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US 8,027,461 B1Granted
Systems and methods for splitting telecommunication signals with reduced noise
AssigneeAdtran, Inc.
InventorsJared D. Cress, Daniel M. Joffe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A telecommunication system has a telecommunication line for communicating a combined signal and a splitter that is coupled to the telecommunication line. The splitter has a high-pass filter, a low-pass filter, and a current limiter. The high-pass filter is configured to transmit a first component signal of the combined signal, and the low-pass filter is configured to transmit a second component signal of the combined signal. The current limiter is configured to limit a current of the second component signal thereby preventing at least one inductor in the low-pass filter from saturating.
Claims32
A splitter for use in a telecommunication system, the splitter comprising:
- a first path coupled to a telecommunication line, the first path having a first filter;
- and
- a second path coupled to the telecommunication line, the second path having a second filter and a current limiter, the second filter coupled in cascade with the current limiter, wherein the current limiter comprises a current limiting element, a current sensing element, and a feedback control element, wherein the feedback control element is coupled to the current sensing element and the current limiting element, wherein the feedback control element is configured to transmit a feedback signal to the current limiting element based on a current from the telecommunication line sensed by the current sensing element, and wherein the current limiter is configured to transition the current limiting element to an open circuit state when a voltage of the telecommunication line exceeds a threshold thereby preventing the current from passing though the current limiting element during a fault on the telecommunication line,
- wherein the first filter is configured to filter signals in a first frequency band, and wherein the second filter is configured to filter signals in a second frequency band different than the first frequency band.
1 more element
A communication system, comprising:
- a telecommunication line for communicating a combined signal, the combined signal comprising a first component signal and a second component signal;
- and
- a splitter coupled to the telecommunication line, the splitter having a first filter, a second filter, and a current limiter, the first filter configured to transmit the first component signal and the second filter configured to transmit the second component signal, the current limiter configured to limit a current of the second component signal thereby preventing at least one inductor in the second filter from saturating, wherein the first component signal is in a first frequency band and the second component signal is in a second frequency band different than the first frequency band, wherein the current limiter comprises a current limiting element, a current sensing element, and a feedback control element, wherein the feedback control element is coupled to the current sensing element and the current limiting element, wherein the current sensing element is configured to sense the current of the second component signal, wherein the feedback control element is configured to transmit a feedback signal to the current limiting element based on the current sensing element, and wherein the current limiter is configured to transition the current limiting element to an open circuit state when a voltage of the telecommunication line exceeds a threshold thereby preventing the current of the second component signal from passing though the current limiter during a fault on the telecommunication line.
A splitter for use in a telecommunication system that communicates a combined signal over a telecommunication line, the combined signal comprising a first signal in a first frequency band and a second signal in a second frequency band, the splitter comprising:
- a first path for transmitting the first signal, the first path having a first filter configured to allow the first signal to pass and to prevent the second signal from passing;
- and
- a second path for transmitting the second signal, the second path having a second filter and a current limiter in cascade with the second filter for reducing transient energy in the combined signal such that noise in the first signal is reduced, wherein the second filter is configured to allow the second signal to pass and to prevent the first signal from passing, wherein the current limiter comprises a current limiting element, a current sensing element, and a feedback control element, wherein the feedback control element is coupled to the current sensing element and the current limiting element, wherein the current sensing element is configured to sense the current of the second signal, wherein the feedback control element transmits a feedback signal to the current limiting element based on the current sensing element, and wherein the current limiter is configured to control the current limiting element such that the current of the second signal is prevented from passing through the current limiting element when a voltage of the telecommunication line exceeds a threshold.
A method for use in a telecommunication system, comprising the steps of:
- receiving a combined signal from a telecommunication line, the combined signal having a first signal in a first frequency band combined with a second signal in a second frequency band;
- filtering signals in the first frequency band via a first filter of a splitter;
- filtering signals in the second frequency band via a second filter of the splitter, wherein the first frequency band is different than the second frequency band;
- splitting the combined signal into the first signal and the second signal via the splitter, wherein the splitting step comprises the steps of filtering the combined signal via the first filter and filtering the combined signal via the second filter;
- transmitting the first signal from the first filter to a first receiver;
- and
- limiting, via a current limiter coupled in cascade with the second filter, a current of the second signal, wherein the limiter comprises a current limiting element, a current sensing element, and a feedback control element, and wherein the feedback control element is coupled to the current limiting element and the current sensing element;
- transmitting the second signal from the second filter to a second receiver;
- sensing a current from the telecommunication line via the current sensing element;
- transmitting a feedback signal from the feedback control element to the current limiting element based on the sensed current, wherein the limiting step is based on the feedback signal;
- and
- transitioning the current limiting element to an open circuit state when a voltage of the telecommunication line exceeds a threshold thereby preventing current from passing through the current limiting element during a fault condition on the telecommunication line.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.