Hybrid fiber twisted pair local loop network service architecture

Abstract

A new architecture capable of utilizing the existing twisted pair interface between customer premises equipment and an associated serving local switching office is used to provide a vast array of new services to customers. Using an intelligent services director (ISD) at the customer services equipment as an interface for the equipment to an existing twisted cable pair and a facilities management platform (FMP) at the serving local switching office as an interface to various networks and service opportunities, new services such as simultaneous, multiple calls (voice analog or digital), facsimile, Internet traffic and other data can be transmitted and received over the twisted cable pair by using digital subscriber loop transmission schemes. The new services include but are not limited to videophone, utility meter reading and monitoring, broadcasting and multicasting. The architecture provides for fault-tolerant, transparent interaction of components and services and supports a variety of standards for each level of the open systems interconnection layers and layers of TCP/IP. The FMP connects electronically or optically to the public switched telephone network, Internet backbone, a private Intranet as well as other possible network connections.

1 . In a communication architecture comprising an intelligent services director coupled to at least one customer premises equipment device, the intelligent services director device being connected to one end of a single twisted cable pair, a facilities management platform capable of separating voice signals from data packet signals and connected to another end of said single twisted cable pair, the facilities management platform for interfacing with a plurality of different networks including a packet data network, a router within the facilities management platform for transmitting data packet signals received from customer premises equipment to a packet data communications network simultaneously with transmitting voice signals received from customer premises equipment to a public switched telephone network, and a network server platform coupled to said facilities management platform for providing system management to the facilities management platform, a method of providing communications services over said single twisted cable pair comprising the steps of:
 multiplexing signals associated with first and second communications services over said single twisted cable pair resulting in both said services being received simultaneously by at least one user of said architecture; and   updating programming of the at least one customer premises equipment device by downloading software from the network server platform to at least one of the customer premises equipment devices.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first and second communications services permit a user to speak to another party and view an Internet web page on a personal computer display at the same time. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 multiplexing a signal associated with a third communications service over said single twisted cable pair resulting in all said services being received simultaneously by the at least one user of said architecture.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first communications service comprises an Internet packet data service and said second communications service comprises a video service. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 directly routing analog voice signals to at least one line card within the facilities management platform for transmission over a network when a digital data link fails.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 converting, by the at least one line card, the analog voice signals to digital format for transmission over the network.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting the data packet signals and the voice signals over a high speed backbone network.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of updating programming of the at least one customer premises equipment device by downloading software comprises downloading application applets configured to a latest software version. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of updating programming of the at least one customer premises equipment device by downloading software is initialized by a request from one of the customer premises equipment devices. 
   
   
       10 . A communications architecture comprising:
 a customer premises equipment interface device coupled to at least one customer premises equipment device, the interface device being connected to one end of a single twisted cable pair,   a facilities management platform capable of separating voice signals from data packet signals and connected to another end of said single twisted cable pair, the facilities management platform for transmitting data packet signals received from the at least one customer premises equipment device to a packet data communications network simultaneously with transmitting voice signals received from the at least one customer premises equipment device to a public switched telephone network; and   a network server platform coupled to said facilities management platform via said digital optical ring network for providing system management to the facilities management platform, and for updating programming of the at least one customer premises equipment device by downloading software from the network server platform to at least one of the customer premises equipment devices.   
   
   
       11 . The communications architecture of  claim 10  wherein the network server platform updates programming by downloading application applets configured to a latest software version. 
   
   
       12 . The communications architecture of  claim 10  wherein the downloading of software by the network server platform is initialized by a request from one of the customer premises equipment devices. 
   
   
       13 . The communications architecture of  claim 10  wherein said at least one customer premises equipment device comprises a multiplexer for multiplexing voice and data signals for simultaneous transmission over said single twisted cable pair to said facilities management platform. 
   
   
       14 . The communications architecture of  claim 13 , wherein the multiplexed voice and data signals are transmitted and received by the customer premises equipment interface device by a spread spectrum multiplexing scheme. 
   
   
       15 . The communications architecture of  claim 13 , wherein the multiplexed voice and data signals are transmitted and received by the customer premises equipment interface device by a time division multiplexing scheme. 
   
   
       16 . The communications architecture of  claim 13 , wherein the multiplexed voice and data signals are transmitted and received by the customer premises equipment interface device by a frequency division multiplexing scheme. 
   
   
       17 . The communications architecture of  claim 13 , wherein the multiplexed voice and data signals are transmitted and received by the customer premises equipment interface device by an asynchronous multiplexing scheme. 
   
   
       18 . The communications architecture of  claim 13 , wherein the multiplexed voice and data signals are transmitted and received by the customer premises equipment interface device by a synchronous multiplexing scheme. 
   
   
       19 . The communications architecture of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 wherein the customer premises equipment interface includes a digital subscriber line modem; and   wherein the customer premises equipment interface is electronically connected to the facilities management platform by digital subscriber line modems including a digital subscriber line modem of said customer premises interface device.   
   
   
       20 . The communications architecture of  claim 10  wherein the customer premises equipment interface device is coupled to at least one customer premises equipment device selected from the group consisting of a digital telephone, a video telephone, a facsimile machine, a personal computer telephone, and an analog telephone.