System and method for deploying communication services

• US 8,630,300 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Edmon, Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kaur, Pamit
• Application Number:
  US11/692,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20080240124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,484 Days
• Field of Search: 370/360, 370/396, 370/389
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2881 IP/Ethernet DSLAM
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0866 between wireless and wire-based access points, e.g. via LTE and via DSL connected access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system and method for deploying communication services is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a cross-connect system having an Ethernet switch coupled to a central office and coupled to a plurality of buildings by way of a plurality of digital subscriber line (DSL) ports, and a worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) transceiver coupled to a high speed port of the Ethernet switch. The WiMAX transceiver can be used to augment a limited capacity of at least one of the plurality of DSL ports by distributing a portion of services carried by the at least one DSL port to the WiMAX transceiver. Accordingly, the cross-connect system can supply dual-mode communications. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A cross-connect system comprising:

an Ethernet switch that couples to a digital subscriber line access multiplexer of a central office and couples to a plurality of buildings by way of a plurality of digital subscriber line ports, the central office being connected to a network supplying communications services, the cross-connect system being separate from the central office and coupled thereto by a communication link, the cross-connect system accordingly not directly connected to the network;

a wireless transceiver coupled to a port of the Ethernet switch;

a controller comprising;

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the processor performs operations comprising;

providing to the plurality of buildings, via the Ethernet switch by way of the plurality of digital subscriber line ports, a first portion of multimedia services received from the digital subscriber line access multiplexer;

providing to a building of the plurality of buildings having a corresponding wireless transceiver, via the Ethernet switch by way of the wireless transceiver, a second portion of the multimedia services received from the digital subscriber line access multiplexer; and

adjusting a bandwidth of each of the first and second portions of the multimedia services according to bandwidth utilization needs of the building of the plurality of buildings; and

a housing assembly, wherein the Ethernet switch, the wireless transceiver and the controller are co-located at the housing assembly and are remote from the digital subscriber line access multiplexer and remote from each building of the plurality of buildings,

wherein the Ethernet switch is coupled to each building of the plurality of buildings by way of a hardwire link consisting essentially of twisted pair cables or coaxial cable,

wherein the first portion of the multimedia services is delivered directly from the plurality of digital subscriber line ports of the Ethernet switch to the plurality of buildings over the hardwire links, the first portion of the multimedia services and the second portion of the multimedia services accordingly being delivered to the plurality of buildings only via ports of the Ethernet switch,

wherein a network management system of the central office determines whether a building has a wireless transceiver to receive the second portion of the multimedia services and determines, when the building does not have a wireless transceiver, whether addition of a new wireless transceiver is required to manage the multimedia services provided to the building, and

wherein the network management system of the central office automatically generates a work order to prompt installation of the new wireless transceiver when the addition of the new wireless transceiver is required.

2. The cross-connect system of claim 1, wherein the operations performed by the processor further comprise determining the bandwidth utilization needs according to measurements of parameters of the Ethernet switch by way of the plurality of digital subscriber line ports or the Ethernet switch by way of the wireless transceiver without utilizing measurements of parameters of the digital subscriber line access multiplexer.

3. The cross-connect system of claim 1, wherein the operations performed by the processor further comprise:

receiving a request for additional communication services for the building; and

increasing the bandwidth of the second portion of the multimedia services provided via the Ethernet switch by way of the wireless transceiver to the building based on the request.

4. The cross-connect system of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver supplies roaming communication services to roaming communication devices, and wherein the central office manages operations of the wireless transceiver for the roaming communication services by way of the Ethernet switch.

5. The cross-connect system of claim 1, further comprising a group of Ethernet switches housed in the housing assembly, wherein the operations performed by the processor further comprise performing load balancing by selecting from among the group of Ethernet switches for providing the first portion of the multimedia services to the plurality of buildings.

6. The cross-connect system of claim 1, wherein the Ethernet switch is coupled to the digital subscriber line access multiplexer by way of an optical cable.

7. The cross-connect system of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions of the multimedia services comprise internet protocol television services and internet data services, and wherein the operations performed by the processor further comprise:

receiving a request for modifying a subscriber service plan to include additional communication services for the building; and

based on the request, adjusting the bandwidth of the first portion of the multimedia services provided via the Ethernet switch by way of the plurality of digital subscriber line ports to the building or the bandwidth of the second portion of the multimedia services provided via the Ethernet switch by way of the wireless transceiver to the building.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a cross-connect system comprising a processor, data from a switching element of a central office, wherein the central office is connected to a network supplying communications services, wherein the cross-connect system is remote from the switching element and is connected to the switching element via a hardwire link, the cross-connect system accordingly not directly connected to the network, wherein the data corresponds with an aggregated service comprising internet and multimedia services to be provided to a plurality of buildings, wherein the data comprises video content or voice content, and wherein the cross-connect system is remote from each building of the plurality of buildings;

supplying, by the cross-connect system, a first portion of the aggregated service to the plurality of buildings over corresponding digital subscriber line ports having a limited capacity, wherein the digital subscriber line ports are supplied by an Ethernet switch of the cross-connect system, and the Ethernet switch delivers the first portion of the aggregated service directly to each building of the plurality of buildings;

determining, by the cross-connect system, bandwidth utilization of a portion of the plurality of buildings based on measuring parameters of the digital subscriber line ports of the Ethernet switch and a wireless access point of the cross-connect system, wherein the Ethernet switch and the wireless access point are co-located at a housing assembly of the cross-connect system remote from each building of the plurality of buildings; and

augmenting, by the cross-connect system, the limited capacity of the digital subscriber line ports by distributing a second portion of the aggregated service by way of the Ethernet switch over the wireless access point of the cross-connect system based on the determined bandwidth utilization,

wherein the second portion of the aggregated service is distributed to a building of the plurality of buildings having a corresponding wireless access point, the first portion of the aggregated service and the second portion of the aggregated service accordingly being delivered to the plurality of buildings only via ports of the Ethernet switch,

wherein a network management system of the central office determines whether a building has a wireless access point to receive the second portion of the aggregated service and determines, when the building does not have a wireless access point, whether addition of a new wireless access point is required to manage the aggregated service provided to the building, and

wherein the network management system of the central office automatically generates a work order to prompt installation of a new wireless access point when the addition of the new wireless access point is required.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the Ethernet switch delivers the first portion of the aggregated service using twisted pair cables or coaxial cable without using an optical cable.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining of the bandwidth utilization is performed by a processor without utilizing measured parameters of the switching element.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising performing load balancing by selecting from among a group of Ethernet switches of the cross-connect system for providing the first portion of the aggregate service to the plurality of buildings, wherein the group of Ethernet switches is housed in the housing assembly and includes the Ethernet switch.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving communications at the cross-connect system, the communications being provided over an optical cable connecting the cross-connect system with a central office, wherein the communications are used to manage roaming communications with a roaming communication device, wherein the wireless access point comprises a wireless transceiver or a cellular base station, and wherein the switching element comprises a digital subscriber line access multiplexer.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a request for additional communication services for a building of the plurality of buildings; and

adjusting an amount of the first portion or the second portion of the aggregate service based on the request.

14. A network management system comprising:

a digital subscriber line access multiplexer that provides data to a cross-connect system for delivery of communication services to a plurality of buildings, wherein the communication services are supplied by a network connected to a central office, the cross-connect system being separate from the central office and accordingly not directly connected to the network, wherein the digital subscriber line access multiplexer and the cross-connect system are remotely located from each other and connected via a hardwire link, wherein the data comprises video content or voice content, and wherein the communication services comprise digital subscriber line services and wireless access services; and

a controller element that manages operations of the cross-connect system, wherein the controller element provides the digital subscriber line services via an Ethernet switch of the cross-connect system by way of digital subscriber line ports of the Ethernet switch and provides the wireless access services via the Ethernet switch by way of a wireless transceiver of the cross-connect system, the digital subscriber line services and the wireless access services accordingly being delivered to the plurality of buildings only via ports of the Ethernet switch, and wherein the controller element determines whether a building has a wireless transceiver to receive the wireless access services, determines whether, when the building does not have a wireless transceiver, addition of a new wireless transceiver is required to manage the communication services provided to the building, and automatically generates a work order to prompt installation of the new wireless transceiver when the addition of the new wireless transceiver is required,

wherein a proportion of the digital subscriber line services to the wireless access services to be delivered is determined based on measurements of parameters of the Ethernet switch or the wireless transceiver without utilizing measurements of parameters of the digital subscriber line access multiplexer, and

wherein the Ethernet switch delivers the digital subscriber line services directly to the plurality of buildings using twisted pair cables or coaxial cable, each building of the plurality of buildings being remote from the digital subscriber access multiplexer and remote from the cross-connect system.

15. The network management system of claim 14, wherein the proportion of the digital subscriber line services to the wireless access services to be delivered is determined according to a request for additional bandwidth by a consumer.

16. The network management system of claim 14, wherein the proportion of the digital subscriber line services to the wireless access services to be delivered is determined by a processor of the cross-connect system that is co-located with the Ethernet switch and the wireless transceiver at a housing assembly of the cross-connect system.

17. The network management system of claim 14, wherein the work order comprises a request to deploy wireless transceivers for installation to manage bandwidth utilization of the communication services supplied by the cross-connect system.

18. A method, comprising:

receiving, by across-connect system comprising a processor, data from a digital subscriber line access multiplexer of a central office for providing a communication service to a premises, the central office being connected to a network supplying the communication service, the cross-connect system being separate front the central office and coupled thereto by a communication link, the cross-connect system accordingly not directly connected to the network, the cross-connect system and the digital subscriber line access multiplexer being remotely located from each other, the data comprising voice content or video content;

providing the communication service to the premises using the cross-connect system, wherein the cross-connect system comprises an Ethernet switch comprising a high speed port and a plurality of digital subscriber line ports and a wireless transceiver in communication with the high speed port; and

augmenting, by the cross-connect system, bandwidth of the communication service by combining bandwidth from a digital wireline service via the Ethernet switch by way of the plurality of digital subscriber line ports of the Ethernet switch and bandwidth from a wireless service via the Ethernet switch by way of the wireless transceiver, the communication service accordingly being provided to the premises only via ports of the Ethernet switch,

wherein the Ethernet switch provides the digital wireline service directly to the premises using twisted pair cables or coaxial cable,

wherein a network management system of the central office determines whether the premises have a complementary wireless transceiver to access the wireless service and determines, when the premises do not have a complementary wireless transceiver, whether addition of a new complementary wireless transceiver is required to manage the communication service provided to the premises, and

wherein the network management system automatically generates a work order to prompt installation of a new wireless transceiver in the premises when the addition of the new complementary wireless transceiver is required.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data is received at the cross-connect system from the digital subscriber line access multiplexer over an optical cable, wherein the wireless transceiver uses a worldwide interoperability for microwave access mode, and wherein the communication service comprises two of a multimedia programming service, an Internet service, a voice communication service, and a video communication service.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

monitoring bandwidth utilization associated with the premises based on measurements of parameters of the Ethernet switch or the wireless transceiver, the monitoring being performed by the cross-connect system without obtaining measurements of parameters of the digital subscriber line access multiplexer.