Method and system for delivering broadband services over an ultrawide band radio system integrated with a passive optical network

• US 7,962,042 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P., SBC Properties, L.P.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Deas, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Li; Shi K
• Application Number:
  US10/384,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20040175173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,021 Days
• Field of Search: 398/42, 398/139, 398/66, 398 67- 68, 398/63, 398/115
• US Class Current: 398/115
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7163 using impulse radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25752 Optical arrangements for wireless networks

Abstract

A system and method for providing ultrawide band (UWB) communications service including voice, data, and video signals to a number of neighboring dwelling units or community access centers via a Passive Optical Network (PON) are presented. A neighborhood pedestal can be provided to serve multiple neighboring dwelling units equipped with user access. Public access centers can provide an ultrawide band signal via a PON to reach a plurality of signal receiving locations to serve a community of users. Electrical power to an UWB device may be supplied via an electrical power grid. Alternately, due to the low power consumption of UWB devices, a solar panel, or metallic-sheathed fiber cable with a center metallic member may be utilized to deliver power to the PON/UWB devices.

Claims

1. A system to wirelessly distribute video information, voice information, and data by a short range, centrally located ultra wide band communications system to a plurality of nearby dwellings powered by a commercial electrical grid, the system comprising:

a wavelength division multiplexer to receive an optical signal from an optical cable of a passive optical network that provides the video information, the voice information, and the data to the ultra wide band communications system, the optical signal including an optical carrier signal multiplexed using at least a first wavelength and a second wavelength, the wavelength division multiplexer to wavelength de-multiplex the received optical signal into a first optical signal at the first wavelength including the voice information and the data and a second optical signal at the second wavelength including the video information, wherein the optical cable includes a non-metallic inner sheath and optical fiber insertion points;

a first optical signal to electrical signal converter configured to convert the first optical signal to a first electrical signal including the voice information and the data;

a second optical signal to electrical signal converter configured to convert the second optical signal to a second electrical signal including the video information;

a set of interstitial gauged copper pairs to receive power via at least one of a connection to an electrical power grid, a backup battery, and a solar panel;

an ultra wide band communication device to produce a first ultra wide band transmitted signal based on the first electrical signal and including the voice information and the data and to produce a second ultra wide band transmitted signal based on the second electrical signal and including the video information, wherein the ultra wide band communication device includes an ultra wide band transmitter, and wherein the ultra wide band transmitter has a bandwidth of at least 2 GHz;

a pedestal-type equipment housing that houses the ultra wide band communication device; and

an antenna positioned inside the pedestal-type equipment housing to wirelessly distribute the video information, the voice information, and the data to at least one user access device in the plurality of nearby dwellings, the at least one user access device comprising;

a second antenna to receive the video information, the voice information, and the data;

a first ultra wide band receiver and an ultra wide band transmitter coupled to an interface, the interface including an RJ45 connector to access the data and an RJ11 connector to access the voice information;

a second ultra wide band receiver coupled to a video interface, the video interface including a coaxial connector to access the video information; and

a bidirectional signaling interface coupled to the first ultra wide band receiver and to the second ultra wide band receiver.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the ultra wide band communication device further comprises a wireless receiver, wherein the wireless receiver is configured to receive a third electrical signal from a user access device, the third electrical signal having an ultra wide band characteristic.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the ultra wide band communication device is further configured to convert the third electrical signal received from the user access device into a third optical signal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wavelength division multiplexer is directly coupled to each of the optical signal to electrical signal converters.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the ultra wide band communication device uses pulse position modulation.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the ultra wide band communication device uses an ultra wide band modulation technique that is responsive to the received optical signal.

7. A method of wirelessly distributing video, voice, and data by a short range, centrally located ultra wide band communications system to a plurality of nearby dwellings powered by a commercial electrical grid, the method comprising:

receiving, at the ultra wide band communications system, an optical signal from an optical cable of a passive optical network that provides the video, the voice, and the data to the ultra wide band communications system, the optical cable including a non-metallic inner sheath and optical insertion points, the optical signal including an optical carrier signal multiplexed using at least a first wavelength and a second wavelength, wherein the optical signal comprises a first optical signal at the first wavelength including the voice and the data and a second optical signal at the second wavelength including the video;

converting the first optical signal into a first electrical signal including the voice and the data;

converting the second optical signal into a second electrical signal including the video;

wirelessly transmitting to the plurality of nearby dwellings a first ultra wide band signal responsive to the first electrical signal via a passive optical network to ultra wide band interface that includes an ultra wide band transceiver and an antenna, the first ultra wide band signal including the voice and data information, wherein the ultra wide band transceiver includes an ultra wide band modulator, wherein the ultra wide band transceiver has a bandwidth of at least 2 GHz;

wirelessly transmitting to the plurality of nearby dwellings a second ultra wide band signal responsive to the second electrical signal via the passive optical network to ultra wide band interface, the second ultra wide band signal including the video,

wherein the first ultra wide band signal and the second ultra wide band signal are wirelessly transmitted to a user access device in at least one of the plurality of nearby dwellings, the user access device including a second antenna, a first ultra wide band receiver and an ultra wide band transmitter coupled to an interface, the interface including an RJ45 connector to access the data and an RJ11 connector to access the voice, a second ultra wide band receiver coupled to a video interface, the video interface including a coaxial connector to access the video, and a bidirectional signaling interface coupled to the first ultra wide band receiver and to the second ultra wide band receiver; and

receiving, at the ultra wide band communications system, power from at least one of a connection to the commercial electrical grid, a backup battery, and a solar panel, the power received at a fiber cable insertion point of the ultra wide band communications system, wherein the power is provided to the passive optical network to ultra wide band interface via a set of interstitial gauged copper pairs,

wherein a pedestal-type equipment housing houses the ultra wide band communications system.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a third ultra wide band signal from the user access device; and

producing a third optical signal responsive to the third ultra wide band signal received from the user access device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting the third optical signal to the optical cable.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a fourth ultra wide band signal from a second user access device; and

producing a fourth optical signal responsive to the fourth ultra wide band signal received from the second user access device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting the fourth optical signal to the optical cable.