System for correlating a subscriber unit with a particular subscriber in a passive optical network

• US 8,451,979 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2001
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Calix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Calix Incorporated
• Inventors: Lund, Robert M., Koch, Chris D., Johnson, Milton J., Lagerquist, Joel K., Oelke, Daniel R., Kays, Jeffrey T., Knudsen, Joseph J., Talus, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, BARRY W
• Application Number:
  US09/873,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20020184644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,376 Days
• Field of Search: 379/1.01, 379/21, 379/27.01, 379/29.01, 379/29.09, 379/29.1, 379/29.11, 379/32.01, 379/201.01, 379/251, 359/110, 359/164, 359/167, 359/168, 359/120, 385/24
• US Class Current: 379/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing

Abstract

A system for correlating a subscriber unit to a physical port in a point to multipoint wire line network is disclosed. An installer is prompted to manually input a location code associated with the subscriber. The location code in the subscriber unit is received, and is transmitted via the network to a central repository. The location code is stored in the central repository toward associating the location code with the physical port.

Claims

1. A method for correlating a subscriber unit in a point to multipoint network with a geographic location, the method comprising:

prompting, with the subscriber unit, an installer to input a location code associated with a subscriber, the location code permitting identification of the geographic location of the subscriber,

wherein the subscriber unit includes a network interface configured to receive and transmit signals over the point to multipoint network, wherein the signals include at least one of voice content, video content and data content, and

wherein the subscriber unit is configured to connect subscriber equipment to the subscriber unit to facilitate transfer of the at least one of voice content, video content and data content between the point to multipoint network and the subscriber equipment;

receiving the location code in the subscriber unit; and

transmitting the location code and a subscriber unit identifier via the network from the subscriber unit to a central repository for storage of the location code and the subscriber unit identifier in the central repository to correlate the subscriber unit with the geographic location.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

checking the location code for errors;

upon finding an error, transmitting an instruction to the subscriber unit to indicate the error to the installer; and

upon finding no errors, correlating the subscriber unit with the geographic location using the location code and the subscriber unit identifier.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising prompting the installer to reinput the location code upon finding an error.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location code permits identification of network service parameters associated with the subscriber unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the point to multipoint network includes a passive optical network (PON).

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the location code by manual entry of the location code into the subscriber unit by the installer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein prompting, with the subscriber unit, the installer to input the location code associated with a subscriber includes prompting the installer to manually enter the location code into the subscriber unit.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving the location code via a butt set device coupled to the subscriber unit.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting the location code includes transmitting the location code to the central repository via an optical line terminator coupled to the subscriber unit via an optical fiber link.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

checking the location code for errors; and

upon detection of an error in the location code, transmitting an indication of the error to the subscriber unit via the network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber unit includes an optical network unit (ONU).

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber unit identifier includes a serial number.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising correlating the subscriber unit with the geographic location using the location code and the subscriber unit identifier.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber unit is located at the geographic location of the subscriber.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating subscriber services provisioned for the subscriber after the correlation of the subscriber unit with the geographic location.

16. The subscriber unit of claim 15, wherein the point to multipoint network is a passive optical network, and wherein the network interface includes an optical network unit.

17. The method of claim 1,

wherein the subscriber unit includes an electrical connector, and

wherein receiving the location code in the subscriber unit comprises receiving the location code from a testing device connected to the electrical connector of the subscriber unit.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein prompting the installer to manually input the location code associated with the subscriber comprises prompting the installer via the testing device connected to the electrical connector of the subscriber unit.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing, with the subscriber unit, the location code and the subscriber unit identifier into an IP package,

wherein transmitting the location code and the subscriber unit identifier via the network from the subscriber unit to the central repository comprises transmitting the IP package to the central repository via the network interface and the point to multipoint network.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the network interface is an optical network unit.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the location code and the subscriber unit identifier in the central repository to correlate the subscriber unit with the geographic location.

22. A subscriber unit for a point to multipoint network, the subscriber unit comprising:

a subscriber interface that prompts an installer to input a location code associated with a subscriber and receives the location code, wherein the location code permits identification of a geographic location of the subscriber;

a network interface that transmits the location code and a subscriber unit identifier to a remote device for correlation of the location code with the geographic location,

wherein the network interface is configured to receive and transmit signals over the point to multipoint network, wherein the signals include at least one of voice content, video content and data content; and

a subscriber equipment interface configured to couple subscriber equipment to the subscriber unit to facilitate transfer of the at least one of voice content, video content and data content between the point to multipoint network and the subscriber equipment.

23. The subscriber unit of claim 22, wherein the subscriber interface is configured to receive the location code by manual entry of the location code into the subscriber unit by a technician.

24. The subscriber unit of claim 22, wherein the subscriber interface is configured to prompt a technician to manually enter the location code into the subscriber unit.

25. The subscriber unit of claim 24, wherein the subscriber equipment interface includes electrical connectors, and wherein the subscriber interface is configured to receive the location code via a butt set device connected to one of the electrical connectors.

26. The subscriber unit of claim 22, wherein the network interface is configured to receive information packets including voice data for delivery of telephone services to the subscriber.

27. The subscriber unit of claim 22, wherein transmitting the location code and the subscriber unit identifier comprises transmitting an IP package including the location code and the subscriber unit identifier to the remote device via the network interface and the point to multipoint network.

28. The subscriber unit of claim 22, wherein the network interface is an optical network unit.

29. The subscriber unit of claim 22, wherein the point to multipoint network is a passive optical network, and wherein the network interface includes an optical network unit.

30. A method for correlating a subscriber unit in a point to multipoint network with a geographic location, the method comprising:

prompting, with the subscriber unit, an installer to input a location code associated with a human subscriber into the subscriber unit, the location code permitting identification of the geographic location of the human subscriber, wherein the subscriber unit is located at the geographic location of the human subscriber,

wherein the subscriber unit includes a network interface configured to receive and transmit signals over the point to multipoint network, wherein the signals include at least one of voice content, video content and data content, and

wherein the subscriber unit is configured to connect subscriber equipment to the subscriber unit to facilitate transfer of the at least one of voice content, video content and data content between the point to multipoint network and the subscriber equipment;

receiving the location code in the subscriber unit; and

transmitting the location code and a subscriber unit identifier from the subscriber unit to a remote device via the network for correlation of the subscriber unit with the geographic location based on the location code and the subscriber unit identifier.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising correlating the subscriber unit with the geographic location using the location code and the subscriber unit identifier.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising activating subscriber services provisioned for the subscriber after the correlation of the subscriber unit with the geographic location.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising activating subscriber services provisioned for the subscriber after the correlation of the subscriber unit with the geographic location.

34. The subscriber unit of claim 33, wherein the point to multipoint network is a passive optical network, and wherein the network interface includes an optical network unit.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein the network interface is an optical network unit.

36. The method of claim 30, further comprising storing, with the remote device, the location code and the subscriber unit identifier to correlate the subscriber unit with the geographic location.

37. A point to multipoint network comprising:

a remote device;

a first line connected to the remote device;

a passive splitter connected to the first line opposite the remote device;

a plurality of additional lines connected to the passive splitter opposite to the first line; and

a plurality of subscriber units, each of the subscriber units of the plurality of subscriber units connected to one of the additional lines opposite to the passive splitter,

wherein each subscriber unit of the plurality of subscriber units includes a network interface that receives and transmits signals over the point to multipoint network, wherein the signals include at least one of voice content, video content and data content, and

wherein each subscriber unit of the plurality of subscriber units is configured to connect subscriber equipment to the subscriber unit to facilitate transfer of the least one of voice content, video content and data content between the point to multipoint network and the subscriber equipment,

wherein each subscriber unit of the plurality of subscriber units sends a subscriber unit identifier associated with the subscriber unit and a location code associated with a subscriber using the subscriber unit to the remote device via one line of the plurality of additional lines, the passive splitter and the first line,

wherein, for each subscriber unit of the plurality of subscriber units, the location code permits identification of a geographic location of the subscriber using the subscriber unit,

wherein the remote device receives the subscriber unit identifiers and the location codes from the plurality of subscriber units, and, for each subscriber unit of the plurality of subscriber units, correlates the subscriber unit with the geographic location of the subscriber using the subscriber unit by associating the subscriber unit identifier associated with the subscriber unit and the location code received from the subscriber unit.

38. The point to multipoint network of claim 37, wherein, for each subscriber unit of the plurality of subscriber units, the remote device activates subscriber services provisioned for the subscriber using the subscriber unit after the correlation of the subscriber unit with the geographic location of the subscriber using the subscriber unit.

39. The point to multipoint network of claim 37, wherein the first line is a first optical line, wherein the passive splitter is a passive optical splitter, wherein the plurality of additional lines includes a plurality of additional optical lines, and wherein, for each subscriber unit of the plurality of subscriber units, the network interface includes an optical network unit.