System and method for a subscriber-powered network element
First Claim
1. An optical network unit for use in a wide area network (WAN), the optical network unit comprising:
- an optical transceiver for coupling an optical fiber;
at least one electrical coupling device adapted to separate an electrical power and a subscriber data communication from a combined WAN signal received from a subscriber terminal, anda media access control (MAC) communication device electrically coupled to the optical transceiver and coupled to at least one electrical coupling device, wherein the MAC communication device is adapted for communication with the one or more subscriber terminals and adapted to aggregate subscriber data communications received from one or more subscriber terminals for transmission across the optical fiber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for powering a network element of a fiber optic wide area network is disclosed. When communication data is transferred between a central office (CO) and a subscriber terminal using a network element to convert optical to electrical (O-E) and electrical to optical (E-O) signals between a fiber from the central office and twisted wire pair, coaxial cable or Ethernet cable transmission lines from the subscriber terminal, techniques related to local powering of a network element or drop site by the subscriber terminal or subscriber premise remote powering device are provided. Certain advantages and/or benefits are achieved using the present invention, such as freedom from any requirement for additional meter installations or meter connection charges and does not require a separate power network.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An optical network unit for use in a wide area network (WAN), the optical network unit comprising:
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an optical transceiver for coupling an optical fiber; at least one electrical coupling device adapted to separate an electrical power and a subscriber data communication from a combined WAN signal received from a subscriber terminal, and a media access control (MAC) communication device electrically coupled to the optical transceiver and coupled to at least one electrical coupling device, wherein the MAC communication device is adapted for communication with the one or more subscriber terminals and adapted to aggregate subscriber data communications received from one or more subscriber terminals for transmission across the optical fiber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for electrically powering an optical network unit for use in a wide area network, comprising:
at the optical network unit; receiving optical data communications by at least one optical transceiver; converting the optical data communications to electrical data communications by the at least one optical transceiver; providing the electrical data communications to a media access control (MAC) communication device which is configured to de-aggregate the electrical data communications for subscriber data communications; providing a subscriber data communication to a subscriber communication device configured to transmit the subscriber data communication to a subscriber terminal, and conveying the subscriber data communication to the subscriber terminal and receiving an electrical power from the subscriber terminal by an electrical coupling device. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 12, 13, 14)
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11. The method of 8, wherein the MAC communication device conforms to a communication protocol standard selected from the group consisting of:
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G-PON ITU-T G.984; XG-PON ITU-T G.987; E-PON IEEE 802.3ah; 10G-EPON IEEE 802.3av; B-PON ITU-T G.983, and Active Ethernet IEEE 802.3.
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15. An optical network unit for use in a wide area network, the optical network unit comprising:
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an optical transceiver for coupling to an optical fiber and adapted to receive an optical communication from an optical line terminal and adapted to convert the optical communication to a received electrical communication; a media access control (MAC) communication device electrically coupled to the optical transceiver, wherein the MAC communication device is adapted for communication with the optical line terminal and adapted to select a first subscriber data communication from the received electrical communication; at least one subscriber communication device electrically coupled to the MAC communication device, wherein a first of at least one subscriber communication devices is adapted for communication with a first subscriber terminal and adapted to communicate the first subscriber data communication to the first subscriber terminal, and at least one electrical coupling device, wherein a first of at least one electrical coupling devices is adapted to convey the first subscriber data communication to the first subscriber terminal and is adapted to receive a first electrical power from the first subscriber terminal. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification