Systems and methods for modular in-premises equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11949554-B2
Application number	US-202117249807-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2021
Priority date	Aug 22, 2018
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A CPE device may include a plurality of CPE modules implemented in hardware. The plurality of CPE modules may include a first module and a second module. The first module and the second module may be arrangeable in a stacked configuration. The first module may include a first interconnection interface component disposed on a top surface of the first module. The second module may include a second interconnection interface component disposed on a bottom surface of the second module. The second interconnection interface component may be configured to complementarily couple to the first interconnection interface component when the first module and the second module are arranged in the stacked configuration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a first module, configured to communicatively couple to a network, including a set of topside keying features arranged in a first pattern; and
a second module, configured to communicatively couple to the first module and further configured to provide a network routing function, including:
a set of underside keying features, arranged in the first pattern, such that the set of underside keying features of the second module are complementary to the set of topside key features of the first module, and
a set of topside keying features, arranged in a second pattern different from the first pattern, complementary to a set of underside keying features, of a third module, arranged in the second pattern,
wherein the first module comprises a first through-hole and the second module comprises a second through-hole aligned with the first through-hole.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the set of underside keying features of the second module are complementary to the set of topside keying features of the first module to facilitate arrangement of the first module and the second module in a side-by-side configuration.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the side-by-side configuration includes a vertically-oriented configuration or a horizontally-oriented configuration.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first module and the second module includes a first interconnection interface component, and
wherein the first interconnection interface component of the first module is configured to complementary interconnect with the first interconnection interface component of the second module.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the second module includes a second interconnection interface component for the third module.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the first interconnection interface component and the second interconnection interface component provide at least one of an electrical power transfer between the first module and the second module, or a data connectivity between the first module and the second module.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second module is a heat dissipation module.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a customer premises equipment device.

9. A system, comprising:
a first device, configured to communicatively couple to a network, comprising:
a first module including a set of topside keying features arranged in a first pattern; and
a second module, configured to communicatively couple to the first module and further to provide network routing functions, including:
a set of underside keying features, arranged in the first pattern, such that the set of underside keying features of the second module are complementary to the set of topside keying features of the first module, and
a set of topside keying features arranged in a second pattern, different from the first pattern, to be complementary to a set of underside keying features, of a third module, arranged in the second pattern,

wherein the first module comprises a first through-hole and the second module comprises a second through-hole aligned with the first through-hole.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a second device, configured to communicatively couple to the network, comprising:
a third module including a set of underside keying features or a set of topside keying features; and
a fourth module, configured to communicatively couple to the first module and further configured to provide network routing functions, including a set of underside keying features or a set of topside keying features,
wherein the set of underside keying features of the fourth module are complementary to the set of topside keying features of the third module, or the set of topside keying features of the fourth module are complimentary to the set of underside keying features of the third module, to facilitate arrangement of the third module and the fourth module in a side-by-side configuration.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first device and the second device are located at a first subscriber's location and a second subscriber's premises, respectively.

12. The system of claim 9 , further comprising at least one of a hub system, a transport system, an edge system, or a core network system is associated with the first module or the second module.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one of the hub system, the transport system, the edge system, or the core network system is configured to receive, generate, store, process, or provide data associated with the first module or the second module.

14. An in-premises network equipment system, comprising: a device comprising: a first module, configured to communicatively couple to a network, including a set of topside keying features arranged in a first pattern, and a second module, configured to communicatively couple to the first module and further to provide a network routing function, including: a set of underside keying features, arranged in the first pattern, such that the set of underside keying features of the second module aligns with the set of topside keying features of the first module when the second module is positioned over the first module, and a set of topside keying features, arranged in a second pattern, different from the first pattern, to align with a set of underside keying features, of a third module and arranged in the second pattern, when the third module is positioned over the second module, and wherein the first module comprises a first through-hole and the second module comprises a second through-hole aligned with the first through-hole.

15. The in-premises network equipment system of claim 14 , wherein the set of underside keying features of the second module are complementary to the set of topside key features of the first module to facilitate arrangement of the first module and the second module in a side-by-side configuration.

16. The in-premises network equipment system of claim 14 , wherein the first module and the second module are a first network equipment module and a second network equipment module, respectively.

17. The in-premises network equipment system of claim 14 , wherein the set of underside keying features, of the second module, are located on and extend away from a bottom surface of the second module.

18. The in-premises network equipment system of claim 14 , wherein each of the set of topside keying features of the first module is a female component, and wherein each of the set of underside keying features of the second module is a male component.

19. The in-premises network equipment system of claim 14 , wherein the second module is a heat dissipation module.

20. The device of claim 1 , wherein the third module is a wide area network (WAN) module or a wireless local area network (WLAN) module.

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Talbert Michael
• Leong Meaghan
• Fyock Christina L
• Gamboa Aldrich
• Schmidt Christopher M

Classifications

• H04L41/0806 Primary

  for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04L12/2898 Primary

  Subscriber equipments (DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801) · CPC title