Antenna system and methods for wireless optical network termination

• US 10,142,023 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2014
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cook, Charles I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ansari, Najeeb
• Application Number:
  US14/261,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25752 Optical arrangements for wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234363 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4886 for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 : the cable being constituted by a pair of wires
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/22 : Adaptations for optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

Optical network termination systems, devices and methods including an optical network terminal (ONT) having a processor in communication with an external optical fiber. The ONT processors further in communication with a wireless access point and at least one electrically conductive internal transport medium, both providing for the communication of telecommunication signals with devices located within a customer premises. The wireless access point and in certain instances the processor are back powered over the electrically conductive internal transport medium from AC power within the premises. In certain embodiments, the wireless access point communicates with devices within the premises over a distributed antenna.

Claims

1. An optical network termination system comprising:

an optical fiber in communication with an external telecommunications information network;

a processor in communication with the optical fiber and providing for the processing of telecommunications information conveyed over the optical fiber to or from the external telecommunications information network said processor being housed outside of a premises;

an electrically conductive internal transport medium in communication with the processor, wherein the electrically conductive internal transport medium provides for the bidirectional conveyance of a first subset of the telecommunications information from the processor into the premises;

a wireless internal transport medium comprising a wireless access point in communication with the processor and housed with the processor outside of the premises;

a distributed antenna in communication with the wireless access point, the distributed antenna comprising a feed line attached to one or more walls of the customer premises and one or more radiating elements extending from the feed line, wherein the wireless internal transport medium provides for the bidirectional wireless conveyance of a second subset of the telecommunication information from the one or more radiating elements into the premises;

a signal detection circuit in communication with the distributed antenna providing for the detection of a signal received by the one or more radiating elements and further providing for the disabling or enabling of selected radiating elements based upon detected signal strength;

a port terminating the electrically conductive internal transport medium within the premises;

a power supply configured to be connected to an AC outlet within the premises; and

a back-power cable providing for the transmission of power from the power supply to the wireless access point over the electrically conductive internal transport medium upon connection of the back-power cable to the port, wherein the power is provided, over the electrically conductive internal transport medium, to the selected radiating elements.

2. The optical network termination system of claim 1 further comprising a residential gateway within the customer premises in radio communication with the wireless access point.

3. The optical network termination system of claim 1 further comprising an uninterruptable power supply in electrical communication with the power supply, wherein the uninterruptible power supply provides power to the wireless access point over the electrically conductive internal transport medium during the temporary absence of power from the AC outlet.

4. The optical network termination system of claim 1 further comprising a POTS pass-through circuit providing for the pass through of POTS signals received at the processor to the electrically conductive internal transport medium when the wireless access point is not powered.

5. The optical network termination system of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive internal transport medium comprises at least two twisted pairs of wire connected to a telephone and wherein the power supply comprises a detection circuit providing for the detection of a twisted pair that is not connected to a telephone and wherein the power supply transmits power to the wireless access point over the detected twisted pair of wires that is not connected to a telephone.

6. The optical network termination system of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive internal transport medium comprises at least one twisted pair of wires connected to a telephone, further comprising a regeneration module providing for the detection of a telephone connected to the twisted pair of wires over which power is transmitted to the wireless access point, wherein the regeneration module provides for the isolation and regeneration of the POTS signals transmitted over the twisted pair of wires.

7. A network interface device comprising:

a housing mounted outside of a premises;

a processor mounted within the housing, the processor providing for the processing of telecommunications information conveyed to or from the processor over an optical fiber in communication with an external telecommunications information network;

an electrically conductive internal transport medium interface mounted within the housing in communication with the processor and further in communication with an electrically conductive internal transport medium, wherein the electrically conductive internal transport medium provides for the bidirectional conveyance of a first subset of the telecommunications information from the processor into the premises; and

a wireless access point mounted within the housing in communication with the processor;

a distributed antenna in communication with the wireless access point, the distributed antenna comprising a feed line attached to one or more walls of the customer premises and one or more radiating elements extending from the feed line, wherein the wireless internal transport medium provides for the bidirectional wireless conveyance of a second subset of the telecommunication information from the one or more radiating elements into the premises;

a signal detection circuit in communication with the distributed antenna providing for the detection of a signal received by the one or more radiating elements and further providing for the disabling or enabling of selected radiating elements based upon detected signal strength;

wherein power is provided to the wireless access point through a power supply configured to be connected to an AC outlet within the premises and a back-power cable providing for the transmission of power from the power supply to the wireless access point through the electrically conductive internal transport medium, wherein the power is provided, over the electrically conductive internal transport medium, to the selected radiating elements.

8. An optical network termination method comprising:

providing an optical fiber in communication with an external telecommunications information network;

conveying telecommunications information over the optical fiber between the external telecommunications information network and a processor in communication with the optical fiber, said processor being mounted in a housing outside of a premises;

conveying a first subset of the telecommunications information from the processor into the premises over an electrically conductive internal transport medium;

wirelessly transmitting a second subset of the telecommunications information into the premises from a wireless access point mounted in the housing, in communication with the processor, wherein the second subset of the telecommunications information is transmitted from a distributed antenna in communication with the wireless access point, the distributed antenna comprising a feed line attached to one or more walls of the customer premises and one or more radiating elements extending from the feed line;

detecting a signal strength at a plurality of the one or more radiating elements with a signal detection circuit in communication with the distributed antenna

disabling or enabling selected radiating elements based upon detected signal strength;

providing a port terminating the electrically conductive internal transport medium within the premises;

connecting a power supply to an AC outlet within the premises;

connecting a back-power cable from the power supply to the port, providing for the transmission of power from the power supply to the wireless access point over the electrically conductive internal transport, wherein the power is provided, over the electrically conductive internal transport medium, to the selected radiating elements.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing a residential gateway within the customer premises in wireless communication with the wireless access point.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing power to the wireless access point over the electrically conductive internal transport medium during the temporary absence of power from the AC outlet from an uninterruptable power supply in electrical communication with the power supply.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing for the pass through of POTS signals received at the processor to the electrically conductive internal transport medium when the wireless access point is not powered.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

providing an electrically conductive internal transport medium comprising at least two twisted pairs of wire connected to a telephone;

detecting a twisted pair that is not connected to a telephone; and

transmitting power to the wireless access point over the detected twisted pair of wires that is not connected to a telephone.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

providing an electrically conductive internal transport medium comprising at least one twisted pair of wires connected to a telephone;

detecting a telephone connected to the twisted pair of wires over which power is transmitted to the wireless access point;

isolating the telephone from the power supply; and

regenerating the POTS signals transmitted over the twisted pair of wires.