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US 7,254,828 B2Granted
Multiple input data receiver for cable television systems
AssigneeActerna LLC
InventorDavid R. Hunter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multiple input data receiver for bi-directional cable television (CATV) systems simultaneously monitors and selectively receives a return path signal on a plurality of return paths. When an appropriate data or signal transmission is detected on a return path, the corresponding return path is selected and then demodulated. The demodulated signal is appropriately decoded to yield signal data. Various tests and analyzing may be performed on the signal data. Simultaneous monitoring/receiving of all or a plurality of return paths minimizes system response time.
Claims17
A data receiver for parallel monitoring of a plurality of return paths in a bi-directional cable television system, the data receiver comprising:
- a plurality of input ports operative to be coupled to the plurality of return paths;
- a plurality of signal conditioning circuits, each signal conditioning circuit in communication with a respective one of said input ports and operative to separately and substantially simultaneously receive and condition any signal on said respective input port;
- a plurality of determination circuits, each determination circuit in communication with a respective one of said signal conditioning circuits and operative to separately and substantially simultaneously determine whether any signal is a receivable signal;
- and
- selection circuitry in communication with each of said determination circuits and operative to select only one input port of said plurality of input ports that carries a receivable signal based on the determinations of the determination circuits, and to output the receivable signal;
- wherein said selection circuitry comprises:
- a switch having a plurality of inputs corresponding in number to said plurality of input ports and operative to output a signal carried by a selected input;
- path select logic in communication with said switch and each of said determination circuits, and operative to cause said switch to select only one input of said plurality of inputs based on the determinations of the determination circuits;
- and
- a controller in communication with said path select logic and each of said determination circuits for receiving a signal detect signal from the determination circuit, which determines that a signal is a receivable signal, and accordingly controlling the path select logic, so as to select the input corresponding to the signal detect signal.
7 more elements
A data receiver for parallel monitoring of a plurality of return paths in a bi-directional cable television system, the data receiver comprising:
- a plurality of data receiver inputs, each data receiver input operative to be coupled separately to one of the plurality of return paths;
- a local oscillator operative to provide a fixed frequency signal;
- a plurality of mixers, each of said mixers coupled to a respective one of said data receiver inputs, each mixer in communication with said local oscillator and operative to combine the fixed frequency signal with a signal on the respective one of the data receiver inputs;
- a plurality of level detectors, each level detector in communication with a respective one of said mixers and operative to determine if the combined signal reaches a predetermined threshold level;
- a plurality of duration detectors, each duration detector in communication with a respective one of said level detectors and operative to determine if the combined signal lasts for a predetermined length of time;
- a switch having a plurality of inputs each of which is coupled to one of the mixers, each input of which is selectable for output of the combined signal thereon;
- path select logic, in communication with each of said duration detectors and each of said level detectors, operative to cause said switch to select for output the combined signal on only one selected input based on the determinations of the level and duration detectors;
- and
- a controller in communication with each of said duration detectors and said path select logic;
- wherein said controller controls the path select logic according to a signal detect signal, which is based on whether the combined signal reaches the predetermined threshold level and whether the combined signal lasts for a predetermined length of time, received from one of the duration detectors.
7 more elements
A data receiver for parallel monitoring of a plurality of return paths in a bi-directional cable television system, the data receiver comprising:
- a plurality of data receiver inputs, each data receiver input operative to be coupled separately to one of the plurality of return paths;
- a local oscillator operative to provide a fixed frequency signal;
- a plurality of mixers, each mixer coupled to a respective one of said data receiver inputs, each mixer in communication with said local oscillator and operative to combine the fixed frequency signal with a signal on a respective data receiver input;
- a plurality of level detectors, each level detector in communication with a respective one of said mixers, and operative to determine if the combined signal reaches a predetermined threshold level;
- a plurality of duration detectors, each duration detector in communication with a respective one of said level detectors and operative to determine if the combined signal lasts for a predetermined length of time;
- a switch having a plurality of inputs each of which is coupled to one of the mixers, each input of which is selectable for output of the combined signal thereon;
- and
- path select logic, in communication with said plurality of duration detectors and said plurality of level detectors, operative to cause said switch to select for output the combined signal on only one selected input, based on whether the combined signal lasts for a predetermined length of time and whether the combined signal reaches a predetermined threshold level;
- wherein each said threshold detector and duration detector is set to reject noise.
6 more elements
A method of parallel monitoring of a plurality of return paths of a bi-directional cable television system comprising:
- coupling each one of a plurality of inputs of a data receiver to a separate return path of the bi-directional cable television system;
- simultaneously determining for each input whether a receivable signal is present;
- selecting only one input corresponding to the return path carrying the receivable signal when it is determined that the input has a receivable signal;
- and
- processing the selected receivable signal.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.