Patent ID: 7254828

Claim:
A data receiver for parallel monitoring of a plurality of return paths in a bi-directional cable television system, the data receiver comprising: a plurality of input ports operative to be coupled to the plurality of return paths; a plurality of signal conditioning circuits, each signal conditioning circuit in communication with a respective one of said input ports and operative to separately and substantially simultaneously receive and condition any signal on said respective input port; a plurality of determination circuits, each determination circuit in communication with a respective one of said signal conditioning circuits and operative to separately and substantially simultaneously determine whether any signal is a receivable signal; and selection circuitry in communication with each of said determination circuits and operative to select only one input port of said plurality of input ports that carries a receivable signal based on the determinations of the determination circuits, and to output the receivable signal; wherein said selection circuitry comprises: a switch having a plurality of inputs corresponding in number to said plurality of input ports and operative to output a signal carried by a selected input; path select logic in communication with said switch and each of said determination circuits, and operative to cause said switch to select only one input of said plurality of inputs based on the determinations of the determination circuits; and a controller in communication with said path select logic and each of said determination circuits for receiving a signal detect signal from the determination circuit, which determines that a signal is a receivable signal, and accordingly controlling the path select logic, so as to select the input corresponding to the signal detect signal.