Hybrid return gate system in a bidirectional cable network

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A bi-directional cable network having a hybrid return gate system that prevents undesirable energy in the bi-directional cable network's return path from adversely effecting the entire network whether the network is operating as a contention based network, a reservation based network or combination of, contention and reservation The hybrid return gate system comprises a solid stateradio frequency switch used to connect and disconnect the return path of a bi-directional communication path in conjunction with a transmission from one of a plurality of remote points. Transmissions from a remote point occur in one of a plurality of dynamically defined contention time slots or reservation time …