Systems with optical network units (ONUs) for high bandwidth connectivity, and related components and methods

• US 10,530,479 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2016
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chow, Bruce Cinkai, Ng'Oma, Anthony, Pambianchi, Michael S, Sauer, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Motsinger, Tanya T
• Application Number:
  US15/241,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20160359564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25753 Distribution optical network, e.g. between a base station and a plurality of remote units
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 1/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• 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: H04Q 11/0071 Provisions for the electrical-optical layer interface

Abstract

Optical network units (ONUs) for high bandwidth connectivity, and related components and methods are disclosed. A fiber optical network ends at an ONU, which may communicate with a subscriber unit wirelessly at an extremely high frequency avoiding the need to bury cable on the property of the subscriber. In one embodiment, an optical network unit (ONU) is provided. The ONU comprises a fiber interface configured to communicate with a fiber network. The ONU further comprises an optical/electrical converter configured to receive optical downlink signals at a first frequency from the fiber network through the fiber interface and convert the optical downlink signals to electrical downlink signals. The ONU further comprises electrical circuitry configured to frequency convert electrical downlink signals to extremely high frequency (EHF) downlink signals at an EHF, and a wireless transceiver configured to transmit the EHF downlink signals to a proximate subscriber unit through an antenna.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of optical network units (ONUs); and

a plurality of subscriber units each comprising a subscriber building, wherein;

each of the plurality of ONUs is configured to communicate with one or more of the plurality of subscriber units and comprises;

an ONU antenna;

an optical fiber interface configured to communicate with an optical fiber network;

an optical/electrical converter configured to receive optical downlink signals at a first frequency from the optical fiber network through the optical fiber interface and convert the optical downlink signals to electrical downlink signals;

electrical circuitry configured to frequency convert the electrical downlink signals to extremely high frequency (EHF) downlink signals at an EHF; and

a wireless transceiver configured to transmit the EHF downlink signals over a wireless link to at least one of the plurality of subscriber units through the ONU antenna; and

each of the plurality of subscriber units further comprises;

a subscriber antenna configured to operate at an EHF range; and

a transceiver configured to receive the EHF downlink signals from the ONU,

wherein each of the wireless transceivers in each of the plurality of ONUs is configured to transmit the EHF downlink signals over the wireless link to a transceiver in one or more respective subscriber units of the plurality of subscriber units and the transceiver in the one or more respective subscriber units is configured to transmit the EHF downlink signals to subscriber hardware within an associated subscriber building such that the EHF downlink signals are received within the associated subscriber building,

wherein the wireless transceiver of each of the plurality of ONUs is configured to transmit the EHF downlink signals in an oval radiation pattern that is restricted an area within a wall of one or more of the subscriber buildings associated with one or more of the plurality of subscriber units such that the wall of the associated subscriber building shields one or more of the plurality of ONUs from receiving interfering signals by blocking the EHF downlink signals from propagating past the proximate subscriber building.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ONUs reduces mutual interference between one or more of the plurality of ONUs and one or more of the plurality of subscriber units through frequency domain multiplexing (FDM).

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ONUs reduces mutual interference between one or more of the plurality of ONUs and one or more of the plurality of subscriber units through orthogonal antenna polarizations.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver in each of the plurality of ONUs is further configured to receive EHF uplink signals from one or more of the plurality of subscriber units through the ONU antenna and pass the EHF uplink signals to the electrical circuitry.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the electrical circuitry is further configured to frequency convert the EHF uplink signals to an electrical signal and pass the electrical signal to the optical/electrical converter.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the optical/electrical converter is further configured to receive the electrical signal and convert the electrical signal to an optical uplink signal for transmission on the optical fiber network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the EHF downlink signals occur in channels at approximately 60 GHz.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising beam steering circuitry configured to direct transmitted EHF downlink signals to the subscriber antenna at one or more of the plurality of subscriber units.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical circuitry of each of the plurality of ONUs further comprises a digital signal processor configured to allow for remote programming of the plurality of ONUs and allow for protocol translation.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the subscriber antennas are located at different heights or positions on the plurality of subscriber units.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the ONU antennas of the plurality of ONUs are positioned on a mast.

12. A system comprising:

a central office;

a plurality of optical network units (ONUs);

an optical fiber network communicatively coupling the central office with one or more of the plurality of ONUs, wherein the optical fiber network comprises one or more fiber optic cables coupled to one or more of the plurality of ONUs; and

a plurality of subscriber units comprising a subscriber building,

wherein each of the plurality of ONUs is configured to communicate with one or more of the plurality of subscriber units, each of the plurality of ONUs comprising;

an ONU antenna;

an optical fiber interface configured to communicate with the optical fiber network;

an optical/electrical converter configured to receive optical downlink signals at a first frequency from the optical fiber network through the optical fiber interface and convert the optical downlink signals to electrical downlink signals;

electrical circuitry configured to frequency convert the electrical downlink signals to extremely high frequency (EHF) downlink signals at an EHF; and

a wireless transceiver configured to transmit the EHF downlink signals over a wireless link to at least one of the plurality of subscriber units through the ONU antenna; and

each of the plurality of subscriber units further comprising;

a subscriber antenna configured to operate at an EHF range; and

a wireless transceiver configured to receive the EHF downlink signals from the ONU and communicate the EHF downlink signals to a network router in the subscriber building;

wherein each of the wireless transceivers in each of the plurality of ONUs is configured to transmit the transmit the EHF downlink signals over the wireless link to a transceiver in one or more respective subscriber units of the plurality of subscriber units to be transmitted to subscriber hardware within an associated subscriber building such that the EHF downlink signals are received within the associated subscriber building;

wherein the wireless transceiver of each of the plurality of ONUs is configured to transmit the EHF downlink signals in an oval radiation pattern that is restricted an area within a wall of one or more of the subscriber buildings associated with one or more of the plurality of subscriber units such that the wall of the associated subscriber building shields the ONU from receiving interfering signals by blocking the EHF downlink signals from propagating past the proximate subscriber building;

wherein at least one of the plurality of subscriber units is configured to be secured to the associated subscriber building such that the associated subscriber building blocks the EHF downlink signals transmitted by beam steering circuitry from propagating past the associated subscriber building; and

wherein the plurality of ONUs reduces mutual interference between one or more of the plurality of ONUs and one or more of the plurality of subscriber units through one or both of frequency domain multiplexing (FDM) and orthogonal antenna polarizations.

13. The system of 12, wherein one or more of the plurality of subscriber units is connected to one or more of the plurality of ONUs by one or more fiber optic cables and is configured to communicate with the one or more of the plurality of ONUs via the one or more fiber optical cables, while one or more of the plurality of subscriber units are only communicatively coupled to one or more of the plurality of ONUs via the wireless link.