Homebus system for permitting homebus equipment and ISDN basic interface equipment to use same twisted pair line homebus

Claim 2

A homebus controller for controlling a twisted pair line homebus and homebus equipment attached to said twisted pair line homebus and for selectively permitting communication between a digital network and digital network interface equipment attached to said twisted pair line homebus, said twisted pair line homebus having a control channel and a plurality of information channels including at least a first information channel and a second information channel, said homebus controller comprising: a digital service unit for communicating with said digital network, said digital service unit having an R line for outputting digital data to said digital network interface equipment and a T line for inputting digital data from said digital network interface equipment; a cross point for selectively connecting said R line and said T line of said digital service unit to said first and second information channels of said twisted pair line homebus respectively, thereby selectively permitting said communication between said digital network and said digital network interface equipment through said digital service unit and said first and second information channels of said twisted pair line homebus; an INFO 1 signal detector for detecting an INFO 1 signal from said second information channel of said twisted pair line homebus; an INFO 2 signal detector for detecting an INFO 2 signal from said R line of said digital service unit; and a control section for detecting, through said control channel, whether or not each of said first and second information channels of said twisted pair line homebus is used by said homebus equipment attached to said twisted pair line homebus, for controlling said cross point to connect said R line and said T line of said digital service unit to said first and second information channels of said twisted pair line homebus respectively when at least one of said INFO 1 signal detector and said INFO 2 signal detector detects one of said INFO 1 signal and said INFO 2 signal and neither said first information channel nor said second information channel is used by said homebus equipment, and for controlling said cross point to disconnect said R line and said T line of said digital service unit from said first and second information channels of said twisted pair line homebus otherwise.

Claim 3

A homebus controller according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of information channels of said twisted pair line homebus further includes a third information channel, and wherein said homebus controller further comprises: means for allocating said third information channel to said homebus equipment when said homebus equipment demands to communicate with one of said plurality of information channels in a case where none of said first, second and third information channels is used by any other homebus equipment; said first and said second information channels being left available for said communication between said digital network and said digital interface equipment when said homebus equipment requires only one of said plurality of information channels.

Claim 4

A homebus system comprising: (a) a twisted pair line homebus having a control channel and a plurality of information channels including a first information channel and a second information channel; (b) at least one information plug socket for selectively connecting equipment to said twisted pair line homebus, said information plug socket including: (i) a twisted pair line modular plug socket for connection to said equipment; (ii) a first supplied power detecting device for detecting phantom-supplied electric power on said first and second information channels; (iii) a consumed power detecting device for detecting consumption of said phantom-supplied electric power by said equipment; and (iv) a relay for connecting said first and second information channels to said twisted pair line modular plug socket in one of a case where said first supplied power detecting device does not detect said phantom-supplied electric power and a case where said consumed power detecting device detects said consumption of said phantom-supplied electric power by said equipment, and for disconnecting said first and second information channels from said twisted pair line modular plug socket in a case where said first supplied power detecting device detects said phantom-supplied electric power and said consumed power detecting device does not detect said consumption of said phantom-supplied electric power by said equipment; (c) an automatic terminator including: (i) terminal resistors; (ii) a second supplied power detecting device for detecting said phantom-supplied electric power on said first and second information channels; and (iii) a relay for connecting said first and second information channels to said terminal resistors respectively when said second supplied power detecting device detects said phantom-supplied electric power, and for disconnecting said first and second information channels from said terminal resistors when said second supplied power detecting device does not detect said phantom-supplied electric power; and (d) a homebus controller for controlling said twisted pair line homebus and homebus equipment connected to said twisted pair line homebus through said at least one information plug socket and for selectively permitting communication between a digital network and digital network interface equipment connected to said twisted pair line homebus through said at least one information plug socket, said homebus controller including: (i) a digital service unit for communicating with said digital network, said digital service unit having an R line for outputting digital data to said digital network interface equipment and a T line for inputting digital data from said digital network interface equipment; (ii) a cross point for selectively connecting said R line and said T line of said digital service unit to said first and second information channels of said twisted pair line homebus respectively, thereby selectively permitting said communication between said digital network and said digital network interface equipment through said digital service unit, said first and second information channels of said twisted pair line homebus and said at least one information plug socket; (iii) an INFO 1 signal detector for detecting an INFO 1 signal from said second information channel of said twisted pair line homebus; (iv) an INFO 2 signal detector for detecting an INFO 2 signal from said R line of said digital service unit; and (v) a control section for detecting, through said control channel, whether or not each of said first and second information channels of said twisted pair line homebus is used by said homebus equipment connected to said twisted pair line homebus through said at least one information plug socket, for controlling said cross point to connect said R line and said T line of said digital service unit to said first and second information channels of said twisted pair line homebus respectively when at least one of said INFO 1 signal detector and said INFO 2 signal detector detects one of said INFO 1 signal and said INFO 2 signal and neither said first information channel nor said second information channel is used by said homebus equipment, and for controlling said cross point to disconnect said R line and said T line of said digital service unit from said first and second information channels of said twisted pair line homebus otherwise.

Claim 5

A homebus system comprising: (a) a twisted pair line homebus having a control channel and a plurality of information channels including a first information channel and a second information channel; (b) at least one information plug socket for selectively connecting equipment to said twisted pair line homebus, said information plug socket including: (i) a twisted pair line modular plug socket for connection to said equipment; (ii) a first supplied power detecting device for detecting phantom-supplied electric power on said first and second information channels; (iii) a consumed power detecting device for detecting consumption of said phantom-supplied electric power by said equipment; and (iv) a relay for connecting said first and second information channels to said twisted pair line modular plug socket in one of a case where said first supplied power detecting device does not detect said phantom-supplied electric power and a case where said consumed power detecting device detects said consumption of said phantom-supplied electric power by said equipment, and for disconnecting said first and second information channels from said twisted pair line modular plug socket in a case where said first supplied power detecting device detects said phantom-supplied electric power and said consumed power detecting device does not detect said consumption of said phantom-supplied electric power by said equipment; (c) an automatic terminator including: (i) terminal resistors; (ii) a second supplied power detecting device for detecting said phantom-supplied electric power on said first and second information channels; and (iii) a relay for connecting said first and second information channels to said terminal resistors respectively when said second supplied power detecting device detects said phantom-supplied electric power, and for disconnecting said first and second information channels from said terminal resistors when said second supplied power detecting device does not detect said phantom-supplied electric power; and (d) a homebus controller for controlling said twisted pair line homebus and homebus equipment connected to said twisted pair line homebus through said at least one information plug socket and for selectively permitting communication between a digital network and digital network interface equipment connected to said twisted pair line homebus through said at least one information plug socket, said homebus controller including: (i) a digital service unit for communicating with said digital network, said digital service unit having an R line for outputting digital data to said digital network interface equipment and a T line for inputting digital data from said digital network interface equipment; (ii) a cross point for selectively connecting said R line and said T line of said digital service unit to said first and second information channels of said twisted pair line homebus respectively, thereby selectively permitting said communication between said digital network and said digital network interface equipment through said digital service unit, said first and second information channels of said twisted pair line homebus and said at least one information plug socket; (iii) an INFO 1 signal detector for detecting an INFO 1 signal from said second information channel of said twisted pair line homebus; (iv) an INFO 2 signal detector for detecting an INFO 2 signal from said R line of said digital service unit; and (v) a control section for detecting, through said control channel, whether or not each of said first and second information channels of said twisted pair line homebus is used by said homebus equipment connected to said twisted pair line homebus through said at least one information plug socket, for controlling said cross point to connect said R line and said T line of said digital service unit to said first and second information channels of said twisted pair line homebus respectively when at least one of said INFO 1 signal detector and said INFO 2 signal detector detects one of said INFO 1 signal and said INFO 2 signal and neither said first information channel nor said second information channel is used by said homebus equipment, and for controlling said cross point to disconnect said R line and said T line of said digital service unit from said first and second information channels of said twisted pair line homebus otherwise.

Claim 6

A homebus system according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of information channels of said twisted pair line homebus further includes a third information channel, and wherein said homebus controller further includes: means for allocating said third information channel to said homebus equipment when said homebus equipment demands to communicate with one of said plurality of information channels in a case where none of said first, second and third information channels is used by any other homebus equipment; said first and said second information channels being left available for said communication between said digital network and said digital network interface equipment when said homebus equipment requires use of only one of said plurality of information channels.