Apparatus and method for increasing upstream capacity in a broadband communications system
A method for providing enhanced broadband services over a communications network includes the steps of: receiving from the communications network at least first signals in a first frequency band, the first signals comprising programming material that has been converted from a second frequency band and/or material originally generated in the first frequency band to be converted to the second frequency band, the first and second frequency bands being non-overlapping; translating one or more first signals from the first frequency band to the second frequency band; and combining the one or more first signals translated to the second frequency band with the first signals in the first frequency band to generate combined programming material comprising one or more signals in the first frequency band and one or more signals in the second frequency band for reception by receiving location equipment.
1. An apparatus for interfacing between one or more customer premises devices and a communications network, the apparatus comprising:
an interface couplable to the communications network and operative to receive at least first signals in a first downstream frequency band having a first minimum frequency defining at least a portion of a first upstream/downstream split point;
a frequency converter coupled to the interface and operative to translate one or more of the first signals from the first downstream frequency band to one or more translated first signals in a second downstream frequency band having a second minimum frequency less than the first minimum frequency, the first and second downstream frequency bands being non-overlapping; and
a combiner coupled to the frequency converter and to the interface, the combiner being operative to combine the one or more translated first signals in the second downstream frequency band with one or more of the first signals in the first downstream frequency band to generate combined programming material having the second minimum frequency defining at least a portion of a second upstream/downstream split point for reception by one or more receiving location devices,
wherein the interface comprises first and second diplex filters, the first diplex filter including a first port coupled to the frequency converter and to the combiner, a second port coupled to a first port of the second diplex filter, and a third port coupled to the communications network, the second diplex filter including a second port coupled to the one or more receiving location devices, and a third port coupled to the combiner, each of the first and second diplex filters being operative to multiplex a corresponding one of the first and second ports onto the third port thereof as a function of a frequency of respective signals on the corresponding first and second ports.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one filter coupled in a series signal path between the interface and the one or more receiving location devices, the at least one filter being operative to remove duplicate content from the combined programming material.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least a first amplifier coupled in series in a signal path between the communications network and the one or more receiving location devices, the first amplifier being operative to generate an amplified output signal having a gain that is adapted to at least partially compensate for one or more signal losses in the signal path.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first amplifier includes an input operative to receive the combined programming material and an output operative to generate the amplified output signal for reception by the one or more receiving location devices.
5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first amplifier includes an input operative to receive at least second signals comprising upstream data in an upstream frequency band for transmission to the communications network, the first downstream frequency band, the second downstream frequency band and the upstream frequency band being non-overlapping, and an output operative to generate the amplified output signal for transmission to the communications network.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a transceiver coupled to the interface, the transceiver being operative to facilitate communications between a plurality of the one or more receiving location devices using a prescribed communications protocol.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the prescribed communications protocol comprises Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA).
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a data-over-cable service interface specification (DOCSIS) advanced media access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) (A.M.P.) receiver coupled to the interface and operative to receive DOCSIS signals from the communications network.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a data-over-cable service interface specification (DOCSIS) advanced media access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) (A.M.P.) transmitter coupled to the interface and operative to transmit DOCSIS signals to the communications network.
10. An apparatus for interfacing between one or more customer premises devices and a communications network, the apparatus comprising:
an interface couplable to the communications network and operative to receive at least first signals in a first frequency band;
a frequency converter coupled to the interface and operative to translate one or more of the first signals from the first frequency band to one or more translated first signals in a second frequency band, the first and second frequency bands being non-overlapping; and
a combiner coupled to the frequency converter and to the interface, the combiner being operative to combine the one or more translated first signals in the second frequency band with one or more of the first signals in the first frequency band to generate combined programming material for reception by one or more receiving location devices,
wherein the interface comprises first and second diplex filters, the first diplex filter including a first port coupled to the frequency converter and to the combiner, a second port coupled to a first port of the second diplex filter, and a third port coupled to the communications network, the second diplex filter including a second port coupled to the one or more receiving location devices, and a third port coupled to the combiner, each of the first and second diplex filters being operative to multiplex a corresponding one of the first and second ports onto the third port thereof as a function of a frequency of respective signals on the corresponding first and second ports.