Cable television communication system with passive sensor signal path and a subscriber power supply source

Claim 2

A cable communication system comprising: stastion means for providing a broadcast signal; subscriber means for receiving and utilizing said broadcast signal; external control means for distributing said broadcast signal from said station means to said subscriber means in response to request data from said subscriber means; a first cable connected between said station means and said external control means for transmitting said broadcast signal from said station means to said external control means; a second cable connected between said external control means and said subscriber means for transmitting said broadcast signal from said external control means to said subscriber means; said subscriber means including: (i) sensor meams for selective generation of a sensor signal; (ii) a first passive transmission path for transmitting said sensor signal from said senor means to said second cable; (iii) power means for supplying power to said subscriber means form an alternating current power source; and (iv) means, driven by said power means, for transmitting a carrier signal onto said second cable to indicate the presence of said alternating current at said subscriber means; and said external control means including: (i) a second passive transmission path for transmitting said sensor signal from said second cable to said first cable; and (ii) means for detecting said carrier signal in said second cable, for storing, in response to said detecting, data indicative of a loss of said alternating current at said subscriber means, and for selectively supplying said data to said first cable, whereby said data is available on said first cable at said station means to indicate loss of said alternating current at said subscriber means.

Claim 3

A cable communication system of claim 1 wherein said first passive transmission path of said subscriber means further provides means for supplying said sensor means with a power supply output from said power means.

Claim 4

A cable communication system of claim 1 wherein said subscriber means further includes means for transmitting a component of said alternating current from said power source to said external control means over said second cable.

Claim 5

A cable communication system of claim 1 including a plurality of said subscriber means and a plurality of said second cables each connecting a respective one of said subscriber means to said external control means, and wherein said second passive transmission path of said external control means includes a matrix circuit for supplying said sensor signal from one of said subscriber means to another of said subscriber means.

Claim 6

A cable communication system of claim 4 wherein said another of said subscriber means includes an alarm responsive to said sensor signal.

Claim 7

A cable communication system comprising: station means for providing a broadcast signal; a plurality of subscriber means for receiving and utilizing said broadcast signal; external control means for distributing said braodcast signal from said station means to said subscriber means in response to request data from said subscriber means and control data from said station means; a first cable connected between said station means and said external control means for transmitting said broadcast signal from said station means to said external control means; a plurality of second cables each connected between said external control means and a respective one of said subscriber means for transmitting said broadcast signal from said external control means to said subscriber means; each said subscriber means including: (i) first means for controlling bi-directional data communication in a first frequency range with said external control means to transmit request data to and to receive reply data from said external control means over a corresponding one of said second cables; (ii) power means for supplying power to said subscriber means from an alternating current power source; (iii) means for transmitting a component of said alternating current from said power source to said external control means over a corresponding one of said second cables; (iv) means for generating a sensor signal; and (v) first means for communicating, independent of said first means for controlling bi-directional data communication, said sensor signal in a second frequency range to said external means over a corresponding one of said second cables, wherein said second frequency range is different from said first frequency range; and said external control means including: (i) second means for controlling bi-directional data communication in said first frequency range with said subscriber means to transmit said reply to and to receive said request data from said subscriber means; (ii) third means for controlling bi-directional data communication in a third frequency range with said station means to transmit report data to and to receive said control data from said station means, wherein said third frequency range is different from either said first or second frequency ranges; (iii) separate subsriber board means, one for each of said subscriber means, for controlling distribution of said broadcast signal to a corresponding one of said subscriber means over a corresponding one of said second cables; (iv) power means for supplying power to said external control means from said components of alternating current received from said subscriber means over said second cables; (v) polling means for selectively connecting said second means for controlling bi-directional data communication to one of said second cables for bi-directional data communication between said external control means and said subscriber means corresponding to said one of said second cables; and (vi) second means for communicating, independent of said second and third means for controlling bi-directional data communication, said sensor signal in said second frequency range to said means over said first cable, wherein said second means for communicating comprises only non-active elements including a filter for passing signals in said second frequency range and rejecting signals in said first and third frequency ranges, whereby said sensor signal from any of said subscriber means can be transmitted to said station means irrespective of the operational status of said first, second and third means for controlling bi-dirctional data communication.

Claim 8

A cable communication system comprising: station means for providing a broadcast signal; a plurality of subscriber means for receiving and utilizing said broadcast signal; external control means for distributing said braodcast signal from said station means to said subscriber means in response to request data from said subscriber means and control data from said station means; a first cable connected between said station means and said external control means for transmitting said broadcast signal from said station means to said external control means; a plurality of second cables each connected between said external control means and a respective one of said subscriber means for transmitting said broadcast signal from said external control means to said subscriber means; each said subscriber means including: (i) first means for controlling bi-directional data communication in a first frequency range with said external control means to transmit request data to and to receive reply data from said external control means over a corresponding one of said second cables; (ii) power means for supplying power to said subscriber means from an alternating current power source; (iii) means for transmitting a component of said alternating current from said power source to said external control means over a corresponding one of said second cables; (iv) means for generating a sensor signal; and (v) first means for communicating, independent of said first means for controlling bi-directional data communication, said sensor signal in a second frequency range to said external means over a corresponding one of said second cables, wherein said second frequency range is different from said first frequency range; and said external control means including: (i) second means for controlling bi-directional data communication in said first frequency range with said subscriber means to transmit said reply to and to receive said request data from said subscriber means; (ii) third means for controlling bi-directional data communication in a third frequency range with said station means to transmit report data to and to receive said control data from said station means, wherein said third frequency range is different from either said first or second frequency ranges; (iii) separate subsriber board means, one for each of said subscriber means, for controlling distribution of said broadcast signal to a corresponding one of said subscriber means over a corresponding one of said second cables; (iv) power means for supplying power to said external control means from said components of alternating current received from said subscriber means over said second cables; (v) polling means for selectively connecting said second means for controlling bi-directional data communication to one of said second cables for bi-directional data communication between said external control means and said subscriber means corresponding to said one of said second cables; and (vi) second means for communicating, independent of said second and third means for controlling bi-directional data communication, said sensor signal in said second frequency range to said means over said first cable, wherein said second means for communicating comprises only non-active elements including a filter for passing signals in said second frequency range and rejecting signals in said first and third frequency ranges, whereby said sensor signal from any of said subscriber means can be transmitted to said station means irrespective of the operational status of said first, second and third means for controlling bi-dirctional data communication.