Patent ID: 8370886

Claim:
A device for use with a headend, a household and an amplifier in a feeder line of a cable system which provides communication with a plurality of households, the headend being operable to provide signals within a first frequency band f 1 , in a downstream direction toward the amplifier, the household being operable to provide signals within a second frequency band f 2 and to provide signals within a third frequency band f 3 , where second frequency band f 2 has no overlapping frequencies with first frequency band f 1 , where second frequency band f 2 has no overlapping frequencies with third frequency band f 3 , said device comprising: a splitter arranged to receive the signals within the first frequency band f 1 in the downstream direction from the headend to the amplifier and to split the signals within the first frequency band f 1 into a first signal portion within the first frequency band f 1 and a second signal portion within the first frequency band f 1 ; a diplexer operable to pass the second signal portion within the first frequency band f 1 from the headend to the household, to pass the signals within the second frequency band f 2 received from the household for transmission to the headend to said splitter and to pass the signals within the third frequency band f 3 received from the household to a combiner; and the combiner receiving the first signal portion within the first frequency band f 1 from the splitter and receiving the signals within the third frequency band f 3 from the diplexer, the combiner operable to provide, in the downstream direction toward the amplifier, the first signal portion within the first frequency band f 1 and the signals within the third frequency band f 3 and the amplifier coupled to a high-pass return transmitting the first signal portion within the first frequency band f 1 and the signals within the third frequency band f 3 in an upstream direction toward the headend.