APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR DYNAMIC DELIVERY OF OPTICAL AND NON-OPTICAL CONTENT IN A NETWORK

• US 20130279914A1
• Filed: 04/19/2012
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brooks, Paul D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,849,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/66
• 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

Apparatus and methods for providing content to devices in a content distribution network. In one embodiment, a hybrid fiber/coax network provides optical signals to an amplification and combination node, the signals which are converted to radio frequency (RF) signals and transmitted to a series of cascading amplification and combination apparatus. The converted signals are combined with legacy RF signals at the combination apparatus, and distributed further downstream to serviced premises as well as other portions of the network cascade. Time division techniques are used to mitigate interference between the various amplification and combination nodes within the cascade. The programmable time division devices allow for rapid spectrum reallocation, and for insertion of different content at each different node of the network.

Claims

7. An amplifier apparatus for providing content to a plurality of user devices in a network, said network comprising an amplifier cascade, said amplifier apparatus comprising:

a first interface for receiving first radio frequency (RF) signals from said network;

a second interface for receiving optical signals from said network;

a first apparatus for amplifying said received first RF signals;

a second apparatus for converting said optical signals to second RF signals;

a combiner apparatus for combining said first and second RF signals into a combined signal; and

a third interface for transmitting said combined signals to said plurality of client devices in said network in communication with said amplifier device, and to a downstream portion of said amplifier cascade.

8. The amplifier apparatus of claim 7, wherein said optical signals are received from an optical line terminal (OLT) located at a headend of said network.

9. The amplifier apparatus of claim 7, wherein said optical signals are received from an optical line terminal (OLT) located at a local network entity.

10. The amplifier apparatus of claim 7, wherein data contained in said first and said second RF signals is substantially similar.

11. The amplifier apparatus of claim 7, wherein said first apparatus for amplifying comprises at least one filter configured to block higher band RF signals received from another amplifier apparatus upstream of said amplifier apparatus within said cascade.

12. A cascaded hybrid optical fiber and radio frequency (RF) content distribution architecture, comprising:

at least one first node for delivering RF signals to a first amplification and combination node;

at least one second node for delivering optical signals to said first amplification and combination node;

a first plurality of user devices in RF communication with said first amplification and combination node;

a second amplification and combination node in RF communication with, and downstream of, said first amplification and combination node; and

a second plurality of user devices in communication with said second amplification and combination node.

1. A system for providing content to a plurality of devices in a service group of a content delivery network, said system comprising:

a network entity comprising at least one apparatus for transmitting first optical signals;

a plurality of amplification and combination apparatus disposed substantially in series to one another and configured to convert optical signals to first radio frequency (RF) signals, a first one of said series of amplification and combination apparatus also being in communication with a service node, said service node configured to transmit second RF signals thereto; and

a plurality of client devices, each of said plurality of client devices in communication with at least one of said plurality of amplification and combination apparatus;

wherein said amplification and combination apparatus in said series are each configured to combine said first RF signals with said second RF signals so as to generate a combined RF signal, and transmit said combined signal to at least a portion of said client devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said second RF signals comprise legacy band signals.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said service node comprises a distribution hub within a hybrid fiber coaxial network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said optical signals are delivered to said amplification and combination apparatus using an optical fiber and an EPON optical line terminal (OLT).

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said amplification and combination apparatus combines said first RF signals at a first frequency band with said second signals at a second frequency band, the first band being higher than and non-overlapping with the second.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said amplification and combination apparatus are each further configured to transmit their respective combined signals according to a time division scheme so as to substantially avoid interference therebetween.

13. The architecture of claim 12, wherein said radio frequency communication between said first and second amplification and combination node comprises communication of both said RF signals and an RF domain version of said optical signals.

14. The architecture of claim 13, wherein at least said second amplification and combination node comprises filtration circuitry that effectively blocks at least said RF domain version of said optical signals from amplification and transmission downstream.

15. The architecture of claim 14, wherein said time divided communication comprises said first amplification and combination node comprises using at least a first time slot to transmit said RF domain version of said optical signals, and said second amplification and combination node comprises using at least a second time slot to transmit an RF domain version of other optical signals

16. The architecture of claim 12, wherein said at least first and second nodes are the same node.

17. The architecture of claim 16, wherein said at least first and second nodes comprise a common distribution hub of a content distribution network, the distribution hub comprising an EPON splitter for distribution of said optical signals to a plurality of amplification and combination nodes.

14-1. The architecture of claim 12, wherein said radio frequency communication between said first and second amplification and combination node comprises a time-divided communication of at least an RF domain version of said optical signals.

18. A method for providing heterogeneous content to a plurality of devices in a network, said method comprising:

receiving first signals rendered in a first format;

receiving second signals rendered in a second format;

converting said second signals to said first format;

combining the first signals and converted second signals into a common signal; and

transmitting said combined signals to said plurality of client devices in said network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said first format comprises signals rendered in a radio frequency domain and said second format comprises signals rendered in an optical domain.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said first and said second signals contain substantially different data.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said combining comprises combining said first signals with a multi-carrier frequency rendering of said converted second signals.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said multi-carrier frequency rendering of said converted second signals comprises an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) representation of said converted second signals.

23. A method of selectively inserting content into an existing content distribution network, comprising:

providing existing radio frequency (RF) domain content to a node of the network;

providing content for insertion to said node in the optical domain;

converting the optical domain content to RF domain content;

combining the existing RF domain content with the converted RF domain content comprising first and second frequency bands, respectively; and

transmitting the combined RF domain content downstream in the network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said network comprises a cable television network, said first frequency band comprises a legacy cable frequency band, and said second band comprises a frequency band above said legacy band but below 1 GHz.

25. A method of delivering content from multiple origination points over a content distribution network, comprising:

transmitting first content from a first amplification node of said network onto a first portion of said network;

transmitting second content from a second amplification node of said network onto said network; and

implementing a multiple access scheme with respect to at least the first and second amplification nodes so that interference between the transmitted first and second content to not substantially interfere with one another;

wherein said first portion includes said second amplification node.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first content comprises radio frequency (RF) domain content converted from first optical domain content, and the second content comprises radio frequency (RF) domain content converted from second optical domain content.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the first content and the second content comprise different content.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the first content and the second content comprise the same content obtained from a common optical networking source.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the first and second content comprise first and second RF domain content, respectively, and said transmitting the first and second content comprises:

combining the first and second RF domain content with first and second legacy band RF signals, respectively to form first and second combined RF domain signals; and

transmitting the first and second combined RF domain signals from the first and second amplification nodes, respectively.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the multiple access scheme comprises a time division scheme.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the multiple access scheme comprises a frequency division scheme.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the multiple access scheme comprises a code division scheme.

33. Premises amplification apparatus, comprising:

a signal splitter for spitting an incoming radio frequency signal into first and second signals;

filtration apparatus in signal communication with said splitter and configured to filter at least one frequency range of said first signals;

time division duplex apparatus in signal communication with said splitter and configured to apply a time division duplex scheme to said second signals; and

coupler apparatus in signal communication with said time division duplex apparatus and said filtration apparatus;

wherein the apparatus maintains MoCA connectivity by way of time division duplex apparatus and said signal communication between said time division duplex apparatus and said coupler apparatus.