What is claimed is:
1. A method for managing telephone services provided through a HFC network platform having at least a video display device and a telephone device, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) detecting an off-hook state of a telephone device at a network element located at or substantially near a subscriber’s residence;
(b) receiving at said network element a set of digits from the telephone device;
(c) determining a service requested by the subscriber based on the received set of digits; and
(d) controlling the display on the video display device in association with the information associated with the requested service.
2. The method described in claim 1 further comprising the step of:
(e) muting the audio of the video display device during an off-hook state.
3. The method described in claim 1 wherein the requested service is a telephone call.
4. The method described in claim 1 wherein the requested service is a retrieval of call logs.
5. The method described in claim 1 wherein the requested service is a directory service.
6. The method described in claim 1 wherein the information displayed on the video display device is a telephone listing.
7. The method described in claim 1 wherein the information displayed on the video display device is a call progress status.
8. The method described in claim 1 wherein the information displayed on the video display device is a call state.
9. The method described in claim 1 wherein the information displayed on the video display device is a list of callers.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the network element is a communication gateway.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the network element is a set-top box.
12. A method for synchronizing the delivery of video and telephone services through an HFC platform having a video display device and a telephone device, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) receiving a control signal indicating an incoming telephone call to a subscriber at a network element located substantially near the subscriber’s residence and at a time when a video program is being delivered to said subscriber’s residence through the video display device; and
(b) selectively interrupting the delivery of the video program to the video display device when the telephone call in answered.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:
(c) resuming the delivery of the video program when the telephone call ends.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein the interruption of step (b) is performed by recording the video program into a video recording device.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the video recording device stores the video program in a segmented buffer.
16. The method of claim 12 wherein the interruption of step (b) is performed by pausing the video program.
17. A method for synchronizing the delivery of video and telephone services through an HFC telephony service platform having a video display device and a telephone device, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) receiving a control signal indicating an incoming telephone call to a subscriber at a network element located at or substantially near the subscriber’s residence and at a time when a video program is being delivered to said subscriber’s residence through the video display device; and
(b) displaying on the video display device a menu option providing an opportunity for the subscriber to synchronize the simultaneous reception of the video program and the telephone call.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the synchronization of step (b) is performed by recording the video program into a video recording device while the telephone call is in progress.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the video recording device stores the video program into a segmented buffer.
20. The method of claim 17 wherein the synchronization of step (b) is performed by pausing the video program when the telephone call is answered.
21. The method of claim 17 wherein the synchronization of step (b) is performed by muting the audio of the video program when the telephone call is answered.
22. A system for managing video and telephone services through an HFC platform having a telephone device and video display device, the system comprising service manager coupled to said telephone device and said video display device whereby the service manager
(i) detects an off-hook state of the telephone device;
(ii) receives digits from the telephone device;
(iii) determines the requested service by a subscriber based on said digits; and
(iv) controls the display on the video display device of information associated with the requested service.
23. The system of claim 22 wherein the service manager is part of a set-top box.
24. The system of claim 22 wherein the service manager is part of a communication gateway.
25. A system for synchronizing the delivery of video and telephone services through an HFC telephony service platform having a telephone device and a video display device, the system comprising:
(a) a service synchronization module coupled to both the video display device and the video display device for temporarily interrupting a delivery of a video program to said video display device when a telephone call is answered.
26. The system of claim 25 wherein the service synchronization module further resumes the delivery of the video program after the telephone call is terminated.
27. The system of claim 25 wherein the service synchronization module is part of a set-top box.
28. The system of claim 25 wherein the service synchronization module is part of a communications gateway.
29. The system of claim 25 wherein the service synchronization module interrupts the video program delivery by recording the video program into a video recording device.
30. The system of claim 29 wherein the video recording device stores the video program in a segmented buffer.
31. The system of claim 25 wherein the service synchronization module interrupts the video program delivery by pausing the video program.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1.-12. (canceled)
13. A gear unit, comprising:
a housing that includes a pot-like lower part and a cover plate mounted on the lower part, wherein:
the lower part includes a bottom plate,
the bottom plate includes a bearing cross that accommodates bearings, and
the cover plate includes a further bearing cross that accommodates further bearings.
14. The gear unit as recited in claim 13, wherein the bearings are of shafts of the gear unit, and wherein the further bearings are of the shafts of the gear unit.
15. The gear unit as recited in claim 13, wherein at least one of the bearings are disposed in one line and the bearings are disposed in a main trunk of the bearing cross.
16. The gear unit as recited in claim 13, further comprising:
a frame, wherein the bottom plate includes fins that are joined at a first end of each fin to a frame and with another end of each fin each fin is joined to the bearing cross of the bottom plate
17. The gear unit as recited in claim 16, wherein the fins are aligned parallel to each other.
18. The gear unit as recited in claim 16, wherein the frame includes a U-shaped frame.
19. The gear unit as recited claim 13, wherein the bottom plate includes a plurality of base plates joined to a frame of the bottom plate, wherein the gear unit is able to be erected on an installation surface with the base plates.
20. The gear unit as recited in claim 13, wherein the lower part includes U- shaped plates which join the bottom plate to a flange frame facing away from the bottom plate, the cover plate being mounted on and joined to the flange frame.
21. The gear unit as recited in claim 20, wherein the cover plate includes wall sections situated between the bearing cross of the cover plate and a flange frame of the cover plate.
22. The gear unit as recited in claim 21, wherein the wall sections are thinner- walled than the bearing cross of the cover plate.
23. The gear unit as recited in claim 20, wherein the lower part includes side-wall sections that on one side are joined to the flange frame of the lower part, and on another side, to at least one of the bottom plate and the U-shaped plates.
24. The gear unit as recited in claim 13, wherein a window is provided in a cutout in a side-wall section of the lower part, and covers the cutout.
25. The gear unit as recited in claim 13, further comprising a window frame delimiting a cutout in a side-wall section of the lower part and welded to the side-wall section, wherein an adhesive agent is provided between the side-wall section and the window frame.
26. The gear unit as recited in claim 25, further comprising a window at least one of screwed onto the window frame and tightly joined to the window frame with a sealing device located in between, wherein the window is made of steel and is not transparent.
27. The gear unit as recited in claim 20, further comprising a pin disposed on at least one of a connecting section and the flange frame, wherein a safety bracket for a carrying cable is located on the pin.
28. The gear unit as recited in claim 23, wherein at least one of the U-shaped plates is disposed outside of at least one of the side-wall sections.
29. The gear unit as recited in claim 20, wherein lateral sides of two of the U- shaped plates are at least one of transverse and perpendicular to each other.
30. The gear unit as recited in claim 29, wherein a first of the two U-shaped plates is disposed on a front side of the gear unit, and wherein another of the two U-shaped plates is disposed on a side of the gear unit.