Bidirectional signal processing means

Claim 2

A bidirectional signal processing means comprising a first line for receiving signals which have frequencies in a first band of frequencies traveling in a first direction along a bidirectional transmission means and delivering to said transmission means signals which have frequencies in a second band of frequencies for travel in the second direction opposite to said first direction, a second line for receiving signals which have frequencies in the second band of frequencies traveling in the second direction along said transmission means and delivering to said transmission means signals which have frequencies in the first band of frequencies for travel in the first direction, a first directional coupling means having first, second and third terminals, said first terminal receiving signals from and delivering signals to said first line and delivering signals to said second and third terminals of said coupling means, said first coupling means delivering input signals at its second terminal to its first terminal while minimizing the delivery of such signals to its third terminal and delivering input signals at its third terminal to its first terminal while minimizing the delivery of such signals to its second terminal, a first filter unit receiving signals from the second terminal of said first coupling means for delivering to said second line signals at its output which have frequencies within the first band of frequencies and a second filter unit receiving signals derived from said second line and delivering signals to the third terminal of said first coupling means which have frequencies in a second band of frequencies contingent to and differing from the frequencies of said first band.

Claim 3

The processing means of claim 1 including unidirectional amplifying means receiving signals delivered by said first filter unit and delivering amplified signals at its output for signals having frequencies within said first band while attenutating the signals with frequencies within said second band.

Claim 4

The processing means of claim 1 including unidirectional amplifying means receiving signals derived from said second line and delivering to the second filter unit amplified signals for received signals having frequencies within said second band while attenuating signals with frequencies within said first band.

Claim 5

A bidirectional signal processing means comprising a first directional coupling means having first, second and third terminals, said first terminal receiving and delivering signals to said second and third terminals, said first coupling means delivering input signals at its second terminal to its first terminal while minimizing the delivery of such signals to its third terminal and delivering input signals at its third terminal to its first terminal while minimizing the delivery of such signals to its second terminal, a first filter unit receiving signals from the second terminal of said first coupling means and delivering signals at its output which have frequencies within a first band of frequencies, a second filter unit receiving and delivering signals to the third terminal of said first coupling means which have frequencies in a second band of frequencies contingent to and differing from the frequencies of said first band, and a third filter unit having a first terminal receiving signals from said first filter unit, a third terminal for delivering signals to the said second filter unit, and a second terminal, said third filter unit having a first section receiving signals at its first terminal and delivering signals to its second terminal which have frequencies within the first band of frequencies, and a second section receiving signals at its second terminal and delivering signals to its third terminal which have frequencies within the second band of frequencies.

Claim 6

A bidirectional signal processing means comprising a first directional coupling means having first, second and third terminals, said first terminal receiving and delivering signals to said second and third terminals, said first coupling means delivering input signals at its second terminal to its first terminal while minimizing the delivery of such signals to its third terminal and delivering input signals at its third terminal to its first terminal while minimizing the delivery of such signals to its second terminal, a first filter unit receiving signals from the second terminal of said first coupling means and delivering signals at its output which have frequencies within a first band of frequencies, a second filter unit receiving and delivering signals to the third terminal of said first coupling means which have frequencies in a second band of frequencies contingent to and differing from the frequencies of said first band, and a third filter unit having a first terminal receiving signals from said first filter unit, a third terminal for delivering signals to the said second filter unit, and a second terminal, said third filter unit having a first section receiving signals at its first terminal and delivering signals to its second terminal which have frequencies within the first band of frequencies, and a second section receiving signals at its second terminal and delivering signals to its third terminal which have frequencies within the second band of frequencies.

Claim 7

The processing meAns of claim 4 including first amplifying means receiving signals delivered by said first filter unit and delivering amplified signals to the first terminal of said third filter unit for signals having frequencies within said first band while attenuating signals with frequencies within said second band.

Claim 8

The processing means of claim 5 including second amplifying means receiving signals from the third terminal of said third filter unit and delivering to the second filter unit amplified signals for signals having frequencies within said second band while attenuating signals with frequencies within said first band.

Claim 9

The processing means of claim 4 in which said first, second and third filter units each have first and second sections with a common terminal, said first section passing therethrough signals with frequencies within said first band and attenuating signals with frequencies within said second band, said second section passing therethrough signals with frequencies within the second band and attenuating signals with frequencies in said first band, the common terminal of said first filter unit is connected with the second terminal of said first coupling means, the first section of said first filter unit passes signals with frequencies within said first band from said first coupling means to the first terminal of said third filter while its second section is terminated by the filter characteristic impedance, the common terminal of said second filter unit is connected with the third terminal of said first coupling means, the first section of said second filter unit is terminated by the filter characteristic impedance while its second section passes signals with frequencies within said second band from the third terminal of said third filter unit to the first coupling means, and the second terminal of said third filter unit is the common terminal of its first and second sections.

Claim 10

The processing means of claim 7 in which said first band of frequencies is spaced apart from the second band of frequencies and each of the first, second and third filter units is provided at its common terminal with an annulling network for maintaining the characteristic impedance for said units for signals with frequencies between the frequencies of said first and second bands.

Claim 11

The processing means of claim 8 including first amplifying means receiving signals delivered by said first filter unit and delivering amplified signals to the first terminal of said third filter unit for signals having frequencies within said first band while attenuating signals with frequencies within said second band.

Claim 12

The processing means of Claim 1 including a second directional coupling means having first, second and third terminals, said first terminal receiving signals from said second line and delivering received signals to said second and third terminals, said second coupling means delivering input signals at its second terminal to its first terminal for delivery to said second line while minimizing the delivery of such signals to its third terminal, and delivering input signals at its third terminal to its first terminal while minimizing the delivery of such signals to its second terminal, a third filter unit receiving signals from the first filter unit and delivering signals to the second terminal of said second coupling means which have frequencies within the said first band of frequencies, and a fourth filter unit receiving signal from the third terminal of said second coupling means and delivering received signals to the second filter unit which have frequencies within said second band of frequencies.

Claim 13

The processing means of claim 10 including first unidirectional amplifying means receiving signals delivered by said first filter unit and delivering amplified signals to said third filter unit for signals having frequencies within said first band while attenuating signals with frequencies within said second band.

Claim 14

The processing means of claim 11 including seconD unidirectional amplifying means receiving signals from said fourth filter unit and delivering to the second filter unit amplified signals for signals having frequencies within said second band while attenuating signals with frequencies within said first band.

Claim 15

A bidirectional signal processing means comprising a first directional coupling means having first, second and third terminals, said first terminal receiving and delivering signals to said second and third terminals, said first coupling means delivering input signals at its second terminal to its first terminal while minimizing the delivery of such signals to its third terminal and delivering input signals at its third terminal to its first terminal while minimizing the delivery of such signals to its second terminal, a first filter unit receiving signals from the second terminal of said first coupling means and delivering signals at its output which have frequenices within a first band of frequencies, a second filter unit receiving and delivering signals to the third terminal of said first coupling means which have frequencies in a second band of frequencies contingent to and differing from the frequencies of said first band, a second directional coupling means having first, second and third terminals, said first terminal receiving and delivering signals to said second and third terminals, said second coupling means delivering input signals at its second terminal to its first terminal while minimizing the delivery of such signals to its third terminal, and delivering input signals at its third terminal to its first terminal while minimizing the delivery of such signals to its second terminal, a third filter unit receiving signals from the first filter unit and delivering signals to the second terminal of said second coupling means which have frequencies within the said first band of frequencies, and a fourth filter unit receiving signal from the third terminal of said second coupling means and delivering signals to the second filter unit which have frequencies within said second band of frequencies, said first, second, third and fourth units each having first and second sections with a common terminal, said first section passing therethrough signals with frequencies within said first band and attenuating signals with frequencies within said second band, said second section passing therethrough signals with frequencies within the second band and attenuating signals with frequencies in said first band, the common terminal of said first filter unit being connected with the second terminal of said first coupling means, and the first section of said first filter unit passing signals with frequencies within said first band from said first coupling means to the first section of said third filter while its second section is terminated by the filter characteristic impedance, the common terminal of said second filter unit is connected with the third terminal of said first coupling means, the first section of said second filter unit is terminated by the filter characteristic impedance while its second section passes signals with frequencies within said second band from the second section of said fourth filter unit to the first coupling means, the common terminal of said third filter unit is connected to the second terminal of said second coupling means, and the second section of said third filter is terminated by the filter characteristic impedance, the common terminal of said fourth filter unit is connected with the third terminal of said second coupling means, and the first section of said fourth filter unit is terminated by the filter characteristic impedance.

Claim 16

A bidirectional signal processing means comprising a first directional coupling means having first, second and third terminals, said first terminal receiving and delivering signals to said second and third terminals, said first coupling means delivering input signals at its second terminal to its first terminal while minimizing the delivery of such signals to its third terminal and delivering input signals at its third terminal to its first terminal while minimizing the delivery of such signals to its second terminal, a first filter unit receiving signals from the second terminal of said first coupling means and delivering signals at its output which have frequenices within a first band of frequencies, a second filter unit receiving and delivering signals to the third terminal of said first coupling means which have frequencies in a second band of frequencies contingent to and differing from the frequencies of said first band, a second directional coupling means having first, second and third terminals, said first terminal receiving and delivering signals to said second and third terminals, said second coupling means delivering input signals at its second terminal to its first terminal while minimizing the delivery of such signals to its third terminal, and delivering input signals at its third terminal to its first terminal while minimizing the delivery of such signals to its second terminal, a third filter unit receiving signals from the first filter unit and delivering signals to the second terminal of said second coupling means which have frequencies within the said first band of frequencies, and a fourth filter unit receiving signal from the third terminal of said second coupling means and delivering signals to the second filter unit which have frequencies within said second band of frequencies, said first, second, third and fourth units each having first and second sections with a common terminal, said first section passing therethrough signals with frequencies within said first band and attenuating signals with frequencies within said second band, said second section passing therethrough signals with frequencies within the second band and attenuating signals with frequencies in said first band, the common terminal of said first filter unit being connected with the second terminal of said first coupling means, and the first section of said first filter unit passing signals with frequencies within said first band from said first coupling means to the first section of said third filter while its second section is terminated by the filter characteristic impedance, the common terminal of said second filter unit is connected with the third terminal of said first coupling means, the first section of said second filter unit is terminated by the filter characteristic impedance while its second section passes signals with frequencies within said second band from the second section of said fourth filter unit to the first coupling means, the common terminal of said third filter unit is connected to the second terminal of said second coupling means, and the second section of said third filter is terminated by the filter characteristic impedance, the common terminal of said fourth filter unit is connected with the third terminal of said second coupling means, and the first section of said fourth filter unit is terminated by the filter characteristic impedance.

Claim 17

The processing means of claim 13 including first amplifying means receiving signals from the first section of said first filter unit and delivering amplified signals to the first section of said third filter unit for signals, having frequencies within said first band while attenuating signals with frequencies within said second band, and second amplifying means receiviNg signals from the second section of said fourth filter unit and delivering to the second section of said second filter unit amplified signals for signals having frequencies within said second band while attenuating signals with frequencies within said first band.

Claim 18

The processing means of claim 14 in which said first band includes frequencies from 50 MHz to 300 MHz and said second band includes frequencies from 6 MHz to 32 MHz, the filter units are Zobel type filters and the coupling units are the quadrature hybrid type.