Single line passive optical network converter module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9900108-B2
Application number	US-201415033098-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2014
Priority date	Nov 1, 2013
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

A single line converter module comprises a housing; an environmentally hardened fiber optic connector located in the housing and configured to be optically coupled to a service terminal for receiving downstream optical frames; a single electrical connector located in the housing and coupled over a metallic medium to a network terminal providing a service to respective customer premise equipment (CPE); and an optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter located in the housing and configured to convert the downstream optical frames to an electrical signal for transmission over the metallic medium to the network terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A single line converter module comprising:
a housing;
a fiber optic connector located in the housing and configured to be optically coupled to a service terminal for receiving downstream optical frames;
a single electrical connector located in the housing and coupled over a metallic medium to a single network terminal providing a service to respective customer premise equipment (CPE); and
an optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter located in the housing and configured to convert the downstream optical frames for just the single network terminal to an electrical signal for transmission over the metallic medium to the single network terminal.

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

4. The single line converter module of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes one or more heat transfer features comprising at least heat dissipation fins configured to dissipate heat generated during the O/E conversion.

5. A passive fiber optic network comprising:
an optical line terminal (OLT) to couple the passive fiber optic network to a core network;
a service terminal that is optically coupled to the OLT via at least one optical fiber, the service terminal comprising a plurality of fiber optic connectors;
a plurality of network terminals, each network terminal configured to provide a service to respective customer premises equipment (CPE); and
at least one single line converter module, each single line converter module having an optical connector coupled to a respective one of the plurality of fiber optic connectors in the service terminal via one of the respective optical fibers and an electrical connector coupled to a respective one of the plurality of network terminals via a metallic medium, wherein each single line converter module is configured to convert optical signals received over the optical connector for just the respective one of the plurality of network terminals to an electrical signal and to transmit the electrical signal over the metallic medium to the respective network terminal.

6. The passive fiber optic network of claim 5 , wherein the number of fiber optic connectors in the service terminal matches the number of network terminals coupled to the service terminal.

7. The passive fiber optic network of claim 5 , wherein the at least one single line converter module receives power over the metallic medium coupling the at least one single line converter module to the respective network terminal.

8. The passive fiber optic network of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of fiber optic connectors is a hybrid fiber/electrical connector configured to provide power to the respective single line converter module over a metallic medium coupling the hybrid fiber/electrical connector to the respective single line converter module.

9. The passive fiber optic network of claim 5 , wherein the metallic medium is copper.

10. The passive fiber optic network of claim 5 , wherein the at least one single line converter module is configured to transmit electrical signals according to Very-high-bit-rate digital subscriber line 2 (VDSL2) technology.

11. The passive fiber optic network of claim 5 , wherein the at least one single line converter module is configured to transmit electrical signals according to G.Fast technology.

12. The passive fiber optic network of claim 5 , 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), and an ETHERNET Passive Optical Network (EPON).

13. A method of communicating using a passive fiber optic network, the method comprising:
transmitting downstream optical frames from an optical line terminal (OLT) in the passive fiber optic network to a service terminal having a plurality of fiber optic drop cable ports;
receiving the downstream optical frames over a distribution fiber at the service terminal;
distributing the downstream optical frames to each of the plurality of fiber optic drop cable ports;
receiving the downstream frames at one or more single line converter modules, each of the one or more single line converter modules coupled to a respective one of the plurality of fiber optic drop cable ports;
at each of the one or more single line converter modules, converting the downstream optical frames for just one respective network terminal into an electrical signal;
transmitting the electrical signal from each of the one or more single line converter modules over a metallic medium to the respective network terminal; and
providing at least one service implemented by the respective network terminal using the received electrical signal.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the number of fiber optic drop cable ports in the service terminal matches the total number of network terminals.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
providing power to the one or more single line converter module over the metallic medium coupling each respective single line converter module to the respective network terminal.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of fiber optic drop cable ports is a hybrid fiber/electrical connector, the method further comprising:
providing power to each respective single line converter module over a metallic medium coupling the hybrid fiber/electrical connector to the respective single line converter module.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein transmitting the electrical signal from each of the one or more single line converter modules over the metallic medium comprises transmitting the electrical signal from each of the one or more single line converter modules over a respective twisted copper pair.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein transmitting the electrical signal from each of the one or more single line converter modules comprises one of:
transmitting the respective electrical signal from each of the one or more single line converter modules according to Very-high-bit-rate digital subscriber line 2 (VDSL2) technology; or
transmitting the respective electrical signal from each of the one or more single line converter modules according to G.Fast technology.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
removing one of the one or more single line converter modules on an individual port basis without affecting other single line converter modules coupled to a respective fiber optic drop cable port in the service terminal.

20. A conversion module comprising:
a housing;
an optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter located in the housing and configured to convert an optical signal to an electrical signal;
a fiber optic cable coupled to the housing and in communication with the O/E converter;
a fiber optic connector coupled to the fiber optic cable; and
at least one twisted copper conductor pair in communication with the O/E converter and extending from the housing, wherein the at least one twisted copper conductor pair is capable of transmitting electrical signals from the O/E converter and receiving power for powering the O/E converter.

21. The conversion module of claim 20 , wherein the housing comprises an environmentally hardened housing manufactured for

Assignees

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

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H04B10/808

  Electrical power feeding of an optical transmission system · CPC title

• H04B10/272

  Star-type networks {or tree-type networks} · CPC title

• G02B6/43

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

• H04Q11/0067

  Provisions for optical access or distribution networks, e.g. Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network (GE-PON), ATM-based Passive Optical Network (A-PON), PON-Ring · CPC title

• G02B6/4269

  with heat sinks or radiation fins · CPC title