System and method for communicating optical signals between a data service provider and subscribers

Abstract

An optical fiber network can include an outdoor laser transceiver node that can be positioned in close proximity to the subscribers of an optical fiber network. The outdoor laser transceiver node does not require active cooling and heating devices that control the temperature surrounding the laser transceiver node. The laser transceiver node can adjust a subscriber's bandwidth on a subscription basis or on an as-needed basis. The laser transceiver node can also offer data bandwidth to the subscriber in preassigned increments. Additionally, the laser transceiver node lends itself to efficient upgrading that can be performed entirely on the network side. The laser transceiver node can also provide high speed symmetrical data transmission. Further, the laser transceiver node can utilize off-the-shelf hardware to generate optical signals such as Fabry-Perot (F-P) laser transmitters, distributed feed back lasers (DFB), or vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs).

1 - 52 . (canceled)  
     
     
         53 . An optical network system comprising: 
 a data service hub for sending downstream optical data signals on an optical waveguide;    a plurality of optical taps, each optical tap dividing downstream optical signals between a plurality of optical waveguides coupled to a plurality of subscriber optical interfaces;    each subscriber optical interface providing electrical communications to a subscriber, each subscriber optical interface coupled to a respective optical tap by an optical waveguide, for receiving the downstream optical signals from a respective optical tap and converting the downstream optical signals into downstream electrical signals; and    a laser transceiver node disposed between the data service hub and the optical taps, for communicating optical signals to and from the data service hub and to and from a respective optical tap, for apportioning bandwidth that is shared between groups or subscriber optical interfaces connected to a respective optical tap, the laser transceiver node operating in an outdoor environmental temperature range of between approximately −40 degrees Celsius and 60 degrees Celsius.    
     
     
         54 . The optical network of  claim 53 , wherein the laser transceiver node further comprises a passive temperature cooling device.  
     
     
         55 . The optical network of  claim 54 , wherein the passive temperature cooling device comprises at least one of a heat sink and a heat pipe.  
     
     
         56 . The optical network of  claim 54 , wherein the passive temperature cooling device does not consume power.  
     
     
         57 . The optical network of  claim 54 , wherein the passive temperature cooling device removes heat from the laser transceiver node.  
     
     
         58 . The optical network of  claim 54 , wherein the passive temperature cooling device comprises at least one of a heat sink and a heat pipe that remove heat from the laser transceiver node.  
     
     
         59 . The optical network of  claim 53 , wherein the laser transceiver node comprises a routing device for managing upstream and downstream electrical data signals.  
     
     
         60 . An optical network system comprising: 
 a data service hub for sending downstream optical data signals on an optical waveguide;    a laser transceiver coupled to the data service hub and an optical interface, for communicating optical signals to and from the data service hub and to and from the optical interface, for apportioning bandwidth that is shared between groups of subscriber optical interfaces, a temperature cooling device positioned in the laser transceiver node device for permitting the laser transceiver node to operate in an outdoor environment with a temperature range of between approximately between −40 degrees Celsius and 60 degrees Celsius; and    the optical interface providing electrical communications to a subscriber, the subscriber optical interface coupled to the laser transceiver node by an optical waveguide, for receiving the downstream optical signals from the laser transceiver node and converting the downstream optical signals into downstream electrical signals.    
     
     
         61 . The optical network of  claim 60 , further comprising a plurality of optical taps, each optical tap dividing downstream optical signals comprising a combination of the downstream optical data signals and the optical RF modulated television broadcast signals between a plurality of optical waveguides coupled to a plurality or subscriber optical interfaces.  
     
     
         61 . The optical network of  claim 60 , wherein the temperature cooling device comprises at least one of a heat sink and a heat pipe.  
     
     
         62 . The optical network of  claim 60 , wherein the temperature cooling device does not consume power.  
     
     
         63 . The optical network of  claim 60 , wherein the temperature cooling device removes heat from the laser transceiver node.  
     
     
         64 . The optical network of  claim 60 , wherein the laser transceiver node comprises a routing device for managing upstream and downstream electrical data signals.  
     
     
         65 . A method for communicating optical signals from a data service provider to at least one subscriber comprising: 
 receiving downstream optical signals from the service provider in a laser transceiver node;    routing the downstream signals between preassigned multiplexers in the laser transceiver node with a routing device;    apportioning bandwidth between subscribers with the laser transceiver node;    multiplexing the downstream signals at the preassigned multiplexers;    maintaining a temperature in the laser transceiver node such that the laser transceiver node is operable in an external environmental temperature range of between approximately −40 degrees Celsius and 60 degrees Celsius; and    propagating respective combined downstream optical signals to at least one subscriber by at least one optical tap along at least one optical waveguide.    
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 65  wherein maintaining the temperature range in the laser transceiver node further comprises maintaining the temperature range with a passive cooling device.  
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein maintaining the temperature range in the laser transceiver node further comprises maintaining the temperature range by removing heat from the laser transceiver node with a passive cooling device.  
     
     
         68 . The method or  claim 65  wherein maintaining the temperature range in the laser transceiver node further comprises maintaining the temperature range with one of a heat sink and a heat pipe.  
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 65  wherein maintaining the temperature range in the laser transceiver node further comprises maintaining the temperature range without consuming power.