US 9,960,851 B2Granted

Multi-mode fiber node

AssigneeMaxLinear, Inc.

InventorCurtis Ling

Life of this patent

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Abstract

In a first configuration, circuitry of a fiber node may be configured to modulate an optical carrier by an analog upstream electrical signal received via the electrical network. In a second configuration, the circuitry may be configured to digitize the analog upstream electrical signal to generate a digitized upstream signal, and modulate the optical carrier with the digitized upstream signal. An optical receiver of the fiber node may be configured to convert a downstream optical signal to a downstream electrical signal. In the first configuration, the downstream electrical signal may be a first analog signal and the circuitry may be configured to output the first analog signal into the electrical network. In a third configuration, the downstream electrical signal is a digitized waveform and the circuitry is configured to convert the digitized waveform to a second analog signal and output the second analog signal into the electrical network.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

circuitry for use in a fiber node of a hybrid fiber-coaxial network, wherein:
said circuitry comprises an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), an optical receiver, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a switch, a configuration controller, and an optical transmitter comprising a modulator;
said circuitry is configured to interface to an optical network via said optical transmitter and said optical receiver and to interface with an electrical network via a diplexer coupled to said DAC and said ADC, said DAC coupled to said optical receiver and said ADC coupled to said optical transmitter;
for a first configuration, said modulator is configured by said configuration controller to modulate an optical signal with an analog upstream electrical signal received via said electrical network and said ADC is bypassed using said switch;
and
for a second configuration, said ADC is configured by said configuration controller to digitize said analog upstream electrical signal to generate a digitized upstream signal, and modulate, via said modulator, said optical signal with said digitized upstream signal.

3 more elements

A method comprising:

performing by circuitry in a fiber node of a hybrid fiber-coaxial network, wherein said circuitry comprises an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), an optical receiver, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a switch, a configuration controller, and an optical transmitter comprising a modulator, and wherein said circuitry is configured to interface to an optical network via said optical transmitter and said optical receiver and to interface with an electrical network via a duplexer coupler to said DAC and said ADC, said DAC coupled to said optical receiver and said ADC coupler to said optical transmitter:
for a first configuration, configuring, using said configuration controller, said modulator to modulate an optical signal with an analog upstream electrical signal received via said electrical network and said ADC is bypassed using said switch;
and
for a second configuration, configuring, using said configuration controller, said ADC to digitize said analog upstream electrical signal to generate a digitized upstream signal, and modulating, via said modulator, said optical signal with said digitized upstream signal.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/354,665Filed 17 Nov 2016 · continuation
Priority: 16 Jan 2013
Published: US 2017/0070291 A19 Mar 2017
Granted: 1 May 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

H04B 10/2581
Arrangements specific to fibre transmission: multimode transmission
H04B 10/25751
Radio-over-fibre, e.g. radio frequency signal modulated onto an optical carrier: optical arrangements for CATV or video distribution
H04B 10/40
Transmission systems employing electromagnetic waves other than radio-waves, e.g. infrared, visible or ultraviolet light, or employing…
H04L 27/0002
Modulated-carrier systems: analog front ends; means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line

Family

Application61/753,143Us provisional application · filed 16 Jan 2013
Application14/157,105Parent of this continuation · filed 16 Jan 2014
US 2017/0070291 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Mar 2017
US 9,509,405 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2014/0199077 A1Published application
US 9,960,851 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.