Upstream bandwidth conditioning device

Abstract

An upstream bandwidth conditioning device that, in one embodiment, can be inserted into a signal transmission line of a CATV system in or proximate to a premise of a user includes a forward path and a return path with the return path being divided into a supplier side portion and a user side portion. The device further includes a supplier side termination device selectively connected to the supplier side portion and a user side termination device selectively connected to the user side portion. A signal amplifier is selectively connected to the supplier side portion and the user side portion by at least one amplifier switch.

The following is claimed: 
     
         1 . An upstream bandwidth conditioning device comprising:
 a main signal path divided into a forward path and a return path, the return path being divided into a supplier side portion and a user side portion;   at least one amplifier switch;   a signal amplifier configured to be selectively connected to the supplier side portion and the user side portion by the at least one amplifier switch so as to selectively increase an upstream bandwidth signal strength;   a switch controller configured to actuate the amplifier switch from a first position to a second position;   a supplier side termination switch;   a supplier side termination device configured to prevent amplification of undesirable interference signals on the return path;   a user side termination switch; and   a user side termination device configured to be selectively connected to a user side diplex filter so as to further prevent the amplification of the undesirable interference signals on the return path.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the supplier side termination device is configured to selectively connect to the supplier side portion by the supplier side termination switch. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the supplier side termination switch selectively connects a supplier side termination device to an output of the signal amplifier and a supplier side diplex filter so as to prevent amplification of undesirable interference signals on the return path. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the switch controller is configured to actuate each of the supplier side termination switch and the user side termination switch from a first position to a second position. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein an amplifier energy switch selectively couples an energy source to the signal amplifier for selectively energizing the signal amplifier. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the supplier side termination device is configured to prevent amplification of undesirable interference signals on the return path. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the switch controller is configured to actuate the amplifier switch from the first position to the second position in response to an input from at least one of a controller, the controller being selected from the group consisting of a physical switch, an analog logic circuit, and a CPU. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to provide the input to the switch controller based on an information signal passed through the main signal path. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the information signal is at least one of a coded operational signal and a tone. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the supplier side termination device and the user side termination device each provide a resistance to ground. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the switch controller is configured to actuate the supplier side termination switch, the user side termination switch, and the amplifier switch from the first position to the second position in response to an input from a controller, the controller being at least one of a physical switch, an analog logic circuit, and a CPU. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the main signal path is divided into the forward and the return path by a pair of diplexer filters. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first position for the amplifier switch is open such that a signal does not pass from the user side portion to the supplier side portion. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the second position for each of the supplier side termination switch and the user side termination switch is open such that each of the supplier side portion and the user side portion are disconnected from ground. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the second position for the amplifier switch is closed such that a signal passes from the user side portion to the supplier side portion. 
     
     
         16 . An upstream bandwidth conditioning device comprising:
 a main signal return path having a supplier side portion and a user side portion;   a supplier side termination device configured to prevent amplification of undesirable interference signals in the main return path; and   a user side termination device configured to be selectively connected to a user side diplex filter so as to further prevent amplification of undesirable interference signals on the return path.   
     
     
         17 . The upstream bandwidth conditioning device of  claim 16 , wherein the supplier side termination device is selectively connected to the supplier side portion by a supplier side termination switch. 
     
     
         18 . The upstream bandwidth conditioning device of  claim 17 , wherein the supplier side termination switch selectively connects the supplier side termination device to an output of a signal amplifier and a supplier side diplex filter so as to prevent amplification of undesirable interference signals on the return path. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein a first position for each of the supplier side termination switch and a user side termination switch is closed such that each of the supplier side portion and the user side portion are terminated to ground through the supplier side termination and the user side termination, respectively. 
     
     
         20 . A selective upstream bandwidth noise filtering and signal strength amplification device comprising:
 an upstream bandwidth amplifier configured to amplify a desirable signal through an upstream bandwidth transmission path;   an upstream bandwidth transmission controller configured to selectively prevent an undesirable interference signal from being transmitted through the upstream bandwidth transmission path only when the upstream bandwidth transmission path is not being used by a user to transmit the desirable signal through the upstream bandwidth transmission path; and   a user side diplex filter configured to further prevent amplification of the undesirable interference signal.   
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the upstream bandwidth transmission path is configured to transmit upstream bandwidth from a user to a supplier. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the controller comprises a user side termination switch, and a user side termination device selectively connected to a user side portion by the user side termination device, and wherein the user side termination device to a user side diplex filter. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein the user side termination switch selectively connects the user side termination device to an amplifier switch, and the user side termination device and the user side termination switch are configured to prevent the amplification of the undesirable interference signal. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the controller includes a supplier side termination switch, and a supplier side termination device selectively connected to a supplier side portion by the supplier side termination switch. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the supplier side termination switch selectively connects the supplier side termination device to an output of the amplifier and a supplier side diplex filter so as to prevent amplification of the undesirable interference signal and selectively allow the desirable signal to be transmitted through the upstream bandwidth transmission path only when the upstream bandwidth transmission path is being used by the user to transmit the desirable signal through the upstream bandwidth transmission path so as to increase desirable upstream bandwidth signal strength without amplifying undesirable interference signal strength. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the upstream bandwidth transmission controller is configured to selectively allow the desirable signal to be transmitted through the upstream bandwidth transmission path only when the upstream bandwidth transmission path is being used by the user to transmit the desirable signal through the upstream bandwidth transmission path so as to increase desirable upstream bandwidth signal strength without amplifying undesirable interference signal strength. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the controller comprises a user side termination switch, and a user side termination device selectively connected to a user side portion by the user side termination switch. 
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the controller includes an amplifier switch and the upstream bandwidth transmission path includes the supplier side portion selectively connected to the amplifier and a user side portion selectively connected to the amplifier switch. 
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the controller comprises an amplifier energy switch configured to selectively connect an energy source to the amplifier for selectively energizing the amplifier. 
     
     
         30 . A signal conditioning device comprising:
 an amplifier configured to amplify upstream information signals on a return path;   a supplier side diplexer coupled to the return path; and   a user side diplexer coupled to the return path;   wherein the supplier side diplexer and the user side diplexer are configured to cooperate together so as to selectively ground noise transmitted by the user side diplexer and prevent amplification of undesirable signals on the return path.   
     
     
         31 . The signal conditioning device of  claim 30 , wherein an amplifier energy switch is connected to the amplifier and to an energy source for energizing the amplifier, thereby enabling the amplifier to amplify the upstream information signals, when the amplifier energy switch is closed. 
     
     
         32 . The signal conditioning device of  claim 31 , wherein the amplifier switch is connected in series between the user side diplexer and the amplifier for enabling the amplifier to amplify the upstream information signals. 
     
     
         33 . The signal conditioning device of  claim 31 , wherein a user side termination switch is connected to the user side diplexer in parallel with the amplifier switch, the user side termination switch also connected to a grounded user side termination device such that noise transmitted by the user side diplexer is grounded when the user side termination switch is closed. 
     
     
         34 . The signal conditioning device of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 an amplifier connected in series between the user side diplexer and the supplier side diplexer for amplifying the upstream information signals on the return path.   
     
     
         35 . A selective signal conditioning device comprising:
 a user circuit portion and a supplier circuit portion each configured to selectively control transmission of upstream signals on a return path, the upstream signals including desirable signals and undesirable noise signal; and   an amplifier configured to selectively amplify upstream information signals;   wherein the user circuit portion and the supplier circuit portion are configured to cooperate together so as to ground undesirable noise signals and prevent the undesirable noise signals from being transmitted on the return path when a user transmits a desirable signal on the return path.   
     
     
         36 . The selective signal conditioning device of  claim 35 , wherein a first circuit portion is configured to receive downstream information signals from a supplier, transmit the downstream information signals to a user, receive the upstream information signals from the user, and transmit the upstream information signals on a return path to the supplier. 
     
     
         37 . The selective signal conditioning device of  claim 35 , wherein a second circuit portion is configured to receive downstream information signals, transmit the downstream information signals to the user, receive the upstream information signals from the user, and transmit the upstream information signals on the return path. 
     
     
         38 . The selective signal conditioning device of  claim 35 , wherein a supplier side termination switch is connected in parallel with the amplifier, the supplier side termination switch also connected to a grounded supplier side termination device such that undesirable signals transmitted by a second circuit portion are grounded when the supplier side termination switch is closed.