Repeater fiber-coax units
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An optical-coax unit, comprising:
- an optical physical-layer device (PHY) to receive and transmit optical signals;
a coax PHY to receive and transmit coax signals; and
a media-independent interface to provide a first continuous bitstream from the optical PHY to the coax PHY and a second continuous bitstream from the coax PHY to the optical PHY,wherein the first continuous bitstream corresponds to received optical signals and transmitted coax signals, and the second continuous bitstream corresponds to received coax signals and transmitted optical signals, wherein the media-independent interface comprises a bit buffer to buffer the first and second continuous bitstreams, andwherein the bit buffer comprises a reconciliation sublayer to drop packets in the first continuous bitstream that are not addressed to coax network units coupled to the coax PHY.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An optical-coax unit (OCU) includes an optical PHY to receive and transmit optical signals and a coax PHY to receive and transmit coax signals. The OCU also includes a media-independent interface to provide a first continuous bitstream from the optical PHY to the coax PHY and a second continuous bitstream from the coax PHY to the optical PHY. The first continuous bitstream corresponds to received optical signals and transmitted coax signals, and the second continuous bitstream corresponds to received coax signals and transmitted optical signals.
37 Citations
16 Claims
-
1. An optical-coax unit, comprising:
-
an optical physical-layer device (PHY) to receive and transmit optical signals; a coax PHY to receive and transmit coax signals; and a media-independent interface to provide a first continuous bitstream from the optical PHY to the coax PHY and a second continuous bitstream from the coax PHY to the optical PHY, wherein the first continuous bitstream corresponds to received optical signals and transmitted coax signals, and the second continuous bitstream corresponds to received coax signals and transmitted optical signals, wherein the media-independent interface comprises a bit buffer to buffer the first and second continuous bitstreams, and wherein the bit buffer comprises a reconciliation sublayer to drop packets in the first continuous bitstream that are not addressed to coax network units coupled to the coax PHY. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
-
-
4. An optical-coax unit, comprising:
-
an optical physical-layer device (PHY) to receive and transmit optical signals; a coax PHY to receive and transmit coax signals; and a media-independent interface to provide a first continuous bitstream from the optical PHY to the coax PHY and a second continuous bitstream from the coax PHY to the optical PHY, wherein the first continuous bitstream corresponds to received optical signals and transmitted coax signals, and the second continuous bitstream corresponds to received coax signals and transmitted optical signals, and wherein the coax PHY comprises; a first sublayer to receive the first continuous bitstream from the media-independent interface and to provide the second continuous bitstream to the media-independent interface; and a second sublayer to transmit coax signals corresponding to the first continuous bitstream during a first plurality of time windows and to receive coax signals corresponding to the second continuous bitstream during a second plurality of time windows distinct from the first plurality of time windows. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method of data communications, comprising:
in an optical-coax unit; receiving and transmitting optical signals in an optical PHY; receiving and transmitting coax signals in a coax PHY; providing a first continuous bitstream from the optical PHY to the coax PHY over a media-independent interface, the first continuous bitstream corresponding to received optical signals and transmitted coax signals; and providing a second continuous bitstream from the coax PHY to the optical PHY over the media-independent interface, the second continuous bitstream corresponding to received coax signals and transmitted optical signals, wherein; the media-independent interface comprises a bit buffer; providing the first continuous bitstream from the optical PHY to the coax PHY over the media-independent interface comprises buffering the first continuous bitstream in the bit buffer; and providing the second continuous bitstream from the coax PHY to the optical PHY over the media-independent interface comprises buffering the second continuous bitstream in the bit buffer. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
-
13. A method of data communications, comprising:
in an optical-coax unit; receiving and transmitting optical signals in an optical PHY; receiving and transmitting coax signals in a coax PHY; providing a first continuous bitstream from the optical PHY to the coax PHY over a media-independent interface, the first continuous bitstream corresponding to received optical signals and transmitted coax signals; and providing a second continuous bitstream from the coax PHY to the optical PHY over the media-independent interface, the second continuous bitstream corresponding to received coax signals and transmitted optical signals, wherein receiving and transmitting coax signals in the coax PHY comprise transmitting coax signals during a first plurality of time windows and receiving coax signals during a second plurality of time windows distinct from the first plurality of time windows, the method further comprising, in the coax PHY; generating a third bitstream based on the first continuous bitstream and corresponding to the transmitted coax signals; adapting a rate of the third bitstream; and inserting pad bits or gaps into the third bitstream in locations corresponding to times during which the coax PHY does not transmit, the times comprising the second plurality of time windows. - View Dependent Claims (14)
-
15. A method of data communications, comprising:
in an optical-coax unit; receiving and transmitting optical signals in an optical PHY; receiving and transmitting coax signals in a coax PHY; providing a first continuous bitstream from the optical PHY to the coax PHY over a media-independent interface, the first continuous bitstream corresponding to received optical signals and transmitted coax signals; and providing a second continuous bitstream from the coax PHY to the optical PHY over the media-independent interface, the second continuous bitstream corresponding to received coax signals and transmitted optical signals, wherein receiving and transmitting coax signals in the coax PHY comprise transmitting coax signals during a first plurality of time windows and receiving coax signals during a second plurality of time windows distinct from the first plurality of time windows, the method further comprising, in the coax PHY; converting the received coax signals to a fourth bitstream with pad bits in locations corresponding to times during which the coax PHY does not receive, the times comprising the first plurality of time windows; generating a fifth bitstream based on the fourth bitstream, wherein generating the fifth bitstream comprises; adapting a rate of the fourth bitstream, and deleting the pad bits from the fourth bitstream; and generating the second continuous bitstream based on the fifth bitstream. - View Dependent Claims (16)
Specification