Apical radiator

• US 10,330,882 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2015
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schwengler, Thomas, Elford, Michael L., Winterrowd, Michael P., Barnett, Jr., Thomas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Nhan T
• Application Number:
  US14/973,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20160109678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4416 Heterogeneous cables
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4442 Cap coupling boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4459 Ducts; Conduits; Hollow tubes for air blown fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/475 Mechanical aspects of installing cables in ducts or the like for buildings
• 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: G02B 6/564 Repair sets
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/083 Inlets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49718 Repairing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing FTTx, which might include Fiber-to-the-Home (“FTTH”), Fiber-to-the-Premises (“FTTP”), and/or the like. A method might include routing an F1 line(s) 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. From the FDH, an F2 line(s) might be routed, via any combination of various apical conduit components, to a network access point (“NAP”) servicing one or more customer premises. An F3 line(s) might be distributed, at the NAP and from the F2 line(s), to a network interface device (“NID”) or optical network terminal (“ONT”) at each customer premises, via any combination of the apical conduit components, which include channels in at least portions of roadways. In some embodiments, at least one wireless access point is disposed in each of one or more channels.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

placing at least one wireless access point device in a channel in a ground surface;

placing one or more lines in the channel;

communicatively coupling the one or more lines with the at least one wireless access point device;

placing one or more first layers of filler material in at least a portion of the channel over the one or more lines; and

placing one or more additional layers of filler material in at least a portion of the channel around the at least one wireless access point device and over the one or more first layers of filler material, after the one or more first layers of filler material have set, with the one or more lines having floated on, adhered to, or been at least partially surrounded by the first layer of filler material prior to the first layer of filler material setting;

wherein each of the at least one wireless access point device comprises a device container, a device lid, an access point device disposed in the device container, and an antenna disposed in the device lid, the access point device being communicatively coupled to at least one of the one or more lines via one or more pass-throughs in at least one wall of the device container, and the antenna being communicatively coupled to the access point device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more lines comprises at least one of one or more telecommunications lines, one or more power lines, one or more cables, one or more optical fiber cables, or one or more conduits.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more first layers of filler material prevents the one or more lines from floating into any of the one or more additional layers of filler material.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of one or more first layers of filler material comprises a soft material that can be cut or otherwise opened to expose the one or more lines without harm to the one or more lines.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more additional layers of filler material is a hard material that cannot easily be cut or otherwise opened to expose the one or more lines without harm to the one or more lines.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more first layers of filler material comprises polyurea, and wherein at least one of the one or more additional layers of filler material comprises polyurea.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a top surface of the device lid is below a surface of the ground, wherein the method further comprises:

placing a capping material in at least a portion of the channel over the device lid of the at least one wireless access point device and over the one or more additional layers of filler material.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the capping material comprises a shearable top coat that can be sheared without harming any of the one or more lines.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a top surface of the device lid extends above a surface of the ground, wherein the method further comprises:

placing a capping material in at least a portion of the channel over the one or more additional layers of filler material.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the antenna transmits and receives wireless broadband signals according to a set of protocols selected from a group consisting of IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11ad, and IEEE 802.11af.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the antenna transmits and receives wireless broadband signals according to a set of protocols selected from a group consisting of Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (“

UMTS”

), Code Division Multiple Access (“

CDMA”

), Long Term Evolution (“

LTE”

), Personal Communications Service (“

PCS”

), Advanced Wireless Services (“

AWS”

), Emergency Alert System (“

EAS”

), and Broadband Radio Service (“

BRS”

).

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises at least one of a plurality of lateral patch antennas, a plurality of arrays of patch antennas, a two-dimensional (“

2D”

) leaky waveguide antenna, or a three-dimensional (“

3D”

) array of antenna elements.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises at least one active antenna element.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing the device lid;

accessing one or more of the antenna disposed in the device lid or the access point device disposed in the device container; and

performing service on the one or more of the antenna disposed in the device lid or the access point device disposed in the device container.

15. An system, comprising:

at least one wireless access point device disposed in a channel in a ground surface;

one or more lines disposed in the channel, the one or more lines communicatively coupled with the at least one wireless access point device;

one or more first layers of filler material disposed in at least a portion of the channel over the one or more lines; and

one or more additional layers of filler material disposed in at least a portion of the channel around the at least one wireless access point device and over the one or more first layers of filler material;

wherein each of the at least one wireless access point device comprises a device container, a device lid, an access point device disposed in the device container, and an antenna disposed in the device lid, the access point device being communicatively coupled to at least one of the one or more lines via one or more pass-throughs in at least one wall of the device container, and the antenna being communicatively coupled to the access point device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the one or more lines comprises at least one of one or more telecommunications lines, one or more power lines, one or more cables, one or more optical fiber cables, or one or more conduits.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the one or more first layers of filler material prevents the one or more lines from floating into any of the one or more additional layers of filler material.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of one or more first layers of filler material comprises a soft material that can be cut or otherwise opened to expose the one or more lines without harm to the one or more lines.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the one or more additional layers of filler material is a hard material that cannot easily be cut or otherwise opened to expose the one or more lines without harm to the one or more lines.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the one or more first layers of filler material comprises polyurea, and wherein at least one of the one or more additional layers of filler material comprises polyurea.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein a top surface of the device lid is below a surface of the ground, wherein a capping material is disposed in at least a portion of the channel over the device lid of the at least one wireless access point device and over the one or more additional layers of filler material, wherein the capping material comprises a shearable top coat that can be sheared without harming any of the one or more lines.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein a top surface of the device lid extends above a surface of the ground, wherein a capping material is disposed in at least a portion of the channel over the one or more additional layers of filler material, wherein the capping material comprises a shearable top coat that can be sheared without harming any of the one or more lines.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the antenna comprises at least one of a plurality of lateral patch antennas, a plurality of arrays of patch antennas, a two-dimensional (“

2D”

) leaky waveguide antenna, or a three-dimensional (“

3D”

) array of antenna elements.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the antenna comprises at least one active antenna element.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the ground surface is a roadway surface.