Methods and systems for distributing fiber optic telecommunication services to local areas and for supporting distributed antenna systems

• US 8,837,940 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2011
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Smith, Trevor D., Khemakhem, M'hamed Anis
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacob, Oommen
• Application Number:
  US13/086,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20110311226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 398/45, 398/43, 398/42, 398/72, 398/67
• US Class Current: 398/45
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4457 Bobbins; Reels
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/483 Installation of aerial type
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25753 Distribution optical network, e.g. between a base station and a plurality of remote units
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/807 Optical power feeding, i.e. transmitting power using an optical signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0067 Provisions for optical access or distribution networks, e.g. Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network (GE-PON), ATM-based Passive Optical Network (A-PON), PON-Ring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/009 Topology aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A fiber optic network includes a fiber distribution hub including at least one splitter and a termination field; a plurality of drop terminals optically connected to the fiber distribution hub by a plurality of distribution cables; and a distributed antenna system (DAS). The DAS includes a base station and a plurality of antenna nodes. The base station is optically connected to the fiber distribution hub and the antenna nodes are optically connected to the drop terminals. Example splitters include a passive optical power splitter and a passive optical wavelength splitter. Signals from a central office can be routed through the passive optical power splitter before being routed to subscriber locations optically connected to the drop terminals. Signals from the base station can be routed through the wavelength splitter before being routed to the antenna nodes.

Claims

1. A fiber optic network comprising:

a fiber distribution hub enclosing at least a first splitter and an optical termination field;

a plurality of drop terminals spaced from the fiber distribution hub, the drop terminals being optically connected to the optical termination field of the fiber distribution hub by a plurality of distribution cables, each of the drop terminals including a plurality of optical adapters defining a plurality of optical fiber outputs accessible from an exterior of the drop terminals;

a distributed antenna system including a base station and a plurality of antenna nodes spaced from the drop terminals, the base station being optically connected to the fiber distribution hub and the antenna nodes being optically connected to the fiber outputs of the drop terminals;

a first feeder cable optically coupled to a central office and received by the fiber distribution hub, wherein first signals are provided over the first feeder cable from the central office to the fiber distribution hub, over distribution cables from the fiber distribution hub to the drop terminals, and over drop cables from the drop terminals to subscriber locations; and

a second feeder cable optically connecting the base station to the fiber distribution hub, wherein second signals are provided over the second feeder cable from the base station to the fiber distribution hub, over distribution cables from the fiber distribution hub to the drop terminals, and over drop cables from the drop terminals to the antenna nodes; and

wherein the first signals are passively power split at the fiber distribution hub and wherein the second signals are wavelength split at the base station, and are passed through the fiber distribution hub to the drop terminals without optically power splitting the second signals at the fiber distribution hub.

2. The fiber optic network of claim 1, wherein the first signals from the central office are routed through a passive optical power splitter before being routed to subscriber locations optically connected to the drop terminals, and wherein the second signals from the base station are routed through a wavelength splitter before being routed to the antenna nodes.

3. The fiber optic network of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of drop cables extending from first ends to second ends, the first ends of the drop cables being optically coupled to the optical fiber outputs of the drop terminals.

4. The fiber optic network of claim 3, wherein the second end of at least one of the drop cables of at least a first of the drop terminals is routed to one of the antenna nodes to optically connect the antenna node to the drop terminal.

5. The fiber optic network of claim 4, wherein the second ends of others of the drop cables of the first drop terminal are routed to subscriber locations.

6. The fiber optic network of claim 1, wherein drop terminals include storage spools to store excess cable length of the distribution cables.

7. The fiber optic network of claim 1, wherein each antenna node includes an antenna and a remote unit, wherein the remote units are optically connected to the fiber outputs of the drop terminals.

8. The fiber optic network of claim 1, further comprising:

a first drop cable extending from a first of the optical fiber outputs of a first of the drop terminals to one of the subscriber locations; and

a second drop cable extending from a second of the optical fiber outputs of the first drop terminal to one of the antenna nodes.

9. The fiber optic network of claim 7, further comprising:

a first drop cable extending from a first of the optical fiber outputs of a first of the drop terminals to a transmit connection location of the remote unit; and

a second drop cable extending from a second of the optical fiber outputs of the first drop terminal to a receive connection location of the remote unit.

10. The fiber optic network of claim 7, wherein only a single drop cable extends between one of the remote units and a respective optical fiber output of a respective drop terminal to connect the remote unit to the fiber optic network.

11. The fiber optic network of claim 1, wherein the base station is located within the central office.

12. The fiber optic network of claim 1, wherein the base station is external of the central office.

13. The fiber optic network of claim 1, wherein the optical adapters of the drop terminals are ruggedized adapters.

14. The fiber optic network of claim 1, wherein the optical termination field receives both the first and second optical signals.

15. The fiber optic network of claim 7, wherein each remote unit converts the respective second optical signals into a format to be sent over the respective antenna.