Method, System and Apparatus for Voice and Data Transmission Over A Conductive Path

Abstract

A system that provides video signal communication between a source of video signals and a plurality of units that include destinations of the video signals, the system including an interface coupled to the source and to conductive paths, each of which serves at least one of the units and carries voice signals to and from one or more telephone devices at said unit. The interface receives video signals from the source, and also receives voice signals. The interface transmits voice and video signals onto the conductive path. Receivers at each destination of information connected to the conductive path recover the video signal and apply it to one or more of the destinations at the unit. The receivers also recover the voice signal from the telephone line and apply it to a telephone device. Signals also transmit in the reverse direction, from the units back to the interface and the source of information.

1 . A communication system, comprising:
 a common source of information;   a signal interface; and   a plurality of subsystems each comprising:
 a path; 
 a twisted pair wire; 
 a transceiver; 
 a television; and 
 a telephone device, 
   wherein:
 the path of each subsystem is a two-wire conductive path that connects between the signal interface and the transceiver of the corresponding one of the plurality of subsystems; 
 the source of information communicates a first plurality of video information streams to said signal interface; 
 the signal interface is configured to apply voltage variations onto the path of each of the plurality of subsystems, thereby transmitting a downstream signal on each path, wherein each downstream signal (a) is received by the transceiver connected to the path over which the downstream signal transmits, (b) encodes a video information stream that is included in said first plurality of video information streams, and (c) encodes an incoming voice information stream; 
 each transceiver of the plurality of subsystems is configured so that the transceiver applies voltage variations onto the path of the corresponding one of the plurality of subsystems while receiving the downstream signal transmitting over said path, the transceiver thereby transmitting an upstream signal wherein (a) said upstream signal encodes a digital information stream and a outgoing voice information stream, and (b) substantially all of the energy of said upstream signal is expressed using frequencies above 3 KHz; 
 the signal interface is configured to (a) receive each of the upstream signals transmitting across each path in the plurality of subsystems while transmitting signals onto each path in the plurality of subsystems, and to (b) transmit the digital information streams encoded in said upstream signals to said common source of information; 
 each of said plurality of subsystems is further configured so that (a) the twisted pair wire connects between the transceiver and an ordinary telephone device, (b) said twisted pair wire is not part of the path, and (c) said transceiver is configured to establish an ordinary telephone communication link with said telephone device over the twisted pair wire, wherein
 the incoming voice information stream includes ringing and hookswitch information, and the transceiver responds by supplying to the telephone device with the ringing and hookswitch components of the signals used to establish said ordinary telephone communication link, 
 the incoming voice information stream is transmitted from said transceiver to said telephone device over said ordinary telephone communication link, and 
 the outgoing voice information stream is transmitted from said telephone device to said transceiver over said ordinary telephone communication link; and 
 
 each of the plurality of subsystems is further configured so that the transceiver transmits a television signal to said television, wherein said television signal encodes the video information stream. 
   
   
   
       2 . The communication system of  claim 1 , wherein the signal interface is configured so that the digital information stream received from the path of any one of the plurality of subsystems can influence the video content encoded in the voltage variations applied to the path of that one subsystem. 
   
   
       3 . The communication system of  claim 2 , wherein each of said plurality of subsystems includes an infrared transmitter that transmits said digital information stream to said transceiver. 
   
   
       4 . The communication system of  claim 1 , wherein said outgoing voice information stream includes information identifying a destination on a telephone network. 
   
   
       5 . The communication system of  claim 4 , wherein said signal interface creates a signal encoding said outgoing voice information stream but not said video stream. 
   
   
       6 . The communication system of  claim 4 , wherein the signal interface decodes the outgoing voice information stream from said upstream signal and transmits it to said telephone network. 
   
   
       7 . The communication system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of subsystems is further configured so that the transceiver comprises a voice processing circuit, a video processing circuit, and a coupler circuit, wherein:
 said voice processing circuit is configured to transmit a first signal to said coupler circuit, said first signal encoding said outgoing voice information stream;   the video processing circuit transmits a second signal to said coupler circuit, said second signal encoding said digital information stream; and   said coupler circuit combines said first signal and said second signal onto the path as the upstream signal.   
   
   
       8 . The communication system of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of subsystems is further configured so that the transceiver comprises a voice processing circuit, a video processing circuit, and a coupler circuit, wherein:
 said voice processing circuit is configured to transmit a first signal to said coupler circuit, said first signal encoding said outgoing voice information stream;   the video processing circuit transmits a second signal to said coupler circuit, said second signal encoding said digital information stream; and   said coupler circuit combines said first signal and said second signal onto the path as the upstream signal.   
   
   
       9 . The communication system of  claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of subsystems is further configured so that the transceiver comprises a voice processing circuit, a video processing circuit, and a coupler circuit, wherein:
 said voice processing circuit is configured to transmit a first signal to said coupler circuit, said first signal encoding said outgoing voice information stream;   the video processing circuit transmits a second signal to said coupler circuit, said second signal encoding said digital information stream; and   said coupler circuit combines said first signal and said second signal onto the path as the upstream signal.   
   
   
       10 . The communication system of  claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of subsystems is further configured so that the transceiver comprises a voice processing circuit, a video processing circuit, and a coupler circuit, wherein:
 said voice processing circuit is configured to transmit a first signal to said coupler circuit, said first signal encoding said outgoing voice information stream;   the video processing circuit transmits a second signal to said coupler circuit, said second signal encoding said digital information stream; and   said coupler circuit combines said first signal and said second signal onto the path as the upstream signal.   
   
   
       11 . The communication system of  claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of subsystems is further configured so that the transceiver comprises a voice processing circuit, a video processing circuit, and a coupler circuit, wherein:
 said voice processing circuit is configured to transmit a first signal to said coupler circuit, said first signal encoding said outgoing voice information stream;   the video processing circuit transmits a second signal to said coupler circuit, said second signal encoding said digital information stream; and   said coupler circuit combines said first signal and said second signal onto the path as the upstream signal.   
   
   
       12 . The communication system of  claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of subsystems is further configured so that the transceiver comprises a voice processing circuit, a video processing circuit, and a coupler circuit, wherein:
 said voice processing circuit is configured to transmit a first signal to said coupler circuit, said first signal encoding said outgoing voice information stream;   the video processing circuit transmits a second signal to said coupler circuit, said second signal encoding said digital information stream; and   said coupler circuit combines said first signal and said second signal onto the path as the upstream signal.   
   
   
       13 . A signal processor assembly for connection to an external conductive path, a telephone device, and a television, comprising:
 a voice processor circuit configured to
 receive a downstream signal from said external path, said downstream signal encoding an incoming voice information stream, 
 establish an ordinary telephone link with said telephone device over a twisted pair wire, wherein the incoming voice information stream includes ringing and hookswitch information, and the voice processor circuit responds by supplying the ringing and hookswitch components of the signals used to establish said ordinary telephone communication link, and 
 transmit onto said external path an upstream voice signal confined to frequencies above 3 KHz, said upstream voice signal encoding an outgoing voice information stream received from said telephone device; 
   an upstream communication circuit configured to receive an infrared signal encoding a digital information stream and transmit onto the external path a control signal encoding said digital information stream; and   a video processing circuit configured (a) to be coupled to the external path (b) to receive said downstream signal from said path, said downstream signal encoding a video information stream and (c) transmit a television signal to said television, wherein said television signal encodes said video information stream, and the digital information stream has an influence on the content of the video information stream.   
   
   
       14 . The signal processor assembly of  claim 13 , wherein said outgoing voice information stream includes information identifying a destination on a telephone network. 
   
   
       15 . The signal processor assembly of  claims 13 , further comprising a coupler circuit coupled to the voice processing circuit and the infrared communication circuit, wherein:
 the voice processing circuit transmits the upstream voice signal to said coupler circuit;   the upstream communication circuit transmits the control signal to said coupler circuit; and   said coupler circuit combines said upstream voice signal and said control signal and transmits said combined signals onto the path.   
   
   
       16 . The signal processor assembly of  claims 14 , further comprising a coupler circuit coupled to the voice processing circuit and the infrared communication circuit, wherein:
 the voice processing circuit transmits the upstream voice signal to said coupler circuit;   the upstream communication circuit transmits the control signal to said coupler circuit; and   said coupler circuit combines said upstream voice signal and said control signal and transmits said combined signals onto the path.   
   
   
       17 . The signal processor assembly of  claims 15 , wherein the coupler circuit, voice processing circuit, upstream communication circuit and video processing circuit are configured in a common enclosure. 
   
   
       18 . The signal processor assembly of  claims 16 , wherein the coupler circuit, voice processing circuit, upstream communication circuit and video processing circuit are configured in a common enclosure. 
   
   
       19 . A method for communicating a conductive path, comprising:
 transmitting a downstream signal onto the conductive path at a first point, wherein the downstream signal encodes (1) a video information stream and (2) a first voice information stream including ringing and hookswitch information;   receiving said downstream signal from said conductive path at a second point;   converting the video information stream in said downstream signal into a television signal and passing said television signal to a television;   decoding the first voice information stream in said downstream signal transmitting said first voice information stream to a telephone device using ordinary telephone techniques, said transmitting including providing ringing and hookswitch signals to the telephone device in response to ringing and hookswitch information in said first voice information stream;   receiving a second voice information stream transmitted from said telephone device using ordinary telephone line techniques;   encoding the second voice information stream into an upstream signal;   encoding a digital information stream into said upstream signal;   transmitting said upstream signal onto the second point of the conductive path, wherein substantially all of the power spectrum of said upstream signal is above 3 KHz; and   receiving said upstream digital signal from the conductive path at the first point.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said digital information stream includes information that has an influence on the content included in said video information stream. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20  further including receiving an infrared signal that encodes the digital information stream before encoding said digital information stream in said upstream signal. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the second voice information stream includes information identifying a destination on a telephone network. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising converting the received upstream signal into an ordinary telephone signal including said second voice information stream.