Patent ID: 6381248
Filing Date: 2002-04-30
Classification: H04B,H04J,H04Q

Abstract:
A communication network for transmitting signals from a central office downstream to a plurality of end unit apparatuses over at least one communication path, the network comprising:at least two primary nodes allocated along the communication path, and which partition the communication path into multiple segments; at least one secondary node apparatus that provides at least uni-directional communication between at least two segments of said communication path; and, at least one converter apparatus including communication means for transmitting at least uni-directional communication signals selected from a group including, downstream second signals received directly from the central office over a second communication path sent to at least one end unit apparatus through at least one secondary node apparatus over the said at least one communication path; upstream signals received from the at least one end unit apparatus and at least one secondary node apparatus over the communication path and sent to the central office over the said second communication path.