Remote monitoring and power cycling of broadband and wireless devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12028174-B2
Application number	US-202217851174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2022
Priority date	Jun 28, 2022
Publication date	Jul 2, 2024
Grant date	Jul 2, 2024

Abstract

A network includes a centralized power and signal distribution device deployed at a communication closet at a site. The centralized device includes a switch controller connected to a direct current power supply. The network includes at least one customer premises termination device connected to the switch controller, an access apparatus deployed at each of the multiple customer premises, and a power over cable system to carry power and signals. Each access apparatus connected to the at least one customer premises termination device and to provide access to user devices. The switch controller power cycles at least one of the switch controller, the at least one customer premises termination device, or applicable access apparatus in response to a power cycle command from a controller when at least one of the switch controller, the at least one customer premises termination device, or any access apparatus fail to transmit a status signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A network deployed at a site, comprising:
a centralized power and signal distribution device deployed at the site, the centralized power and signal distribution device including a switch controller connected to a direct current (DC) power supply;
at least one customer premises termination device connected to the switch controller;
an access apparatus deployed for each customer premises at the site, each access apparatus connected to the at least one customer premises termination device and configured to provide access to user devices; and
a power over cable system configured to carry power and signals between the centralized power and signal distribution device and each access apparatus,
wherein the switch controller is configured to power cycle at least one of the switch controller, the at least one customer premises termination device, or applicable access apparatus in response to receiving a power cycle command from a controller when at least one of the switch controller, the at least one customer premises termination device, or any access apparatus fail to transmit a status signal to the controller; and
wherein the power cycle command varies a waiting interval for the power cycle depending on a type of the at least one of the switch controller, the at least one customer premises termination device, or the applicable access apparatus.

2. The network of claim 1 , wherein the switch controller, the at least one customer premises termination device, and each access apparatus configured to transmit the status signal in response to receipt of a maintenance message from a service provider controller.

3. The network of claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the switch controller, the at least one customer premises termination device, or the any access apparatus fail to transit the status signal to the controller for a defined number of times.

4. The network of claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the switch controller, the at least one customer premises termination device, or the any access apparatus fail to transit the status signal to the controller after a defined period of time.

5. The network of claim 4 , wherein the at least one of the switch controller, the at least one customer premises termination device, and each access apparatus is uniquely identifiable by a service provider controller.

6. The network of claim 4 , wherein the at least one of the switch controller, the at least one customer premises termination device, and each access apparatus is Internet Protocol (IP) addressable by a service provider controller.

7. The network of claim 6 , wherein the at least one customer premises termination device is deployed in the centralized power and signal distribution device.

8. The network of claim 6 , wherein the at least one customer premises termination device is multiple customer premises termination devices, each customer premises termination device deployed at each of the customer premises at the site.

9. The network of claim 7 , further comprising the switch controller, the at least one customer premises termination device, and each access apparatus are configured to transit telemetry data to a service provider analytics engine, wherein the switch controller is configured to power cycle at least one of the switch controller, the at least one customer premises termination device, or applicable access apparatus in response to receiving a power cycle command from the controller when the analytics engine determines an operational failure pattern from the telemetry data.

10. The network of claim 9 , wherein placement of each access apparatus in each of the customer premises at the site is irrespective of mains power outlets.

11. A method for remote power cycling in a network deployed at a site, the method comprising:
provisioning a centralized power and signal distribution device for the site;
provisioning customer premises equipment in each customer premises at the site, each of the customer premises equipment connected to the centralized power and signal distribution device via a power over cable system;
monitoring, by a controller, the centralized power and signal distribution device and each of the customer premises equipment in each of the customer premises using the power over cable system; and
commanding, by the controller, the centralized power and signal distribution device via the power over cable system to perform a power cycling of a non-responsive device, wherein the non-responsive device can be at least one of the centralized power and signal distribution device or a provisioned customer premises equipment and wherein the power cycling varies a turn off to on period depending on a type of the non-responsive device.

12. The method of claim 11 , the method further comprising:
maintaining, by the controller, a database of turn off to on periods for different types of the centralized power and signal distribution device and the customer premises equipment.

13. The method of claim 12 , the method further comprising:
pinging, by the controller, each of the centralized power and signal distribution device and the customer premises equipment; and
sending, by the controller, a command to the non-responsive device to power cycle when the non-responsive device fails to respond to the pinging by the controller.

14. The method of claim 13 , the method further comprising:
reaching, by the controller, each of the centralized power and signal distribution device and the customer premises equipment by an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

15. The method of claim 14 , the method further comprising:
receiving, by an analytics engine, telemetry data from each of the centralized power and signal distribution device and the customer premises equipment using the power over cable system.

16. The method of claim 15 , the method further comprising:
transmitting, by the analytics engine to the controller, an instruction based on the telemetry data to send the command.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the provisioning of the customer premises equipment is irrespective of mains power outlets in the multiple customer premises.

18. A service access system, comprising:
a switch controller and a direct current power supply deployed at a premises, the switch controller in communication with a service provider system;
an access device deployed in each dwelling unit in the premises, access device deployment independent of mains power outlet availability in the dwelling unit; and
a termination device deployed collocated with the switch controller and direct current power supply or in each dwelling unit, wherein the access device is in communication with the switch controller via a power over cable connector, the access device is in communication with the termination device, and the termination device is in communication with the service provider system and the switch controller,
wherein the switch controller is configured to power cycle at least one of the switch controller, the termination device, or applicable access device in response to receiving a command from the service provider system when at least one of the switch controller, the termination device, or any access device fail to transmit an operational message to the service provider system, and
wherein a waiting interval for the power cycle depends on a type of the at least one of the switch controller, the termination device, or an applicable access device.

Assignees

• Charter Communications Operating Llc

Inventors

• Cook Charles
• Williams John
• Stafford Roger

Classifications

• H04W4/20 Primary

  Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel · CPC title

• H04W84/04

  Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks · CPC title

• H04W88/085

  Access point devices with remote components · CPC title

• H04L12/2801

  Broadband local area networks · CPC title

• H04L12/2869

  Operational details of access network equipments (admission control or resource allocation in access networks H04L12/5692) · CPC title