The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 13, 2000
Filed:
Aug. 07, 1998
Mark Laubach, Mountain View, CA (US);
Paul Baran, Atherton, CA (US);
COM21, Inc., Milpitas, CA (US);
Abstract
A two-way CATV network having a radio return path. A cable headend controller is used to control downstream as well as upstream communications over the two-way CATV network. Downstream signals are sent to subscribers' cable modems through conventional coaxial cables. On the upstream side, a signal generated at a first frequency by an interactive cable modem. This signal is then sent to a transmitter applique, which converts the signal to a second frequency. The signal is then transmitted through a wireless segment at this second frequency to a receiver applique. The receiver applique converts the transmitted signal into a third frequency. In some cases, the third frequency is the same as the third frequency. Eventually, the upstream signal is sent to the headend controller. Throughout the entire upstream transmission process, the same signal is maintained; only its frequency is changed. In the various embodiments, the first, second, and third frequencies are the same; the first frequency is the same as the third frequency but not the second frequency; and the first channel can be the same as the third channel but is not the same as the second channel.