Method for extending Ethernet over twisted pair conductors and to the telephone network and plug-in apparatus for same employing standard mechanics

• US 8,837,712 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Enginuity Communications Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Inventors: Miller, William V. III, Miller, Gary M., Corp, David O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): LYTLE, JEFFREY P
• Application Number:
  US13/235,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20120002666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 379/413.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40032 Details regarding a bus interface enhancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/085 specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks

Abstract

An Ethernet extension device is provided for metro or last mile Ethernet service via twisted pairs as opposed to fiber optics. The Ethernet extension device is implemented as a plug-in extension for existing infrastructure (e.g., in a standard electrical wall box or Type-200™ Mechanics card) that employs lighting and power cross protection required by the telephone companies for Ethernet connectivity to the telephone network (e.g., for connection between a user'"'"'s building and a telephone company building over existing outdoor telephone cables).

Claims

1. An Ethernet extension device for extending Ethernet over twisted pair comprising:

at least one Ethernet port for providing an Ethernet interface for receiving Ethernet signals from and transmitting Ethernet signals to an Ethernet cable connected thereto;

one or more twisted pair ports, each of the twisted pair ports providing an interface to tip and ring conductors of a telephone network for receiving telephone network signals from and transmitting telephone network signals to a corresponding twisted pair of the telephone network;

a twisted pair transceiver for receiving telephone network signals from at least one of the twisted pair ports;

an Ethernet transceiver for receiving Ethernet signals from the Ethernet port, each of the twisted pair transceiver and the Ethernet transceiver comprising a communication interface device for communicating with each other, each communication interface device in the twisted pair transceiver and in the Ethernet transceiver having a compatible signal converting device for processing, respectively, the telephone network signals and the Ethernet signals into a compatible signal format that is used by both of the twisted pair transceiver and the Ethernet transceiver, the Ethernet transceiver and the twisted pair transceiver each being operable to format their respective processed signals for transmission to the Ethernet port and at least one of the twisted pair ports; and

at least one of a single plug-in card dimensioned for deployment in a single card slot in a shelf of a telecommunications equipment bay, and a standard electrical wall box;

wherein the at least one Ethernet port, the one or more twisted pair ports, the twisted pair transceiver, and the Ethernet transceiver are provided on the plug-in card or in the wall box.

2. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compatible signal format is High-level Data Link Control.

3. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the twisted pair transceiver is configured to provide a digital subscriber loop (DSL) interface to the telephone network via the twisted pair.

4. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the DSL interface is Symmetric High bit-rate DSL (SHDSL).

5. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising telephone network protection circuitry connected to at least one of the twisted pair ports for providing protection against lightning surges and alternating current power faults required by the telephone network.

6. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the Ethernet port, at least one of the twisted pair ports, the twisted pair transceiver, the Ethernet transceiver and the telephone network protection circuitry are provided in the plug-in card.

7. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the single plug-in card dimensions do not exceed an overall height of approximately 5.6 inches, and overall width of approximately 1.4 inches, and an overall depth of approximately 6 inches.

8. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the single plug-in card is configured in one of a standard Type 400™

and Type 200™

mechanics circuit board arrangement.

9. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the telephone network protection circuitry is provided in the wall box.

10. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the wall box is provided with a faceplate having at least one of a vent and heat sink.

11. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the wall box is provided with a face plate comprising a power input and one of an Ethernet connector for connection to the Ethernet port and the Ethernet port.

12. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the telephone network protection circuitry comprises at least one sidactor device connected across Tip and Ring connectors corresponding to the twisted port selected to crossbar from a high impedance state into a low impedance state when an overvoltage condition occurs between at least one of Tip and Ring and ground to shunt surge current to ground, and to transition to the high impedance state when the shunted current is below a selected threshold.

13. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a transformer and an analog front-end circuit connected between at least one of the twisted pair ports and the twisted pair transceiver, and wherein the telephone network protection circuitry comprises a low-capacitance steering diode and transient voltage suppressor (TVS) array combination connected across the analog front-end circuit to shunt surges in excess of a selected level on a power supply rail to the analog front-end circuit to the supply rail and to shunt surges below the ground reference for the supply rail to ground.

14. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the telephone network protection circuitry comprises first and second fuses provided at respective ones of the Tip and Ring connectors of at least one of the twisted pair ports, the first and second fuses being selected to meet lightning surge and power fault requirements of the telephone network for outside telephone network circuits by opening and protecting telephone network wiring external to the Ethernet extension device when current shunted to frame ground are of a selected magnitude.

15. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the Ethernet port is a 4-wire or 8-wire RJ45 connector having a transmit side and a receive side, and wherein the telephone network protection circuitry comprises two or more steering diode and transient voltage suppressor (TVS) array combinations connected respectively to the transmit side and the receive side and configured to provide overvoltage protection in the event of lightning surges and lightning surge tests and to meet AC power fault requirements of the telephone network by clamping differential voltage between corresponding ones of the four or eight wires when an overvoltage condition occurs that exceeds a TVS breakdown voltage and shunting the resulting surge current through the corresponding one of the steering diode and TVS array combinations.

16. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the telephone network protection circuitry further comprises fuses provided at respective ones of the four or eight wires of the RJ45 connector and selected to open and protect wiring external to the Ethernet extension device when current shunted by the two or more steering diode and transient voltage suppressor (TVS) array combinations is of a selected magnitude.

17. An Ethernet extension device for extending Ethernet over twisted pair comprising:

at least one Ethernet port for providing an Ethernet interface for receiving Ethernet signals from and transmitting Ethernet signals to an Ethernet cable connected thereto;

one or more twisted pair ports, each of the twisted pair ports providing an interface to tip and ring conductors of a telephone network for receiving telephone network signals from and transmitting telephone network signals to a corresponding twisted pair of the telephone network;

a twisted pair transceiver for receiving telephone network signals from at least one of the twisted pair ports;

an Ethernet transceiver for receiving Ethernet signals from the Ethernet port, each of the twisted pair transceiver and the Ethernet transceiver being provided with a communication interface for communicating with each other having a compatible signal converting device for processing, respectively, the telephone network signals and the Ethernet signals into a compatible signal format used by both of the twisted pair transceiver and the Ethernet transceiver, the Ethernet transceiver and the twisted pair transceiver each being operable to format their respective processed signals for transmission to the Ethernet port and at least one of the twisted pair ports;

telephone network protection circuitry connected to at least one of the twisted pair ports for providing protection against lightning surges and alternating current power faults required by the telephone network; and

an Ethernet physical interface circuit connected between the Ethernet port and the Ethernet transceiver;

wherein the Ethernet port is a 4-wire or 8-wire RJ45 connector having a transmit side and a receive side, and wherein the telephone network protection circuitry comprises two or more steering diode and transient voltage suppressor (TVS) array combinations connected respectively to the transmit side and the receive side and configured to provide overvoltage protection in the event of lightning surges and lightning surge tests and to meet AC power fault requirements of the telephone network by clamping differential voltage between corresponding ones of the four or eight wires when an overvoltage condition occurs that exceeds a TVS breakdown voltage and shunting the resulting surge current through the corresponding one of the steering diode and TVS array combinations;

wherein the telephone network protection circuitry further comprises additional steering diode and transient voltage suppressor (TVS) array combinations connected respectively to the transmit side and the receive side and referenced to power supply rail for the Ethernet physical interface circuit, the additional steering diode and TVS array combinations being configured to shunt surges in excess of a selected level on the power supply rail to the power supply rail and to shunt surges below the ground reference for the supply rail to ground by the corresponding one of the additional steering diode and TVS array combinations.

18. An Ethernet extension device for extending Ethernet over twisted pair in a building, the building having at least one standard electrical wall box dimensioned for installation in a wall of the building and twisted pair cabling, the standard electrical wall box being connected to a twisted pair, the Ethernet extension device comprising:

at least one circuit board configured to be mounted within the standard electrical wall box;

a twisted pair interface that is connected to the end of the twisted pair that is provided to the standard electrical wall box and is operable to exchange telephone network signals between the at least one circuit board and the twisted pair; and

an Ethernet interface that is configured to receive an Ethernet cable connected to the Ethernet extension device and is operable to exchange Ethernet signals between the Ethernet cable and the at least one circuit board;

wherein the at least one circuit board comprises

a twisted pair transceiver for receiving the telephone network signals from the twisted pair interface; and

an Ethernet transceiver for receiving Ethernet signals from the Ethernet interface, each of the twisted pair transceiver and the Ethernet transceiver comprising a communication interface device for communicating with each other, each communication interface device in the twisted pair transceiver and in the Ethernet transceiver having a compatible signal converting device for processing, respectively, the telephone network signals and the Ethernet signals into a compatible signal format that is used by both of the twisted pair transceiver and the Ethernet transceiver, the Ethernet transceiver and the twisted pair transceiver each being operable to format their respective processed signals for transmission to the Ethernet port and at least one of the twisted pair ports.

19. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the twisted pair is as long as 3000 feet.

20. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the twisted pair interface comprises one or more twisted pair ports, each of the twisted pair ports providing an interface to tip and ring conductors of a telephone network for receiving telephone network signals from and transmitting telephone network signals to a corresponding twisted pair of the telephone network.

21. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the twisted pair is at least one of intra-building twisted pair cabling, and outdoor telephone network twisted pair cabling.

22. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the Ethernet interface comprises a 4-wire or 8-wire RJ45 connector.

23. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a face plate comprising at least one of vent holes and a heat sink connected to at least one of the circuit board and the standard electrical wall box.

24. An Ethernet extension device as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a DC power supply and a DC power jack connected to at least the face plate and the standard electrical wall box.