Switchable highpass filter for CATV return path

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10122962-B2
Application number	US-201715714907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2017
Priority date	Sep 26, 2016
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A device for filtering a cable television (CATV) signal includes an input port configured to receive downstream signals from a CATV headend and provide upstream signals thereto, an output port configured to be coupled to a subscriber device and provide the downstream signals thereto and to receive the upstream signals therefrom, and a filter circuit configured to transmit the upstream and the downstream signals between the input port and the output port for a predetermined duration after the output port is coupled to the subscriber device. The filter circuit is configured to block at least a portion of the upstream signals, at least a portion of the downstream signals, or both from being transmitted between the input port and the output port in response to an expiration of the predetermined duration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for filtering a cable television (CATV) signal, the device comprising:
a housing;
an insulator positioned at least partially within the housing, the insulator being configured to receive a cable and to move from a first position to a second position, wherein connecting the insulator to the cable causes the insulator to move from the first position to the second position;
an input port configured to receive downstream signals from a CATV headend and provide upstream signals thereto;
an output port configured to be coupled to a subscriber device and provide the downstream signals thereto and to receive the upstream signals therefrom; and
a circuit positioned at least partially within the housing, wherein the circuit comprises:
a first filter configured to block the upstream signals, the downstream signals, or both that are outside a first frequency band;
a second filter configured to block the upstream signals, the downstream signals, or both that are outside a second frequency band that is different from the first frequency band;
a trigger configured to actuate in response to the insulator moving from the first position to the second position;
at least one switch configured to route the upstream signals, the downstream signals, or both to the first filter when the at least one switch is in a powered state and to route the upstream signals, the downstream signals, or both to the second filter when the at least one switch is in an unpowered state; and
a power circuit configured to connect to the at least one switch in response to the trigger actuating, wherein the power circuit is configured to supply power to actuate the at least one switch into the powered state for a predetermined duration when connected to the at least one switch, and wherein the at least one switch is configured to actuate into the unpowered state after the predetermined duration.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the power circuit comprises a first switch configured to actuate from an open state to a dosed state in response to the trigger actuating, wherein a battery in the power circuit is disconnected from the at least one switch when the first switch is in the open state such that the at least one switch is in the unpowered state, and wherein the battery is connected to the at least one switch when the first switch is in the closed state such that the at least one switch is in the powered state for the predetermined duration.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one switch comprises a second switch and a third switch, the second switch being connected to a first side of the first filter and a first side of the second filter, and the third switch being connected to a second side of the first filter and a second side of the second filter, wherein the second and third switches are configured to actuate simultaneously between the powered state and the unpowered state.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the housing comprises a female connector and a male connector, and wherein a portion of the insulator extends outward through an end of the female connector when the insulator is in the first position, and wherein the insulator is configured to overcome an opposing force exerted by a biasing mechanism and move toward the male connector when the insulator moves into the second position.

5. A device for filtering a cable television (CATV) signal, the device comprising:
an input port configured to receive downstream signals from a CATV headend and provide upstream signals thereto;
an output port configured to be coupled to a subscriber device and provide the downstream signals thereto and to receive the upstream signals therefrom;
a filter circuit configured to transmit the upstream and the downstream signals between the input port and the output port for a predetermined duration after the output port is coupled to the subscriber device; wherein the filter circuit is configured to block at least a portion of the upstream signals, at least a portion of the downstream signals, or both from being transmitted between the input port and the output port in response to an expiration of the predetermined duration; and
at least one switch configured to actuate into a powered state when the output port is coupled to the subscriber device and to actuate into an unpowered state after the expiration of the predetermined duration, wherein the filter circuit is configured to transmit the upstream and downstream signals when the at least one switch is in the powered state, and wherein the filter circuit is configured to block the at least a portion of the upstream signals, the at least a portion of the downstream signals, or both in response to the at least one switch actuating into the unpowered state.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the at least one switch comprises a first switch coupled to a first side of the filter circuit and a second switch coupled to a second side of the filter circuit, wherein the first and second switches are configured to actuate simultaneously between the powered state and the unpowered state.

7. The device of claim 5 , further comprising a trigger that is configured to actuate in response to the output port being coupled to the subscriber device, wherein the at least one switch is configured to actuate into the powered state for the predetermined duration in response to actuation of the trigger.

8. The device of claim 7 , further comprising a power circuit comprising a battery, wherein the power circuit is configured to supply power from the battery to the at least one switch for the predetermined duration in response to actuation of the trigger, causing the at least one switch to actuate into the powered state for the predetermined duration.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the battery fails to supply a threshold current to the at least one switch after the predetermined duration; causing the at least one switch to actuate into the unpowered state.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the power circuit comprises a first switch configured to actuate from an open state to a closed state in response to actuation of the trigger, causing the battery to supply power to the at least one switch.

11. A device for filtering a cable television (CATV) signal, the device comprising:
an input port configured to receive downstream signals from a CATV headend and to provide upstream signals thereto;
an output port configured to be coupled to a subscriber device and provide the downstream signals thereto and to receive the upstream signals therefrom;
an insulator configured to move from a first position to a second position in response to the output port being coupled to the subscriber device;
a biasing mechanism configured to bias the insulator into the first position before the output port is coupled to the subscriber device, and wherein the insulator is configured overcome an opposing force exerted by the biasing mechanism and to move into the second position when the output port is coupled to the subscriber device;
a trigger configured to actuate in response to the insulator moving from the first position to the second position; and
a filter circuit configured to permit the upstream and downstream signals to be communicated between the input port and the output port for a predetermined duration, wherein the predetermined duration starts in response to the trigger being actuated, wherein the filter circuit is configured to block at least a portion of the upstream signals, at least a portion of the downstream signals, or both from being communicated between the input port and the output port after the predetermined duration.

12. The device of claim 11 , wh

Assignees

• Ppc Broadband Inc

Inventors

• Hart Thomas
• Howard Calvin

Classifications

• H04N7/104 Primary

  Switchers or splitters · CPC title

• H04N21/6168

  involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem · CPC title

• H04N7/102 Primary

  Circuits therefor, e.g. noise reducers, equalisers, amplifiers (H04N7/108 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N21/6118

  involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem · CPC title