Cable television network with upstream channel specialized
for sending upstream information signals (Assignee -- U.S.
Philips Corporation)
August 17, 1998
U.S. Patents via NewsEdge Corporation : Abstract: The
network comprises a tree specialized in sending
information signals upstream, comprising optical-fibre
branches. In a junction (L5), an opto-electric conversion
is performed in a receiver (RPR5, RPR6) and an
electro-optical conversion in a transmitter (RPE2). In the
electrical part of a junction, the transmitter of the
junction (RPE2) polls the receivers of the junction
(RPR5, RPR6) to receive therefrom the messages coming
from downstream (5 . . . 6 . . . 5 . . . 6 . . . ), after which a
message of local origin (S) is added to those coming
from downstream. Although, as a result of the polling,
there is no synchronism between the retransmission and
the reception of the given message, a specific process
makes it possible to ensure that the messages reach an
upstream receiver (RPR2) in a predetermined order (S X 5
X 6 X S X 5 X 6 . . . ), which makes it possible to
recognize when all the messages have been received
well.
Ex Claim Text: Process for transmitting upstream
messages in a cable television network which comprises
a specific tree-like path for sending messages upstream,
which path comprises a plurality of branches called
upstream branches, each formed by an optical fibre,
which process is characterized in that, in a junction
between an upstream branch and various downstream
branches, which comprises a transmitter including a
converter for producing a light signal transmitted up the
upstream branch from a message sequence in the form of
an electric signal and, for each downstream branch, a
receiver which includes a converter which produces a
message in the form of an electric signal from a light
signal coming from the downstream branch, a message
received from downstream and carrying a recognition
code is recorded in a receiving memory, based on
messages received by the receivers and a message,
called local message, generated in the junction itself to
be transmitted up the upstream branch, a send message
sequence is determined which comprises first messages
which repeat in a delayed version the messages received
by the receivers and, in the end, the local message
whose presence indicates that the sequence has ended,
the same sequence is repeated indefinitely while the
contents of the message are being updated, as required.
Patent Number: 5794117
Issue Date: 1998 08 11
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