Point-to-point fiber insertion

• US 10,154,325 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2014
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2014
• 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., Winterrowd, Michael P., Barnett, Jr., Thomas C., Schwengler, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Dzung
• Application Number:
  US14/578,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20150230008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4442 Cap coupling boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/501 underground installation of connection boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/504 Installation in solid material, e.g. underground
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0067 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 Class Codes: Y10T 29/4998 Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent material

Abstract

Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing point-to-point fiber insertion within a passive optical network (“PON”) communications system. The PON communications system, associated with a first service provider or a first service, might include an F1 line(s) routed from a central office or DSLAM to a fiber distribution hub (“FDH”) located within a block or neighborhood of customer premises, via at least an apical conduit source slot, an F2 line(s) routed via various apical conduit components to a network access point (“NAP”) servicing customer premises, and an F3 line(s) distributed, at the NAP and from the F2 line(s), to a network interface device or optical network terminal at each customer premises via various apical conduit components (e.g., in roadway surfaces). Point-to-point fiber insertion of another F1 line(s), associated with a second service provider or a second service, at either the NAP or the FDH (or outside these devices).

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

placing one or more first lines in one or more first channels in a first ground surface, the one or more first lines comprising a plurality of first optical fiber lines, the plurality of first optical fiber lines being associated with at least one of a first service provider or a first service;

placing one or more second lines in one or more second channels in a second ground surface, the one or more second lines comprising a plurality of second optical fiber lines, each of one or more second optical fiber lines of the plurality of second optical fiber lines serving each of one or more customer premises of a plurality of customer premises;

placing a filler material in one or more of at least a portion of the one or more first channels or at least a portion of the one or more second channels;

communicatively coupling each of at least one first optical fiber line of the plurality of first optical fiber lines with each of the one or more second optical fiber lines of the plurality of second optical fiber lines via a first cable distribution device disposed within a signal distribution device disposed in a third ground surface, wherein the signal distribution device comprises a container that is disposed in the third ground surface, a top portion of the container being substantially level with a top portion of the third ground surface, and wherein the signal distribution device further comprises a pedestal that is disposed above the third ground surface and above the top portion of the container; and

communicatively coupling each of at least one third optical fiber line of a plurality of third optical fiber lines with each of at least one second optical fiber line of the plurality of second optical fiber lines via a second cable distribution device disposed within the signal distribution device, the plurality of third optical fiber lines being associated with at least one of a second service provider or a second service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one second optical fiber line is separate from the one or more second optical fiber lines, each of the at least one second optical fiber line serving each of at least one customer premises of the plurality of customer premises.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one second optical fiber line and at least one of the one or more second optical fiber lines are the same optical fiber lines, wherein the at least one of the one or more second optical fiber lines is communicatively coupled with corresponding one or more of the at least one first optical fiber line, wherein communicatively coupling each of the at least one third optical fiber line with each of the at least one second optical fiber line comprises:

decoupling the at least one of the one or more second optical fiber lines from the corresponding one or more of the at least one first optical fiber line;

coupling the corresponding one or more of the at least one first optical fiber line with unconnected terminal ports disposed within the signal distribution device; and

communicatively coupling each of the at least one of the one or more second optical fiber lines with each of the at least one third optical fiber line.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second cable distribution devices are disposed within the container.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first cable distribution device or the second cable distribution device is disposed within one of the container or the pedestal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second cable distribution devices are the same cable distribution device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more first lines or the one or more second lines further comprises one or more of at least one conduit, at least one conductive signal line, or at least one power line via the signal distribution device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one conductive signal line comprises at least one of one or more data cables, one or more video cables, or one or more voice cables.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

placing one or more fourth lines in one or more third channels in the third ground surface, the one or more fourth lines comprising a plurality of fourth optical fiber lines;

communicatively coupling, with a network access point (“

NAP”

), each of one or more fourth optical fiber lines of the plurality of fourth optical fiber lines with each of the one or more second optical fiber lines; and

communicatively coupling each of the one or more fourth optical fiber lines with each of one or more optical network terminals (“

ONTs”

) each disposed on an exterior surface of each of the one or more customer premises.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal distribution device comprises a fiber distribution hub (“

FDH”

), wherein the one or more first lines communicatively couple at least one of a central office or a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (“

DSLAM”

) of a telecommunications service provider with the FDH, wherein the one or more second lines communicatively couple the FDH with a network access point (“

NAP”

).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal distribution device comprises a network access point (“

NAP”

), wherein the one or more first lines communicatively couple the NAP with a fiber distribution hub (“

FDH”

), wherein the one or more second lines communicatively couple the NAP with one or more network interface devices (“

NIDs”

) each disposed on an exterior surface of a customer premises of the plurality of customer premises.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more NIDs comprise one or more optical network terminals (“

ONTs”

).

13. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more second lines comprises eight main optical fiber lines and four spare optical fiber lines, wherein communicatively coupling each of the at least one third optical fiber line with each of the at least one second optical fiber line comprises communicatively coupling each of the at least one third optical fiber line with each of one or more of the four spare optical fiber lines.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first optical fiber lines is associated with one of a passive optical network (“

PON”

) service or a gigabit PON (“

GPON”

) service, and wherein each of the at least one third optical fiber line is associated with one of an Ethernet fiber line service, a second PON service, a second GPON service, an Ethernet PON (“

EPON”

) service, a next generation PON (“

NGPON”

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

NGPON2”

) service.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the filler material comprises a thermosetting material.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first ground surface is a roadway surface, wherein at least a portion of the second ground surface is one of a roadway surface or a non-roadway surface, and wherein at least a portion of the third ground surface is a non-roadway surface.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising placing a capping material in the at least one of at least a portion of the one or more first channels or at least a portion of the one or more second channels, above the filler material.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the capping material serves as road lines on the roadway surface.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one channel of the one or more first channels and at least one channel of the one or more second channels is the same channel.

20. A communications system, comprising:

an apical conduit system, comprising;

one or more first lines disposed in one or more first channels in a first ground surface, the one or more first lines comprising a plurality of first optical fiber lines, the plurality of first optical fiber lines being associated with at least one of a first service provider or a first service;

one or more second lines disposed in one or more second channels in a second ground surface, the one or more second lines comprising a plurality of second optical fiber lines, each of one or more second optical fiber lines of the plurality of second optical fiber lines serving each of one or more customer premises of a plurality of customer premises; and

a filler material disposed around at least one of the one or more first lines in at least a portion of the one or more first channels or around at least one of the one or more second lines in at least a portion of the one or more second channels; and

a signal distribution device, comprising;

a container disposed in a third ground surface, a top portion of the container being substantially level with a top portion of the third ground surface;

a pedestal that is disposed above the third ground surface and above the top portion of the container;

a first cable distribution device disposed within the signal distribution device and configured to communicatively couple each of at least one first optical fiber line of the plurality of first optical fiber lines with each of the one or more second optical fiber lines of the plurality of second optical fiber lines; and

a second cable distribution device disposed within the signal distribution device and configured to communicatively couple each of at least one third optical fiber line of a plurality of third optical fiber lines with each of at least one second optical fiber lines of the plurality of second optical fiber lines, the plurality of third optical fiber lines being associated with at least one of a second service provider or a second service.

21. The communications system of claim 20, wherein the at least one second optical fiber line is separate from the one or more second optical fiber lines, each of the at least one second optical fiber line serving each of at least one customer premises of the plurality of customer premises.

22. The communications system of claim 20, wherein the signal distribution device comprises a fiber distribution hub (“

FDH”

), wherein the one or more first lines communicatively couple at least one of a central office or a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (“

DSLAM”

) of a telecommunications service provider with the FDH, wherein the one or more second lines communicatively couple the FDH with a network access point (“

NAP”

).

23. The communications system of claim 22, and wherein at least one of the first cable distribution device or the second cable distribution device is disposed within one of the container or the pedestal.

24. The communications system of claim 20, wherein the signal distribution device comprises a network access point (“

NAP”

), wherein the one or more first lines communicatively couple the NAP with a fiber distribution hub (“

FDH”

), wherein the one or more second lines communicatively couple the NAP with one or more network interface devices (“

NIDs”

) each disposed on an exterior surface of a customer premises of the plurality of customer premises.

25. The communications system of claim 24, wherein the NAP comprises a direct bury NAP disposed below the top portion of the third ground surface.

26. The communications system of claim 24, wherein the NAP comprises a NAP disposed within one of a hand hole or a flowerpot hand hole that is at least partially disposed below the third ground surface.

27. The communications system of claim 24, wherein the one or more NIDs comprise at least one optical network terminal (“

ONT”

).

28. The communications system of claim 20, wherein each of the plurality of first optical fiber lines is associated with one of a passive optical network (“

PON”

) service or a gigabit PON (“

GPON”

) service, and wherein each of the at least one third optical fiber line is associated with one of an Ethernet fiber line service, a second PON service, a second GPON service, an Ethernet PON (“

EPON”

) service, a next generation PON (“

NGPON”

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

NGPON2”

) service.

29. A method for implementing point-to-point fiber insertion within a passive optical network (“

PON”

) communications system, the PON communications system comprising an apical conduit system which comprises;

one or more first lines disposed in one or more first channels in a first ground surface, the one or more first lines comprising a plurality of first optical fiber lines, the plurality of first optical fiber lines being associated with at least one of a first service provider or a first service;

one or more second lines disposed in one or more second channels in a second ground surface, the one or more second lines comprising a plurality of second optical fiber lines, each of one or more second optical fiber lines of the plurality of second optical fiber lines serving each of one or more customer premises of a plurality of customer premises; and

a filler material disposed around at least one of the one or more first lines in at least a portion of the one or more first channels or around at least one of the one or more second lines in at least a portion of the one or more second channels;

the method comprising;

receiving, from a subscriber associated with a customer premises among the plurality of customer premises that are connected via the apical conduit system to the PON communication system, a request to receive through the PON communication system a second service separate from the first service, the second service being associated with one of the first service provider or a second service provider;

communicatively coupling a second optical fiber line of the one or more second optical fiber lines with a third optical fiber line of a plurality of third optical fiber lines associated with the second service via a cable distribution device disposed within a signal distribution device, the second optical fiber line serving the customer premises associated with the subscriber, wherein the signal distribution device comprises a container that is disposed in the third ground surface, a top portion of the container being substantially level with a top portion of the third ground surface, and wherein the signal distribution device further comprises a pedestal that is disposed above the third ground surface and above the top portion of the container.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the second optical fiber line is communicatively coupled to a corresponding first optical fiber line of the plurality of first optical fiber lines, wherein communicatively coupling the second optical fiber line with the third optical fiber line comprises:

decoupling the second optical fiber line from the corresponding first optical fiber line;

coupling the corresponding first optical fiber line with an unconnected terminal port disposed within the signal distribution device; and

communicatively coupling the second optical fiber line with the third optical fiber line.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the signal distribution device comprises a fiber distribution hub (“

FDH”

), wherein the one or more first lines communicatively couple at least one of a central office or a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (“

DSLAM”

) of a telecommunications service provider with the FDH, wherein the one or more second lines communicatively couple the FDH with a network access point (“

NAP”

).

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the signal distribution device comprises a network access point (“

NAP”

), wherein the one or more first lines communicatively couple the NAP with a fiber distribution hub (“

FDH”

), wherein the one or more second lines communicatively couple the NAP with one or more optical network terminals (“

ONTs”

) each disposed on an exterior surface of a customer premises of the plurality of customer premises.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein each of the plurality of first optical fiber lines is associated with one of a passive optical network (“

PON”

) service or a gigabit PON (“

GPON”

) service, and wherein each of the at least one third optical fiber line is associated with one of an Ethernet fiber line service, a second PON service, a second GPON service, an Ethernet PON (“

EPON”

) service, a next generation PON (“

NGPON”

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

NGPON2”

) service.