# US 11,087,902 B2 · Branching unit for power distribution > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,087,902 B2 - Document ID: US11087902B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/009,470 - Filed: 2020-09-01 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Granted: 2021-08-10 - Earliest claimed: 2019-04-12 - Assignees: Subcom, LLC - Applicants: Subcom, LLC - Inventors: Lara Denise Garrett; Bruce Nyman; Stanley Wisniewski, II; Francis C. Bekampis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11087902B2 ## CPC - H01B 9/006: {Constructional features relating to the conductors} - H04B 10/29: Repeaters - H01B 9/005: {including optical transmission elements} - H02G 9/02: laid directly in or on the ground, river-bed or sea-bottom; Coverings therefor, e.g. tile - H04B 10/808: {Electrical power feeding of an optical transmission system} - H04B 3/44: Arrangements for feeding power to a repeater along the transmission line - H01B: CABLES; CONDUCTORS; INSULATORS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING OR DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES (selection for magnetic properties H01F1/00; waveguides H01P {; printed circuits H05K}) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H02G: INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES ## Abstract A novel branching unit provided. The branching unit may include a first port for connecting a first power conductor disposed in a first optical cable, a second port for connecting a second power conductor disposed in a second optical cable, and a third port for connecting a third power conductor and a fourth power conductor disposed in a branch cable. The third port may include a first sub-port and a second sub-port. The first sub-port may be configured to connect the third power conductor of the branch cable. The second sub-port may be configured to connect the fourth power conductor of the branch cable. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving, via a branching unit, electrical power from a first power feed equipment of a branch terminal; receiving, via the branching unit, electrical power from a second power feed equipment of the branch terminal; distributing, via the branching unit, the electrical power received from the first power feed equipment to a first outbound direction of a trunk cable; and distributing, via the branching unit, the electrical power received from the second power feed equipment to a second outbound direction of the trunk cable, wherein the branching unit is at least a 3-port branching unit having a branch cable port configured to couple to a dual conductor cable. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical power distributed to the first outbound direction provides a first powering segment or a first powering zone. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical power distributed to the second outbound direction provides a second power segment or a second powering zone. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the branching unit is a 4-port branching unit, the 4-port branching unit having two separate branch cable ports. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least 3-port branching unit comprises: a first port for coupling a first power conductor of a first portion of the trunk cable; a second port for coupling a second power conductor of a second portion of the trunk cable; and the branch cable port for coupling a third power conductor and a fourth power conductor of the dual conductor cable. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the 4-port branching unit comprises: a first port for coupling a first power conductor of a first portion of the trunk cable; a second port for coupling a second power conductor of a second portion of the trunk cable; a first branch cable port for coupling a third power conductor of a first branch cable; and a second branch cable port for coupling a fourth power conductor of a second branch cable. ### Claim 7 A method comprising: coupling a first conductor of a first optical cable to a first port of a branching unit; coupling a second conductor of a second optical cable to a second port of the branching unit; and coupling a third conductor and a fourth conductor of a branch cable to a third port of the branching unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the branching unit is a 3-port branching unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the branch cable is a dual conductor cable (DCC), the third conductor and the fourth conductor both disposed in the DCC. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the first optical cable and the second optical cable are different portions of a same optical trunk cable. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein a third port of the 3-port branching unit is a single branch cable port having at least two sub-ports for the third and fourth conductors of the branch cable. ### Claim 12 A method comprising: coupling a first conductor of a first optical cable to a first port of a branching unit; coupling a second conductor of a second optical cable to a second port of the branching unit; coupling a third conductor of a first branch cable to a third port of the branching unit; and coupling a fourth conductor of a second branch cable to a fourth port of the branching unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the branching unit is a 4-port branching unit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second branch cables are single conductor branch cables, the third conductor being disposed in the first branch cable and the fourth conductor being disposed in the second branch cable. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the first optical cable and the second optical cable are different portions of a same optical trunk cable. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the third and fourth ports of the 4-port branching unit are separate branch cable ports and wherein the first and second branch cables are single conductor branch cables.