Apparatus for fiber-to-the-premises and network system thereof

Abstract

Splitter housings suitable for a rapid deployment of an FTTX network system are disclosed. For some embodiments, a splitter housing splits one of many input optical fibers to a plurality of output optical fibers and keeps the rest of input optical fibers for future network expansion. For other embodiments, a splitter housing splits one of many input optical fibers to a plurality of output optical fibers and terminates the rest of input optical fibers at an output multi-fiber connector port. For network system embodiments, two or more splitter housings are optically connected in series to deploy a FTTX network system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A splitter housing for fiber-to-the-premises (FTTX) comprising:
 an outside plant (OSP) rated housing;   an OSP rated input multi-fiber connector port on the housing to receive a connectorized optical fiber cable with a plurality of input optical fibers;   at least one splitter inside the housing, the splitter is optically connected to one of the input optical fibers, wherein the splitter splits the input optical fiber into a plurality of output optical fibers to serve multiple premises using a single optical fiber; and   a plurality of OSP rated output connector ports, wherein each output connector port terminates at least one output optical fiber extending from the splitter; wherein the rest of input optical fibers not optically connected to the splitter are available for future network expansion.   
     
     
         2 . The splitter housing of  claim 1 , wherein the splitter housing is pre-fabricated. 
     
     
         3 . The splitter housing of  claim 1 , wherein the splitter splits the input optical fiber into n output optical fibers, wherein n is a natural number. 
     
     
         4 . The splitter housing of  claim 3 , wherein n is 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 or 24. 
     
     
         5 . The splitter housing of  claim 1 , wherein the splitter is a planar light circuit (PLC). 
     
     
         6 . The splitter housing of  claim 1 , wherein the output connector ports are receptacles for receiving a connectorized drop cable that extends to a predetermined premise. 
     
     
         7 . The splitter housing of  claim 1 , wherein the output connector ports are on the exterior surface of the housing. 
     
     
         8 . A splitter housing for fiber-to-the-premises (FTTX) comprising:
 an outside plant (OSP) rated housing;   an OSP rated input multi-fiber connector port on the housing to receive a connectorized optical fiber cable with a plurality of input optical fibers;   at least one splitter inside the housing, the splitter is optically connected to one of the input optical fibers, wherein the splitter splits the input optical fiber into a plurality of output optical fibers to serve multiple premises using a single optical fiber;   a plurality of OSP rated output connector ports, wherein each output connector port terminates at least one output optical fiber extending from the splitter; and   an OSP rated output multi-fiber connector port on the housing to receive the rest of input optical fibers not optically connected to the splitter.   
     
     
         9 . The splitter housing of  claim 8 , wherein the splitter housing is pre-fabricated. 
     
     
         10 . The splitter housing of  claim 8 , wherein the splitter splits the input optical fiber into n output optical fibers, wherein n is a natural number. 
     
     
         11 . The splitter housing of  claim 10 , wherein n is 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 or 24. 
     
     
         12 . The splitter housing of  claim 8 , wherein the splitter is a planar light circuit (PLC). 
     
     
         13 . The splitter housing of  claim 8 , wherein the output connector ports are receptacles for receiving a connectorized drop cable that extends to a predetermined premise. 
     
     
         14 . The splitter housing of  claim 8 , wherein the output connector ports are on the exterior surface of the housing. 
     
     
         15 . A fiber-to-the-premises (FTTX) network system comprising:
 a central office;   a cable combiner optically connected to the central office;   a first splitter housing optically connected to the cable combiner; and   a second splitter housing optically connected to the first splitter housing,   wherein the first and second splitter housings, each comprising:
 an outside plant (OSP) rated housing; 
 an OSP rated input multi-fiber connector port on the housing to receive a connectorized optical fiber cable with a plurality of input optical fibers; 
 at least one splitter inside the housing, the splitter is optically connected to one of the input optical fibers, wherein the splitter splits the input optical fiber into a plurality of output optical fibers to serve multiple premises using a single optical fiber; 
 a plurality of OSP rated output connector ports, wherein each output connector port terminates at least one output optical fiber extending from the splitter; and 
 an OSP rated output multi-fiber connector port on the housing to receive the rest of input optical fibers not optically connected to the splitter; and 
   a connectorized multi-fiber optical fiber cable optically connects the OSP rated output multi-fiber connector port of the first splitter housing and the OSP rated input multi-fiber connector port of the second splitter housing.   
     
     
         16 . The fiber-to-the-premises (FTTX) network system of  claim 15 , wherein the FTTX network system comprises a plurality of splitter housings and each splitter housing is optically connected to other splitter housings in series. 
     
     
         17 . The fiber-to-the-premises (FTTX) network system of  claim 16 , wherein the splitter housings are optically connected in series until the last of the input optical fiber is optically connected to a splitter.