Home network frequency conditioning device and method

1. An in-home entertainment network conditioning device for use with a coaxial device, the conditioning device comprising:

an input node, wherein:

the input node conducts community access television (CATV) signals and in-home entertainment signals, the community access television signals comprising:

downstream signals in a first frequency range; and

upstream signals in a second frequency range that is different from the first frequency range;

and

the in-home entertainment signals comprise signals in a third frequency range that is different from the first frequency range and the second frequency range;

a first signal path branched from the input node, wherein the first signal path comprises a low-pass filter, wherein the low-pass filter conducts the upstream and downstream community access television signals and wherein the low-pass filter rejects the in-home entertainment signals;

a second signal path branched from the input node and in parallel electrical communication with the first signal path;

and

an output node joining the first signal path and the second signal path;

wherein the second signal path comprises:

a first high-pass filter in series electrical connection with a signal conditioning circuit, wherein the first high-pass filter conducts the in-home entertainment signals and rejects the upstream and downstream community access television signals, and wherein the first high-pass filter is connected electrically between the input node and the signal conditioning circuit, and wherein the signal conditioning circuit attenuates the in-home entertainment signals and passes the upstream and downstream CATV signals without attenuation in response to being coupled to the coaxial device;

and

a second high-pass filter in series electrical connection with the signal conditioning circuit, wherein the second high-pass filter conducts the in-home entertainment signals and rejects the upstream and downstream community access television signals, and wherein the second high-pass filter is connected electrically between the signal conditioning circuit and the output node.

2. The conditioning device of claim 1 , wherein the signal conditioning circuit comprises an equalizer, wherein the equalizer equalizes a frequency response of the in-home entertainment network conditioning device in the third frequency range, in response to being coupled to the coaxial device.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the signal conditioning circuit attenuates in-home entertainment signals an amount in the range of −1 decibels to −30 decibels in response to being coupled to a coaxial device.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the signal conditioning circuit attenuates in-home entertainment signals an amount in the range of −5 decibels to −10 decibels in response to being coupled to a coaxial device.

5. The conditioning device of claim 1 , wherein a frequency response of the in-home entertainment network conditioning device has a positive gain slope in the third frequency range.

6. The conditioning device of claim 1 , wherein the low-pass filter of the first signal path comprises a Chebyshev filter.

7. The conditioning device of claim 1 , wherein the high-pass filter of the second signal path comprises a Chebyshev filter.

8. The conditioning device of claim 1 , wherein the second high-pass filter of the second signal path comprises a Chebyshev filter.

9. The conditioning device of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency range is from 54-1002 megahertz, the second frequency range is from 5-42 megahertz, and the third frequency range is from 1125-1675 megahertz.

10. A signal conditioning circuit for use in a community access television (CATV) network device, wherein:

the CATV network device conducts:

downstream CATV signals in a first frequency range;

upstream CATV signals in a second frequency range, wherein the second frequency range does not overlap the first frequency range;

and

in-home entertainment signals in a third frequency range, wherein the third frequency range does not overlap either the first frequency range or the second frequency range;

the CATV network device comprises:

a first signal path, wherein the first signal path comprises a low-pass filter which passes both the upstream and the downstream community access television signals, and rejects the in-home entertainment signals;

and

a second signal path in parallel electrical connection to the first signal path, wherein the second signal path comprises a first and a second high-pass filter, and wherein both the first and the second high-pass filters pass the in-home entertainment signals, and wherein both the first and the second high-pass filters reject both the upstream and the downstream community access television signals;

the signal conditioning circuit is electrically coupled to the second signal path in series electrical connection between the first and the second high-pass filters;

the signal conditioning circuit comprises an equalizer circuit;

and

the signal conditioning circuit attenuates the in-home entertainment signals and passes the upstream and downstream CATV signals.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein a frequency response of the equalizer circuit has a positive gain slope in the in-home entertainment signal frequency range.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the in-home entertainment signal frequency range is from 1125-1675 megahertz.

13. The device of claim 10 , wherein the equalizer circuit comprises resistive elements.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the resistive elements comprise a Pi-type attenuator.

15. A method of conditioning in-home entertainment signals in a community access television (CATV) network device comprising the steps of:

separating CATV signals from in-home entertainment signals, wherein the CATV signals comprise:

downstream signals in a first frequency range;

and

upstream signals in a second frequency range that is different from the first frequency range;

and wherein the in-home entertainment signals are in a third frequency range that is different from both the first and the second frequency range;

filtering the in-home entertainment signals with a first high-pass filter, wherein the first high-pass filter rejects the downstream and the upstream CATV signals, and wherein the first high-pass filter passes the in-home entertainment signals;

attenuating the filtered in-home entertainment signals in the third frequency range with a signal conditioning circuit;

filtering both the upstream and the downstream CATV signals with a low-pass filter, wherein the low-pass filter passes both the upstream and the downstream CATV signals, and wherein the low-pass filter rejects the in-home entertainment signals;

and

combining the filtered upstream and downstream CATV signals with the filtered and attenuated in-home entertainment signals.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of filtering the filtered and attenuated in-home entertainment signals with a second high-pass filter, wherein the second high-pass filter rejects the downstream and the upstream CATV signals, and wherein the second high-pass filter passes the in-home entertainment signals.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the signal conditioning circuit comprises an equalizer.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the signal conditioning circuit has a frequency response with a positive gain slope in the in-home entertainment signal frequency range.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the signal conditioning circuit comprises resistive elements.