Systems and Methods of Providing Outside Plant Transport Gateway

• US 20130077634A1
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2011
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Finkelstein, Jeff
• Application Number:
  US13/241,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20130077634A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/631 Multimode Transmission, e.g. transmitting basic layers and enhancement layers of the content over different transmission paths or transmitting with different error corrections, different keys or with different transmission protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution

Abstract

In example embodiments of systems and methods of outside plant transport gateway provided herein, instead of locating the gateway/media converter inside the customer premises, the gateway/media converter is located outside the customer premises and may be configured to provide access/media conversion for multiple homes. In previous systems, the gateway/media converter is located in the customer premises. However, the customer premises must be entered to perform maintenance or other work. Moving the gateway/router outside of the customer premises offers easier maintenance at the gateway level.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a media converter located outside of customer premises, the media converter configured to receive packets from an access network in a first format, to convert the packets from the first format to a second format; and

to transmit packets the packets in a second format to one or more customer premises equipment units (CPEUs).

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the media converter is powered by a service provider physical plant.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the media converter is configured to transmit packets to a plurality of types of CPEUs.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the CPEUs comprise at least one of an internet protocol television, a personal computer, and a smart grid device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the media converter transmits packets to at least one of a multimedia over coax alliance (MoCA) network, an Ethernet network, and an IEEE 802.11 network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the media converter transmits packets to at least one of a multimedia over coax alliance (MoCA) device, an Ethernet device, and an IEEE 802.11 device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the media converter receives packets from at least one of a fiber-based access network, a wireless access network, and a hybrid-fiber-coaxial (HFC) access network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the media converter is further configured to receive packets from the CPEUs and to transmit packets to the access network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the media converter is further configured to convert the received packets from a format of the access network to a format of at least one of the CPEUs.

10. A method comprising:

receiving packets in a media converter located outside customer premises, the packets received from an access network in a first medium;

converting the packets from the first medium to a second medium; and

transmitting the packets to customer premises equipment units (CPEUs).

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising powering the media converter by a service provider physical plant.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting packets to CPEUs further comprises transmitting packets to a plurality of types of CPEUs.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the CPEUs comprise at least one of an internet protocol television, a personal computer, and a smart grid device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting packets further comprises transmitting packets to at least one of a multimedia over coax alliance (MoCA) network, an Ethernet network, and an IEEE 802.11 network.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting packets further comprises transmitting packets to at least one of a multimedia over coax alliance (MoCA) device, an Ethernet device, and an IEEE 802.11 device.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving packets further comprises receiving packets from at least one of a fiber-based access network, a wireless access network, and a hybrid-fiber-coaxial (HFC) access network.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving packets further comprises receiving packets from the CPEUs and transmitting packets further comprises transmitting packets to the access network.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising converting the received packets from a format of the access network to a format of at least one of the CPEUs.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the media converter is further configured to receive packets from at least one of a fiber-based access network, a wireless access network, and a hybrid-fiber-coaxial (HFC) access network and to transmit packets to at least one of a multimedia over coax alliance (MoCA) network, an Ethernet network, and an IEEE 802.11 network.

19. A service provider physical plant comprising:

a power supply;

a router powered by the power supply; and

a media converter powered by the power supply, the media converter configured to

transceive packets with an access network in a first format;

convert the packets to and from a second format, the second format defined by a customer premises equipment unit; and

transceive packets in the second format with the CPEU through the router.