US 12,395,575 B2
Out of band network and passive interface device
Joseph M. Maurio, Westminster, MD (US); James M. Rogers, Columbia, MD (US); and Alexander W. Beall, Rockville, MD (US)
Assigned to The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (US)
Filed by The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (US)
Filed on Feb. 1, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/590,106.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/144,506, filed on Feb. 2, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0247842 A1, Aug. 4, 2022
Int. Cl. H04L 69/40 (2022.01); H04L 9/40 (2022.01); H04L 69/18 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 69/40 (2013.01) [H04L 63/18 (2013.01); H04L 69/18 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A communications system comprising:
a primary network communicating in accordance with a first communications protocol, the primary network comprising a first primary network node and a second primary network node, the first primary network node and the second primary network node being connected via a twisted-pair cable, the first primary network node being configured to transmit first communications protocol signals on the twisted-pair cable to the second primary network node; and
an out-of-band (OOB) network communicating in accordance with a second communications protocol, the OOB network comprising a first OOB network node and a second OOB network node, the first OOB network node being connected to the twisted-pair cable via a first OOB passive interface device that is connected between the first primary network node and the second primary network node, the second OOB network node being connected to the twisted-pair cable via a second OOB passive interface device that is connected between the first primary network node and the second primary network node,
wherein the first OOB passive interface device is configured to receive second communications protocol signals from the first OOB network node and inject the second communications protocol signals onto the twisted-pair cable with the first communications protocol signals, and
wherein the second OOB network node is configured to receive and extract the injected second communications protocol signals from the twisted pair cable for provision to the second OOB network node, wherein extraction of the injected second communications protocol signals is performed such that the first communications protocol signals are received by the second primary network node unaffected by the injection of the second communications protocol signals.