Switchable multi-drop video distribution system

Claim 2

Apparatus for controlling a circuit coupled to a node of a multi-node optical communication network of a type producing a plurality of time slots for carrying data therein, comprising: a control circuit located at a source node of the multi-node network for transmitting on the optical network a control signal that specifies a time slot of an optical frame for carrying data; and a destination node for receiving the control signal via the optical network for configuring a destination circuit to select said specified time slot and to couple data from said destination circuit to said specified time slot, whereby said destination circuit is controlled at said destination node.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said destination circuit includes video apparatus coupled to a first circuit that is responsive to said time slot for associating video data from said video apparatus with said time slot, and a second circuit for transferring the video data in a corresponding time slot in the optical frame.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said first circuit provides said video data at a time associated with said specified time slot to said second circuit together with an enable signal, whereby said second circuit transfers said video data to said optical frame at a time when said enable signal is active.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said second circuit includes a drop bus that carries optical frame drop data, and said first circuit includes an add bus that carries add video data, and said second circuit includes a multiplexer that multiplexes the add video data onto said optical frame during an active time of said enable signal.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said optical network comprises a SONET network, and said enable signal is active 24 times during an OC-1 SONET frame to provide a 1.5 MHz bandwidth.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said video apparatus comprises a video camera, and wherein said first circuit is programmable to respond to one or more time slots of an optical frame, to transfer video data from a single said video camera in association with the optical frame.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said first circuit is adapted to receive commands via said optical network from said source node to activate said enable signal during said one or more time slots to thereby effectively couple the video data from the video camera to said optical frame.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said video camera is effectively disconnected from said optical network by maintaining said enable signal inactive during said one or more time slots.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each node coupled to the optical network has a unique equipment address, and further including an equipment configuration protocol transmitted via said optical network, said equipment configuration protocol providing a destination address, and a plurality of commands, each said node being responsive to receipt of said equipment configuration protocol to decode the destination address and compare the destination address with the unique equipment address, and if a match is found, at least one command of said plurality of commands is decoded and carried out to control node equipment.

Claim 11

Apparatus for controlling circuits by way of an optical network of a type having a plurality of time slots for carrying optical signals, comprising: at least one source node coupled to said optical network for transmitting thereon commands to a destination node for controlling the coupling of data from said destination node to said optical network in one of said time slots; at least one said destination node having an optical input coupled to said optical network and an optical output coupled to said optical network, said destination node for receiving said commands, and including: an electric drop bus, an optical-to-electrical converter for converting optical signals via said optical network input to corresponding electrical signals carried on said drop bus, an electrical add bus for carrying data generated by electrical circuits coupled to said destination node, a selector for selecting electrical signals from either said drop bus or said add bus, a control signal line carrying a control signal for controlling said selector for selecting electrical data from said drop bus or said add bus, and an electrical-to-optical converter for converting electrical signals output from said selector to corresponding optical signals coupled to the optical output of said destination node.

Claim 12

Apparatus for controlling circuits by way of an optical network of a type having a plurality of time slots for carrying optical signals, comprising: at least one source node coupled to said optical network for transmitting thereon commands to a destination node for controlling the coupling of data from said destination node to said optical network in one of said time slots; at least one said destination node having an optical input coupled to said optical network and an optical output coupled to said optical network, said destination node for receiving said commands, and including: an electric drop bus, an optical-to-electrical converter for converting optical signals via said optical network input to corresponding electrical signals carried on said drop bus, an electrical add bus for carrying data generated by electrical circuits coupled to said destination node, a selector for selecting electrical signals from either said drop bus or said add bus, a control signal line carrying a control signal for controlling said selector for selecting electrical data from said drop bus or said add bus, and an electrical-to-optical converter for converting electrical signals output from said selector to corresponding optical signals coupled to the optical output of said destination node.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said source node includes a processor programmed to provide a communications protocol using said commands, and said source node including circuits for transmitting said communications protocol via time slots of said optical network for controlling the transmission of data generated at said destination node within time slots of said optical network.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said communications protocol includes commands for controlling when said control signal is enabled to select between said drop bus and said add bus.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said communications protocol includes a command field specifying a function to be carried out, and an associated data field specifying one of said plurality of time slots to be utilized.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 10, further including data processing circuits associated with said destination node for receiving video data via said drop bus and converting said video data for display on a monitor, said data processing circuits coupled to a video camera that generates video data, and said data processing circuits transfer the video data to said optical network via said add bus and said selector.

Claim 19

The method of claim 15, further including providing an electrical drop bus and an electrical add bus in said node for respectively receiving data from the optical network and for transmitting data generating at said node on said optical network.

Claim 20

The method of claim 16, further including overwriting data carried on the electrical drop bus if data generated at said node is to be transmitted in the respective time slots, and at other times allowing data on the drop bus to be retransmitted on the optical network in a form unchanged from that received by said node via said optical network.

Claim 21

The method of claim 15, further including transmitting the data in a first set of time slots corresponding to a first destination, and transmitting data in a second set of time slots corresponding to a second destination.

Claim 22

The method of claim 15, further including communicating said commands by a master node to a plurality of slave nodes connected to said optical network, and controlling by said master node the time slots to be used by each of said slave nodes.

Claim 23

The method of claim 15, further including communicating command signals to a plurality of nodes coupled to said optical network, to thereby dynamically control the time slot usage by each said node.

Claim 24

The method of claim 15, further including changing bandwidth usage of said node by said commands to increase or decrease a number of time slots utilized by the node to transmit data therein.

Claim 25

The method of claim 15, further including communicating different commands to said node to thereby dynamically change the transmission of the data from a first set of time slots to a second set of time slots, and to dynamically change the number of time slots utilized to thereby change a bandwidth usage by the node.

Claim 26

Apparatus for controlling circuits by way of an optical network of a type having a plurality of time slots for carrying optical signals, comprising: a network node having an optical input port coupled to said optical network and an optical output port coupled to said optical network, said node including: a bus controller having an optical-to-electrical converter for converting optical signals at said input port to corresponding electrical signals; a serial-to-parallel converter for converting electrical signals output by said optical-to-electrical converter from serial signals to byte serial data; a parallel-to-serial converter for converting byte serial data to corresponding serial data; an electrical-to-optical converter for converting the output serial data from said parallel-to-serial converter to corresponding optical signals, said electrical-to-optical converter for coupling the serial optical signals to the optical output port; a drop bus for carrying said byte serial data corresponding to data received by said network node via said optical network; an add bus for carrying byte serial data generated at said node; a multiplexer having a first input coupled to said drop bus and a second input coupled to said add bus; an output of said multiplexer coupling byte serial data to said parallel-to-serial converter, and a control input for selecting one of said first input or said second input of said multiplexer for coupling the serial data to an output of said multiplexer; and a control circuit for enabling the control input of said multiplexer to couple byte serial data on said add bus during a specified time slot to said multiplexer output.

Claim 27

Apparatus for controlling circuits by way of an optical network of a type having a plurality of time slots for carrying optical signals, comprising: a network node having an optical input port coupled to said optical network and an optical output port coupled to said optical network, said node including: a bus controller having an optical-to-electrical converter for converting optical signals at said input port to corresponding electrical signals; a serial-to-parallel converter for converting electrical signals output by said optical-to-electrical converter from serial signals to byte serial data; a parallel-to-serial converter for converting byte serial data to corresponding serial data; an electrical-to-optical converter for converting the output serial data from said parallel-to-serial converter to corresponding optical signals, said electrical-to-optical converter for coupling the serial optical signals to the optical output port; a drop bus for carrying said byte serial data corresponding to data received by said network node via said optical network; an add bus for carrying byte serial data generated at said node; a multiplexer having a first input coupled to said drop bus and a second input coupled to said add bus; an output of said multiplexer coupling byte serial data to said parallel-to-serial converter, and a control input for selecting one of said first input or said second input of said multiplexer for coupling the serial data to an output of said multiplexer; and a control circuit for enabling the control input of said multiplexer to couple byte serial data on said add bus during a specified time slot to said multiplexer output.

Claim 28

The apparatus of claim 23, further including plural data generating circuits associated with said node, said add bus being coupled to each said data generating circuit, and an add signal line connected to said control input being controlled to thereby cause said multiplexer to couple data on said add bus as generated by said data generating circuits to the output of said multiplexer in different time slots.

Claim 29

The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said control circuit comprises a respective programmable circuit in each said data generating circuit, and further including an enable signal coupled to said multiplexer control input and to each said programmable circuit for coordinating the multiplexing of data on the add bus at different time slots.

Claim 30

The apparatus of claim 23, further including in combination a data generator circuit comprising a video camera for generating video signals, and including a video signal compressor for compressing the video signals.

Claim 31

The apparatus of claim 26, further including a plurality of said video cameras, each said video camera being coupled to a video signal multiplexer, and said video signal compressor being connected to an output of said video signal multiplexer.

Claim 32

The apparatus of claim 26, whereas said video signal compressor also functions to decompress video signals, and further including at least one video monitor coupled to an output of said compressor for receiving decompressed video signals.

Claim 33

Apparatus for controlling circuits by way of an optical network of a type having a plurality of time slots for carrying optical signals, comprising: at least one slave node coupled to said optical network; a master node coupled to said optical network, said master node including a processor programmed with a communications protocol, said communications protocol providing data identifying each said slave node, providing data identifying circuits in each said slave node and providing data identifying one or more time slots of said optical network to be utilized by the slave node for transmitting therein data generated at the respective slave node; said master node including encoding circuits for encoding said communications protocol into one or more time slots of said optical network so as to be available to each said slave node; and said slave node including decoding circuits responsive to the time slots of the optical network carrying said communications protocol for decoding node identification data, circuit identification data and time slot data, and for configuring circuits in said slave node to generate data and transmit the generated data in the time slots specified by said decoded time slot data.

Claim 34

Apparatus for controlling circuits by way of an optical network of a type having a plurality of time slots for carrying optical signals, comprising: at least one slave node coupled to said optical network; a master node coupled to said optical network, said master node including a processor programmed with a communications protocol, said communications protocol providing data identifying each said slave node, providing data identifying circuits in each said slave node and providing data identifying one or more time slots of said optical network to be utilized by the slave node for transmitting therein data generated at the respective slave node; said master node including encoding circuits for encoding said communications protocol into one or more time slots of said optical network so as to be available to each said slave node; and said slave node including decoding circuits responsive to the time slots of the optical network carrying said communications protocol for decoding node identification data, circuit identification data and time slot data, and for configuring circuits in said slave node to generate data and transmit the generated data in the time slots specified by said decoded time slot data.

Claim 35

The apparatus of claim 29, further including circuits in said slave node for configuring data processing circuits to receive data in time slots specified according to said decoded communications protocol.

Claim 36

The apparatus of claim 29, further including circuits in said slave node for communicating information to said master node via said communications protocol.

Claim 37

The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said optical network comprises a SONET ring.

Claim 38

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said destination node includes a circuit for coupling data generated at said destination node to said optical network in said specified time slot.