephony signal to obtain a particular telephony signal from a particular telephony channel;
• communicating the particular telephony signal from the headend to a particular subscriber at a subscriber destination associated with the particular subscriber in a first frequency band in the subscription system;
• selecting a particular subband in a second frequency band in the subscription system to receive subscriber telephony signals from the particular subscriber;
• communicating subscriber telephony signals from the particular subscriber at the subscriber destination to the headend in the selected particular subband;
• and
• coupling the subscriber telephony signals to the particular telephony channel;
• and
• changing the frequency from the selected subband in the second frequency band to another frequency subband during a communication session involving the particular subscriber.

An apparatus for the communication of telephony signals to and from a telephony network and to and from a plurality of subscribers of a subscription system including a subscription network having a first band of frequencies for communicating signals to subscribers in the subscription network and a second band of frequencies for communicating signals from the subscribers, comprising:

• a telephony network modulator for modulating the telephony signals from the telephony network on said first band of said subscription network utilizing a first modulation scheme;
• a subscriber terminal including a subscriber terminal demodulator for demodulating the telephony signals in said first band from the subscription network and coupling them to a subscriber;
• a plurality of frequency agile second modulators for modulating telephony signals from said subscriber in a plurality of frequency subbands in said second band of the subscription network utilizing a second modulation scheme so as to provide selectably variable bandwidth in said second band commensurate with a selected subscriber communication feature;
• and
• a telephony network demodulator for demodulating the telephony signals from said second band of the subscription network and coupling them to the telephony network.

An apparatus for the communication of telephony signals to and from a telephony network and to and from a plurality of subscribers of a subscription system including a subscription network having a first band of frequencies for communicating signals to subscribers in the subscription network and a second band of frequencies for communicating signals from the subscribers, comprising:

• a telephony network modulator for modulating the telephony signals from the telephony network on said first band of said subscription network utilizing a first modulation scheme;
• a subscriber terminal including a subscriber terminal demodulator for demodulating the telephony signals in said first band from the subscription network and coupling them to a subscriber;
• at least one frequency agile second modulator for modulating telephony signals from said subscriber in a selected one of a plurality of frequency subbands in said second band of the subscription network utilizing a second modulation scheme;
• a telephony network demodulator for demodulating the telephony signals from said second band of the subscription network and coupling them to the telephony network;
• and
• an address and control unit (ACU) for associating frequency subbands in said second band of the subscription network with subscribers, said ACU maintaining an allocation table in a memory storing information in association selected from the group comprising:
• subscriber identification, frequency subband, noise level, service level, security status, and line status.