Patent ID: 7295602

Claim:
A transceiver unit comprising: a receiver unit adapted to detect from a physical medium a first downstream handshake initiation signal and a first upstream handshake initiation signal, a transmitter unit adapted to transmit over said physical medium a second upstream handshake initiation signal, and a self identification module adapted to identify said transceiver unit as a central unit or as a remote unit, characterized in that said self identification module is coupled to said receiver unit and said transmitter unit, and is further adapted to: wait for detection of any of said first downstream handshake initiation signal and said first upstream handshake initiation signal within a first time interval, request said transmitter unit to transmit said second upstream handshake initiation signal when none of said first downstream handshake initiation signal and said first upstream handshake initiation signal is detected within said first time interval, and wait for detection of said first downstream handshake initiation signal within a second time interval, identify said transceiver unit as a remote unit upon detection of said first downstream handshake initiation signal within said first time interval or within said second time interval, and identify said transceiver unit as a central unit upon detection of said first upstream handshake initiation signal within said first time interval.