SLC-96 plug-in multiplexer

Claim 2

A telephony system for transmitting signals to and from a subscriber line comprising: a subscriber line carrier unit comprising a backplane and a plurality of digital channel unit slots, each diital channel unit slot coupled to said backplane, said backplane coupled to multiple telephone company PCM or PAM lines; a channel unit in at least one of said digital channel unit slots, said channel unit comprising a multiplexing circuit for converting signals on said PCM or PAM lines to multiplexed, full duplex digital signals for transmission and reception over a single twisted pair; and a remote terminal at a subscriber location, said remote terminal converting said multiplexed, full duplex digital signals on said single twisted pair to subscriber service for at least two analog, 64 kbits/sec telephone lines at said subscriber location.

Claim 3

The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said PCM or PAM lines are T1 lines.

Claim 4

The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said PCM or PAM lines are E1 lines.

Claim 5

The system as recited in claim 2 wherein four of said T1 lines are input to said subscriber line carrier for generation of 96 subscriber lines.

Claim 6

The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising other channel units in said subscriber line carrier unit, said other channel units outputting analog signals to other subscribers over analog twisted pairs.

Claim 7

The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said multiplexed full duplex signals are 2B1Q signals.

Claim 8

The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said multiplexed full duplex signals are 4B3T signals.

Claim 9

The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said subscriber line carrier unit is coupled to a subscriber line central office unit, said subscriber line central office unit inputting analog signals from a central office switch, and outputting said PCM or PAM lines.

Claim 10

The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said channel unit comprises: an interface circuit for interfacing to said backplane of said subscriber line carrier unit; a first circuit coupled to said interface circuit for inputting segments of T1 signals and outputting duplexed digital time multiplexed signals; a second circuit coupled to said first circuit for inputting said duplexed digital time multiplexed signals and outputting transmit digital signals; a third circuit coupled to said second circuit for inputting said transmit digital signals and outputting quaternary signals; and a line transmission circuit for inputting said quaternary signals and outputting two-wire quaternary signals.

Claim 11

The system as recited in claim 9 further comprising a programmable logic device for generating and receiving control signals to and from said backplane.

Claim 14

The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said subscriber line carrier is a SLC 96 and said SLC 96 inputs multiple T1 signals.

Claim 15

The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said channel units are adapted to generate two analog telephony line signals for transmission over two corresponding twisted pair wires, and said multiplex channel units are adapted to transmit two telephony line signals over said twisted pair.

Claim 16

The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said multiple telephony line signals are transmitted using a 2B1Q line coding standard.

Claim 17

The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said multiple telephony line signals are transmitted using a 4B3T line coding standard.

Claim 18

The method as recited in claim 12 wherein said T1 signals are generated from multiple analog signals at a central office switch.

Claim 19

In a system for single channel transmission from telephone company equipment at a first location to a subscriber location over a twisted pair, a method of converting said system to a system for multiple channel transmission over said twisted pair comprising: a) installing a multiplexer in the telephone company equipment at the first location, said multiplexer: i) inputting multiple incoming backplane digital signals from a backplane of the telephone company equipment and outputting multiple outgoing backplane digital signals to the backplane of the telephone company equipment; ii) converting said multiple incoming backplane digital signals to a multiplexed outgoing 2B1Q digital signal and converting a multiplexed incoming 2B1Q digital signal to said multiple outgoing backplane signals; and iii) transmitting said multiplexed outgoing 2B1Q digital signal over said twisted pair to said subscriber location and receiving said multiplexed incoming 2B1Q digital signal; and b) installing a remote terminal at said subscriber location, said remote terminal: i) inputting said multiplexed outgoing 2B1Q digital signal from said twisted pair and outputting said multiplexed incoming 2B1Q digital signal on said twisted pair; ii) converting said multiplexed outgoing 2B1Q digital signal to multiple outgoing analog 64 kbits/sec subscriber signals and converting multiple incoming analog 64 kbits/sec subscriber signals to said multiplexed incoming digital signal; and iii) transmitting said multiple outgoing analog 64 kbits/sec subscriber signals to said subscriber equipment and receiving said multiple incoming analog 64 kbits/sec subscriber signals from said subscriber equipment.

Claim 20

In a system for single channel transmission from telephone company equipment at a first location to a subscriber location over a twisted pair, a method of converting said system to a system for multiple channel transmission over said twisted pair comprising: a) installing a multiplexer in the telephone company equipment at the first location, said multiplexer: i) inputting multiple incoming backplane digital signals from a backplane of the telephone company equipment and outputting multiple outgoing backplane digital signals to the backplane of the telephone company equipment; ii) converting said multiple incoming backplane digital signals to a multiplexed outgoing 2B1Q digital signal and converting a multiplexed incoming 2B1Q digital signal to said multiple outgoing backplane signals; and iii) transmitting said multiplexed outgoing 2B1Q digital signal over said twisted pair to said subscriber location and receiving said multiplexed incoming 2B1Q digital signal; and b) installing a remote terminal at said subscriber location, said remote terminal: i) inputting said multiplexed outgoing 2B1Q digital signal from said twisted pair and outputting said multiplexed incoming 2B1Q digital signal on said twisted pair; ii) converting said multiplexed outgoing 2B1Q digital signal to multiple outgoing analog 64 kbits/sec subscriber signals and converting multiple incoming analog 64 kbits/sec subscriber signals to said multiplexed incoming digital signal; and iii) transmitting said multiple outgoing analog 64 kbits/sec subscriber signals to said subscriber equipment and receiving said multiple incoming analog 64 kbits/sec subscriber signals from said subscriber equipment.

Claim 21

The method as recited in claim 17 wherein said multiplexed outgoing digital signal and said multiplexed incoming digital signal comprise quaternary signals.

Claim 22

The method as recited in claim 17 wherein the telephone company equipment comprises a SLC-96 remote terminal and installing said multiplexer comprises plugging in said multiplexer into a channel unit shelf space of the SLC-96 remote terminal.

Claim 23

The method as recited in claim 19 wherein said single channel and said multiple channels comprise VF channels, and wherein said multiple outgoing subscriber signals and said multiple incoming subscriber signals comprise analog signals.

Claim 24

The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said multiple incoming backplane signals and said multiple outgoing backplane signals comprise pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) signals.

Claim 25

The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said multiple incoming backplane signals and said multiple outgoing backplane signals comprise pulse code modulation (PCM) signals.

Claim 26

The method as recited in claim 19 wherein said single channel and said multiple channels comprise 4-wire digital data service (DDS) channels, and wherein said multiple incoming backplane signals and said multiple outgoing backplane signals comprise digital data bus signals.

Claim 29

The method as recited in claim 24, said method further comprising: installing a multiplexer at a telephone company location coupled to said single twisted pair.

Claim 30

The method as recited in claim 25, wherein said telephone company location is a SLC-96 remote terminal.

Claim 31

The method as recited in claim 24, wherein said installing step further includes using said enclosure as a cover to a network interface device (NID).

Claim 32

The method as recited in claim 24, wherein said installing step further includes removing an existing door from said network interface device.

Claim 33

The method as recited in claim 24, wherein said first and second telephone line services provide voice signals.

Claim 34

The method as recited in claim 24, wherein said first and second telephone line services provide data signals.

Claim 35

The method as recited in claim 24, wherein said first telephone line service provides voice signals and said second telephone line service provides data signals.

Claim 36

The method as recited in claim 24, wherein said remote terminal with said electronics may be replaced by a like remote terminal with different electronics to change the services provided.

Claim 37

The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the remote terminal is environmentally protected.

Claim 38

The method as recited in claim 24, wherein said remote terminal further includes a base coupled to said enclosure.