Addressable fiber node

Abstract

A system and method for providing a hybrid fiber network (HFN) means to identify a fiber node by a unique address. An addressing module is installed in proximity to, or collocated with, a fiber node. The addressing module comprises an addressing module identifier that associates the addressing module with a particular fiber node. Network parameter values are received from the fiber node by the addressing module and reported to a reporting station.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An addressing module for a fiber node deployed in a hybrid fiber network (HFN), the addressing module comprising: 
 a first interface for connecting the addressing module to the fiber node on its subscriber side;    a second interface for connecting the addressing module to one or more test points of the fiber node; and    a logic module internal to the addressing module adapted to: 
 receive an addressing module identifier from the HFN, wherein the addressing module identifier associates the addressing module with the fiber node;  
 receive from the one or more test points one or more network parameter values related to the performance of the HFN; and  
 send the one or more network parameter values to a reporting station in association with the addressing module identifier.  
   
     
     
         2 . The addressing module for a fiber node deployed in a HFN as in  claim 1 , wherein the one or more a network parameters comprise at least one of a cable modem bandwidth parameter, a peak bandwidth demand parameter, an optical power parameter, a digitally modulated signal level parameter, analog video signal quality parameter, and RF Carrier Power parameter, an RF noise power parameter, a signal to noise parameter, an average noise power parameter, a carrier to noise parameter, a composite second order parameter, a composite triple beat parameter, a cross modulation parameter, a hum parameter, a laser clipping parameter, an optical signal modulation index parameter, a phase parameter, a group delay parameter, a composite intermodulation noise parameter, a return loss parameter, a coherent disturbances peak to valley parameter, a video to analog delta measurement parameter, a differential gain and phase parameter, an analog color parameter, and a fiber node operational status parameter.  
     
     
         3 . The addressing module as in  claim 1 , wherein the one or more network parameter values related to the performance of the are in analog form and wherein the logic module is further adapted to convert each of the one or more analog network parameter values to a digital network parameter value.  
     
     
         4 . The addressing module of  claim 1 , wherein the logic module is further adapted to: 
 receive a configuration file from the HFN; and    configure the addressing module according to the configuration file.    
     
     
         5 . The addressing module as in  claim 1 , wherein the logic module is further adapted to: 
 receive an instruction from a reporting station; and    select one or more network value parameters based on the instruction.    
     
     
         6 . The addressing module as in  claim 1 , wherein the logic module further comprises a media access controller (MAC) having a MAC address and wherein the addressing module identifier is the MAC address.  
     
     
         7 . The addressing module as in  claim 1 , wherein the reporting station is a cable modem termination system (CMTS).  
     
     
         8 . The addressing module as in  claim 1 , wherein the reporting station is a network device.  
     
     
         9 . The addressing module as in  claim 1 , wherein the HFN is DOCSIS-compliant.  
     
     
         10 . A method for addressing a fiber node in a hybrid fiber network (HFN), the method comprising: 
 associating a fiber node with an addressing module having an addressing module identifier;    registering the addressing module identifier with the HFN in association with the fiber node;    receiving at the addressing module a status indicator of the fiber node; and    reporting the status indicator to a reporting station.    
     
     
         11 . The method for addressing a fiber node in a HFN as in  claim 10 , wherein the addressing module further comprises a media access controller (MAC) having a MAC address and wherein the addressing module identifier is the MAC address.  
     
     
         12 . The method for addressing a fiber node in a HFN as in  claim 10 , wherein the reporting station is a cable modem termination system (CMTS).  
     
     
         13 . The method for addressing a fiber node in a HFN as in  claim 10 , wherein the reporting station is a network device.  
     
     
         14 . The method for addressing a fiber node in a HFN as in  claim 10 , wherein the status indicator is selected from the group consisting of operating normally, operating abnormally, and inoperable.  
     
     
         15 . The method for addressing a fiber node in a HFN as in  claim 10 , wherein the HFN is DOCSIS-compliant.  
     
     
         16 . A method for collecting parameter values in a communication path between a cable head end and a subscriber on a DOCSIS-compliant hybrid fiber network (HFN), wherein the HFN comprises an addressing module associated with a fiber node via an addressing module identifier and wherein the method comprises: 
 measuring one or more parameter values at the fiber node associated with the addressing module;    receiving the one or more parameter values at the addressing module; and    reporting the one or more parameter values to a reporting station in association with the addressing module id.    
     
     
         17 . The method for collecting parameter values in a communication path between a cable head end and a subscriber on a HFN as in  claim 16 , wherein the one or more parameter values is at least one of a cable modem bandwidth parameter, a peak bandwidth demand parameter, an optical power parameter, a digitally modulated signal level parameter, analog video signal quality parameter, and RF Carrier Power parameter, an RF noise power parameter, a signal to noise parameter, an average noise power parameter, a carrier to noise parameter, a composite second order parameter, a composite triple beat parameter, a cross modulation parameter, a hum parameter, a laser clipping parameter, an optical signal modulation index parameter, a phase parameter, a group delay parameter, a composite intermodulation noise parameter, a return loss parameter, a coherent disturbances peak to valley parameter, a video to analog delta measurement parameter, a differential gain and phase parameter, an analog color parameter, and a fiber node operational status parameter.  
     
     
         18 . The method for collecting parameter values in a communication path between a cable head end and a subscriber on a HFN as in  claim 16 , wherein the addressing module further comprises a media access controller (MAC) having a MAC address and the addressing module identifier comprises the MAC address.  
     
     
         19 . The method for collecting parameter values in a communication path between a cable head end and a subscriber on a HFN as in  claim 16 , wherein the reporting station is a cable modem termination system (CMTS).  
     
     
         20 . The method for collecting parameter values in a communication path between a cable head end and a subscriber on a HFN as in  claim 16 , wherein the reporting station is a network device.  
     
     
         21 . The method for collecting parameter values in a communication path between a cable head end and a subscriber on a HFN as in  claim 16 , wherein the HFN is DOCSIS-compliant.