Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
326 words
A common mode switching noise cancellation circuit for a local area network (LAN), the LAN having a plurality of nodes connected by a communication medium; each node including a transmitter to transmit outgoing information signals over the medium, a receiver to receive incoming information signals from the medium, and a plurality of switches which connect the transmitter to the medium and disconnect the receiver from the medium to transmit outgoing information signals to the medium and which connect the receiver to the medium and disconnect the transmitter from the medium to receive incoming information signals from the medium, the switch operation of connecting and disconnecting the transmitter and receiver creating common mode switching noise; said common mode switching noise cancellation circuit comprising: a first circuit device connected to the medium and by the switches to the transmitter and the receiver, the first circuit device supplying a primary copy and an inverted copy of each incoming information signal, the common mode switching noise being essentially equal in polarity and magnitude on both the primary and inverted copies; a first receiver amplifier connected through the switches to receive the primary copy of the incoming information signal; a second receiver amplifier connected through the switches to receive the inverted copy of the incoming information signal; the first and second receiver amplifiers establishing a similar level of gain for the primary and inverted copies of the incoming information signal and for the common node noise associated with each of the primary and inverted copies; and a second circuit device connected to the first and second receiver amplifiers and operative to combine the primary and inverted copies in an additive manner to produce a reproduced version of the incoming information signal, the combination of the primary and inverted copies also effectively subtracting the common node noise in the primary and inverted copies to eliminate the effect of the common mode switching noise in the reproduced version of the incoming information signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
326 words
A common mode switching noise cancellation circuit for a local area network (LAN), the LAN having a plurality of nodes connected by a communication medium; each node including a transmitter to transmit outgoing information signals over the medium, a receiver to receive incoming information signals from the medium, and a plurality of switches which connect the transmitter to the medium and disconnect the receiver from the medium to transmit outgoing information signals to the medium and which connect the receiver to the medium and disconnect the transmitter from the medium to receive incoming information signals from the medium, the switch operation of connecting and disconnecting the transmitter and receiver creating common mode switching noise; said common mode switching noise cancellation circuit comprising: a first circuit device connected to the medium and by the switches to the transmitter and the receiver, the first circuit device supplying a primary copy and an inverted copy of each incoming information signal, the common mode switching noise being essentially equal in polarity and magnitude on both the primary and inverted copies; a first receiver amplifier connected through the switches to receive the primary copy of the incoming information signal; a second receiver amplifier connected through the switches to receive the inverted copy of the incoming information signal; the first and second receiver amplifiers establishing a similar level of gain for the primary and inverted copies of the incoming information signal and for the common node noise associated with each of the primary and inverted copies; and a second circuit device connected to the first and second receiver amplifiers and operative to combine the primary and inverted copies in an additive manner to produce a reproduced version of the incoming information signal, the combination of the primary and inverted copies also effectively subtracting the common node noise in the primary and inverted copies to eliminate the effect of the common mode switching noise in the reproduced version of the incoming information signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
130 words
A common mode switching noise cancellation circuit as defined in claim 1, wherein the LAN includes a hub having a plurality of ports to connect to separate portions of the medium, the hub receives an incoming information signal at one port and transmits a related outgoing information signal at other ports, each port includes a receiver, a transmitter and a plurality of switches by which to connect the transmitter and receiver to transmit and receive the outgoing and incoming information signals, respectively; and wherein: one said common mode switching noise cancellation circuit is associated with each receiver at each port; and the common mode noise induced in the primary and inverted copies of the incoming information signal results from the switch operation of all of the switches of the hub.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
A common mode switching noise cancellation circuit as defined in claim 2, wherein each port of the hub further comprises: a port gain control circuit to establish the level of gain for each first and second receiver amplifier independently of the level of gain of the receiver amplifiers of the other ports of the hub.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
A common mode switching noise cancellation circuit as defined in claim 3, wherein: the incoming and outgoing information signals are amplitude critical signals in which the amplitude of the signal represents data; and the amplified version of the incoming information signal is supplied to a matched filter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
A common mode switching noise cancellation circuit as defined in claim 4, wherein: a calibration information signal is periodically included in the incoming information signals, and the port gain control circuit establishes the level of gain in response to the calibration information signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
A common mode switching noise cancellation circuit as defined in claim 1, wherein: the incoming and outgoing information signals are amplitude critical signals in which the amplitude of the signal represents data; and the amplified version of the incoming information signal is supplied to a matched filter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A common mode switching noise cancellation circuit as defined in claim 1, wherein: the second circuit device comprises a transformer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A common mode switching noise cancellation circuit as defined in claim 7, wherein: the first circuit device comprises a transformer.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
227 words
A method of reducing errors when decoding information signals communicated between nodes in a local area network (LAN), the LAN having a plurality of nodes connected by a communication medium; each node including a transmitter to transmit information signals over the medium, a receiver to receive information signals from the medium, and a plurality of switches which connect the transmitter to the medium and disconnect the receiver from the medium to transmit outgoing information signals to the medium and which connect the receiver to the medium and disconnect the transmitter from the medium to receive incoming information signals from the medium, the switch operation of connecting and disconnecting the transmitter and receiver creating common mode switching noise; said error reduction method comprising the steps of: creating a primary copy of the incoming information signal; creating an inverted copy of the incoming information signal; inducing common mode noise of essentially equal polarity and magnitude into the primary and inverted copies by switch operation; selectively amplifying the primary and secondary copies by a predetermined equal amplification level; combining the amplified primary and inverted copies in an additive manner to produce a reproduced version of the incoming signal; and subtracting the influence of the common mode noise from the primary and inverted copy signals when combined to cancel the common mode noise from the amplified version of the incoming signal.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
227 words
A method of reducing errors when decoding information signals communicated between nodes in a local area network (LAN), the LAN having a plurality of nodes connected by a communication medium; each node including a transmitter to transmit information signals over the medium, a receiver to receive information signals from the medium, and a plurality of switches which connect the transmitter to the medium and disconnect the receiver from the medium to transmit outgoing information signals to the medium and which connect the receiver to the medium and disconnect the transmitter from the medium to receive incoming information signals from the medium, the switch operation of connecting and disconnecting the transmitter and receiver creating common mode switching noise; said error reduction method comprising the steps of: creating a primary copy of the incoming information signal; creating an inverted copy of the incoming information signal; inducing common mode noise of essentially equal polarity and magnitude into the primary and inverted copies by switch operation; selectively amplifying the primary and secondary copies by a predetermined equal amplification level; combining the amplified primary and inverted copies in an additive manner to produce a reproduced version of the incoming signal; and subtracting the influence of the common mode noise from the primary and inverted copy signals when combined to cancel the common mode noise from the amplified version of the incoming signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
139 words
An error reducing method as defined in claim 9, wherein the LAN includes a hub having a plurality of ports to connect separate portions of the medium, the hub receives an incoming information signal at one port and transmits a related outgoing information signal at other ports, each port includes a receiver, a transmitter and a plurality of switches by which to connect the transmitter and receiver to transmit and receive the outgoing and incoming information signals, respectively; said method further comprising the steps of: creating the primary and inverted copies at a port receiving an incoming information signal; deriving a reproduced version of the incoming information signal at each port by combining the primary and inverted copies created at each port; and transmitting the reproduced version of the incoming information signal at the other ports of the hub.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
An error reducing method as defined in claim 10, further comprising the step of: establishing the predetermined level of amplification for each of the primary and inverted copies at each port independently of the level of amplification established at the other ports of the hub.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
An error reducing method as defined in claim 11, further comprising the steps of: representing data by the amplitude of the incoming and outgoing information signals; and applying the amplified version of the incoming information signal to a matched filter.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
An error reducing method as defined in claim 12, further comprising the steps of: periodically including a calibration information signal in the incoming information signals; and establishing the level of gain at each port in response to the calibration information signal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
40 words
An error reducing method as define in claim 9, further comprising the steps of: representing data by the amplitude of the incoming and outgoing information signals; and applying the amplified version of the incoming information signal to a matched filter.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
An error reducing method as define in claim 9, further comprising the step of: combining the primary and inverted copies by applying them to a transformer.