Provisioning of new broadband communication services using reverse power feeding

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10476685-B2
Application number	US-201615571354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2016
Priority date	May 26, 2015
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

In one embodiment, the method includes inserting an access node along a subscriber loop, the access node including a bypass switch for initially connecting a terminal segment of the subscriber loop to a network segment of the subscriber loop; operating a legacy communication service over the subscriber loop; and connecting a PSE for reverse power feeding of the access node and a new subscriber device for operating the new broadband communication service to the terminal segment. The method further includes, by the PSE, transmitting a sequence of successive command signals over the terminal segment prior to the insertion of the power feeding signal; by the access node, accumulating an electrical charge from the command signals; by the access node and by means of the so accumulated electrical charge, detecting a valid command signal in the sequence of successive command signals, and thereupon configuring the bypass switch for connecting the terminal segment to a transceiver and to a PSU; by the PSE, injecting the power feeding signal over the terminal segment for reverse power feeding of the access node; and operating the new broadband communication service over the terminal segment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for provisioning a new broadband communication service, and comprising:
inserting an access node adapted to operate the new broadband communication service along a subscriber loop;
configuring a switch of the access node in a first initial switching state wherein a first pair of terminals coupled to a legacy subscriber device via a terminal segment of the subscriber loop is connected to a second pair of terminals coupled to a legacy network equipment via a further segment of the subscriber loop;
operating at least one legacy communication service over the subscriber loop while the switch is in the first switching state;
connecting a power sourcing equipment adapted to inject a power feeding signal for reverse power feeding of the access node and a new subscriber device adapted to operate the new broadband communication service to the terminal segment of the subscriber loop,
wherein the method further comprises:
by the power sourcing equipment, transmitting a sequence of successive command signals over the terminal segment of the subscriber loop prior to the insertion of the power feeding signal;
by the access node, accumulating an electrical charge from at least one command signal of the sequence of successive command signals;
by the access node and by means of the so accumulated electrical charge, detecting a valid command signal in the sequence of successive command signals, and thereupon configuring the switch in a second switching state wherein the first pair of terminals is connected to a third pair of terminals coupled to a transceiver adapted to operate the new broadband communication service and to a power supply unit adapted to supply power to the access node from the power feeding signal;
by the power sourcing equipment, injecting the power feeding signal over the terminal segment of the subscriber loop for reverse power feeding of the access node; and
operating the new broadband communication service over the terminal segment of the subscriber loop.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the command signals are indicative of a preliminary operational state at the power sourcing equipment.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the command signal is detected as being valid when a payload of the command signal matches a given pattern.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one legacy communication service comprises at least one of an Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line ADSL communication service, an Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line with extended bandwidth ADSL2+ communication service, a Very-high speed Digital Subscriber Line VDSL2 communication service, and a Plain Old Telephony Service POTS.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the command signals are generated by modulation of at least one AC carriers.

6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one AC carriers are situated in a frequency band not currently used by the at least one legacy communication service.

7. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the frequency band is the voice band of Plain Old Telephony Service POTS.

8. An access node comprising:
a transceiver adapted to operate a new broadband communication service over a terminal segment of a subscriber loop;
a power supply unit adapted to supply power to the access node from a power feeding signal injected by a power sourcing equipment over the terminal segment of the subscriber loop;
a switch having a first pair of terminals for coupling to the terminal segment of the subscriber loop, a second pair of terminals for coupling to a further segment of the subscriber loop, and a third pair of terminals coupled to the transceiver and to the power supply unit;
a switch controller adapted to configure the switch in a first switching state wherein the first and second pairs of terminals are connected to each other, or in a second switching state wherein the first and third pairs of terminals are connected to each other,
wherein the access node further comprises a power accumulator adapted to accumulate an electrical charge from at least one command signal of a sequence of successive command signals transmitted over the terminal segment of the subscriber loop by the power sourcing equipment while the switch is configured in the first switching state,
wherein the access node further comprises a receiver coupled to the power accumulator and adapted to detect a valid command signal in the sequence of successive command signals by means of the so-accumulated electrical charge,

and wherein the switch controller is coupled to the power accumulator and is further adapted, upon detection of the valid command signal, to configure the switch in the second switching state by means of the so-accumulated electrical charge.

9. An access node according to claim 8 , wherein the access node is a Distribution Point Unit DPU.

10. An access node according to claim 8 , wherein the access node is a remotely deployed Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer DSLAM making use of remote power feeding.

11. A power sourcing equipment comprising:
a power injector adapted to inject a power feeding signal over a terminal segment of a subscriber loop for reverse power feeding of an access node, wherein the access node is located between the power sourcing equipment and a service provider on the subscriber loop; and
a transmitter adapted to transmit a sequence of successive command signals over the terminal segment of the subscriber loop prior to the insertion of the power feeding signal, wherein
the sequence of successive command signals are transmitted for initial and partial reverse power feeding of the access node, and further for connection of the terminal segment of the subscriber loop to
a transceiver of the access node adapted to operate a new broadband communication service, and to
a power supply unit of the access node adapted to supply power to the access node from the power feeding signal.

12. A power sourcing equipment according to claim 11 , wherein the power sourcing equipment is further adapted, after transmission of the sequence of successive command signals, to determine whether a measured DC load impedance of the subscriber loop matches a given signature resistance, to insert the power feeding signal over the subscriber loop if the given signature resistance is successfully detected, else to repeatedly transmit the sequence of successive command signals over the terminal segment of the subscriber loop till the given signature resistance is successfully detected.

13. A subscriber device comprising:
a power sourcing equipment including,
a power injector adapted to inject a power feeding signal over a terminal segment of a subscriber loop for reverse power feeding of an access node, wherein the access node is located between the power sourcing equipment and a service provider on the subscriber loop, and
a transmitter adapted to transmit a sequence of successive command signals over the terminal segment of the subscriber loop prior to the insertion of the power feeding signal, wherein
the sequence of successive command signals are transmitted for initial and partial reverse power feeding of the access node, and further for connection of the terminal segment of the subscriber loop to
a transceiver of the access node adapted to operate a new broadband communication service, and to
a power supply unit of the access node adapted to supply power to the access node from the power feeding signal.

Assignees

• Alcatel Lucent

Inventors

• Hillaert Bart
• Troch Wim

Classifications

• H04L12/2856

  Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access (asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W) · CPC title

• H04L49/405

  Physical details, e.g. power supply, mechanical construction or backplane of ATM switches · CPC title

• H04L12/40039

  Details regarding the setting of the power status of a node according to activity on the bus · CPC title

• H04L12/10 Primary

  Current supply arrangements · CPC title

• H04L49/40

  Constructional details, e.g. power supply, mechanical construction or backplane · CPC title