Network interface device and method having passive operation mode and noise management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9813458-B2
Application number	US-201314056566-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2013
Priority date	Oct 17, 2012
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A system, method and device provide passive operation mode and noise management. The system, in one embodiment, includes power loss bypass and upstream noise management.

First claim

The following is claimed:

1. A network interface device comprising:
a signal splitter configured to separate a downstream signal into one of: (a) a passive branch signal and (b) an active branch signal;
an active branch circuit, wherein the active branch signal is transmittable through the active branch circuit to at least one active subscriber device;
an active branch circuit noise manager configured to: (a) detect an upstream signal transmitted from the least one active subscriber device and (b) establish a signal path for the detected upstream signal through the active branch circuit;
a passive branch circuit, wherein the passive branch signal is transmittable through the passive branch circuit to at least one passive subscriber device; and
a bypass circuit configured to:
in response to the active branch circuit noise manager being unpowered, switch the active branch signal to a bypass signal path that bypasses at least the active branch circuit noise manager so as to prevent the active branch signal from being transmitted to the active branch circuit noise manager, and
in response to the active branch circuit noise manager being powered, switch the active branch signal to an active signal path to the active branch circuit noise manager so as to allow the active branch signal to be transmitted to the active branch circuit noise manager.

2. The network interface device of claim 1 , wherein the active branch circuit noise manager is configured to detect an instantaneous power of the upstream signal and, based on the detection, to establish the signal path for the detected upstream signal through the active branch circuit.

3. The network interface device of claim 2 , wherein the active branch circuit noise manager is further configured to determine whether the instantaneous power of the upstream signal exceeds a threshold limit, and, in response to the determination, switch the signal path for the detected upstream signal to be through the active branch circuit.

4. The network interface device of claim 2 , wherein the active branch circuit noise manager is further configured to: (a) determine whether an integration of the instantaneous power indicates that the upstream signal is of unsustained, instantaneous power; and (b) based on the determination; terminate the signal path for the detected upstream signal through the active branch circuit.

5. The network interface device of claim 1 , further comprising a switch configured to control transmission of the downstream signal to the at least one active subscriber device.

6. The network interface device of claim 5 , wherein the switch is configured to selectively (a) enable a transmission of the downstream signal to the at least one active subscriber device and (b) block the transmission of the downstream signal to the at least one active subscriber device.

7. The network interface device of claim 6 , wherein the switch has a signal flow mode and a signal block mode, the switch configured to (a) enable transmission between a CATV network and the at least one active subscriber device when in the signal flow mode and (b) prevent the transmission between the CATV network and the at least one active subscriber device when in the signal block mode.

8. The network interface device of claim 7 , wherein the switch is configured to (a) assume the signal flow mode in response to a normal operation condition and (b) assume the signal block mode in response to a power-off condition.

9. The network interface device of claim 8 , wherein the switch is further configured to maintain the signal flow mode during the normal operation condition.

10. The network interface device of claim 1 , where the active branch circuit noise manager comprises an upstream noise management circuit configured to mitigate ingress noise by enabling the signal path only for the upstream signals which have a power content that exceeds a predetermined threshold power level.

11. The network interface device of claim 1 , wherein the active branch circuit noise manager is configured to: (a) maintain the signal path until a designated condition is detected; and (b) block the signal path after the designated condition is detected.

12. The network interface device of claim 11 , wherein the designated condition comprises a predetermined amount of time, the predetermined amount of time based on an amount of time to transmit a single valid upstream signal packet of a maximum time duration permitted by a signaling protocol.

13. The network interface device of claim 1 , wherein the active branch circuit comprises the active branch circuit noise manager.

14. A network interface device comprising:
a signal splitter configured to separate a downstream signal into one of: (a) a passive branch signal and (b) an active branch signal;
an active branch circuit, wherein the active branch signal is transmittable through the active branch circuit to at least one active subscriber device and (b) transmittable through the active branch circuit from the at least one active subscriber device;
an active branch circuit noise manager configured to: (a) detect an upstream signal transmitted from the least one active subscriber device and (b) establish a signal path for the detected upstream signal through the active branch circuit;
a passive branch circuit, wherein the passive branch signal is one of: (a) transmittable through the passive branch circuit to at least one passive subscriber device and (b) transmittable through the passive branch circuit from the at least one passive subscriber device;
a switch configured to control transmission of: (a) the downstream signal to the at least one active subscriber device and (b) the upstream signal from the at least one active subscriber device, wherein the switch is configured to selectively (a) establish a connection with the at least one active subscriber device and (b) bypass the connection with the at least one active subscriber device; and
a bypass circuit configured to:
in response to the active branch circuit noise manager being unpowered, switch the active branch signal to a bypass signal path that bypasses at least the active branch circuit noise manager so as to prevent the active branch signal from being transmitted to the active branch circuit noise manager, and
in response to the active branch circuit noise manager being powered, switch the active branch signal to an active signal path to the active branch circuit noise manager so as to allow the active branch signal to be transmitted to the active branch circuit noise manager.

15. The network interface device of claim 14 , wherein the switch has a signal flow mode and a signal block mode, the switch configured to (a) establish the connection with the at least one active subscriber device when in the signal flow mode and (b) prevent the connection with the at least one active subscriber device when in the signal block mode,
wherein the switch is configured to (a) assume the signal flow mode in response to a normal operation condition, and (b) assume the signal block mode in response to a power-off condition.

16. The network interface device of claim 14 , wherein the active branch circuit noise manager is configured to detect an instantaneous power of the upstream signal and, based on the detection, to establish the signal path for the detected upstream signal through the active branch circuit.

17. A network interface device comprising:
an input port operable to communicate with a CATV network;
a signal splitter operable to separate a downstream signal into one of: (a) a passive branch

Assignees

• Ppc Broadband Inc

Inventors

• Bailey Paul Francis

Classifications

• H04N7/104 Primary

  Switchers or splitters · CPC title

• H04L43/16

  Threshold monitoring · CPC title

• H04L65/1069 Primary

  Session establishment or de-establishment · CPC title

• H04L12/2801

  Broadband local area networks · CPC title

• H04L12/2898

  Subscriber equipments (DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801) · CPC title