Synchronous quantized subcarrier multiplexer for digital transport of video, voice and data

Claim 1

A method of transmitting at least two information bearing signals over a communication link comprising the steps of a. mixing a first signal having a bandwidth B 1 with a local carrier signal having a frequency F 1 ; b. mixing a second signal having a bandwidth B 2 with a second local carrier signal having a frequency F 2 which is greater than F 1 such that F 2 -B 2 exceeds F 1 +B 1 ; c. multiplexing the carriers to form a composite signal; d. synchronously sampling the composite signal at a sampling rate F S where F S is equal to 2 times F 2 and converting the composite signal to a digital signal representative thereof; e. applying said digital signal to the communication link; f. receiving said digital signal at a receiver connected with said link in a manner such that F S is recoverable at the receiver and converting said digital signal to a reconstructed composite signal substantially identical to the first named composite signal; and g. recovering the first and second signals from said reconstructed signal.

Claim 2

A method of transmitting at least two information bearing signals over a communication link comprising the steps of a. mixing a first signal having a bandwidth B 1 with a local carrier signal having a frequency F 1 ; b. mixing a second signal having a bandwidth B 2 with a second local carrier signal having a frequency F 2 which is greater than F 1 such that F 2 -B 2 exceeds F 1 +B 1 ; c. multiplexing the carriers to form a composite signal; d. synchronously sampling the composite signal at a sampling rate F S where F S is equal to 2 times F 2 and converting the composite signal to a digital signal representative thereof; e. applying said digital signal to the communication link; f. receiving said digital signal at a receiver connected with said link in a manner such that F S is recoverable at the receiver and converting said digital signal to a reconstructed composite signal substantially identical to the first named composite signal; and g. recovering the first and second signals from said reconstructed signal.

Claim 5

A method of transmitting at least two information bearing signals over a communication link comprising the steps of: a. accepting a baseband signal having bandwidth B 0 ; b. accepting a second signal with bandwidth B 1 and mixing it with a local carrier signal having a frequency of F 1 , where F 1 -B 1 exceeding B 0 ; c. accepting additional signals with bandwidth B n and mixing it (them) with local carrier signal(s) having frequency of F n , where F n is the maximum carrier frequency, B n is the maximum bandwidth and n is an integer greater than or equal to 1, where F n is greater than F(n-1) such that (F n -B n ) exceeds (F(n-1)+B(n-1)); d. multiplexing the signals with bandwidth B 0 through B n to form a composite signal; e. synchronously sampling the composite signal at a sampling rate F S where F S is equal to 2 times F n and converting the composite signal to a digital signal representative thereof; f. applying said digital signal to the communication link; g. assuring the line data rate of transmission F L =F S (N+X) bits/sec. where N is the bit resolution of a uniform characteristic A/D converter resulting in a 2 n =M quantization levels, and where X equals the number of overhead bits required for framing and synchronization; h. receiving said digital signal at a receiver connected with said link in a manner such that F S is recoverable at the receiver and converting said digital signal to a reconstructed analog composite signal substantially identical to the first named composite signal.

Claim 6

A method of transmitting at least two information bearing signals over a communication link comprising the steps of: a. accepting a baseband signal having bandwidth B 0 ; b. accepting a second signal with bandwidth B 1 and mixing it with a local carrier signal having a frequency of F 1 , where F 1 -B 1 exceeding B 0 ; c. accepting additional signals with bandwidth B n and mixing it (them) with local carrier signal(s) having frequency of F n , where F n is the maximum carrier frequency, B n is the maximum bandwidth and n is an integer greater than or equal to 1, where F n is greater than F(n-1) such that (F n -B n ) exceeds (F(n-1)+B(n-1)); d. multiplexing the signals with bandwidth B 0 through B n to form a composite signal; e. synchronously sampling the composite signal at a sampling rate F S where F S is equal to 2 times F n and converting the composite signal to a digital signal representative thereof; f. applying said digital signal to the communication link; g. assuring the line data rate of transmission F L =F S (N+X) bits/sec. where N is the bit resolution of a uniform characteristic A/D converter resulting in a 2 n =M quantization levels, and where X equals the number of overhead bits required for framing and synchronization; h. receiving said digital signal at a receiver connected with said link in a manner such that F S is recoverable at the receiver and converting said digital signal to a reconstructed analog composite signal substantially identical to the first named composite signal.