Patent ID: 8589997
Filing Date: 2013-11-19
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A cable television (CATV) entry adapter having an entry port for connection to a CATV network and a plurality of subscriber device ports for connection to subscriber devices, the CATV entry adapter comprising: a selectable switch having a pass-through state and a terminated state, the selectable switch communicating upstream and downstream CATV signals between the CATV network and the subscriber devices when in the pass-through state, and the selectable switch not communicating upstream and downstream CATV signals between the CATV network and the subscriber devices when in the terminated state, the selectable switch comprising: a first input terminal; a pass-through terminal; and a first termination terminal; and wherein: when the selectable switch is in the pass-through state, the upstream and downstream CATV signals between the CATV network and the subscriber devices are communicated through the first input terminal to the pass-through terminal; and when the selectable switch is in the terminated state, the input terminal is connected to the first termination terminal; a control circuit connected to control the state of the selectable switch, the control circuit associated with a network address, the control circuit electrically connected to receive the downstream CATV signals including predetermined command signal packets, the control circuit operative to respond to a first predetermined command signal packet addressed to the network address of the control circuit from the CATV network to set the selectable switch into the pass through state, the control circuit operative to respond to a second predetermined command signal packet addressed to the network address of the control circuit from the CATV network to set the selectable switch into the terminated state; a first splitter having a common terminal and multiple terminal legs, the first splitter connected to receive downstream CATV signals from the selectable switch through the common terminal, each of the multiple terminal legs connected to one of the plurality of subscriber device ports, the first splitter dividing the received downstream CATV signals into multiple copies and sending the multiple copies to the subscriber device ports through the terminal legs, the first splitter adapted to receive upstream CATV signals from each of the plurality of subscriber device ports through the terminal legs and to combine the received upstream CATV signals into a single upstream CATV signal which is supplied to the selectable switch from the common terminal; a directional coupler having a through leg and a tap leg, the directional coupler electrically connected to pass the upstream and downstream CATV signals between the entry port and the first input terminal of the selectable switch through the through leg, the directional coupler electrically connected to pass the downstream CATV signals including the predetermined command signal packets between the entry port and the control circuit through the tap leg; an electrical ground; a first termination resistor electrically connected between the first termination terminal and the electrical ground to dissipate power contained in the downstream CATV signals received by the selectable switch when the selectable switch is in the terminated state; and wherein: the downstream CATV signals conducted through the through leg are less attenuated than the downstream signals conducted through the tap leg; an embedded multimedia terminal adapter (eMTA) port adapted for connection to an eMTA device; a second splitter having a common terminal and first and second terminal legs, the common terminal of the second splitter electrically connected to the pass-through terminal of the selectable switch, the first terminal leg of the second splitter in electrical communication with the common terminal of the first splitter, the second terminal leg of the second splitter in electrical communication with the eMTA port; and wherein: downstream and upstream CATV signals are not communicated between the entry port and the eMTA port when the selectable switch is in the terminated state; and at least two of the subscriber devices for connection to the subscriber device ports constitute Multimedia-over-Coax Alliance (MoCA)-enabled multimedia devices, the MoCA-enabled multimedia devices communicating with one another in a MoCA network using MoCA signals in a MoCA frequency band through the CATV entry adapter; a MoCA frequency rejection filter which attenuates MoCA signals, the MoCA frequency rejection filter electrically connected to prevent the communication of MoCA signals between the plurality of subscriber device ports and at least one of the entry port or the eMTA port; a return loss saver switch having an input terminal, a pass-through terminal and a terminated terminal, the return loss saver switch having a pass-through state in which the input terminal of the return loss saver switch is electrically connected to the pass-through terminal of the return loss saver switch, the return loss saver switch having a terminated state in which the input terminal of the return loss saver switch is electrically connected to the terminated terminal of the return loss saver switch, the input terminal of the return loss saver switch electrically connected to the first terminal leg of the second splitter; parallel upstream and downstream CATV communication paths electrically connected between the pass-through terminal of the return loss saver switch and the common terminal of the first splitter, the upstream CATV communication path conducting upstream CATV signals from the first splitter to the return loss saver switch, the downstream CATV communication path conducting downstream CATV signals from the return loss saver switch to the first splitter; at least one active electrical component within the downstream communication path which requires electrical power to operate; a second termination resistor having a characteristic impedance electrically connected between the terminated terminal of the return loss saver switch and the electrical ground; and a return loss saver circuit which detects abnormal power conditions of the electrical power supplied to the active electronic component including a loss of electrical power, the return loss saver circuit connected to the return loss saver switch and operative to set the return loss saver switch into the terminated state under detected abnormal power conditions; and wherein: the second termination resistor is in electrical communication with the first terminal leg of the second splitter when the return loss saver is in the terminated state.