System and method for communicating optical signals to multiple subscribers having various bandwidth demands connected to the same optical waveguide

• US 20030007220A1
• Filed: 05/20/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Solutions, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wave7 Optics, Inc. (Enablence Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Whittlesey, Paul, Vella, Emmanuel, Farmer, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,218,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/166
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/272 Star-type networks or tree-type networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0226 Fixed carrier allocation, e.g. according to service
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0232 for downstream transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0238 Wavelength allocation for communications one-to-many, e.g. multicasting wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0247 Sharing one wavelength for at least a group of ONUs
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0252 Sharing one wavelength for at least a group of ONUs, e.g. for transmissions from-ONU-to-OLT or from-ONU-to-ONU
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0282 WDM tree architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/22 Adaptations for optical transmission
• 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

The present invention is generally drawn to optical network architecture that can include a multi-subscriber optical interface that can service a plurality of subscribers that are located in close proximity relative to one another. For example, the multi-subscriber optical interface can service multiple dwelling units such as an apartment complex that has many different subscribers to the optical network system. Further, the invention can also service subscribers over the same optical waveguide who may have different bandwidth needs, such as businesses, personal/home users and the like.

Claims

1. An optical network system comprising:

a data service hub;

at least one optical tap;

at least one multi-subscriber optical interface connected to the optical tap for servicing two or more subscribers;

a laser transceiver node disposed between the data service hub and the optical tap, for communicating optical signals between the data service hub and the optical tap, and for apportioning bandwidth between subscribers of the optical network system, and

one or more optical waveguides connected between that at least one optical tap, the laser transceiver node, and the least one multi-subscriber optical interface, for carrying the upstream optical signals and the downstream optical signals, whereby optical bandwidth for subscribers is controllable by at least one of the laser transceiver node and multi-subscriber optical interface in response to subscriber demand.

2. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein the multi-subscriber optical interface further comprises a tilt network.

3. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein the multi-subscriber optical interface further comprises an RF splitter and a service disconnect switch disposed between an RF splitter and a signal output port.

4. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein the multi-subscriber optical interface further comprises a data router.

5. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein the multi-subscriber optical interface further comprises an RF return path.

6. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein the laser transceiver node comprises passive cooling devices in order to operate in a temperature range between −

40 degrees Celsius to 60 degrees Celsius.

7. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein the laser transceiver node is mountable on a strand in an overhead plant environment.

8. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein the laser transceiver node is housed within a pedestal in an underground plant environment.

9. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein a distance between the laser transceiver node and the data service hub comprises a range between zero and eighty kilometers.

10. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein the laser transceiver node comprises at least one optical transmitter, each optical transmitter comprises one of a Fabry-Perot laser, a distributed feedback laser, and a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL).

11. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein the laser transceiver node further comprises an optical tap routing device that allocates additional or reduced optical bandwidth to at least one subscriber optical interface relative to other subscriber optical interfaces in the optical network system.

12. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein the laser transceiver node comprises an optical tap routing device that manages upstream and downstream optical signal protocols.

13. The optical network system of claim 11, wherein one of the protocols comprises a time division multiple access protocol.

14. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein data bit rates for the upstream and downstream optical signals are substantially symmetrical.

15. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein each optical waveguide handles data rates of at least 450 Mb/s.

16. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein each optical tap comprises at least one optical splitter.

17. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein one of the optical taps servicing a particular group of subscriber optical interfaces is connected to another optical tap.

18. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein each optical tap propagates upstream and downstream optical signals in addition to downstream RF modulated optical signals.

19. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein the multi-subscriber optical interface comprises an analog optical receiver, a digital optical receiver, and a digital optical transmitter.

20. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein the optical waveguides are a first set of optical waveguides, the optical network system further comprising a second set of optical waveguides disposed between the data service hub and laser transceiver node, the second set comprising a first waveguide for carrying upstream optical signals to the data service hub, and a second optical waveguide for carrying downstream optical signals to the laser transceiver node.

42. The optical network system of claim 1, wherein the at least one multi-subscriber optical interface services both business subscribers and single subscribers.

21. The optical network system wherein the multi-subscriber optical interface comprises a processor for managing one of data and telephone signals.

22. The optical network system of claim 21, wherein the processor further comprises at least one of a microcomputer and a switch.

23. The optical network system of claim 21, wherein the processor further comprises at least one of a digital signal processor, a subscriber line audio-processing circuit for digital telephone signal processing, and a subscriber line interface circuit for analog telephone signal to digital telephone signal conversion.

25. The optical network system of claim 24, wherein the multi-subscriber optical interface further comprises a tilt network.

26. The multi-optical network system of claim 24, wherein the multi-subscriber optical interface further comprises an RF splitter and a service disconnect switch disposed between the RF splitter and a signal output port.

27. The optical network system of claim 24, wherein the multi-subscriber optical interface further comprises a data router.

28. The optical network system of claim 24, wherein the multi-subscriber optical interface further comprises an RF return path.

29. The optical network system of claim 24, wherein the at least one optical tap comprises an optical splitter.

30. The optical network system of claim 24, wherein the at least one optical tap services a particular group of subscribers and is connected to another optical tap.

24. An optical network system comprising:

a data service hub;

at least one optical tap;

a least one single-subscriber optical interface connected to the optical tap for servicing a subscriber;

at least one multi-subscriber optical interface connected to the optical tap for servicing two or more subscribers;

a laser transceiver node disposed between the data service hub and the optical tap, for communicating optical signals between the data service hub and the optical tap, and for apportioning bandwidth between subscribers of the optical network system, and

one or more optical waveguides connected between respective optical taps, the laser transceiver node, the at least one single-subscriber optical interface, and the at least one multi-subscriber optical interface, for carrying the upstream optical signals and the downstream optical signals, whereby optical bandwidth for subscribers is controllable by one of a laser transceiver node and the at least one multi-subscriber optical interface in response to subscriber demand.

31. A method for communicating optical signals to multiple subscribers with various bandwidth demands connected to the same optical waveguide, comprising:

receiving upstream analog telephone signals from one or more subscribers;

converting analog optical signals into a digital domain;

combining upstream digital telephone signals originating from a first group of subscribers;

combining upstream digital telephone signals originating from the first group of subscribers with a second group of subscribers;

converting upstream RF analog signals into digital domain; and

propagating the upstream signals along an optical waveguide.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of combining at least two streams of upstream digital data signals with a router.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of combining upstream digital telephone signals originating from a first group of subscribers comprises the step of combining the upstream digital telephone optical signals with a subscriber line audio circuit.

35. The optical network system of claim 34, wherein the multi-subscriber optical interface further comprises a tilt network.

36. The optical network system of claim 34, wherein the multi-subscriber optical interface further comprises an RF splitter and a service disconnect switch disposed between the RF splitter and a signal output port.

37. The optical network system of claim 34, wherein the multi-subscriber optical interface further comprises a data router.

38. The optical network system of claim 34, wherein the RF return path comprises at least one of a diplexer and an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter.

39. The optical network system of claim 34, wherein the RF return path comprises at least one of a data reducer and a data conditioner.

40. The optical network system of claim 34, wherein the RF return path comprises at least one of a diplexer and an RF presence detector.

41. The optical network system of claim 34, wherein the RF return path comprises amplitude modulated optical transmitter.

34. An optical network system comprising:

a data service hub;

at least one optical tap;

at least one multi-subscriber optical interface connected to the optical tap for servicing two or more subscribers, the at least one multi-subscriber optical interface comprising an RF return path;

a laser transceiver node disposed between the data service hub and the optical tap, for communicating optical signals between the data service hub and the optical tap, and for apportioning bandwidth between subscribers of the optical network system, and

one or more optical waveguides connected between respective optical taps and the laser transceiver node, and the at least one multi-subscriber optical interface, for carrying the upstream optical signals and the downstream optical signals, whereby optical bandwidth for subscribers is controllable by one of the laser transceiver node and a multi-subscriber optical interface in response to subscriber demand.