Abstract:
A communication method and system are provided which enables the communication of data and television signals on a residential gateway network while avoiding the degradation of VDSL signals. This invention employs a new directional coupler that permits coupling between input and output ports, but only limited coupling to a television port.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to methods and systems for providing high-speed data connections to a home. More specifically, this invention relates to methods and systems for providing high-speed data connections to a home, which makes use of existing coaxial cable television (CATV) cabling while eliminating signal degradation common to the use of a CATV splitter.  
           [0003]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0004]    A variety of home signal and data connection methods and systems are well known in the art. Generally, these methods and systems do not provide for the integration of audio/visual (television) channel signals and high speed Internet data channel signals without degrading the high-speed data signals.  
           [0005]    The reader is referred to the following U.S. patent documents for general background material. Each of these patents is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material contained therein.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,244 describes a scalable multimedia network that provides integrated networking of data, voice, video and image services over a variety of access facilities.  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,572,517 and 5,696,765 describe a hybrid medium access control system that is configurable to the type of communication required to support a desired application or service.  
           [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,552 describes an interactive real-time network gaming system that enables a plurality of players to place wagers on a real-time game of chance being conducted in a casino via a distributed network system.  
           [0009]    U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,808,767, 5,864,415 and 5,880,864 describe a fiber optic network that comprises an optical fiber connection from a central office to an intelligent interface device in the subscriber&#39;s premises.  
           [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,841,468 describes a system and method for isolating data messages received from subscribers in a CATV system.  
           [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,847,751 describes a network architecture for delivery of broadcast and interactive digital services over a hybrid fiber-coax distribution system.  
           [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,284 describes a coupling system for transferring an RF signal to and from a high-voltage cable of a power distribution system.  
           [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,892,910 describes an adaptive protocol CATV communication system embodied in a decentralized communication arrangement, wherein the communicating nodes are located at various points within the CATV system.  
           [0014]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,586 describes a system and method for providing two-way optical communications between a first location and at least one secondary location.  
           [0015]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,759 describes a communication system for providing broadband multimedia services using one or more high-voltage cables of a power distribution network.  
           [0016]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,533 describes a method for enhancing the functionalities of a subscriber terminal unit or ADSL terminal unit through the use of different types of application interface modules.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0017]    It is desirable to provide a method and system for connecting high-speed data communications to a residential gateway. It is particularly desirable to provide a method and system for connecting high-speed data communications to a residential gateway that addresses the degradation of VDSL signals through the use of a directional coupler.  
           [0018]    Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a method and system for connecting high-speed data communications to a residential gateway that avoids or reduces VDSL signal degradation.  
           [0019]    Another object of this invention is to provide a method and system for connecting high-speed data communications to a residential gateway that uses a directional coupler.  
           [0020]    A further object of this invention is to provide a method and system for connecting high-speed data communications to a residential gateway wherein a directional coupler having a high pass television filter.  
           [0021]    A still further object of this invention is to provide a method and system for connecting high-speed data communications to a residential gateway, which passes signals above approximately 100 kHz with little if any back loss between the entry point and the gateway ports.  
           [0022]    It is another object of this invention to provide a method and system for connecting high speed data communications to a residential gateway that passes DSL, TV and Remote Antenna Port (RAP) signals with good fidelity between the gateway and the entry point and passes only TV and RAP signals between the entry point and the television port.  
           [0023]    It is a still further object of this invention to provide a method and system for connecting high speed data communications signals to a residential gateway that keeps devices connected to the television port from interfering or distorting DSL signals passing back and forth between the entry point and the residential gateway.  
           [0024]    Additional objects, advantages and other novel features of this invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of this invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Still other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following descriptions wherein there is shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention. As it will be realized, this invention is capable of other different embodiments, and in its several details and specific electronic circuits, is capable of modification in various aspects without departing from the concept of this invention. Accordingly, the objects, drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0025]    The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification, illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Some, although not all, alternative embodiments are described in the following description. In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a typical home wired with a splitter in the main line.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a typical home system wired with the directional coupler of this invention.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram of the preferred directional coupler of this invention. 
     
    
       [0028]    Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0029]    This invention is a method and system for providing high speed data access in a multimedia residential gateway. In particular, this invention provides a system for distributing cable high-speed data access through a residence having or capable of having cable television service.  
         [0030]    For the purposes of this disclosure the abbreviation NID shall be interpreted to mean Network Interface Device, the abbreviation RAP shall be interpreted to mean Remote Antenna Port, and the abbreviation RAM shall be interpreted to mean Remote Antenna Multiplexer.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a typical home wired with a splitter in the main line. The residential gateway  100  provides the connection for cable television, with the gateway  100  located in close proximity to Television # 1   106 . Between the gateway  100  and Television # 1   106  are a 3-way Combiner  102 , which receives three signals  101  from the gateway  100 , and Splitter # 2   104 , which receives the combined signal  103  from the 3-way Combiner  102 . Splitter # 2   104  provides a first output  105  and a second output  107 . The first output  105  of Splitter # 2  is received by Television # 1   106 . The second output  107  of Splitter # 2   104  is received by RAM  109 . A fourth signal  108  from the gateway  100  is also receive by RAM  109 . A fifth signal  110  from the gateway  100  is input to Balun # 2   111 . The output  112  of Balun # 2   111  and the output  113  of RAM  109  are received by Diplexer # 2   114 . The output  115  of Diplexer # 2   114  is connected to the input of the Main Line Splitter  116 , which provides a first output  117  to a first RAP  118 , the output  136  of which is provided to Television # 2   119 . The second output  120  of the Main Line Splitter  116  is connected to Duplexer # 1   121 , the other input  122  of which is connected to the output of Balun # 1   123 . Balun # 1  receives its input  124  from a Network Interface Device  125 . A second output  1   26  from Duplexer # 1   121  is connected to the input of Splitter # 1   127 . Splitter # 1   127  provides two outputs  128 ,  132 . The first of these two outputs  128  is connected to a second RAP  129  which is connected  130  to Television # 3   131 . While the second of these outputs  132  is connected to a third RAP  133 , the output  134  of which is connected to Television # 4   135 . In this typical system, the Main Line Splitter  116  is located between the entry point and the residential gateway  100 . This approach typically leads to the degradation of VDSL signals, because generally the splitter&#39;s bandwidth (typically 5 to 1000 MHz) does not pass the VDSL signals, which have a bandwidth requirement of approximately 150 KHz to 10 MHz, or if the splitter has a sufficiently wide bandwidth to pass VDSL signals, the outer ports of the splitter, which reflect back onto the VDSL paths, fail to have sufficiently wide bandwidths.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a typical home system wired with the directional coupler  216  of this invention rather than the Main Line Splitter  116  of FIG. 1. Between the gateway  200  and Television # 1   206  are a 3-way Combiner  202 , which receives three signals  201  from the gateway  200 , and Splitter # 2   204 , which receives the combined signal  203  from the 3-way Combiner  202 . The three signals  201  from the gateway  200  and the combined signal  203  are preferably connected using standard CATV coax cable. Splitter # 2   204  provides a first output  205  and a second output  207 . In the preferred system of this invention, the first output  205  and the second output  207  are connected using standard CATV coax cable. The first output  205  of Splitter # 2   204  is received by Television # 1   206 . The second output  207  of Splitter # 2   204  is received by RAM  209 . A fourth signal  208 , which preferably is connected, using a specific RAM to gateway cable, from the gateway  200  is also receive by RAM  209 . A fifth signal  210  from the gateway  200  is input to Balun # 2   211 . In the present preferred embodiment, this fifth signal  210  is conveyed using a category  5  cable. The output  212  of Balun # 2   211  and the output  213  of RAM  209  are received by Diplexer # 2   214 . The output  215  of Diplexer # 2   214  is connected to the input of the Directional Coupler  216 , which provides a first output  217  to a first RAP  218 , the output  236  of which is provided to Television # 2   219 . The second output  220  of the Directional Coupler  216  is connected to Duplexer # 1   221 , the other input  222  of which is connected to the output of Balun # 1   223 . Balun # 1  receives its input  224  from a Network Interface Device  225 . A second output  226  from Duplexer # 1   221  is connected to the input of Splitter # 1   227 . Splitter # 1   227  provides two outputs  228 ,  232 . The first of these two outputs  228  is connected to a second RAP  229  which is connected  230  to Television # 3   231 . While the second of these outputs  232  is connected to a third RAP  233 , the output  234  of which is connected to Television # 4   235 . The preferred cable used for the connections from the directional coupler  214 , the diplexer&#39;s  221 ,  214  and Splitter # 1   217  are CATV coax cable. The preferred connection between the Network Interface Device  225  to Balun # 1  is a category  5  cable.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 3 shows a detailed block diagram of the preferred directional coupler  216  of this invention. This preferred directional coupler  216  of this invention is a device  306  having four ports: an Input Port  308 , which is connected electronically  308  to an Entry Point  301 , an Output Port  307 , which is connected electronically to a Gateway Point  303 , a Coupled Port  305 , and an Isolation Port. The Isolation Port (not shown) is usually terminated with a resistor. Signals pass with little loss (typically less than or equal to 0.5 dB) back and forth between the Input  308  and Output  307  Ports. Signals passing from the Input Port  308  to the Output Port  307  are coupled to the Coupled Port  305 , typically with loss of only about 10 dB, and are isolated from the Isolated Port with an attenuation of the input signal of about 30 to 40 dB. In the present preferred embodiment of this invention, the Coupled Port  305  is followed with a high pass filter  304  that passes signal frequencies greater than 50 MHz (television frequencies) to a Television Point  302 . With this directional coupler  216  installed in the main line to the Residential Gateway, all signals above approximately 100 kHz pass will little loss back and forth between the Entry  301  and the Gateway  303  Ports. Approximately 10 dB of attenuation of signals greater than 50 MHz is provided between the Entry Point  301  and the Television Point  302 . With the high pass filter  304 , there is provided approximately 60 dB of attenuation of frequencies less than 10 MHz (DSL frequencies). In sum, the DSL, TV and RAP signals pass with good fidelity between the Gateway  303  and the Entry Point  301 , and only TV and RAP signals pass back and forth between the Entry Point  301  and the Television Point  302 .  
         [0034]    The previous described preferred embodiments of the invention are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not as restrictive. Although the embodiments shown describe particular components in particular connection configurations, the invention is not limited thereto. The scope of this invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All systems and devices, which come directly within the claims or within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims, are to be embraced as being within the scope of protection of this invention.