System, device and method of expanding the operational bandwidth of a communication infrastructure

• US 7,616,890 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ATX Networks Incorporated (United Communications Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Xtend Networks Ltd. (National Vision Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weinstein, Hillel, Orbach, Zeev
• Primary Examiner(s): SINGH, DALZID E
• Application Number:
  US11/311,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20060101501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 398 66- 68, 398 70- 72, 398/74, 398/115, 398/116
• US Class Current: 398/67
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include a method, device an/or system of expanding the operational bandwidth of a communication infrastructure. An optical gathering box may include, according to some demonstrative embodiments of the invention, an optical connector to optically connect the apparatus to an optic fiber; and at least one interface including first and second radio-frequency connectors; an optical to radio-frequency converter to convert a downstream optical signal received via the optical connection into an extended downstream radio-frequency signal in an extended downstream frequency band; and a triplexer to route the extended downstream signal to the first radio-frequency connector; to route a legacy downstream radio-frequency signal in a legacy frequency band from the second radio-frequency connector to the first radio-frequency connector; and to route a legacy upstream radio-frequency signal in the legacy frequency band from the first radio-frequency connector to the second radio-frequency connector. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an optical connector to optically connect said apparatus to an optic fiber; and

at least one interface including;

at least one pair of first and second radio-frequency connectors;

an optical to radio-frequency converter to convert a downstream optical signal received via said optical connection into an extended downstream radio-frequency signal in an extended downstream frequency band; and

at least one triplexer to route said extended downstream signal to said first radio-frequency connector;

to route a legacy downstream radio-frequency signal in a legacy frequency band from said second radio-frequency connector to said first radio-frequency connector; and

to route a legacy upstream radio-frequency signal in said legacy frequency band from said first radio-frequency connector to said second radio-frequency connector,

wherein said extended downstream frequency band comprises at least a sub-set of a frequency band of 1000-3000 MHz.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said interface comprises:

a radio-frequency to optical converter to convert an extended upstream radio-frequency signal in an extended upstream frequency band into an upstream optical signal,

wherein said triplexer is able to route said extended upstream signal from said first radio-frequency connector to said radio-frequency to optical converter.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said interface comprises an upstream amplifier to amplify said extended upstream radio-frequency signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said at least one interface comprises two or more interfaces, said apparatus comprising:

an optical splitter/combiner to split said downstream optical signal into two or more optical downstream signals;

to direct said two or more optical downstream signals to the optical to radio-frequency converters of said two or more interfaces, respectively; and

to direct two or more upstream optical signals received from said two or more interfaces to said optical connector.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said upstream and downstream optical signals have different spectrums.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said extended upstream frequency band comprises at least a sub-set of a frequency band of 1000-3000 MHz.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one pair of connectors comprises two or more pairs of connectors, and said at least one triplexer comprises two or more triplexers;

wherein said interface comprises a radio-frequency splitter to split said extended downstream radio-frequency signal into two or more extended downstream signals; and

wherein said two or more triplexers are able to route the two or more extended downstream signals to a respective first radio-frequency connector of said two or more pairs of connectors.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said interface comprises a downstream amplifier to amplify said extended downstream radio-frequency signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said legacy frequency band comprises at least a sub-set of a frequency band of 5-1000 MHz.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said optical connector comprises an optical coupler.

11. A system comprising:

a node to modulate downstream data onto an extended downstream optical signal, and transmit said extended downstream optical signal over an optic fiber;

at least one optical adapter comprising;

an optical connector to optically connect said apparatus to an optic fiber; and

at least one interface including;

at least one pair of first and second radio-frequency connectors;

an optical to radio-frequency converter to convert said downstream optical signal into an extended downstream radio-frequency signal in an extended downstream frequency band; and

at least one triplexer to route said extended downstream signal to said first radio-frequency connector;

to route a legacy downstream radio-frequency signal in a legacy frequency band from said second radio-frequency connector to said first radio-frequency connector; and

to route a legacy upstream radio-frequency signal in said legacy frequency band from said first radio-frequency connector to said second radio-frequency connector,

wherein said extended downstream frequency band comprises at least a sub-set of a frequency band of 1000-3000 MHz.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said interface comprises:

a radio-frequency to optical converter to convert an extended upstream radio-frequency signal in an extended upstream frequency band into an upstream optical signal,

wherein said triplexer is able to route said extended upstream signal from said first radio-frequency connector to said radio-frequency to optical converter, and

wherein said extended upstream frequency band comprises at least a sub-set of a frequency band of 1000-3000 MHz.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said interface comprises an upstream amplifier to amplify said extended upstream radio-frequency signal.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said at least one interface comprises two or more interfaces, said system comprising:

an optical splitter/combiner to split said downstream optical signal into two or more optical downstream signals;

to direct said two or more optical downstream signals to the optical to radio-frequency converters of said two or more interfaces, respectively; and

to direct two or more upstream optical signals received from said two or more interfaces to said optical connector.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said upstream and downstream optical signals have different spectrums.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein said extended upstream frequency band comprises at least a sub-set of a frequency band of 1000-3000 MHz.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein said at least one pair of connectors comprises two or more pairs of connectors, and said at least one triplexer comprises two or more triplexers;

wherein said interface comprises a radio-frequency splitter to split said extended downstream radio-frequency signal into two or more extended downstream signals; and

wherein said two or more triplexers are able to route the two or more extended downstream signals to a respective first radio-frequency connector of said two or more pairs of connectors.

18. The system of claim 11 comprising:

at least one tap device to transfer said legacy downstream radio-frequency signal from said node to said at least one interface, respectively;

said tap having a first port linked to the second connector of said at least one interface, respectively, and a second port linked by a coaxial cable to said node.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein said interface comprises a downstream amplifier to amplify said extended downstream radio-frequency signal.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein said legacy frequency band comprises at least a sub-set of a frequency band of 5-1000 MHz.

21. The system of claim 11, wherein said optical connector comprises an optical coupler.