Method and apparatus for service multiplexing over telephone networks which employ bridged tap construction

• US 20020136240A1
• Filed: 09/10/2001
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Counterman, Raymond C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,154,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/493
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

A method and apparatus for service multiplexing over telephone networks which employ bridged tap construction to allow the simultaneous delivery of different services to physically separated subscribers over a shared single pair of wires. Service is provided to one or more subscribers by connecting them to an open-circuited branch or directly with the working portion of the shared line. Service filters are used at appropriate locations in the network topology to couple or isolate the different communication channels. The wire pairs are used to simultaneously carry different services to physically separated subscribers, i.e., a portion of a common line carries one service to one location and a second service to another location. Telecommunication services are partitioned to occupy separate frequency bands in the spectrum of the transmission line using frequency division multiplexing (FDM) techniques. The location of the terminating point for each service is different and flexible as facilitated by the use of bridged taps, service drop connections and appropriate filtering. Inverse multiplexing, a method of combining multiple physical links (e.g., telephone lines) into a single, virtual communication link, is used to increase transmission bandwidth. The simultaneous delivery of different telecommunication services over a common line to physically separated subscribers may be used in conjunction with inverse multiplexing to increase and/or vary the transmission bandwidth to individual subscribers.

Claims

1. A method of delivering different communication services over a single communication path to different premises, comprising the following steps:

coupling a first communication service onto a communication path for transmission using a first service filter;

coupling a second communication service onto said communication path for transmission using a second service filter;

transmitting said first and second communication services over said communication path;

decoupling said first communication service from said communication path using a third service filter and delivering said first communication service to a first premises;

decoupling said second communication service from said communication path using a fourth service filter and delivering said second communication service to a second premises;

wherein said first premises is different from said second premises.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first communication service is a narrowband service and said second communication service is a broadband service.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said narrowband service includes POTS service and said broadband service includes xDSL service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said decoupling of said first communication service includes the use of a first drop cable connected between said communication path and said first customer premises, and said decoupling of said second communication service includes the use of a second drop cable connected between said communication path and said second premises.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said communication path comprises a metallic wire pair.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said service filters is located at one of said premises.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one of said service filters is located between said communication path and one of said drop cables.

8. A method of delivering different communication services over a single communication path to different premises, comprising the following steps:

coupling a first communication service onto a communication path for transmission using a first service filter;

coupling a second communication service onto said communication path for transmission using a second service filter;

transmitting said first and second communication services over said communication path;

further transmitting said first communication service using a bridged tap communication path connected to said communication path.

decoupling said first communication service from said bridged tap communication path using a third service filter and delivering said first communication service to a first premises;

decoupling said second communication service from said communication path using a fourth service filter and delivering said second communication service to a second premises;

wherein said first premises is different from said second premises.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein one of said first and second communication services is a narrowband service and the other of said first and second communication services is a broadband service.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said narrowband service includes POTS service and said broadband service includes xDSL service.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said decoupling of said first communication service includes the use of a first drop cable connected between said bridged tap communication pat and said first customer premises, and said decoupling of said second communication service includes the use of a second drop cable connected between said communication path and said second premises.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said communication path and said bridged tap communication path each comprise a metallic wire pair.

13. The method of claim 8, herein at least one of said service filters is located at one of said premises.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of said service filters is located between said communication path and one of said drop cables.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said first communication service is a narrowband service and said aggregate virtual link communication service is a broadband service.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said narrowband service includes POTS service and said broadband service includes a plurality of xDSL links.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said decoupling of said first communication service includes the use of a first drop cable connected between said first communication path and said first customer premises, and said decoupling of said first and said second of said plurality of individual communication services includes the use of respective drop cables connected between said first and said second communication pats on the one hand and said second premises on the other hand.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of said communication paths comprises a metallic wire pair.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of said service filters is located at one of said premises.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of said service filters is located between one of said communication paths and one of said drop cables.

15. A method of delivering different communication services over a single communication path to different premises where least one of the communication services is an aggregate virtual link of individual communication services, comprising the following steps:

coupling a first communication service onto a first communication path for transmission using a first service filter;

multiplexing an aggregate virtual link communication service into a plurality of individual communication services;

coupling a first of said plurality of individual communication services onto said first communication path for transmission using a second service filter;

coupling a second of said plurality of individual communication services onto a second communication path for transmission using a third service filter;

transmitting said first communication service and said individual communication services using said first and second communication paths;

decoupling said first communication service from said first communication path using a fourth service filter and delivering said first communication service to a first premises;

decoupling said first and said second of said plurality of individual communication services from said first second communication paths, respectively, using a fifth and a sixth service filter;

multiplexing said first and said second of said plurality of individual communication services into a reconstructed aggregate virtual link communication service and delivering said reconstructed aggregate virtual link communication service to a second premises;

wherein said first premises is different from said second premises.

22. A communication system which delivers different communication services over a single communication path to different premises, comprising:

a first service filter for coupling a first communication service onto a communication path for transmission;

a second service filter for coupling a second communication service onto said communication path for transmission;

a third service filter for decoupling said first communication service from said communication path, subsequent to transmission over said communication path, and for delivering said first communication service to a first premises;

a fourth service filter for decoupling said second communication service from said communication path, subsequent to transmission over said communication path, and for delivering said second communication service to a second premises;

wherein said first premises is different from said second premises.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said first communication service is a narrowband service and said second communication service is a broadband service.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said narrowband service includes POTS service and said broadband service includes xDSL service.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein said decoupling of said first communication service includes the use of a first drop cable connected between said communication path and said first customer premises, and said decoupling of said second communication service includes the se of a second drop cable connected between said communication path and said second premises.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein said communication path comprises a metallic wire pair.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein at least one of said service filters is located at one of said premises.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein at least one of said service filters is located between said communication path and one of said drop cables.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein one of said first and second communication services is a narrowband service and the other of said first and second communication services is a broadband service.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein said narrowband service includes POTS service and said broadband service includes xDSL service.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein said decoupling of said first communication service includes the use of a first drop cable connected between said bridged tap communication path and said first customer premises, and said decoupling of said second communication service includes the use of a second drop cable connected between said communication path and said second premises.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein said communication path and said bridged tap communication path each comprise a metallic wire pair.

34. The system of claim 29. wherein at least one of said service filters is located at one of said premises.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein at least one of said service filters is located between aid communication path and one of said drop cables.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein said first communication service is a narrowband service and said aggregate virtual link communication service is a broadband service.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein said narrowband service includes POTS service and said broadband service includes a plurality of xDSL links.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein said decoupling of said first communication service includes the use of a first drop cable connected between said first communication path and said first customer premises, and said decoupling of said first and said second of said plurality of individual communication services includes the use of respective drop cables connected between said first and said second communication paths on the one hand and said second premises on the other hand.

40. The system of claim 36, wherein at least one of said communication paths comprises a metallic wire pair.

41. The system of claim 36, wherein a least one of said service filters is located at one of said premises.

42. The system of claim 39, wherein at least one of said service filters is located between communication paths and one of said drop cables.

29. A communication system which delivers different communication services over a single communication path to different premises, comprising:

a first service filter for coupling a first communication service onto a communication path for transmission over said communication path;

a second service filter for coupling a second communication service onto said communication path for transmission over said communication path;

a bridged tap communication path connected to said communication path for further transmitting said first communication service;

a third service filter for decoupling said first communication service from said bridged tap communication path and delivering said first communication service to a first premises;

a fourth service filter for decoupling said second communication service from said communication path and delivering said second communication service to a second premises;

wherein said first premises is different from said second premises.

36. A system for delivering different communication services over a single communication path to different premises where at least one of the communication services is an aggregate virtual link of individual communication services, comprising:

a first service filter for coupling a first communication service onto a first communication path for transmission;

a first multiplexer for multiplexing an aggregate virtual link communication service into a plurality of individual communication services;

a second service filter coupling a first of said plurality of individual communication services onto said first communication path for transmission;

a third service filter for coupling a second of said plurality of individual communication services onto a second communication path for transmission;

transmitting said first communication service and said individual communication services using said first and second communication paths;

a fourth service filter for decoupling said first communication service from said first communication path, subsequent to transmission, and for delivering said first communication service to a first premises;

a fifth and a sixth service filter for decoupling said first and said second of said plurality of individual communication services, respectively, from said first and second communication paths, subsequent to transmission;

a second multiplexer for multiplexing said first and said second of said plurality of individual communication services into a reconstructed aggregate virtual link communication service and delivering said reconstructed aggregate virtual link communication service to a second premises;

wherein said first premises is different from said second premises.