Patent ID: 7146630
Filing Date: 2006-12-05
Classification: H04L,H04N,H04Q

Abstract:
1. A communications device in a cable network comprising: a plurality of coaxial input ports for receiving a signal having legacy signal components and incoming high-frequency signal components at frequencies greater than 860 MHz; a plurality of coaxial output ports for combining outgoing high-frequency signal components with legacy signal components and transmitting the combined signal over a coaxial cable; a legacy signal component passthrough electrically coupled to at least one coaxial input port and to at least one coaxial output port and configured to filter out the incoming high-frequency signal components from the legacy signal and to forward the legacy signal components to the coaxial output ports; a plurality of modems within the communications device in communication with the plurality of coaxial input ports and the plurality of coaxial output ports, each modem configured to convert incoming high-frequency signal components into packets of data and outgoing packets of data into outgoing high-frequency signal components; a processor within the communications device in communication with each modem for determining an intended destination of the outgoing packets of data and for selecting one of the plurality of coaxial output ports based on the determined intended destination of the outgoing packets of data; a switch within the communications device responsive to the processor for directing the outgoing packets of data to one of the plurality of modems associated with the selected one of the plurality of coaxial output ports; wherein at least one coaxial input port and at least one coaxial output port are the same coaxial port.