Information network access apparatus and methods for communicating information packets via telephone lines
First Claim
1. A method of communicating information packets to and from a CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection) path via a bidirectional communications path, comprising the steps of:
- coupling a first end of the communications path to the CSMA/CD path via a first modem having a CSMA/CD interface coupled to the CSMA/CD path;
communicating said information packets between the CSMA/CD path and the first modem via said CSMA/CD interface;
coupling a second end of the communications path to a second modem;
communicating said information packets between the first and second modems via the communications path using half duplex communications controlled by the first modem; and
communicating control information for controlling said half duplex communications via the communications path from the first modem to the second modem.
14 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Access to a CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection) network is provided via a telephone line by providing a master modem at the head end and a slave modem at the subscriber end of the line. The master modem provides a CSMA/CD interface to the network and controls half duplex communications with the slave modem via the line to avoid collisions of information packets on the line. The information packets are enveloped in frames on the line with error checking information; control information between the modems is contained in the same and/or in separate frames. The modulation method and signal bandwidth can be varied depending on errors to provide optimum communications capacity via any particular line, and a ratio of upstream to downstream information packets can be varied depending on buffer fills at the modems. The master modem can be multiplexed for multiple lines. The modulated signal frequencies are above telephone signal frequencies so that each line can be frequency diplexed for simultaneous telephone communications.
20 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of communicating information packets to and from a CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection) path via a bidirectional communications path, comprising the steps of:
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coupling a first end of the communications path to the CSMA/CD path via a first modem having a CSMA/CD interface coupled to the CSMA/CD path;
communicating said information packets between the CSMA/CD path and the first modem via said CSMA/CD interface;
coupling a second end of the communications path to a second modem;
communicating said information packets between the first and second modems via the communications path using half duplex communications controlled by the first modem; and
communicating control information for controlling said half duplex communications via the communications path from the first modem to the second modem. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of communicating information packets to and from a CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection) path via a bidirectional communications path, comprising the steps of:
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coupling a first end of the communications path to a first modem;
communicating information packets between the CSMA/CD path and the first modem via a CSMA/CD interface;
coupling a second end of the communications path to a second modem;
communicating information packets and control information, for controlling operation of the second modem, from the first modem to the second modem via the communications path; and
communicating information packets from the second modem to the first modem via the communications path under control of the control information;
the control information providing half duplex communications on the bidirectional communications path. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29)
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26. A method of communicating Ethernet frames on a CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection) path via a bidirectional communications path, comprising the steps of coupling Ethernet frames between the CSMA/CD path and a first modem via a CSMA/CD interface, and coupling Ethernet frames between the first modem and a second modem via the bidirectional communications path, wherein the first and second modems are master and slave modems respectively, and the master modem controls the slave modem by control information communicated via the bidirectional communications path so that communications on the bidirectional communications path take place in a half-duplex manner.
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30. A method of communicating information packets in both directions between a CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection) path and a bidirectional communications path, comprising the steps of:
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coupling information packets from the CSMA/CD path via a CSMA/CD interface to a first buffer;
supplying information packets from the first buffer to the communications path under control of a control unit;
receiving information packets from the communications path in a second buffer;
coupling information packets from the second buffer to the CSMA/CD path via the CSMA/CD interface; and
producing in the control unit and supplying to the communications path, or receiving from the communications path and supplying to the control unit, control information for providing that communications of the information packets and the control information via the communications path take place in a half duplex manner. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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Specification
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Current AssigneeInnovative Wireless Solutions LLC
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Original AssigneeElastic Networks Inc. (DZS, Inc.)
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InventorsPatrick Richards, Roger St., Terry, John Brian
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Granted Patent
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Time in Patent OfficeDays
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Field of Search
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US Class Current370/445
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CPC Class CodesH04L 12/40032 Details regarding a bus int...H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e...H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. ca...H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packetsH04M 11/062 using different frequency b...
