MODULAR NETWORK TERMINALS AND METHODS TO USE THE SAME

• US 20100158525A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walter, Edward
• Granted Patent: US 8,903,244 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5087 wherein the managed service relates to voice services management of VoIP services H04M7/0081
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• 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

Example modular optical network terminals (ONTs) and methods to implement the same are disclosed. A disclosed example ONT includes a base unit having an integral optical interface to optically couple the ONT to an optical network, and to convert an optical signal received from the optical network to form an electrical signal, a plug-in service module to distribute the electrical signal within a customer premises, and a modular interface connector configured to receive the plug-in service module and to couple the electrical signal from the base unit to the plug-in service module.

Claims

1. An optical network terminal (ONT) comprising:

a base unit having an integral optical interface to optically couple the ONT to an optical network, and to convert an optical signal received from the optical network to form an electrical signal;

a plug-in service module to distribute the electrical signal within a customer premises; and

a modular interface connector configured to receive the plug-in service module and to couple the electrical signal from the base unit to the plug-in service module.

2. An ONT as defined in claim 1, wherein the optical interface is to convert the optical signal to form a second electrical signal, and wherein the base unit further comprises an integral network interface to distribute the second electrical signal within the customer premises;

3. An ONT as defined in claim 2, wherein the second electrical signal is associated with at least one of an Internet access service, a voice over Internet protocol service, or an Internet protocol television service.

4. An ONT as defined in claim 1, wherein the integral optical interface is not intended for installation and/or removal outside of a manufacturing environment.

5. An ONT as defined in claim 1, wherein the plug-in service module comprises at least one of a wired network interface, a wireless interface, a data over telephone wire network interface, or a data over power line network interface.

6. An ONT as defined in claim 1, wherein the plug-in service module is to enable the ONT to provide a communication service to the customer premises.

7. An ONT as defined in claim 1, wherein the plug-in service module is to enable a voice over Internet protocol service.

8. An ONT as defined in claim 1, wherein the plug-in service module is to enable an Internet access services.

9. An ONT as defined in claim 1, wherein the plug-in service module is to enable sharing a service between a plurality of devices.

10. An ONT as defined in claim 1, wherein the plug-in service module is to couple the ONT to a service provider network with a wireless network when the optical network is not available.

11. An ONT as defined in claim 1, wherein the plug-in service module is to enable a local audio-video (A/V) conversion service.

12. An ONT as defined in claim 1, wherein the modular interface connector comprises a field-insertable module.

13. A method comprising:

receiving data at an optical network terminal (ONT) from an optical distribution network;

identifying a service associated with the data that is not associated with an interface that is integral to the ONT;

determining whether a field-installable plug-in service module associated with the identified service is installed in an expansion port of the ONT; and

routing data between the base unit of the ONT and the plug-in service module via the expansion port to provide the identified service to a customer premises associated with the ONT.

14. A method as defined in claim 13, further comprising inserting the field-installable service module into the expansion port.

15. A method as defined in claim 13, further comprising activating the field-installable service module to enable the identified service.

16. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the identified service is at least one of a voice over Internet protocol service, an Internet access service, a wireless backup service, an Internet protocol television service, or an audio-video conversion service.

17. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the field-installable service module is at least one of a network interface module, a residential gateway module, a wireless backup module or a audio-video source module.

18. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the plug-in field-installable service module comprises a wireless backup module, and further comprising configuring a wireless connection between the wireless backup module and a wireless network, the wireless connection to be used when the base unit is unable to receive the data from the optical distribution network.

19. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the field-installable plug-in service module comprises an audio-video conversion module and further comprising configuring the audio-video conversion module to present locally generated audio-video content as an Internet protocol television service.

20-27. -27. (canceled)