Fiber optic cable and fiber optic cable assembly for wireless access

• US 20070269170A1
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sauer, Michael, Easton, Martyn, Renfro, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,472,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/101
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4416 Heterogeneous cables
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44265 Fibre-to-antenna cables; Auxiliary devices thereof

Abstract

A fiber optic cable includes at least one optical fiber and two electrical conductors. A mid-span connection point in the fiber optic cable has a configuration for attaching an opto-electronic component to the optical fiber and electrical conductors. At least one RF antenna is also included and is electrically connected to the opto-electronic component. A fiber optic cable assembly includes a plurality of optical fibers and at least two electrical conductors. An opto-electrical transceiver is in optical and electrical communication with the optical fibers and electrical conductors. An RF antenna is also in electrical communication with the opto-electrical transceiver.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A fiber optic cable for connecting to one or more external opto-electrical components, comprising:

at least one optical fiber disposed within and extending along at least a portion of the fiber optic cable;

at least two electrical conductors disposed within and extending along at least a portion of the fiber optic cable; and

at least one mid-span connection point, having a portion of one of the at least one optical fiber and respective portions of the at least two electrical conductors external to the fiber optic cable, said external optical fiber portion and said external electrical conductor portions being configured to optically and electrically connect at least one of the one or more opto-electrical components to the fiber optic cable.

12. The fiber optic cable according to claim 10, wherein the mid-span connection point having includes a connection point for an RF antenna that connects to the opto-electrical component when the opto-electrical component is connected to the mid-span connection point via said at least one external optical fiber portion and said at least two external electrical conductor portions .

13. The fiber optic cable according to claim 10, further comprising at least one opto-electrical component connected to the at least one mid-span connection point via said at least one external optical fiber portion and said at least two external electrical conductor portions, wherein the at least one opto-electrical component includes an opto-electrical transceiver.

14. The fiber optic cable according to claim 13, wherein the at least one opto-electrical component is attached to the fiber optic cable by a tether that includes said at least one external optical fiber portion and said at least two external electrical conductor portions.

15. The fiber optic cable according to claim 14, wherein the tether is at least 6 inches long.

16. The fiber optic cable according to claim 13, wherein, at one or more of the mid-span connection points, said at least one external optical fiber portion, said at least two external electrical conductor portions, and said at least one external opto-electrical component are secured to the fiber optic cable via an overmold.

11. (canceled)

17-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A fiber optic cable assembly having a length and comprising:

a fiber optic cable comprising a plurality of optical fibers and at least two electrical conductors;

at least one opto-electrical transceiver disposed external to the fiber optic cable and that is in electrical communication with the at least two electrical conductors and in optical communication with at least one of the plurality of optical fibers at corresponding one or more mid-span connection points located along the length of the fiber optic cable, wherein at least at one mid-span connection point, a portion of the at least two electrical conductors and portion of the at least one optical fiber are external to fiber optic cable so as to operably connect the fiber optic cable to one of said at least one opto-electrical transceiver; and

at least one RF antenna in electrical communication with the at least one opto-electrical transceiver to transmit and receive RF signals.

22. The fiber optic cable assembly according to claim 21, wherein the at least one opto-electrical transceiver is connected to the fiber optic cable by a tether that includes said at least two external electrical conductor portions and said at least one external optical fiber portion.

25. The fiber optic cable assembly according to claim 21, wherein the at least one opto-electrical transceiver is separable from the fiber optic cable assembly.

26. The fiber optic cable assembly according to claim 21, wherein the at least one opto-electrical transceiver and the at least one RF antenna are separable from the fiber optic cable assembly.

23-24. -24. (canceled)