R. F. signal distribution

Claim 2

Apparatus for distributing a plurality of signals between N input means and M output means, said apparatus comprising: a series of M multiplexing circuits, each circuit including N tunable filter/coupler combinations, one of said N combinations associated with a respective one of said N input means, and said N combinations having their outputs connected in cascade fashion comprising a means for supplying signals passed by said combination to a multiplexer output means which forms a respective one of said M output means: means for controlling the transmission characteristics of each of said tunable filter/coupler combinations and for selectively passing a signal applied thereto: and means for interconnecting said multiplexing circuits, said interconnecting means being capable of providing a signal path between each tunable filter/coupler combination and an associated one of said N input means, whereby a signal supplied to one of said N input means may be distributed to a selected one of said M output means by appropriate control of the transmission characteristics of the filter/coupler combinations associated with said input terminal.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the multiplexers are interconnected in series such that a signal supplied to an N filter/coupler combination and not passed thereby is supplied to the N filter/coupler combination in the next multiplexer in the series.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each tunable filter/coupler combination in a multiplexer includes tunable reflectance filter means and wherein a signal transmitted by said filter means is passed to said multiplexer output means.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each tunable filter/coupler combination includes two hybrid coupler means interconnected by tunable reflectance filter means and said combination defines a first port for receiving a signal, a second port for outputting a signal having been input via said first port and reflected by said reflectance filter, a third port for receiving a further signal and a fourth port for outputting at least one of a signal having been input via said first port and transmitted by said filter and a signal having been input via said third port and reflected by said filter.

Claim 6

Apparatus for distributing a plurality of signals between N input means and M output means of the apparatus, said apparatus including: M multiplexing circuits in series, each circuit having an output means forming a respective one of said M output means of said apparatus, and each circuit including N tunable filter/coupler combinations wherein each of said N tunable filter/coupler combinations includes: a tunable reflectance filter; a first port for being in signal communication with a respective one of said N input means; a second port for outputting a signal or component thereof having been input via said first port and reflected by said tunable reflectance filter; a third port for inputting a signal; and a fourth port for outputting at least one of a signal having been input via said first port and transmitted by said tunable reflectance filter and a signal having been input via said third port and reflected by said reflectance filter; means, associated with each of said M multiplexing circuits, for passing the signals output by the fourth port of the last tunable filter/coupler combinations making up the multiplexing circuit to a respective M output means; and means for passing the signals output from the second ports of each of the tunable filter/coupler combinations of a given multiplexing circuit to the first ports of the corresponding tunable filter/coupler combinations of a next succeeding multiplexing circuit.

Claim 7

Apparatus for distributing a plurality of signals between N input means and M output means of the apparatus, said apparatus including: M multiplexing circuits in series, each circuit having an output means forming a respective one of said M output means of said apparatus, and each circuit including N tunable filter/coupler combinations wherein each of said N tunable filter/coupler combinations includes: a tunable reflectance filter; a first port for being in signal communication with a respective one of said N input means; a second port for outputting a signal or component thereof having been input via said first port and reflected by said tunable reflectance filter; a third port for inputting a signal; and a fourth port for outputting at least one of a signal having been input via said first port and transmitted by said tunable reflectance filter and a signal having been input via said third port and reflected by said reflectance filter; means, associated with each of said M multiplexing circuits, for passing the signals output by the fourth port of the last tunable filter/coupler combinations making up the multiplexing circuit to a respective M output means; and means for passing the signals output from the second ports of each of the tunable filter/coupler combinations of a given multiplexing circuit to the first ports of the corresponding tunable filter/coupler combinations of a next succeeding multiplexing circuit.

Claim 8

Apparatus for distributing a plurality of signals between N input means and M output means of the apparatus, said apparatus including M multiplexing circuits in series, each circuit having an output means forming a respective one of said M output means of the apparatus and each circuit including N tunable filter/coupler combinations, wherein each of said N tunable filter/coupler combinations includes: input port means for being in signal communication with a respective one of said N input means of the apparatus; means for supplying signals passed by said tunable filter/coupler combinations to the output means of the associated multiplexing circuit; and means for selectively adjusting the reflectance characteristics of the tunable filter/coupler combination, whereby the signals supplied to said input means may be reconfigurably distributed to one or more selected output means.

Claim 9

Apparatus for distributing a plurality of signals between N input means and M output means of the apparatus, said apparatus including M multiplexing circuits in series, each circuit having an output means forming a respective one of said M output means of the apparatus and each circuit including N tunable filter/coupler combinations, wherein each of said N tunable filter/coupler combinations includes: input port means for being in signal communication with a respective one of said N input means of the apparatus; means for supplying signals passed by said tunable filter/coupler combinations to the output means of the associated multiplexing circuit; and means for selectively adjusting the reflectance characteristics of the tunable filter/coupler combination, whereby the signals supplied to said input means may be reconfigurably distributed to one or more selected output means.

Claim 12

A method according to claim 7, wherein any signal not passed by a given filter/coupler combination is supplied to a respective filter/coupler combination input on each of the remaining multiplexing circuits in turn until one of said filter/coupler combinations passes said signal.

Claim 13

Apparatus for distributing a plurality of signals between N input means and M output means, said apparatus comprising: a series of M multiplexing circuits, each circuit including N tunable filter/coupler combinations, one of said N combinations associated with a respective one of said N input means, and said N combinations having their outputs connected in cascade fashion comprising a means for supplying signals passed by said combination to a multiplexer output means which forms a respective one of said M output means: means for controlling the transmission characteristics of each of said tunable filter/coupler combinations and for selectively passing a signal applied thereto: and means for interconnecting said multiplexing circuits, said interconnecting means being capable of providing a signal path between each tunable filter/coupler combination and an associated one of said N input means, whereby a signal supplied to one of said N input means may be distributed to a selected one of said M output means by appropriate control of the transmission characteristics of the filter/coupler combinations associated with said input terminal, wherein each tunable filter/coupler combination includes two hybrid coupler means interconnected by tunable reflectance filter means and said combination defines a first port for receiving a signal, a second port for outputting a signal having been input via said first port and reflected by said reflectance filter, a third port for receiving a further signal and a fourth port for outputting at least one of a signal having been input via said first port and transmitted by said filter and a signal having been input via said third port and reflected by said filter.

Claim 14

Apparatus for distributing a plurality of signals between N input means and M output means, said apparatus comprising: a series of M multiplexing circuits, each circuit including N tunable filter/coupler combinations, one of said N combinations associated with a respective one of said N input means, and said N combinations having their outputs connected in cascade fashion comprising a means for supplying signals passed by said combination to a multiplexer output means which forms a respective one of said M output means: means for controlling the transmission characteristics of each of said tunable filter/coupler combinations and for selectively passing a signal applied thereto: and means for interconnecting said multiplexing circuits, said interconnecting means being capable of providing a signal path between each tunable filter/coupler combination and an associated one of said N input means, whereby a signal supplied to one of said N input means may be distributed to a selected one of said M output means by appropriate control of the transmission characteristics of the filter/coupler combinations associated with said input terminal, wherein each tunable filter/coupler combination includes two hybrid coupler means interconnected by tunable reflectance filter means and said combination defines a first port for receiving a signal, a second port for outputting a signal having been input via said first port and reflected by said reflectance filter, a third port for receiving a further signal and a fourth port for outputting at least one of a signal having been input via said first port and transmitted by said filter and a signal having been input via said third port and reflected by said filter.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said reflectance filter means comprises two tunable filter means each interconnecting said hybrid coupler means and each controlled to have substantially the same transmission characteristics.