Hybrid return gate system in a bidirectional cable network

Claim 2

A hybrid return gate system for suppressing undesirable energy in a network having a bi-directional communication path comprising a first direction and a second direction between a headend and a plurality of remote points, said system comprising: means for disconnecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path; first means for connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path on occurrence of at least one reservation time slot that is dynamically assigned by a command from said headend in response to a reservation time slot request submitted by any one of said plurality of remote points; and second means for connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path on a contention basis in response to a request from any one of said plurality of remote points.

Claim 3

A system according to claim 1 including: a return gate in said second direction of said bi-directional communication path shared by said means for disconnecting, said first means for connecting, and said second means for connecting.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 2 including: a plurality of return gates in said second direction of said bi-directional communication path; and at least one of said plurality of return gates dedicated to a corresponding one of said plurality of remote points.

Claim 5

A system according to claim 2 including: a plurality of return gates in said second direction of said bi-directional communication path; at least one of said plurality of return gates dedicated to a corresponding one of said plurality of remote points within one of a plurality of distribution branches in said network; and at least one of said plurality of return gates dedicated to one of said plurality of distribution branches in said network.

Claim 6

A system according to claim 2 including: a plurality of return gates in said second direction of said bi-directional communication path; at least one of said plurality of return gates in a primary position dedicated to one of a plurality of distribution branches in said network; and at least one of said plurality of return gates in a secondary position dedicated to at least one of said plurality of distribution branches in said network.

Claim 7

A system according to claim 1 including: means for dynamically defining a series of cyclically reoccurring time slots selected from at least one of the group consisting of: at least one contention time slot, at least one reservation time slot, and at least one network time slot; and means for broadcasting information about said series of cyclically reoccurring time slots to facilitate transmitting in said second direction of said bi-directional communication path.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 1 including: third means for connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path exclusively with said first means for connecting.

Claim 9

A system according to claim 1 including: third means for connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path exclusively with said second means for connecting.

Claim 10

A system according to claim 1 wherein said first means for connecting includes: means for transmitting said reservation time slot request in a contention time slot in said second direction by a requesting one of said plurality of remote points means means for receiving a reservation time slot assignment from said headend by said requesting one of said plurality of remote points and a return gate device controlling said second direction on behalf of said requesting one of said plurality of remote points; and means for transmitting a data packet in said reservation time slot assignment in said second direction by said requesting one of said plurality of remote points in conjunction with said return gate device connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path for a duration of said reservation time slot assignment.

Claim 11

A system according to claim 9 including: means for accompanying said data packet in said reservation time slot assignment with a request for at least one additional reservation time slot assignment for said requesting one of said plurality of remote points.

Claim 12

A system according to claim 1 wherein said second means for connecting includes: means for generating a gate enabling prybar signal by a transmitting one of said plurality of remote points; means for transmitting a data packet in a contention time slot substantially concurrently with said gate enabling prybar signal in said second direction of said bi-directional communication path from said transmitting one of said plurality of remote points; means for receiving said gate enabling prybar signal in a return gate device capable of connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path; means for connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path by said return gate device in response to said gate enabling prybar signal to allow said data packet to pass through said return gate device; and means for disconnecting said second direction at an end of said contention time slot.

Claim 13

A hybrid method for suppressing undesirable energy in a network having a first direction and a second direction in a bi-directional communication path between a headend and a plurality of remote points, said method comprising: disconnecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path; first step of connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path on occurrence of at least one reservation time slot dynamically assigned by a command from said headend in response to a reservation time slot request submitted by any one of said plurality of remote points; and second step of connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path on a contention basis in response to a command from any one of said plurality of remote points.

Claim 14

A hybrid method for suppressing undesirable energy in a network having a first direction and a second direction in a bi-directional communication path between a headend and a plurality of remote points, said method comprising: disconnecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path; first step of connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path on occurrence of at least one reservation time slot dynamically assigned by a command from said headend in response to a reservation time slot request submitted by any one of said plurality of remote points; and second step of connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path on a contention basis in response to a command from any one of said plurality of remote points.

Claim 15

A method according to claim 12 including: dynamically defining a series of reoccurring time slots selected from at least one of a group consisting of: at least one contention time slot and at least one reservation time slot; and broadcasting said series of reoccurring time slots for transmissions in said second direction of said bi-directional communication path.

Claim 16

A method according to claim 12 wherein said first step of connecting includes: a first set of steps comprising: transmitting a reservation time slot request in a contention time slot by a requesting one of said plurality of remote points; receiving a reservation time slot assignment from said headend by said requesting one of said plurality of remote points; and transmitting a data packet in said reservation time slot assignment by said requesting one of said plurality of remote points; a second set of steps occurring in concert with said first set of steps, comprising: detecting said reservation time slot request in said headend from said requesting one of said plurality of remote points; and broadcasting said reservation time slot assignment in said first direction from said headend across said network; a third set of steps occurring in concert with said first set of steps and said second set of steps, comprising: monitoring said first direction of said bi-directional communication path with a return gate device; detecting said reservation time slot assignment in said first direction with said return gate device; and connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path with said return gate device at an occurrence of said reservation time slot assignment for a duration of said reservation time slot assignment.

Claim 17

A method according to claim 14 including: accompanying said data packet in said reservation time slot assignment with a request for at least one additional reservation time slot.

Claim 18

A method according to claim 12 wherein said second step of connecting includes: a first set of steps comprising: generating a gate enabling prybar signal by a transmitting one of said plurality of remote points; transmitting a data packet in a contention time slot substantially concurrently with said gate enabling prybar signal on said second direction of said bi-directional communication path from said transmitting one of said plurality of remote points; determining if said data packet was successfully transmitted on said second direction of said bi-directional communication path; and retransmitting said data packet if said data packet did not transmit successfully on said second direction of said bi-directional communication path; a second set of steps occurring in concert with said first set of steps, comprising: detecting said return gate enabling prybar signal in said second direction of said bi-directional communication path; and connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path for a duration of said contention time slot.

Claim 19

A method according to claim 12 including: operating said second direction of said bi-directional communication path on a contention access only basis according to said second step of connecting said second direction.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 12 including: operating said second direction of said bi-directional communication path on a reservation access only basis according to said first step of connecting said second direction.

Claim 21

A return gate system for suppressing undesirable energy in a network having a first direction and a second direction in a bi-directional communication path between a headend and a plurality of remote points, said system comprising: means for dynamically defining a series of reoccurring time slots selected from at least one of the group consisting of: at least one contention time slot and at least one reservation time slot; means for restricting a transmission of a signal in said second direction of said bi-directional communication path comprising: means for transmitting a reservation time slot assignment in said first direction of said bi-directional communication path from said headend to said plurality of remote points; means for transmitting said signal in said second direction in a reservation time slot assigned to one of said plurality of remote points by said headend; first means for connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path in response to an occurrence of said reservation time slot assigned to one of said plurality of remote points that resides in a part of said network controlled by said first means for connecting; means for disconnecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path at an end of said reservation time slot; second means for connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path in response to a return gate enabling signal in said second direction of said bi-directional communication path transmitted by a remote point that resides in a part of said network controlled by said second means for connecting; and means for disconnecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path at an end of said occurrence of said contention time slot.

Claim 22

A return gate system for suppressing undesirable energy in a network having a first direction and a second direction in a bi-directional communication path between a headend and a plurality of remote points, said system comprising: means for dynamically defining a series of reoccurring time slots selected from at least one of the group consisting of: at least one contention time slot and at least one reservation time slot; means for restricting a transmission of a signal in said second direction of said bi-directional communication path comprising: means for transmitting a reservation time slot assignment in said first direction of said bi-directional communication path from said headend to said plurality of remote points; means for transmitting said signal in said second direction in a reservation time slot assigned to one of said plurality of remote points by said headend; first means for connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path in response to an occurrence of said reservation time slot assigned to one of said plurality of remote points that resides in a part of said network controlled by said first means for connecting; means for disconnecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path at an end of said reservation time slot; second means for connecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path in response to a return gate enabling signal in said second direction of said bi-directional communication path transmitted by a remote point that resides in a part of said network controlled by said second means for connecting; and means for disconnecting said second direction of said bi-directional communication path at an end of said occurrence of said contention time slot.

Claim 23

A return gate system according to claim 19 wherein said means for dynamically defining includes: means for defining at least one contention only time slot; and means for operating said network with contention only network communications in said second direction of said bi-directional communication path.

Claim 24

A return gate system according to claim 19 wherein said means for dynamically defining includes: means for defining at least one reservation request contention time slot; means for defining at least one reservation time slot; and means for operating said network with reservation only network communications in said second direction of said bi-directional communication path.