Systems and methods for automated broadband distribution point unit powering

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10498545-B2
Application number	US-201615745389-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2016
Priority date	Jul 17, 2015
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

Systems and methods for automated broadband distribution point unit powering are provided. In one embodiment, an upstream service disconnect unit comprises: a processor; a relay control; and a switching relay coupled to a upstream service delivery unit, a first end of an electrical conductor span, and a access network distribution point unit that is coupled to an optical fiber network, wherein a second end of the electrical conductor span is coupled to a customer premises equipment DSL modem; wherein the upstream service disconnect unit is configured to energize the processor, the relay control, and the switching relay and to operate the switching relay to couple the electrical conductor span with the access network distribution point unit by tapping power of a trigger signal drawn from the electrical conductor span.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An upstream service disconnect unit, the upstream service disconnect unit comprising:
a processor;
a relay control; and
a switching relay coupled to a upstream service delivery unit, a first end of an electrical conductor span, and a access network distribution point unit that is coupled to an optical fiber network, wherein a second end of the electrical conductor span is coupled to a customer premises equipment DSL modem;
wherein the upstream service disconnect unit is configured to energize the processor, the relay control, and the switching relay and to operate the switching relay to couple the electrical conductor span with the access network distribution point unit by tapping power of a trigger signal drawn from the electrical conductor span.

2. The upstream service disconnect unit of claim 1 , further comprising a rectifier-energy storage device that is charged by an alternating voltage on the electrical conductor span resulting from the trigger signal;
wherein the processor, the relay control, and the switching relay are powered from the rectifier-energy storage device.

3. The upstream service disconnect unit of claim 1 , further comprising a trigger signal detector, wherein the processor is configured to operate the switching relay to couple the electrical conductor span with the access network distribution point unit only when the trigger signal detector detects the trigger signal on the electrical conductor span.

4. The upstream service disconnect unit of claim 1 , wherein the upstream service disconnect unit comprises a bidirectional transceiver that receives the trigger signal on the electrical conductor span.

5. The upstream service disconnect unit of claim 1 , wherein the upstream service disconnect unit is integrated into a cable assembly.

6. The upstream service disconnect unit of claim 5 , wherein the upstream service disconnect unit is integrated into twisted-pair electrical conductor cable assembly.

7. An upstream service disconnect trigger unit, the upstream service disconnect trigger unit comprising:
a processor;
a voltage detector configured to connect to an electrical conductor span; and
wherein the processor is configured to detect the existence of an upstream service voltage signal on the electrical conductor span based on an input from the voltage detector and upon detection of the upstream service voltage signal, generate a trigger signal on the electrical conductor span.

8. The upstream service disconnect trigger unit of claim 7 , wherein the upstream service disconnect trigger unit is powered from a customer premises voltage mains.

9. The upstream service disconnect trigger unit of claim 7 , wherein the upstream service disconnect trigger unit is powered from the upstream service voltage signal.

10. The upstream service disconnect trigger unit of claim 7 , wherein the upstream service disconnect trigger unit is coupled to a switching relay, wherein the upstream service disconnect trigger unit is configured to operate the switching relay to disconnect the electrical conductor span from customer premises equipment before generating the trigger signal on the electrical conductor span.

11. The upstream service disconnect trigger unit of claim 7 , wherein the upstream service disconnect trigger unit comprises a trigger signal generator that generates the trigger signal by applying an alternating voltage signal to the electrical conductor span.

12. The upstream service disconnect trigger unit of claim 7 , wherein the upstream service disconnect trigger unit comprises a trigger signal current modulator that generates the trigger signal by current modulating the upstream service voltage signal on the electrical conductor span.

13. The upstream service disconnect trigger unit of claim 7 , wherein the trigger signal is generated at a frequency outside of a voice band used for voice transmissions.

14. The upstream service disconnect trigger unit of claim 7 , wherein the upstream service disconnect trigger unit comprises a bidirectional transceiver that generates the trigger signal on the electrical conductor span.

15. The upstream service disconnect trigger unit of claim 7 , wherein the trigger signal comprises:
a pre-charge AC signal,
a first command code; and
a relay charge AC signal.

16. The upstream service disconnect trigger unit of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to detect an activation of a Distribution Point Unit after generating the trigger signal;
wherein when activation of the Distribution Point Unit is not detected, the upstream service disconnect trigger unit generates a reconnect signal that comprises:
the pre-charge AC signal,
a second command code different from the first command code; and
the relay charge AC signal.

17. The upstream service disconnect trigger unit of claim 15 , wherein the pre-charge AC signal, the first command code, and the relay charge AC signal, comprise one or both of:
a frequency of either 138 kHz or 276 kHz; and
a signal level of around 20 dBm.

18. The upstream service disconnect trigger unit of claim 15 , wherein the first command code comprises a multi-byte on-off keying AC signal.

19. A power sourcing equipment (PSE) device, the PSE device comprising:
a upstream service disconnect trigger unit that includes a voltage detector configured to connect to an electrical conductor span, wherein the upstream service disconnect trigger unit is configured to detect the existence of a upstream service voltage signal on the electrical conductor span and upon detection of the upstream service voltage signal, generate a trigger signal on the electrical conductor span.

20. The PSE device of claim 19 , wherein the upstream service disconnect trigger unit is powered from a customer premises voltage mains.

21. The PSE device of claim 19 , wherein the upstream service disconnect trigger unit is powered from the upstream service voltage signal.

22. The PSE device of claim 19 , wherein the upstream service disconnect trigger unit is coupled to a switching relay, wherein the upstream service disconnect trigger unit is configured to operate the switching relay to disconnect the electrical conductor span from customer premises equipment before generating the trigger signal on the electrical conductor span.

23. The PSE device of claim 19 , wherein the upstream service disconnect trigger unit comprises a trigger signal generator that generates the trigger signal by applying an alternating voltage signal to the electrical conductor span.

24. The PSE device of claim 19 , wherein the upstream service disconnect trigger unit comprises a trigger signal current modulator that generates the trigger signal by current modulating the upstream service voltage signal on the electrical conductor span.

25. The PSE device of claim 19 , wherein the trigger signal is generated at a frequency outside of a voice band used for voice transmissions.

26. The PSE device of claim 19 , wherein the upstream service disconnect trigger unit comprises a bidirectional transceiver that generates the trigger signal on the electrical conductor span.

27. The PSE device of claim 26 , further comprising a power sourcing equipment monitor;
wherein the bidirectional transceiver transmits information generated by the power sourcing equipment monitor to one or more upstream devices via bidirectional transceiver.

Assignees

• Commscope Connectivity Uk Ltd
• CommScope Connectivity Belgium BVBA

Inventors

• Mather David James
• Standish Ian Miles
• Erreygers Jan Jozef Julia Maria

Classifications

• H04B3/44

  Arrangements for feeding power to a repeater along the transmission line · CPC title

• H04M19/08

  with current supply sources at the substations (generating ringing current H04M19/04) · CPC title

• H04L12/40045

  Details regarding the feeding of energy to the node from the bus · CPC title

• H04L12/10 Primary

  Current supply arrangements · CPC title

• H04L12/2878

  Access multiplexer, e.g. DSLAM (generic distributed time multiplexers, e.g. TDM/TDMA H04J3/1694) · CPC title