Cable network system for bidirectional communication at an enhanced duplex frequency range

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12199690-B2
Application number	US-202318378179-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2023
Priority date	May 13, 2021
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A cable network system for bidirectionally communicating signals at an enhanced duplex frequency range, which may be between about 5 MHz and about 650 MHz. This system may include a first amplifier, which may be configured to condition an upstream signal proceeding from a subscriber premises to a headend, without necessarily conditioning a downstream signal proceeding from the headend to the subscriber premises, a second amplifier, which may be configured to condition the downstream signal without necessarily conditioning the upstream signal, and a shaping circuit, which may condition the upstream and downstream signals. This system also may simultaneously, or in an overlapping or offset manner, communicate signals at a full duplex frequency range without a diplex filter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cable network system for simultaneously and bidirectionally communicating signals at an enhanced duplex frequency range comprising:
a first amplifier device comprising:
a first port configured to receive a first signal transmitted in a first direction;
a first splitter having a common port, a first leg, and a second leg, the first splitter configured to receive the first signal via the common port of the first splitter;
a first shaping circuit connected to the first leg of the first splitter and configured to receive the first signal and equalize the first signal;
an amplifier connected to the first shaping circuit and configured to receive and amplify the first signal after the first shaping circuit equalizes the first signal to form an amplified first signal;
a second shaping circuit connected to the amplifier and configured to receive the amplified first signal after amplification by the amplifier and configured to form a tilt to the amplified first signal;
a second splitter having a first leg, a second leg, and a common port, the second splitter configured to receive the amplified first signal via the first leg of the second splitter after passing through the second shaping circuit and configured to transmit the amplified first signal via the common port;
a second port connected to the common port of the second splitter and configured to receive the amplified first signal via the common port and transmit the amplified first signal after the first signal passes through the first shaping circuit, the amplifier, and the second shaping circuit;

wherein the first amplifier device is configured to receive a second signal transmitted in a second direction via the second port, transmit the second signal to the common port of the second splitter; and
to transmit the second signal to the second leg of the first splitter via the second leg of the second splitter, bypassing the second shaping circuit, the amplifier, and the first shaping circuit, and transmit the second signal to the first port via the common port of the first splitter, wherein the second signal is non-amplified after being transmitted to the first port;
a second amplifier device comprising:
a second port configured to receive the second signal transmitted in the second direction;
a second splitter having a common port, a first leg, and a second leg, the second splitter configured to receive the second signal via the common port of the second splitter;
a second shaping circuit connected to the second splitter via the first leg of the second splitter and configured to receive the second signal and to equalize the second signal;
an amplifier connected to the first shaping circuit and configured to receive and amplify the second signal after the first shaping circuit equalizes the second signal to form an amplified second signal;
a second shaping circuit connected to the amplifier and configured to receive the amplified second signal after amplification by the amplifier and configured to apply a tilt to the amplified second signal;
a first splitter having a first leg, a second leg, and a common port, the first splitter configured to receive the amplified second signal via the first leg of the first splitter after passing through the second shaping circuit and configured to transmit the amplified second signal via the common port; and
a first port connected to the common port of the first splitter and configured to receive the amplified second signal via the common port and transmit the amplified second signal after the second signal passes through the first shaping circuit, the amplifier, and the second shaping circuit,

a shaping module comprising:
a first port configured to receive the first signal;
a second port configured to receive the second signal;
a shaping circuit configured to transmit the first signal through the second port after passing through the shaping circuit and configured to transmit the second signal through the first port after passing through the shaping circuit;

wherein the first amplifier device and the second amplifier device are configured to simultaneously and bidirectionally communicate signals at an enhanced duplex frequency range without including a diplex filter;
wherein the second amplifier device is further configured to receive the first signal transmitted in the first direction via the first port, transmit the first signal to the common port of the first splitter, transmit the first signal to the second leg of the second splitter via the second leg of the first splitter, bypassing the second shaping circuit, the amplifier, and the first shaping circuit of the second amplifier device, and transmit the first signal to the second port via the common port of the second splitter, wherein the first signal is non-amplified by the second amplifier device after being transmitted to the second port; band
wherein the enhanced duplex frequency range does not comprise a half-duplex frequency range where bidirectional communication of signals can only take place at a frequency of one bidirectional signal at a time.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first amplifier device is configured to amplify the first signal in the first direction and not amplify the second signal in the second direction, and
wherein the second amplifier device is configured to amplify the second signal in the second direction and not amplify the first signal in the first direction.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first signal and the second signal are cable network signals.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first direction is a downstream direction from a network provider to a subscriber, and the second direction is an upstream direction from the subscriber to the network provider.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first shaping circuit and the second shaping circuit of the first amplifier device are plug-in devices configured to be reprogrammable.

6. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the enhanced duplex frequency range comprises a frequency range of between about 5 MHz and about 650 MHz; and
wherein the enhanced duplex frequency range comprises a full duplex frequency range.

7. An amplifier device for simultaneously and bidirectionally communicating signals at an enhanced duplex frequency range in a cable network system comprising:
a first splitter that is configured to receive a signal and split the signal into first and second portions, pass the first portion of the signal to an amplification path via a first leg, and pass the second portion of the signal to a non-amplification path via a second leg;
a first shaping circuit located in the amplification path, connected to the first splitter via the first leg of the first splitter, and configured to condition the first portion of the signal;
an amplifier located in the amplification path, connected to the first shaping circuit, and configured to amplify the first portion of the signal when the first portion of the signal passes through the first shaping circuit;
a second shaping circuit located in the amplification path, connected to the amplifier, and configured to condition the first portion of the signal after the first portion of the signal has passed through the amplifier;
a second splitter comprising:
a first leg connected to first leg of the first splitter via the amplification path and configured to receive the first portion of the signal after passing through the second shaping circuit;
a second leg connected to second leg of the first splitter via the non-amplification path and configured to receive the second portion of the signal; and
a common port configured to transmit a combination of the first portion of the signal and the second portion of the signal; and

wherein the amplifi

Assignees

• Ppc Broadband Inc

Inventors

• Barany David A
• Montena Noah

Classifications

• H04B3/08 Primary

  in negative-feedback path of line amplifier · CPC title

• H03F1/02

  Modifications of amplifiers to raise the efficiency, e.g. gliding Class A stages, use of an auxiliary oscillation · CPC title

• H04L5/14

  Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex · CPC title

• H03F2200/63

  the amplifier being suitable for CATV applications · CPC title

• H03F3/62

  Two-way amplifiers · CPC title