Method and system for providing a return path for signals generated by legacy terminals in an optical network

• US 7,986,880 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Solutions, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Enablence USA Fttx Networks, Inc. (Enablence Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Quinn, Patrick W., Anthony, Deven J., Farmer, James O., Thomas, Stephen A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bello; Agustin
• Application Number:
  US12/287,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20090196611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 398 66- 72
• US Class Current: 398/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/22 Adaptations for optical transmission
• 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 2011/0088 Signalling aspects

Abstract

A return path system includes inserting RF packets between regular upstream data packets, where the data packets are generated by communication devices such as a computer or internet telephone. The RF packets can be derived from analog RF signals that are produced by legacy video service terminals. In this way, the present invention can provide an RF return path for legacy terminals that shares a return path for regular data packets in an optical network architecture.

Claims

1. A return path for RF-modulated video service control signals comprising:

a subscriber optical interface for receiving downstream optical signals and for transmitting downstream analog RF-modulated video service control signals in an electrical domain, and for receiving upstream analog RF-modulated video service control signals in the electrical domain that are propagated according to one of a contention network protocol and a query-response protocol, the contention network protocol and query-response protocol supporting the control signals independently of time, the video service control signals comprising one or more commands for managing video programming that is displayable on a display device, the subscriber optical interface comprising an analog RF filter for passing the upstream analog RF-modulated video service control signals in the electrical domain and blocking any extraneous RF-modulated signals, the analog RF filter coupled to an A/D converter, the A/D converter for converting the upstream analog RF-modulated video service control signals to digital signals, the subscriber optical interface modulating an optical carrier with the digital signals for generating optical signals according to a timing dependent protocol and which are sent upstream relative to the subscriber optical interface.

2. The return path of claim 1, further comprising a data service hub for generating the downstream optical signals received by the subscriber optical interface and for transmitting downstream RF-modulated video service control signals modulated in the downstream optical signals.

3. The return path of claim 2, wherein the data service hub comprises a video service control terminal for generating the downstream RF-modulated video service control signals.

4. The return path of claim 1, wherein the subscriber optical interface comprises a data scaling unit for reducing data contained within the digital signals.

5. The return path of claim 1, wherein the digital signals comprise first digital packets, the subscriber optical interface combining the first digital packets with second digital packets in the time domain and according to the timing dependent protocol for upstream transmission of the combined first and second packets.

6. The return path of claim 1, further comprising one or more optical waveguides connected to the subscriber optical interface, for carrying the upstream optical signals and downstream optical signals.

7. The return path of claim 1, further comprising a laser transceiver node for communicating optical signals to a data service hub, and for apportioning bandwidth between subscribers of the return path.

8. The return path of claim 5, wherein the second packets comprise data other than the RF-modulated video service control signals.

9. A method for providing a return path for RF-modulated video service signals in an optical network system comprising:

receiving one or more upstream analog RF-modulated video service control signals with a subscriber optical interface, the video service control signals comprising upstream control information that are propagated according to one of a contention network protocol and a query-response protocol, the contention network protocol and query-response protocol supporting the control information independently of time, the video service control signals comprising one or more commands for managing video programming that is displayable on a display device;

filtering the upstream analog RF-modulated video service control signals in the electrical domain with an analog RF filter;

blocking any extraneous RF-modulated signals with the analog RF filter;

converting the one or more upstream analog RF-modulated video service control signals to digital signals with an A/D converter; and

propagating the digital signals upstream with an optical carrier according to a timing dependent protocol.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving the digital signals with a data service hub.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising converting the digital signals to first digital information packets, and receiving a plurality of second digital information packets.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting the first and second digital information packets by inserting the first digital information packet between the second digital information packets during a time interval.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating downstream optical signals and for transmitting the downstream RF-modulated video service control signals to the subscriber optical interface with a data service hub.

14. A method for returning RF signals from a subscriber in an optical network comprising:

converting downstream optical signals into an electrical domain with the subscriber optical interface;

receiving modulated upstream analog RF video service control signals in the electrical domain with a subscriber optical interface, the upstream analog RF video service control signals propagated according to one of a contention network protocol and a query-response protocol, the contention network protocol and query-response protocol supporting the RF video service control signals independently of time, the video service control signals comprising one or more commands for managing video programming that is displayable on a display device;

filtering the modulated upstream analog RF video service control signals in the electrical domain with an analog RF filter;

blocking any extraneous RF-modulated signals with the analog RF filter;

converting the upstream analog RF video service control signals into digitized RF signals with the subscriber optical interface;

processing the digitized RF signals with the subscriber optical interface;

converting the processed digitized RF signals into one or more packets with the subscriber optical interface; and

propagating the packets towards the data service hub with an optical carrier according to a timing dependent protocol.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving the digital signals with a data service hub.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising reducing the amount of data contained in the digitized RF signals with a data scaling unit.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising converting the packets with a control terminal comprising a data scaling restoration unit back into an original format, the original format comprising the RF video service control signals that comprise control information propagated according to one of the contention network protocol and the query-response protocol.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising converting the packets at a data service hub back into the analog RF signals with a control terminal, the analog RF signals preserving one of the contention network protocol and the query-response protocol.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more packets are first packets, the method further comprising receiving a plurality of second packets comprising information different from the control signals, the method further comprising combining the one or more first packets with the second packets during a time interval.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second packets comprise at least one of data generated by a computer and data generated by a telephone.