Passive entry adapter system for a CATV network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11627282-B2
Application number	US-202016839142-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2020
Priority date	Apr 3, 2019
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

Abstract

A passive entry adapter system includes an external band rejection filter connected to an external network; an entry adapter connected to the external band rejection filter, an input port connecting the entry adapter to the external network; a directional coupler connected to the input port; a frequency-based signal separation device connected to a first terminal and comprising a high-pass terminal, and a low-pass terminal; a splitter connected to the high-pass terminal, where the splitter is configured to be connected to one or more first types of devices; and a broadband output port connected to a second terminal of the directional coupler. The broadband output is configured to be connected to one or more second types of devices. The entry adapter and the external band rejection filter are configured to prevent signals from a frequency band associated with in-network communications produced within an internal network from reaching the external network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a band rejection filter connected to an external network and physically remote and outside of a customer premises, wherein the band rejection filter is configured to prevent signals from a frequency band associated with internal network communications from reaching the external network;
an entry adapter connected to the external network via the band rejection filter, the entry adapter comprising a directional coupler to split an input signal from the external network into a first leg and a second leg, the first leg connecting to a first type of device and the second leg connecting to a second type of device wherein the directional coupler is configured to permit communications between the first type of device and the external network, permit communications between the first type of device and the second type of device via an internal network, and prevent communications between the second type of device and the external network; and
wherein the directional coupler comprises a microstrip coupler having a pair of parallel conductors separated by a gap that is configured to prevent passage of signals within a first frequency band and traveling from the one or more second types of devices to the external network and permits signals within a second frequency band to travel from the second type of device to the first type of device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gap is configured to only allow a signal at a predetermined minimum frequency to pass between the first parallel conductor and the second parallel conductor.

3. A system comprising:
a band rejection filter connected to an external network and physically remote and outside of a customer premises, wherein the band rejection filter is configured to prevent signals from a frequency band associated with internal network communications from reaching the external network;
an entry adapter connected to the external network via the band rejection filter, the entry adapter including a directional coupler to split an input signal from the external network into a first leg and a second leg, the first leg connecting to a first type of device and the second leg connecting to a second type of device;
wherein the directional coupler includes a first parallel conductor defining the first leg and a second parallel conductor defining the second leg, the first parallel conductor and the second parallel conductor define a gap between the first and second parallel conductors; and
wherein the gap is configured to only allow a signal at a predetermined minimum frequency to pass between the first parallel conductor and the second parallel conductor.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the directional coupler is configured to:
permit communications between the first type of device and the external network; and
permit communications between the first type of device and the second type of device via an internal network.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the directional coupler is configured to:
prevent communications between the second type of device and the external network.

6. A system comprising:
a band rejection filter configured to be connected to an external network;
an entry adapter connected to the band rejection filter, the entry adapter configured to be connected to a first type of device and a second type of device that communicate with each other via network signals within a customer premises local network;
wherein the entry adapter is configured to pass the network signals within a first frequency band between the first type of device and the second type of device through a directional coupler having a first parallel conductor and a second parallel conductor connected to the first type and the second type of devices;
wherein the entry adapter is configured to terminate signals transmitted between the first type of device and the second type of device at a second frequency band lower than the first frequency band, and the directional coupler is configured to attenuate the network signals within the second frequency band from reaching an input port of the entry adapter from the second type of device;
wherein the band rejection filter is configured to filter the network signals within the second frequency band to prevent the network signals within the second frequency band from reaching the external network;
wherein the first and second parallel conductors define a gap between the first and second parallel conductors; and
wherein the gap is configured to only allow a signal at a predetermined minimum frequency to pass between the first parallel conductor and the second parallel conductor.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein:
the first type of device comprises a broadband device;
the second type of device comprises a Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) device;
the first frequency band carries internal network or MoCA data; and the second frequency band carries broadband data.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the entry adapter is configured to attenuate the network signals using the directional coupler that attenuates based on signal direction and is direction-sensitive.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the entry adapter is further configured to permit communications between the first type of device and the external network.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the band rejection filter is configured to filter signals within the first frequency band to prevent the signals within the first frequency band from reaching the external network.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the external band rejection filter is configured to permit signals within the second frequency band to pass through to the external network.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein signals within the second frequency band produced by the first type of device reach the external network and wherein signals within the first frequency band produced by the second type of device are reflected back by the band rejection filter and prevented from reaching the external network.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the signals within the second frequency band transmitted to or from the first type of device comprise a loss of less than approximately 3 decibels.

14. A system configured to be connected to an external network, comprising:
an entry adapter configured to receive signals from an external network, the entry adapter including a directional coupler to split an input signal from the external network into a first leg and a second leg, the first leg connecting to a first type of device and the second leg connecting to a second type of device;
wherein the directional coupler is configured to:
permit communications between the first type of device and the external network;
permit communications between the first type of device and the second type of device via an internal network; and
prevent communications between the second type of device and the external network;
wherein the directional coupler comprises a microstrip coupler having a pair of parallel conductors separated by a gap;
wherein the gap prevents passage of signals within a first frequency band and traveling from the second type of device to the external network; and
wherein the gap permits signals within a second frequency band to travel from the second type of device to the first type of device.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the gap is configured to only allow a signal at a predetermined minimum frequency to pass between the pair of parallel conductors.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein:
the first type of device comprises a broadband device;
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Assignees

• Ppc Broadband Inc

Inventors

• Barany David A
• Bailey Paul

Classifications

• H04N21/615

  Signal processing at physical level (signal processing in analog two-way television systems H04N7/173) · CPC title

• H04N7/106 Primary

  for domestic distribution · CPC title

• H04N21/6118

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

• H04N7/104 Primary

  Switchers or splitters · CPC title