Electrical distribution board with interconnected optical repeaters and electrical breakers

• US 6,746,161 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2001
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Imamura, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Prasad, Chandrika
• Application Number:
  US09/810,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20020015565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 385/101, 385/134, 385/135, 439/535, 439/502, 174/150, 361/826, 361/828
• US Class Current: 385/88
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/806 Arrangements for feeding power

Abstract

An electrical distribution board that stores terminals of a signal cable connected to a communication network and an electrical power cable connected to an electrical distribution cable, the electrical distribution board comprising: an in-building electrical distribution breaker inserted between the electrical power cable and the in-building distribution cable; a gateway that interfaces the communication network with the in-building network; and a plurality of optical repeaters, each having a bi-directional conversion function between an electrical signal and an optical signal between an electrical signal input/output terminal and an optical signal input/output terminal, and having an electrical signal input/output terminal that is connected to an electrical signal input/output terminal for in-building network connection of the gateway, wherein the optical signal input/output terminal is connected to an optical fiber cable of the in-building network. In addition, junction boxes, outlet boxes, plugs with electrical codes, outlet box terminal boards, table taps and the like are prepared to form an in-building network. In-building equipment can be connected to the outlet boxes and the table taps.

Claims

1. An electrical distribution board that stores ends of a signal cable connected to a communication network and an electrical power cable connected to electrical distribution cables, the electrical distribution board comprising:

in-building electrical distribution breakers inserted between the electrical power cable and an in-building distribution cables;

a gateway that interfaces the communication network with an in-building network; and

a plurality of optical repeaters, coupled to the gateway, each of said optical repeaters having a bi-directional conversion function between an electrical signal and an optical signal that communicate between a first electrical signal input/output terminal and an optical signal input/output terminal, and

wherein at least one of said optical repeaters have a second electrical signal input/output terminal connected to a third electrical signal input/output terminal of another of said optical repeaters for in-building network connection of the gateway,

wherein the optical signal input/output terminal is coupled to an optical fiber cable of the in-building network.

3. An electrical distribution board according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the plurality of optical repeaters are coupled in daisy chain through the second and third electrical signal input/output terminals.

4. An electrical distribution board according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the plurality of optical repeaters are coupled in a tree-form through electrical signal input/output terminals.

5. An electrical distribution board according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the plurality of electrical signal input/output terminals are IEEE 1394 serial interface cable connection terminals.

6. An electrical distribution board according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each of the optical repeaters is isolated in terms of network from an upstream-side of the distribution board by a bridge function.

2. An electrical distribution board that stores an end of an electrical power cable connected to electrical distribution cables, the electrical distribution board comprising:

an in-building electrical distribution breaker inserted between the electrical power cable and in-building electrical distribution cables;

a gateway that interfaces the communication network with an in-building network; and

a plurality of optical repeaters, coupled to the gateway, each of said optical repeaters having a bi-directional conversion function between an electrical signal and an optical signal that communicate between a first electrical signal input/output terminal and an optical signal input/output terminal, and

wherein at least one of said optical repeaters have a second electrical signal input/output terminal coupled to a third electrical signal input/output terminal of another of said optical repeaters for in-building network connection of the gateway,

wherein the optical signal input/output terminal is coupled to an optical fiber cable of the in-building network, and

wherein the gateway is externally attached to a casing that stores the in-building electrical distribution breakers and the optical repeaters.