Optical network converter module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11218229-B2
Application number	US-202016924833-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2020
Priority date	Nov 1, 2013
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A converter module comprises a housing; a fiber optic connector integrated with the housing, wherein the fiber optic connector is configured to mount directly to a fiber optic connector in a service terminal; a single electrical connector configured to couple to a metallic medium; and an optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter located in the housing and coupled to the fiber optic connector and the single electrical connector, the O/E converter configured to convert between optical frames communicated via the fiber optic connector and electrical signals communicated via the metallic medium.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A converter module comprising:
a housing;
a fiber optic connector integrated with the housing, wherein the fiber optic connector is configured to mount directly to a fiber optic connector in a service terminal;
a single electrical connector configured to couple to a metallic medium; and
an optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter located in the housing and coupled to the fiber optic connector and the single electrical connector, the O/E converter configured to convert between optical frames communicated via the fiber optic connector and electrical signals communicated via the metallic medium.

2. The converter module of claim 1 , wherein one or both of the single electrical connector and the fiber optic connector is an environmentally hardened connector manufactured for use in outdoor conditions.

3. The converter module of claim 1 , wherein the housing is an environmentally hardened housing configured for use in an outdoor environment.

4. The converter module of claim 1 , wherein the single electrical connector is configured to couple to a twisted pair metallic medium.

5. The converter module of claim 1 , wherein the single electrical connector is configured to couple to a coaxial metallic medium.

6. The converter module of claim 1 , wherein the metallic medium couples the single electrical connector to a network terminal.

7. The converter module of claim 1 , wherein the metallic medium couples the single electrical connector to a customer premise equipment.

8. The converter module of claim 1 , wherein the optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter is powered from a reverse power feed from the metallic medium.

9. The converter module of claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic connector comprises a hybrid fiber/electrical connector;
wherein the optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter is powered from a forward power feed from the hybrid fiber/electrical connector.

10. The converter module of claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic connector integrated with the housing is coupled to a passive fiber optic network via the fiber optic connector of the service terminal.

11. The converter module of claim 10 , wherein the fiber optic connector integrated with the housing couples the optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter to a core network via an optical line terminal.

12. The converter module of claim 10 , wherein the passive fiber optic network comprises at least one of a Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Network (GPON), a Ten-Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Network (XGPON), or an ETHERNET Passive Optical Network (EPON).

13. The converter module of claim 1 , wherein the optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter is configured to transmit to the metallic medium electrical signals according to either Very-high-bit-rate digital subscriber line 2 (VDSL2) technology, or G.Fast technology.

14. A method for a converter module, the method comprising:
communicating optical frames between a converter module and a service terminal, wherein the converter module comprises a housing with a fiber optic connector integrated with the housing, wherein the fiber optic connector is mounted directly to a fiber optic drop cable port of the service terminal;
communicating via electrical signals between the converter module and a metallic medium, wherein the converter module coverts communications between the optical frames and the electrical signals communicated via the metallic medium.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the service terminal comprises a plurality of fiber optic drop cable ports.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein communicating via electrical signals comprises communicating via electrical signals via a single electrical connector configured to couple to a twisted pair metallic medium.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein communicating via electrical signals comprises communicating via electrical signals via a single electrical connector configured to couple to a coaxial metallic medium.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein communicating via electrical signals comprises communicating via electrical signals via a single electrical connector configured to couple the single electrical connector to a network terminal.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein communicating via electrical signals comprises communicating via electrical signals via a single electrical connector configured to couple the single electrical connector to a customer premise equipment.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein communicating optical frames between a converter module and a service terminal comprises communicating with a core network via an optical line terminal.

Assignees

• Commscope Connectivity Uk Ltd
• CommScope Connectivity Belgium BVBA
• Commscope Technologies Llc
• Arris Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Brown David
• Mather David
• Shaddock Robert Neil
• Weeks William Atley
• Franckx Joris
• Erreygers Jan Jozef Julia Maria

Classifications

• H04B10/802 Primary

  for isolation, e.g. using optocouplers · CPC title

• G02B6/3897

  Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards (G02B6/44528 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/4201 Primary

  Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details · CPC title

• G02B6/4269

  with heat sinks or radiation fins · CPC title

• G02B6/43

  Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections · CPC title