Patent ID: 7817540
Filing Date: 2010-10-19
Classification: H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A cable data switch, comprising: a switching module comprising a passive splitter/combiner and a protect switch, where the passive splitter/combiner passively splits a plurality of customer signals received on an upstream channel into a plurality of working signals and a plurality of protected signals and provides the plurality of working signals to a plurality of working head end units and the plurality of protected signals on a protect output, the protect output being provided to the protect switch, where the protect switch provides one of the plurality of protected signals to a protect head end unit, where the passive splitter/combiner passively combines a plurality of working signals received from the plurality of working head end units with a downstream protected signal received from the protect switch into a plurality of customer signals, and provides the plurality of customer signals on the upstream channel, where the protect switch receives the downstream protected signal from the protect head end unit; and a control module coupled to the switching module, the control module being configured to receive a plurality of control signals from the plurality of working head end units and to selectively control the protect switch to provide the downstream protected signal to the passive splitter/combiner or to provide one of the plurality of protected signals to the protect head end unit in response to a control signal from a member of the plurality of working head end units.