Powered fiber cable

• US 20070189679A1
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Heinmiller, Wayne, Khoshaba, Shadi, Barnes, Bruce, Marathe, Nikhil, Towster, Henry, Stahulak, Chuck
• Granted Patent: US 7,272,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/101
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4416 Heterogeneous cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 9/005 including optical transmission elements

Abstract

An optical fiber for information transmission contains a glass tube core wrapped in a sheath of conductive material attachable to a power source such as a battery or generator to transmit power via the conductive sheath of the fiber. Methods to transmit power via an optical fiber, together with fiber optic networks are described.

Claims

1. A power transmission line construction comprising:

at least one fiber optic core;

an outer jacket housing the fiber optic core; and

one or more protective sheaths between the outer jacket and the fiber optic core, at least one of the protective sheaths comprising a first insulated conductor having a first connection portion attachable to a first voltage source and a second insulated conductor having a second connection portion attachable to a second voltage source;

wherein at least one of the protective sheaths comprises an insulated conductive sheath subdivided by two dielectric strips to form a split sheath having two moieties, wherein a first of the moieties comprises the first insulated conductor and a second of the moieties comprises the second insulated conductor.

6. The construction of claim 1, wherein at least one of the insulated conductors comprises a conductive material selected to at least approximate one or more desired performance characteristics.

26. The construction of claim 6, wherein one of the strands comprises a doped copper.

27. The construction of claim 6, wherein one of the strands comprises a metal alloy.

2-5. -5. (canceled)

7-8. -8. (canceled)

10-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A fiber optic network comprising:

one or more optical cables, wherein each of the optical cables comprises one or more conductive sheaths attachable to one or more power sources;

wherein one or more of the optical cables connects two or more network components, and wherein at least one of the network components is selected from the group consisting of an optical line terminal, a service area interface, an end distribution point, an optical-to-electric converter, and a fiber optic transmitter.

18. The network of claim 17, wherein at least one of the one or more conductive sheaths comprises a braid of multiple strands.

19. The network of claim 18, wherein one of the strands comprises a first insulated conductor and another strand comprises a second insulated conductor.

20. The network of claim 17, wherein at least one of the one or more conductive sheaths comprises an insulated conductive sheath subdivided by two dielectric strips to form a split sheath having two moieties, wherein a first of the moieties comprises a first insulated conductor and a second of the moieties comprises a second insulated conductor.

21-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A method for transmitting power via an optical cable, the method comprising:

connecting an insulated conductive sheath surrounding an optical fiber core to a power source, wherein the insulated conductive sheath comprises a braid of multiple strands and includes a voltage source connection; and

applying power to the connected insulated conductive sheath.

28. A power transmission line comprising:

a fiber optic core;

an outer jacket housing the fiber optic core;

one or more protective sheaths between the outer jacket and the fiber optic core, at least one of the protective sheaths comprising a first insulated conductor having a first connection portion attachable to a first voltage source and a second insulated conductor having a second connection portion attachable to a second voltage source;

wherein at least one of the protective sheaths comprises a braid of multiple strands.

29. The power transmission line of claim 28, wherein one of the strands comprises the first insulated conductor and another of the strands comprises the second insulated conductor.

30. The power transmission line of claim 28, wherein at least one of the insulated conductors comprises a conductive material selected to at least approximate one or more desired performance characteristics.

31. The power transmission line of claim 30, wherein the conductive material comprises a doped copper.

32. The power transmission line of claim 30, wherein the conductive material comprises a metal alloy.