Method and system for supporting multiple services with a subscriber optical interface located outside a subscriber's premises

• US 20040131357A1
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• 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: Thomas, Stephen, Farmer, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,529,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/67
• 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 14/0247 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 14/028 WDM bus architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0282 WDM tree architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0286 WDM hierarchical architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• 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

A system and method for tuning a broadcast receiver such as a television set with a subscriber optical interface (SOI) that can be located outside a subscriber'"'"'s premises and can be adjacent to the subscriber'"'"'s premises. For example, a subscriber optical interface can be mounted on a side of a home which converts optical data and optical video signals received from an optical waveguide to electrical signals. Because of the hardware contained in the subscriber optical interface, any video processing hardware that is present within the subscriber'"'"'s premises for tuning video programs can be reduced or substantially eliminated without sacrificing a range of services available to a subscriber from a fiber-to-the-home optical network.

Claims

1. A system for formatting programming received from an optical network comprising:

a subscriber optical interface coupled to the optical network, for converting an optical signal received from the network into an electrical signal, for receiving television channel requests; and

a portable, handheld remote controller for generating and sending the television channel requests to the subscriber optical interface and for receiving television channel instructions from the subscriber optical interface.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote controller interface for relaying television channel requests from the remote controller to the subscriber optical interface and for relaying television channel instructions from the subscriber optical interface to the remote controller.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote controller interface for converting television channel requests from the remote controller into electrical signals and for converting television channel instructions from the subscriber optical interface into infrared signals.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote controller interface for converting television channel requests from the remote controller into electrical signals and for converting television channel instructions from the subscriber optical interface into electromagnetic radio frequency signals.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an antenna for receiving television channel requests from the remote controller into electrical signals and for propagating electromagnetic radio frequency, television channel instructions from the subscriber optical.

6. A method for formatting programming for a television coupled to an optical network comprising:

receiving an optical signal from the optical network comprising digital and analog programming;

converting the optical signal into an electrical domain;

receiving a request from a remote controller to tune the television to a first channel contained within the electrical domain of the converted optical signal;

processing the request from the remote controller; and

instructing the remote controller to tune to a second channel comprising programming of the first channel.

7. The method of 6, further comprising converting the first channel into the second channel.

8. The method of 6, wherein receiving the request from the remote controller further comprises receiving and converting an infrared signal comprising the request.

9. The method of 6, wherein receiving the request from the remote controller further comprises receiving and converting a radio frequency signal comprising the request.

10. The method of 6, wherein receiving the request from the remote controller further comprises formatting the request into an RF signal.

11. A method for formatting programming for a television coupled to an optical network comprising:

receiving an optical signal from the optical network comprising digital and analog programming;

converting the optical signal into the electrical domain;

receiving a request to tune the television to a first channel present within the electrical domain of the converted optical signal;

determining if the television can tune to the first channel;

if the television cannot tune to the first channel, then performing the following;

converting the first channel to an analog frequency domain;

identifying a second channel within the analog frequency domain that is available to the television and is tunable by the television;

modulating the converted analog first channel onto a frequency of the identified second channel.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving a request to tune the television to a first channel further comprises receiving a request from a remote controller to tune the television to the first channel.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining if the television can tune to the first channel further comprises scanning a database of television types.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising identifying a capability for a particular type of television.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein converting the first channel to an analog frequency domain further comprises converting a digital television channel to an analog frequency domain.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein converting the first channel to an analog frequency domain further comprises converting internet protocol television signals into an analog frequency domain.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying a second channel within the analog frequency domain that is available to the television further comprises scanning a database of channels available to the television and identifying an unused channel.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending a message to a remote control to tune the television to the second channel.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending a command to the television to tune to the second channel.