MediaLink interconnection box

• US 10,103,532 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2017
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Elford, Michael L., Unser, Diana L., Kawamoto, Pete A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Hung S
• Application Number:
  US15/651,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20170317482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 361814
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0493 Service poles
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/088 Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof casings or inlets
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 9/02 laid directly in or on the ground, river-bed or sea-bottom; Coverings therefor, e.g. tile

Abstract

Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing MediaLink Interconnection Boxes (“MIBs”). In some embodiments, a plurality of MediaLink Interconnection Boxes (“MIBs”) or media interconnection devices, which may be disposed throughout a recreational vehicle (“RV”) park or other bulk service provider application sites, or the like, may serve as demarcation units designed to each provide an accessible indoor or outdoor interface where long-term or temporary/transient customers can directly connect to land line service (e.g., POTS service), video or television service, and/or Ethernet or Internet services provided by one or more service providers. Fiber-to-Drop-Point (“FTDP”) and/or point-to-point fiber insertion within a passive optical network (“PON”) communications system may be implemented using apical conduit systems in conjunction with the MIBs. Alternatively, traditional ground-based or buried line interconnections (or a combination of the apical conduit system and such traditional interconnections) may be implemented in conjunction with the MIBs.

Claims

1. A media interconnection device, comprising:

a waterproof and weather-resistant container comprising an external housing and an external lid;

an inner compartment disposed within the external housing, the inner compartment comprising an inner lid;

a first set of media connectors disposed within the external housing, the first set of media connectors comprising a first set of output ports;

a second set of media connectors disposed within the external housing, the second set of media connectors comprising a second set of output ports; and

a set of input cables disposed within the inner compartment and communicatively coupled to each of the first set of media connectors and the second set of media connectors, wherein the first set of media connectors and the second set of media connectors are respectively demarcation points between a service provider network and at least a first customer network, and the service provider network and a second customer network different from the first, wherein the first customer network is communicatively coupled to the first set of output ports and the second customer network is communicatively coupled to the second set of output ports.

2. The media interconnection device of claim 1, wherein the set of input cables comprises one or more video cables, one or more telephone cables, and one or more Internet cables, wherein the first set of output ports comprises a video output port communicatively coupled via the first set of media connectors to a first video cable of the one or more video cables, a telephone output port communicatively coupled via the first set of media connectors to a first telephone cable of the one or more telephone cables, and an Internet output port communicatively coupled via the first set of media connectors to a first Internet cable of the one or more Internet cables, wherein the second set of output ports comprises a video output port communicatively coupled via the second set of media connectors to a second video cable of the one or more video cables, a telephone output port communicatively coupled via the second set of media connectors to a second telephone cable of the one or more telephone cables, and an Internet output port communicatively coupled via the second set of media connectors to a second Internet cable of the one or more Internet cables.

3. The media interconnection device of claim 2, wherein the one or more Internet cables are communicatively coupled to an optical network terminal (“

ONT”

), which is communicatively coupled via at least one optical fiber line that is associated with one of a passive optical network (“

PON”

) service, a gigabit PON (“

GPON”

) service, an Ethernet fiber line service, an Ethernet PON (“

EPON”

) service, a next generation PON (“

NGPON”

) service, or a second generation NGPON or 40 Gigabit-capable PON (“

NGPON2”

) service.

4. The media interconnection device of claim 3, wherein the at least one optical fiber line communicatively couples via a signal distribution device with one or more lines of an apical conduit system that are disposed in one or more channels in a ground surface.

5. The media interconnection device of claim 3, wherein the ONT is located within the external housing.

6. The media interconnection device of claim 3, wherein the ONT is located within a second external housing between the media interconnection device and a signal distribution device servicing the ONT, wherein the second external housing is one of disposed above ground or disposed underground.

7. The media interconnection device of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second video cables is communicatively coupled with a video signal decoder, wherein the video signal decoder decodes a scrambled video signal from a video service provider and sends a decoded video signal through one of the first video cable or the second video cable when a user associated with a corresponding one of the at least two separate customer networks in communication with the one of the first video cable or the second video cable subscribes to video service.

8. The media interconnection device of claim 7, wherein the video signal decoder is located within the external housing.

9. The media interconnection device of claim 7, wherein the video signal decoder is located within a separate housing located within a video signal distribution hub that is located at a local site.

10. The media interconnection device of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second telephone cables is communicatively coupled with a private branch exchange (“

PBX”

) that tracks local and long-distance usage over at least one of the first and second telephone cables by a corresponding user associated with at least one of the at least two separate customer networks corresponding to the at least one of the first and second telephone cables.

11. The media interconnection device of claim 10, wherein the PBX is located at a local site.

12. The media interconnection device of claim 1, wherein the set of input cables comprises at least two of one or more video cables, one or more telephone cables, or one or more Internet cables.

13. The media interconnection device of claim 1, wherein the set of input cables comprises one or more Internet cables that provides Internet service and at least one of Internet-based video service or Voice over Internet Protocol (“

VoIP”

) service to one or more of the at least two separate customer networks.

14. The media interconnection device of claim 1, wherein the external housing is mounted on a post that is set in the ground between two adjacent parking slots of a recreational vehicle (“

RV”

) park.

15. The media interconnection device of claim 14, wherein a first customer network of the at least two separate customer networks comprises a first local area network (“

LAN”

) located within a first RV that is parked in one of the two adjacent parking slots, and wherein a second customer network of the at least two separate customer networks comprises a second LAN located within a second RV that is parked in the other one of the two adjacent parking slots.