Optical tapping in an indexing architecture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12438609-B2
Application number	US-202217691767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2022
Priority date	Jan 12, 2017
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

An indexing system includes an indexing component; a redundant optical path; and a fiber tap arrangement. Multiple indexing components can be daisy-chained together in the indexing system. The redundant optical path is created between any forward port and any rearward port in the network. Multiple redundant optical paths can be created within the network. One or more tap arrangements can be disposed along each redundant optical path. Accordingly, feed signals in a bidirectional indexing environment can be supplied to each drop line along the redundant optical path from either direction without recabling.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a plurality of indexing terminals, each indexing terminal including an input, a pass-through output, and a drop output, and each indexing terminal indexing optical fibers between the input and the pass-through output while at least one drop fiber is routed to the drop output, the indexing terminals being daisy-chained together so that the input of a subsequent indexing terminal in the chain is connected to the pass-through output of a prior indexing terminal in the chain;
a plurality of tap arrangements daisy-chained together, each of the tap arrangements directing a first portion of a feed signal received at an input of the tap arrangement to a pass-through line and directing a second portion of the feed signal to a drop line, the plurality of tap arrangements including a first tap arrangement that is optically coupled to the drop output of one of the indexing terminals; and
wherein the plurality of index terminals and the plurality of tap arrangements are part of a passive optical network, and wherein the drop lines are configured to carry the second portions of the feed signal to locations remote from the tap arrangements, and wherein the second portions of the feed signal carried by the drop lines are optical signals; wherein the plurality of tap arrangements includes a second tap arrangement at an end of the daisy-chain of tap arrangements, the second tap arrangement being optically coupled to another drop output of the one of the indexing terminals and wherein the drop output of the one of the indexing terminals is a forward drop output and the another drop output of the one of the indexing terminals is a rearward drop output so that the daisy-chain of tap arrangements form a redundant path for the system.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the input and pass-through output of each indexing terminal define first and second demateable multi-fiber connection locations, respectively.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first and second demateable multi-fiber connection locations are hardened.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the drop output defines a forward demateable connection location that receives the drop fiber from the input.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the drop output defines a rearward demateable connection location that receives the drop fiber from the pass-through output.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein each indexing terminal includes a rigid housing.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the drop output defines an adapter port held by the rigid housing.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the input of each indexing terminal includes a plug connector.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the drop output of each indexing terminal is a single-fiber demateable connection location.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the drop output of a first of the indexing terminals is one of a plurality of drop outputs.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the tap arrangements is configured to tap off a common signal percentage onto the drop line.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the tap arrangements is configured to tap off a different signal percentage onto the drop line than the other tap arrangements.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein each tap arrangement includes a first coupler, a second coupler, and a 2×N optical splitter.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein each tap arrangement includes a housing; and wherein the second portion of the feed signal is directed out of the housing without being further split.

15. A system comprising:
a plurality of indexing terminals, each indexing terminal including an input, a pass-through output, and a drop output, and each indexing terminal indexing optical fibers between the input and the pass-through output while at least one drop fiber is routed to the drop output, the indexing terminals being daisy-chained together so that the input of a subsequent indexing terminal in the chain is connected to the pass-through output of a prior indexing terminal in the chain;
a plurality of tap arrangements daisy-chained together, each of the tap arrangements directing a first portion of a feed signal received at an input of the tap arrangement to a pass-through line and directing a second portion of the feed signal to a drop line, the plurality of tap arrangements including a first tap arrangement that is optically coupled to the drop output of one of the indexing terminals; and
wherein the plurality of index terminals and the plurality of tap arrangements are part of a passive optical network, wherein the plurality of tap arrangements includes a second tap arrangement at an end of the daisy-chain of tap arrangements, the second tap arrangement being optically coupled to another drop output of the one of the indexing terminals and wherein the drop output of the one of the indexing terminals is a forward drop output and the another drop output of the one of the indexing terminals is a rearward drop output so that the daisy-chain of tap arrangements form a redundant path for the system.

16. A system comprising:
a plurality of indexing terminals, each indexing terminal including an input, a pass-through output, and a drop output, and each indexing terminal indexing optical fibers between the input and the pass-through output while at least one drop fiber is routed to the drop output, the indexing terminals being daisy-chained together so that the input of a subsequent indexing terminal in the chain is connected to the pass-through output of a prior indexing terminal in the chain;
a plurality of tap arrangements daisy-chained together, each of the tap arrangements directing a first portion of a feed signal received at an input of the tap arrangement to a pass-through line and directing a second portion of the feed signal to a drop line, the plurality of tap arrangements including a first tap arrangement that is optically coupled to the drop output of one of the indexing terminals; and
wherein the plurality of index terminals and the plurality of tap arrangements are part of a passive optical network, wherein the plurality of tap arrangements includes a second tap arrangement at an end of the daisy-chain of tap arrangements, the second tap arrangement being optically coupled to another drop output of the one of the indexing terminals and wherein the drop output of the one of the indexing terminals is a forward drop output and the drop output of the another of the indexing terminals is a rearward drop output so that the daisy-chain of tap arrangements form a redundant path for the system.

17. A system comprising:
a plurality of indexing terminals, each indexing terminal including an input, a pass-through output, and a drop output, and each indexing terminal indexing optical fibers between the input and the pass-through output while at least one drop fiber is routed to the drop output, the indexing terminals being daisy-chained together so that the input of a subsequent indexing terminal in the chain is connected to the pass-through output of a prior indexing terminal in the chain;
a plurality of tap arrangements daisy-chained together, each of the tap arrangements directing a first portion of a feed signal received at an input of the tap arrangement to a pass-through line and directing a second portion of the feed signal to a drop line, the plurality of tap arrangements including a first tap arrangement that is optically coupled to the drop output of one of the indexing terminals; and
wherein the plurality of index terminals and the plurality of tap arrangements are part of a passive optic

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Gronvall Erik J

Classifications

• H04B10/25751

  Optical arrangements for CATV or video distribution (adaptations of television systems for optical transmission H04N7/22) · CPC title

• H04B10/27

  Arrangements for networking · CPC title

• H04B10/2589

  Bidirectional transmission · CPC title

• H04B10/2581

  Multimode transmission · CPC title

• H04B10/035 Primary

  using loopbacks · CPC title