CA1220848A
Expired / Lapsed
CA
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Wideband cable network
Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC
•
Filing: 1984-02-03
•
Granted: 1987-04-21
•
Expires: 2004-02-03
Abstract
Abstract Abstract of the Disclosure An interactive wideband cable network has a central service position which can supply a plurality of simultaneous wideband services. At least one optical fibre is connected to the central service position and has at least one passive optical tapping point. At least two wideband switches are connected to the tapped optical fibre, and between the central service position and each wideband switch at least one additional optical fibre associated only with that switch.
Inventors
- 👤 John R. Fox
- 👤 Edwin J. Powter
- 👤 William K. Ritchie
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
CA
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 08:41
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/173; H04N7/17345; H04N7/17354
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
193 words
An interactive wideband cable network comprising:-a central service position which can supply a plurality of simultaneous fixed-time wideband services and at least one on-demand wideband service; at least one optical fibre connected to the central service position and having at least one passive optical tapping point; at least two wideband switches connected to the or each at least one tapped optical fibre; a plurality of wideband service receiving units connected to each wideband switch, each said connection being made through individual wideband connections all of which have a both-way transmission capability; and at least one additional optical fibre con-nected between the central service position and each wide-band switch and associated only with that switch; whereby each wideband service receiving unit can receive simultaneously a plurality of wideband services from the central service position, said plurality comprising at least one fixed-time wideband service received from the central service position through the at least one tapped optical fibre and at least one on-demand wideband service requested to the central service position through the at least one additional optical fibre associated only with the wideband switch to which the requesting wideband service receiving unit is connected.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
193 words
An interactive wideband cable network comprising:-a central service position which can supply a plurality of simultaneous fixed-time wideband services and at least one on-demand wideband service; at least one optical fibre connected to the central service position and having at least one passive optical tapping point; at least two wideband switches connected to the or each at least one tapped optical fibre; a plurality of wideband service receiving units connected to each wideband switch, each said connection being made through individual wideband connections all of which have a both-way transmission capability; and at least one additional optical fibre con-nected between the central service position and each wide-band switch and associated only with that switch; whereby each wideband service receiving unit can receive simultaneously a plurality of wideband services from the central service position, said plurality comprising at least one fixed-time wideband service received from the central service position through the at least one tapped optical fibre and at least one on-demand wideband service requested to the central service position through the at least one additional optical fibre associated only with the wideband switch to which the requesting wideband service receiving unit is connected.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
An interactive wideband cable network according to claim 1, in which said at least one on-demand wideband service is received from the central service position through the at least one additional optional fibre associated only with the wideband switch to which the requesting wideband service receiving unit is connected.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
An interactive network according to claim 1, in which the or each additional optical fibre is connected in the central service position to signal generating means capable of supplying at least one on-demand wideband service.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
An interactive network according to claim 3 in which the at least one on-demand wideband service includes at least one video channel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
An interactive network according to claim 3 in which the at least one on-demand wideband service includes at least one wideband data transmission channel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
An interactive network according to claim 3, in which the at least one on-demand wideband service includes at least one videotext channel.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
An interactive network according to claim 6, in which each wideband switch comprises a text generator.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
An interactive network according to claim 1, in which the central service position is connected to a public switched telephone network.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
An interactive network according to claim 8, in which each said additional optical fibre is connected in the central service position to means to provide a video tele-phone service.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
An interactive network according to claim 1, in which the central service position is connected to a packet-switching service network.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
An interactive network according to claim 10, in which each additional optical fibre is connected in the central service position to a packet-switching service switch.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
An interactive network according to claim 1, in which each said individual wideband connection can carry and each said wideband service receiving unit can receive a signal having a bandwidth which encompasses simultaneously at least two television channels and frequency-modulated radio services.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
An interactive network according to claim 12, which said signal further encompasses at least one video signal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
39 words
An interactive network according to claim 1 ox claim 2, in which each said wideband receiving unit includes means to provide a data signal for transmission through said at least one additional optical fibre to the central service position.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
40 words
An interactive network according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which there are at least two passive optical taps in the or each at least one tapped optical fibre, each fibre being connected to at least three wideband switches.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
An interactive network according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which there are seven passive optical taps in the or each tapped optical fibre, each fibre being connected to eight wideband switches.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
52 words
An interactive network according to claim 1, in which there are at least five tapped optical fibres con-nected between the central service position and each of the wideband switches, and each wideband switch is additionally connected to the central service position by at least five optical fibres associated only with that switch.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
58 words
An interactive network according to claim 17, in which of the said at least five optical fibres associated only with one wideband switch, two fibres are arranged to transfer wideband signals from the wideband switch to the central service position and three fibres are arranged to transfer wideband signals from the central service position to that wideband switch.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
An interactive network according to claim 1, in which the or each at least one tapped optical fibre is connected in the central service position to signal generat-ing means arranged to supply at least one television channel.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
An interactive network according to claim 19, in which the signal generating means supplies to the tapped optical fibre an optical signal which is modulated by multi-plexed frequency modulated signals.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
35 words
An interactive network according to claim 17, in which each tapped optical fibre is connected in the central service position to a respective signal generating means each arranged to supply at least one television channel.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
31 words
An interactive network according to claim 21, in which each signal generating means supplies to its respec-tive tapped optical fibre an optical signal which is modu-lated by multiplexed frequency modulated signals.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
34 words
An interactive network according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which there is further provided at least one optical fibre connection between the central service position and a further wideband service receiving unit.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
54 words
An interactive network according to claim 1, in which there are at least two additional optical fibres associated with each wideband switch arranged so that one fibre carries wideband signals from the switch to the central service position and the other fibre carries wideband signals from the central service position. to the wideband switch.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
27 words
An interactive network according to claim 24, in which one fibre carries signals originating from a plural-ity of wideband service receiving units connected to said wideband switch.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
19 words
An interactive network according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which each wideband switch operates at baseband frequencies.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
36 words
An interactive network according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which there is between the central service position and the wideband switches an additional node through which the tapped and the switch-associated optical fibres pass.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
18 words
An interactive network according to claim 1, in which each wideband switch is located in an on-street cabinet.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of providing interactive wideband services comprises transmitting a plurality of simultaneous fixed-time wideband services from a central service position to a plurality of wideband switches through at least one passively tapped optical fibre; receiving a request signal from any wideband switch through at least one additional optical fibre assoc-iated only with one wideband switch; and in response to said request signal providing at least one on-demand wideband signal through an optical fibre associated with the wideband switch which originated the request.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of providing interactive wideband services comprises transmitting a plurality of simultaneous fixed-time wideband services from a central service position to a plurality of wideband switches through at least one passively tapped optical fibre; receiving a request signal from any wideband switch through at least one additional optical fibre assoc-iated only with one wideband switch; and in response to said request signal providing at least one on-demand wideband signal through an optical fibre associated with the wideband switch which originated the request.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method according to claim 29, in which the request signal is transmitted from one of a plurality of customer terminating units to an associated wideband switch, and said further wideband signal is supplied to the request-ing customer terminating unit.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method according to claim 30, in which a further request signal is transmitted from said one customer terminating unit, and in response at least one of said plurality of wideband services is supplied to the requesting customer terminating unit.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.