General Instrument Corporation

Motorola Corporation

Arris Enterprises LLC

Kevin T Chang

Alfred W Stufflet

Jay W Strater

Matthew Glenn Waight

Yucheng Jin

William J Storti

Paul Ocepek

David Beryl Lazarus

Barry P Falvo

Marlin McGregor

James D Rosemary

David E Chodelka

Carol Mathews

Ben M Foose

Timothy D Rea

Sam Reichgott

Charles E Schell, Iii

Gary A Dorfner

Yung-Chun Lun

Chin-Tan Chang

Set-top enclosure

The present invention is an upstream power control system, within a cable modem which controls the power consumption of the cable modem. The power control system comprises a MAC chip which synchronizes upstream communication signals for transmission to a cable network and outputs an upstream control signal, an upstream amplifier which receives the synchronized upstream communication signals, and a complex programmable logic device (CPLD). The CPLD controls the upstream amplifier in response to the upstream control signal such that the upstream amplifier is powered on during transmission of the communication signals, and powered off when not transmitting, which results in the reduction of power consumed by the cable modem.

Dynamic upstream amplifier power management

A dynamic arrangement for reducing the presence of ingress noise in the upstream signal path of a two-way cable system utilizes a variable attenuation element and amplifier disposed along the upstream signal path. The amplifier includes a bypass switch so that the amplifier may be switched in to or out of the upstream path. A signal processor associated with the communications gateway functions to calculate the upstream loss present at the gateway and control the operation of the attenuation element, amplifier and bypass switch accordingly. Upstream attenuation is selected to be as large as possible, yet still allow in-building cable devices to communicate with their associated head end (HE) receiver equipment, after accounting for maximum transmit limitations.

Dynamic upstream attenuation for ingress noise reduction

A method and apparatus for preventing false alarm activation is provided. According to one embodiment of the invention, a determination () is made as to whether an instruction from a controller is a commanded reset, and control of a Subscriber Line Interface Circuit is taken () from a voice processor circuit when the instruction is a commanded reset.

Prevention of an alarm activation and supporting methods and apparatus

A double conversion tuner system is disclosed that avoids the problem of degraded performance as a result of radiated interferers. Several selection criteria are described for specifying the parameters of the tuner, including the nominal first or high intermediate frequency, a first local oscillator signal for each desired channel, a nominal second local oscillator signal, and a bandwidth of the first intermediate frequency.

Method and apparatus for selection of design parameters for double conversion tuner to prevent radiated immunity degradation

Enclosure for a wireless device

An arrangement for controlling multiple telephone lines terminating in a single residence uses a multiplexer within a communications gateway and a plurality of demultiplexers, each demultiplexer coupled to a separate one of telephone lines. The communications gateway functions to convert all received analog telephony signals into a digital format and then multiplexes the digital signals onto a single telephone line connected to the residence. The various telephone lines in the residence are connected in series along the line, using a number of drop-off points. The demultiplexer on each telephone line is configured to recognize the time slots within the multiplexed signal destined for its associated telecommunications device. In a similar fashion, separate time slots are assigned for upstream transmission from each telecommunication device into the HFC network.

Arrangement for managing multiple telephone lines terminating at a single location

A method and device for scrambling video signals for broadcast in a proprietary television system includes modifying the vertical or horizontal synchronization pulses of the video signal to prevent unauthorized viewers from properly displaying the programming content. Preferably, the vertical sync pulses are removed from the signal prior to broadcast and replaced with horizontal sync pulses. A descrambler used with the receiving television uses the manner in which the false horizontal sync pulses were inserted into the video signal to recreate a sufficient approximation of the vertical sync pulses.

Method and apparatus for television signal scrambling using vertical sync replacement

A system for synchronizing one or more decoders with a network sync signal at a headend of a television communication network. The system allows decoders to transmit upstream messages synchronously in time slots which are defined according to the network sync signal, thereby improving system throughput. Identifying data is provided in a blanking interval (VBI or HBI) of one or more television signals to designate a horizontal scan line of the respective television signal which follows a reference point in the network sync signal by a predetermined delay. At each decoder, the identifying data is recovered, and the onset of the designated scan line can be used to signal the start of a transmission for the decoder. Preferably, the identifying data is provided in each television signal so the user is not forced to tune to a particular television channel to transmit a message. Various channel access protocols may be used, such as a session oriented protocol, or a synchronized ALOHA protocol.

Synchronization of decoders in a bi-directional CATV network

A signal such as an analog scrambled television signal in a cable television network has first scrambling mode data which is compatible with a first decoder population, but not a second decoder population. The scrambled television signal is processed to determine the scrambling mode without recovering the first scrambling mode data. Second scrambling mode data which is compatible with the second decoder population is then provided in the scrambled television signal, for example, in the vertical blanking interval or on an audio subcarrier. During processing to determine the scrambling mode, the television signal is delayed, e.g., by digitizing it and temporarily storing it in memory. The delay compensates for the time required to determine the scrambling mode. The television signal is recovered in the analog domain prior to inserting the second scrambling mode data. The system is compatible with various scrambling modes, including sync suppression and inversion of the active video as well as with dynamic scrambling mode changes.

Determination of scrambling mode of a television signal

A method and apparatus for preventing unauthorized descrambling of cable programming includes selective relocation of the service data channel within the vertical blanking interval thereby preventing unauthorized descrambling of programming by conventional descramblers.

Growing community of inventors

Doylestown, PA, United States of America

Kevin T Chang