Technique for effectively utilizing bandwidth of a cable network for wireless communications
AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.
InventorGeorge Philip Vella-Coleiro
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a cable network for delivering a personal communications service (PCS) and cable television (CATV) service, return service applications, e.g., a pay per view service, are also provided on a return cable band provided by the cable network. In accordance with the invention, the return service applications utilize subbands unused by the PCS in the return cable band, thereby unaffecting the PCS. The broadband noise in the subbands normally accompanied by the PCS is filtered out using a tunable filter whose passband is adjustable to coincide with one of many PCS signal bands being used in the return cable band.
Claims25
A system for communicating a signal through one of a plurality of signal bands in a communication band, at least one subband other than the plurality of the signal bands in the communication band being corrupted by noise, the system comprising:
- a filter having an adjustable passband;
- a detector for identifying said one of the plurality of the signal bands;
- and
- a controller for adjusting the adjustable passband of the filter to substantially coincide with the identified said one of the plurality of the signal bands.
A cable network arrangement including a headend, at least one signal being transmitted in the arrangement toward the headend through a communication band, the communication band being corrupted by noise, the arrangement comprising:
- a detector for scanning the communication band to identify a location of a signal band therein which is occupied by the signal;
- and
- an adjustable passband filter for reducing the noise and allowing the signal to pass therethrough substantially unaffected based on knowledge of the location of the signal band, the passband being adaptively adjusted to correspond to the location in the communication band of the signal band occupied by the signal being transmitted toward the headend.
A method for use in a system for communicating a signal through one of a plurality of signal bands in a communication band, at least one subband other than the plurality of the signal bands in the communication band being corrupted by noise, the system including a filter having an adjustable passband, the method comprising the steps of:
- identifying said one of the plurality of the signal bands;
- and
- adjusting the adjustable passband of the filter to substantially coincide with the identified said one of the plurality of the signal bands.
A method for use in a cable network arrangement including a headend, at least one signal being transmitted in the arrangement toward the headend through a communication band, the communication band being corrupted by noise, the arrangement also including an adjustable filter for reducing the noise, the method comprising the steps of:
- scanning the communication band to identify a location of a signal band therein which is occupied by the signal;
- and
- based on knowledge of the location of the signal band, adjusting the adjustable filter to exhibit a passband corresponding to the location in the communication band of the signal band occupied by the signal being transmitted toward the headend.
A system for communicating a signal through a communication band, said communication band including a plurality of signal bands interspersed with a plurality of sub-bands, respectively, said sub-bands being corrupted by noise, the system comprising:
- a filter having an adjustable passband;
- a detector for identifying one of the plurality of the signal bands having a non-noise first signal;
- a controller for adjusting the adjustable passband of the filter to pass the identified signal band while also substantially removing the noise in at least one of the sub-bands adjacent to said identified signal band;
- and
- a coupler to assign a second signal to the at least one adjacent sub-band.
In a communications system including a filter having an adjustable passband, a method of communicating a signal through a communication band, said communication band including a plurality of signal bands interspersed with a plurality of sub-bands, respectively, said sub-bands being corrupted by noise, the method comprising:
- identifying one of the plurality of the signal bands having a non-noise first signal;
- adjusting the adjustable passband of the filter to pass the identified signal band while also substantially removing the noise in at least one of the sub-bands adjacent to said identified signal band;
- and
- coupling a second signal to the at least one adjacent sub-band.
A method for use in a system for communicating a signal through one of a plurality of distinct signal bands in a communication band, at least one subband other than the plurality of the signal bands in the communication band being corrupted by noise, the system including a filter having an adjustable passband, the method comprising the steps of:
- identifying said one of the plurality of distinct signal bands;
- and
- adjusting the adjustable passband of the filter to substantially coincide with the identified said one of the plurality of distinct signal bands.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.