Systems and methods for powering network access devices from customer premises equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9614976-B2
Application number	US-201213437700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2012
Priority date	Apr 1, 2011
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A communication system has a network access device (NAD) that is designed to deliver Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) along with high-speed data to Customer Premises Equipment (CPE). The NAD is backpowered by the CPE across a subscriber line. When backpower is provided from the CPE, circuitry (referred to as a “POTS signaling element”) within the network access device converts POTS control signaling to digital data for transmission to the CPE. The band vacated by the POTS control signaling is used for the power signal on the subscriber line. In the absence of backpower, components of the network access device are bypassed, thereby providing POTS in the event of a power failure. The NAD receives advance warning of the backpowering so that it can disable the bypassing in order to prevent the power signal from leaking through the NAD to the network.

First claim

Now, therefore, the following is claimed:

1. A network access device coupled between a network and customer premises equipment (CPE) at a customer premises, comprising:
a first transceiver configured to transmit, across a subscriber line extending to the customer premises equipment (CPE), a first data signal modulated with a data stream received from the network via a first network connection;
a plain old telephone system (POTS) signaling element configured to receive baseband POTS signaling from the network via a second network connection, the POTS signaling element configured to convert the baseband POTS signaling to digital data;
a second transceiver configured to transmit across the subscriber line a second data signal modulated with the digital data, the second data signal having a frequency between a band for analog POTS signals and a band for the first data signal;
a first relay coupled to the subscriber line at a point between the POTS signaling element and the CPE;
a second relay coupled to the second network connection at a point between the POTS signaling element and the network;
a bypass connection coupled to the first and second relays;
a power conditioning element configured to receive a direct current (DC) power signal from the CPE via the subscriber line and to power at least one of the first and second transceivers based on the DC power signal; and
control logic configured to detect the DC power signal and to control the first and second relays such that the baseband POTS signaling is selectively transmitted from the second network connection to the subscriber line via the bypass connection, thereby selectively bypassing the POTS signaling element, based on the detected DC power signal.

2. The network access device of claim 1 , wherein the control logic is configured to receive a notification from the CPE and to transition the network access device to a non-bypass state from a bypass state in response to the notification, wherein the first relay electrically couples the bypass connection to the subscriber line in the bypass state, wherein the second relay electrically couples the bypass connection to the second network connection in the bypass state, and wherein the first relay electrically isolates the bypass connection from the subscriber line in the non-bypass state.

3. The network access device of claim 1 , further comprising a POTS converter configured to receive the analog POTS signals from the second network connection and to convert the POTS signals to digital data.

4. A network access device, comprising:
a first transceiver coupled to a subscriber line, the first transceiver configured to receive a data stream from a first network connection and modulate a first carrier signal with the data stream to form a first modulated data signal, the first transceiver configured to transmit the first modulated data signal across the subscriber line;
a plain old telephone system (POTS) signaling element coupled to a second network connection, the POTS signaling element configured to receive baseband POTS signaling from the second network connection and to convert the baseband POTS signaling to digital data;
a second transceiver coupled to the subscriber line and configured to modulate a second carrier signal with the digital data thereby forming a second modulated data signal, the second transceiver configured to transmit the second modulated data signal across the subscriber line, the second modulated data signal having a frequency between a band for analog POTS signals and a band for the first modulated data signal;
a power conditioning element configured to receive a direct current (DC) power signal from the subscriber line and to power at least one component of the network access device via the DC power signal; and
control logic configured to control the network access device such that the POTS signaling element is selectively bypassed by the baseband POTS signaling based on the DC power signal.

5. The network access device of claim 4 , further comprising a POTS splitter coupled to the subscriber line and second network connection, wherein POTS signals from the second network connection simultaneously propagate across the subscriber line along with the first and second modulated data signals and the DC power signal.

6. The network access device of claim 4 , further comprising a POTS converter configured to receive POTS signals from the second network connection and to convert the POTS signals into digital data.

7. The network access device of claim 4 , further comprising:
a first relay coupled to the second network connection at a point between the POTS signaling element and a network from which the baseband POTS signaling is transmitted; and
a bypass connection coupled to the first relay and to the subscriber line,
wherein the control logic is configured to control the first relay such that the POTS signaling element is selectively bypassed by the baseband POTS signaling based on the DC power signal.

8. The network access device of claim 7 , further comprising a second relay coupled to the subscriber line and the bypass connection, wherein the control logic is configured control the first and second relays such that the bypass connection is electrically coupled to the subscriber line and the second network connection simultaneously for permitting the baseband POTS signaling to bypass the POTS signaling element.

9. The network access device of claim 7 , wherein the control logic is configured to control the first relay such that the second network connection is electrically isolated from the POTS signaling element and electrically coupled to the bypass connection in response to a determination that the network access device has stopped receiving the DC power signal.

10. The network access device of claim 9 , wherein the control logic is configured to receive a notification from a remote device coupled to the subscriber line and to control the first relay such that the second network connection is electrically coupled to the POTS signaling element and electrically isolated from the bypass connection in response to the notification.

11. The network access device of claim 10 , wherein the notification is defined by baseband POTS signaling from the remote device.

12. A communication system, comprising:
customer premises equipment having a network termination unit;
a subscriber line coupled to the network termination unit; and
a network access device coupled to the network termination unit via the subscriber line, the network access device configured to receive a data stream from a first network connection and to transmit across the subscriber line a first data signal modulated with the data stream, the network access device configured to receive plain old telephone system (POTS) signals and baseband POTS signaling from a second network connection and to convert the baseband POTS signals into digital data, the network access device configured to transmit across the subscriber line a second data signal modulated with the digital data, the second data signal having a frequency between a band for the POTS signals and a band for the first data signal, the network access device further configured to receive a direct current (DC) power signal transmitted across the subscriber line simultaneously with the first data signal and the second data signal, wherein the network access device is configured to power at least one component of the network access device based on the DC power signal.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the network access device has a transceiver coupled to the subscriber line and configured to transmit the second data sig

Assignees

• Joffe Daniel M
• Cress Jared D
• Adtran Inc

Inventors

• Joffe Daniel M
• Cress Jared D

Classifications

• H04M11/062 Primary

  using different frequency bands for speech and other data · CPC title

• H04L12/2878 Primary

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

• H04M19/001

  Current supply source at the exchanger providing current to substations · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title

• H04L12/2898

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