Patent ID: 7549157

Claim:
A relaying device for conveying an electrical signal in a downstream direction from a head-end facility to an end user media device, comprising: a content signal input port configured to receive a downstream-propagating first electrical signal conveying information; a content signal output port configured to connect to one end of a transmission line an opposite end of which is to be directly coupled to an end user media device, the content signal output port further being configured to emit a downstream-propagating second electrical signal conveying the information over the transmission line for use by the end user media device, and configured to receive an upstream-propagating reference signal over the transmission line; a gain regulation circuit in electrical communication with the content signal input port and configured to generate the second electrical signal by applying a predetermined gain to the first electrical signal; and a control circuit disposed in electrical communication with each of the gain regulation circuit and the content signal output port and configured to receive and measure the reference signal received over the transmission line at the content signal output port and to establish the predetermined gain based on said measurement.