Method and system for supporting multiple service providers within a single optical network
First Claim
1. An optical network system for supporting multiple service providers, comprising:
- a data service hub comprising;
a first optical transmitter for modulating a first analog optical carrier having a first wavelength with a first electrical broadcast signal;
a second optical transmitter a second analog optical carrier having a second wavelength with the second electrical broadcast signal;
a first optical waveguide coupled to the data service hub and a laser transceiver node for receiving the first analog optical carrier and propagating it to the laser transceiver node;
a second optical waveguide coupled to the data service hub and the node for receiving the first analog optical carrier and propagating it to the laser transceiver node, the node comprising a combiner for mixing the first and second analog optical carriers;
a third optical waveguide coupled to the laser transceiver node and a subscriber optical interface for receiving the combined first and second analog optical carriers and propagating them to the subscriber optical interface; and
the subscriber optical interface comprising a service provider selection device for selecting one of the analog optical carriers.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Analog video signals are communicated from multiple service providers to subscribers by using analcg optical carriers. Unlike digital optical carriers that typically support data services or IP TV, analog optical carriers that can be demodulated or translated back into the analog radio-frequency (RF) signals do not require additional and costly hardware for reception by a RF receiving device such as a television (TV) set. With the present invention, a TV set does not need significant digital hardware such as a digital set top box to allow the TV set to view video signals from a desired service provider. The present invention can allow a plurality of competing service providers to offer video services to a subscriber through a single optical network.
117 Citations
75 Claims
-
1. An optical network system for supporting multiple service providers, comprising:
-
a data service hub comprising;
a first optical transmitter for modulating a first analog optical carrier having a first wavelength with a first electrical broadcast signal;
a second optical transmitter a second analog optical carrier having a second wavelength with the second electrical broadcast signal;
a first optical waveguide coupled to the data service hub and a laser transceiver node for receiving the first analog optical carrier and propagating it to the laser transceiver node;
a second optical waveguide coupled to the data service hub and the node for receiving the first analog optical carrier and propagating it to the laser transceiver node, the node comprising a combiner for mixing the first and second analog optical carriers;
a third optical waveguide coupled to the laser transceiver node and a subscriber optical interface for receiving the combined first and second analog optical carriers and propagating them to the subscriber optical interface; and
the subscriber optical interface comprising a service provider selection device for selecting one of the analog optical carriers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method for supporting broadcast signals from multiple sources operating within a single optical network, comprising:
-
modulating a first analog optical carrier having a first wavelength with a first electrical broadcast signal at a data service hub;
modulating a second analog optical carrier having a second wavelength with the second electrical broadcast signal at the data service hub;
propagating the first and second analog optical carriers through separate optical waveguides away from the data service hub;
combining the first and second analog optical carriers;
propagating the first and second analog optical carriers through one optical waveguide towards a subscriber; and
selecting one of the analog optical carriers at a subscriber optical interface. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A system for supporting broadcast signals from multiple service providers operating within a single optical network, comprising:
-
a data service hub comprising;
a first optical transmitter for modulating a first analog optical carrier having a first wavelength with a first electrical broadcast signal;
a block converter for translating a frequency range of a second electrical broadcast signal;
a second optical transmitter for modulating a second analog optical carrier having a second wavelength with the second electrical broadcast signal;
a combiner for mixing the first and second analog optical carriers;
a first optical waveguide for communicating the first and second analog optical carriers to a node; and
a subscriber optical interface coupled to the node and comprising a service provider selection device for selecting one of the analog optical carriers. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. A method for supporting broadcast signals from multiple service providers operating within a single optical network, comprising:
-
modulating a first analog optical carrier having a first wavelength with a first electrical broadcast signal at a data service hub;
translating a frequency range of a second electrical broadcast signal;
modulating a second analog optical carrier having a second wavelength with the second electrical broadcast signal at the data service hub;
combining the first and second analog optical carriers at the data service hub;
propagating the first and second analog optical carriers through one optical waveguide towards a subscriber; and
selecting one of the analog optical carriers at a subscriber optical interface. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. A system for supporting broadcast signals from multiple service providers operating within a single optical network, comprising:
-
a data service hub comprising;
a block converter for translating a frequency range of a first electrical broadcast signal;
an electrical combiner for combining the first electrical broadcast signal with a second electrical broadcast signal;
an optical transmitter for modulating an analog optical carrier with the combined first and second electrical broadcast signals; and
an optical waveguide for communicating the analog optical carrier to a subscriber optical interface;
the subscriber optical interface comprising a service provider selection device for choosing one of the analog optical carriers. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
-
-
41. A method for supporting broadcast signals from multiple service providers operating within a single optical network, comprising:
-
generating a first electrical broadcast signal;
translating a frequency range of second electrical broadcast signal;
combining the first and second analog electrical signals at the data service hub;
modulating an analog optical carrier with the first and second electrical broadcast signals at the data service hub;
propagating the analog optical carriers through one optical waveguide towards a subscriber; and
selecting one of the analog optical carriers at a subscriber optical interface. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
-
-
48. A system for supporting broadcast signals from multiple service providers operating within a single optical network, comprising:
-
a data service hub comprising;
an first optical transmitter for modulating a first analog optical carrier having a first wavelength with a first electrical broadcast signal, the first electrical broadcast signal having a first frequency range occupied by analog broadcast signals and a second frequency range occupied by digital broadcast signals;
a second optical transmitter for modulating a second analog optical carrier having a second wavelength with a second electrical broadcast signal, the second electrical broadcast signal having a first frequency range occupied by digital broadcast signals and a second frequency range occupied by analog broadcast signals, the frequency ranges of the second electrical broadcast signal being opposite to the frequency ranges of the first electrical broadcast signal at least in some channels;
a combiner for mixing the first and second analog optical carriers;
an optical waveguide for communicating the first and second analog optical carriers from the data service hub to a subscriber optical interface, the subscriber optical interface comprising a service provider selection device. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
-
-
54. A method for supporting broadcast signals from multiple service providers operating within a single optical network, comprising:
-
selecting a first frequency range for a first electrical broadcast signal;
selecting a second frequency range for a second electrical broadcast signal that is different from the first frequency range;
modulating a first analog optical carrier having a first wavelength with the first electrical broadcast signal at a data service hub;
modulating a second analog optical carrier having a second wavelength with the second electrical broadcast signal at the data service hub;
propagating the first and second analog optical carriers through one optical waveguide towards a subscriber; and
selecting one of the analog optical carriers at the subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
-
-
61. A method for supporting broadcast signals from multiple service providers operating within a single optical network, comprising:
-
generating a first and second electrical broadcast signals;
locking a phase of the second electrical broadcast signal relative to a phase of the first electrical broadcast signal;
modulating a first analog optical carrier having a first wavelength with the first electrical broadcast signal at a data service hub;
modulating a second analog optical carrier having a second wavelength with the second electrical broadcast signal at the data service hub;
propagating the first and second analog optical carriers through one optical waveguide towards a subscriber; and
selecting one of the analog optical carriers at the subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64)
-
-
65. A method for supporting broadcast signals from multiple service providers operating within a single optical network, comprising:
-
generating a first and second electrical broadcast signals;
off setting a frequency of the second electrical broadcast signal relative to the first electrical broadcast signal by a predetermined amount;
modulating a first analog optical carrier having a first wavelength with the first electrical broadcast signal at a data service hub;
modulating a second analog optical carrier having a second wavelength with the second electrical broadcast signal at the data service hub;
propagating the first and second analog optical carriers through one optical waveguide towards a subscriber; and
selecting one of the analog optical carriers at the subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68)
-
-
69. An optical network system for supporting multiple service providers, comprising:
-
a first data service hub for supplying a first set of video services comprising;
a first optical transmitter for modulating a first analog optical carrier having a first wavelength with a first electrical broadcast signal;
a second data service hub for supplying a second set of video services comprising;
a second optical transmitter a second analog optical carrier having a second wavelength with a second electrical broadcast signal;
an optical waveguide communicating the first and second optical carriers between the first data service hub and the second data service hub. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71)
-
-
72. A method for supporting broadcast and data services from multiple sources operating within a single optical network, comprising:
-
modulating a first analog optical carrier having a first wavelength with a first electrical broadcast signal at a data service hub;
modulating a second analog optical carrier having a second wavelength with the second electrical broadcast signal at the data service hub;
modulating a digital optical carrier having a third wavelength with a digital electrical data signal at the data service hub;
propagating the first and second analog optical carriers and digital optical carrier through separate optical waveguides away from the data service hub;
combining the first and second analog optical carriers together with the digital optical carrier;
propagating the combined optical carriers through one optical waveguide towards a subscriber;
- View Dependent Claims (73, 74, 75)
-
Specification