Peak power management and active decoupling arrangement for span-powered remote terminal access platforms

• US 6,917,681 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2002
• Issued: 07/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ADTRAN Incorporated (ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADTRAN Incorporated (ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Robinson, Steven M., Boudreaux, Ralph R. Jr., Wilkes, John B. Jr., McGary, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Briney, III, Walter F
• Application Number:
  US10/114,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20030185385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 371/473, 371/473.07, 371/478, 371/399.01, 371/372, 371/373.07, 371/257, 371/252, 363 78- 80
• US Class Current: 379/387.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/02 providing ringing current or supervisory tones, e.g. dialling tone or busy tone
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A power management circuit for a remote access platform extracts power from a wireline for powering a ring generator that generates a ringing voltage signal that is distributed to a plurality of subscriber circuits. A power-limited voltage converter steps up the wireline voltage to a higher ‘isolating’ voltage, charging a capacitor coupled to the ring generator. A monitor circuit reduces the power that the power-limited voltage converter can draw, if the wireline voltage drops too low. This prevents the wireline voltage from collapsing should the remote terminal be deployed at a distance from wireline voltage source (the central office) greater than its specified capability.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an electrical energy utilization device, which is operative to generate electrical signals for distribution to a plurality of circuits coupled thereto, wherein loading of said electrical energy utilization device depends upon the number of circuits in use and the load of each circuit to which an electrical signal is supplied;

(b) converting a voltage, supplied by a wireline that conveys communication signals to and from and is remotely powered by a communication facility, to an isolating voltage that charges an energy storage device coupled to said electrical energy utilization device; and

(c) using electrical energy stored in said energy storage device in step (b) to deliver peak power required for said electrical energy utilization device to generate said electrical signals for plural ones of said circuits without exceeding the maximum power available from said wireline, and wherein said electrical energy utilization device comprises a ring generator, said electrical signal comprises a ringing voltage signal, and said circuits include subscriber line circuits, and wherein step (c) includes decoupling, from said wireline, low frequency ripple noise associated with said operation of said ring generator, so as not to interfere with digital telecommunication signals being conveyed over said wireline during remote powering thereof.

2. A method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an electrical energy utilization device, which is operative to generate electrical signals for distribution to a plurality of circuits coupled thereto, wherein loading of said electrical energy utilization device depends upon the number of circuits in use and the load of each circuit to which an electrical signal is supplied;

(b) converting a voltage, supplied by a wireline that conveys communication signals to and from and is remotely powered by a communication facility, to an isolating voltage that charges an energy storage device coupled to said electrical energy utilization device; and

(c) using electrical energy stored in said energy storage device in step (b) to deliver peak power required for said electrical energy utilization device to generate said electrical signals for plural ones of said circuits without exceeding the maximum power available from said wireline, and wherein said electrical energy utilization device comprises a ring generator, said electrical signal comprises a ringing voltage signal, and said circuits include subscriber line circuits, and wherein

step (b) comprises coupling a wireline voltage supplied by said wireline to a power-limited voltage converter that is operative to convert said wireline voltage to said isolating voltage used to charge an energy reservoir capacitor coupled to said electrical energy utilization device and, for an overdeployment condition where said power-limited voltage converter is spaced apart from a source of said wireline voltage by a distance greater than a specified rating, controllably reducing the amount of power said power-limited voltage converter can supply, so as to prevent said wireline voltage from collapsing under a specified load.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said isolating voltage is larger than said voltage supplied by said wireline.

4. An apparatus comprising:

an electrical energy utilization device, which is operative to generate electrical signals for distribution to a plurality of circuits coupled thereto, wherein loading of said electrical energy utilization device depends upon the number of circuits in use and load of each circuit to which an electrical signal is supplied;

an energy storage device coupled to said electrical energy utilization device; and

a voltage converter, coupled to a wireline that conveys communication signals to and from and is remotely powered by a communication facility, and being operative to convert a voltage supplied by said wireline to an isolating voltage that charges said energy storage device, in a manner that delivers peak power required for electrical energy utilization device to generate said electrical signals for plural ones of said circuits without exceeding the maximum power available from said wireline, wherein said electrical energy utilization device comprises a ring generator, said electrical signal comprises a ringing voltage signal, and said circuits include subscriber line circuits, and wherein

the bandwidth of said power-limited voltage converter is limited to less than the frequency of said ring voltage signal, so as to reduce the effect of low frequency ripple noise associated with said operation of said ring generator on said wireline, so as not to interfere with digital telecommunication signals being conveyed over said wireline during remote powering thereof.

5. An apparatus comprising:

an electrical energy utilization device, which is operative to generate electrical signals for distribution to a plurality of circuits coupled thereto, wherein loading of said electrical energy utilization device depends upon the number of circuits in use and load of each circuit to which an electrical signal is supplied;

an energy storage device coupled to said electrical energy utilization device; and

a voltage converter, coupled to a wireline that conveys communication signals to and from and is remotely powered by a communication facility, and being operative to convert a voltage supplied by said wireline to an isolating voltage that charges said energy storage device, in a manner that delivers peak power required for electrical energy utilization device to generate said electrical signals for plural ones of said circuits without exceeding the maximum power available from said wireline, wherein said electrical energy utilization device comprises a ring generator, said electrical signal comprises a ringing voltage signal, and said circuits include subscriber line circuits, and further including an over-deployment monitor circuit, which is operative, for an overdeployment condition where said voltage converter is spaced apart from a source of said wireline voltage by a distance greater than a specified rating, to controllably reduce the amount of power said voltage converter can supply, so as to prevent said wireline voltage from collapsing under a specified load.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said isolating voltage is larger than said voltage supplied by said wireline.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said over deployment monitor circuit is operative, in response to said wireline voltage dropping to a low value associated with too much power being drawn from said wireline, to reduce the maximum power said voltage converter can extract from said wireline.

8. An apparatus comprising:

an electrical energy utilization device, which is operative to generate electrical signals for distribution to a plurality of circuits coupled thereto, wherein loading of said electrical energy utilization device depends upon the number of circuits in use and load of each circuit to which an electrical signal is supplied;

an energy storage device coupled to said electrical energy utilization device; and

a voltage converter, coupled to a wireline that conveys communication signals to and from and is remotely powered by a communication facility, and being operative to convert a voltage supplied by said wireline to an isolating voltage that charges said energy storage device, in a manner that delivers peak power required for electrical energy utilization device to generate said electrical signals for plural ones of said circuits without exceeding the maximum power available from said wireline, wherein said electrical energy utilization device comprises a ring generator, said electrical signal comprises a ringing voltage signal, and said circuits include subscriber line circuits, and wherein said voltage converter is operative to supply a maximum amount of power to said electrical energy utilization device, such that at a maximum specified deployment length of said apparatus relative to a source of said wireline voltage, and with said electrical energy utilization device operating at maximum power, said voltage converter supplies as much power to said electrical energy utilization device as possible, without allowing said electrical energy utilization device loading to collapse said wireline voltage.

9. A wireline power extraction interface for powering an electrical energy utilization device that generates electrical signals for distribution to a plurality of circuits coupled thereto, wherein loading of said electrical energy utilization device is dependent upon the number of said circuits in use and the load of each circuit to which an electrical signal is supplied, said interface comprising;

an energy storage device coupled to said electrical energy utilization device; and

a power-limited voltage converter, coupled to a wireline that conveys communication signals to and from and is remotely powered by a communication facility, and being operative to convert a voltage supplied by said wireline to an isolating voltage that charges said energy storage device in a manner that delivers peak power required for said electrical energy utilization device to generate said electrical signals for plural ones of said circuits without exceeding the maximum power available from said wireline, wherein the bandwidth of said power-limited voltage converter is limited to less than the frequency of said electrical signal, so as to reduce the effect of low frequency ripple noise associated with operation of said electrical energy utilization device on said wireline, so as not to interfere with digital telecommunication signals being conveyed over said wireline during remote powering thereof.

10. A wireline power extraction interface for powering an electrical energy utilization device that generates electrical signals for distribution to a plurality of circuits coupled thereto, wherein loading of said electrical energy utilization device is dependent upon the number of said circuits in use and the load of each circuit to which an electrical signal is supplied, said interface comprising;

an energy storage device coupled to said electrical energy utilization device; and

a power-limited voltage converter, coupled to a wireline that conveys communication signals to and from and is remotely powered by a communication facility, and being operative to convert a voltage supplied by said wireline to an isolating voltage that charges said energy storage device in a manner that delivers peak power required for said electrical energy utilization device to generate said electrical signals for plural ones of said circuits without exceeding the maximum power available from said wireline, further including an over-deployment monitor circuit, which is operative, for an overdeployment condition where said interface is spaced apart from a source of said wireline voltage by a distance greater than a specified rating, to controllably reduce the amount of power said power-limited voltage converter can supply, so as to prevent said wireline voltage from collapsing under a specified load.

11. The interface according to claim 10, wherein said over deployment monitor circuit is operative, in response to said wireline voltage dropping to a low value associated with too much power is being drawn from said wireline, to reduce the maximum power said power-limited voltage converter can extract from said wireline.

12. A wireline power extraction interface for powering an electrical energy utilization device that generates electrical signals for distribution to a plurality of circuits coupled thereto, wherein loading of said electrical energy utilization device is dependent upon the number of said circuits in use and the load of each circuit to which an electrical signal is supplied, said interface comprising;

an energy storage device coupled to said electrical energy utilization device; and

a power-limited voltage converter, coupled to a wireline that conveys communication signals to and from and is remotely powered by a communication facility, and being operative to convert a voltage supplied by said wireline to an isolating voltage that charges said energy storage device in a manner that delivers peak power required for said electrical energy utilization device to generate said electrical signals for plural ones of said circuits without exceeding the maximum power available from said wireline, wherein said power-limited voltage converter is operative to supply a maximum amount of power to said electrical energy utilization device, such that at a maximum specified deployment length of said interface relative to a source of said wireline voltage, and with said electrical energy utilization device operating at maximum power, said power-limited voltage converter supplies as much power to said electrical energy utilization device as possible, without allowing said electrical energy utilization device loading to collapse said wireline voltage.