Abstract:
A system for correlating a subscriber unit to a physical port in a point to multipoint wire line network is disclosed. An installer is prompted to manually input a location code associated with the subscriber. The location code in the subscriber unit is received, and is transmitted via the network to a central repository. The location code is stored in the central repository toward associating the location code with the physical port.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is directed to communications networks and, in particular to a system for configuring subscriber equipment upon installation within a communication network. 
     2. Background Art 
     Transmission of data (voice, video and/or data) over fiber optic cabling is becoming common place. For instance, optical transmission is heavily used for long-distance (or inter-LATA) telephone transmission. Where fiber optic communication has been used in local exchanges (sometimes referred to as a Local Access &amp; Transport Area or “LATA”) a passive optical network (“PON”) has been used. The name PON arises from the use of passive splitters (e.g. star couplers) to distribute signal between the central office (CO) and multiple, spatially distributed subscriber locations via fiber optic cables. PONs are one example of point to multipoint wire line networks. 
     Point to multipoint wire line networks have various benefits including, but not limited to, the lower equipment costs. These lower equipment costs over traditional point to point networks arise, in part, due to the absence of dedicated lines and ports for each subscriber. However, because there is no unique port (path) linking each subscriber to the network, there is no inherent means for uniquely identifying the downstream path to any particular subscriber. Such a path is required, for instance, to appropriately terminate an incoming voice call for any particular subscriber (e.g. the subscriber at (212) 555-1212). Thus, while the service provider knows the identity of any particular subscriber at installation, a passive optical network does not. Consequently, in order to deliver communications and uniquely desired service to each subscriber, there is a need to establish some correlation between the subscriber&#39;s identification and the optical network unit (“ONU”) serving that location. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     A number of technical advances are achieved in the art, by implementation of a method for correlating a subscriber unit to a physical port in a point to multipoint wire line network. The method comprises: (a) prompting an installer to manually input a location code associated with the subscriber; (b) receiving the location code in the subscriber unit; (c) transmitting the location code via the network to a central repository; and (d) storing the location code in the central repository toward associating the location code with the physical port. In some approaches, storing may further including checking the location code for errors before storing and upon finding an error, transmitting an instruction to the subscriber unit to indicate error to the installer and upon finding no errors, storing the location code. When the installer receives an error indication there may also be a further prompt to reinput the location code. 
     The method may also include transmitting the site code and storing it in the central repository. 
     Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principals of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. 
         FIG. 1  of the drawings is a block diagram of one universal demarcation point connected to a passive optical network that has a universal demarcation point associated with each of its plurality of subscribers. 
         FIG. 2  of the drawings is flow diagram of the method for correlating a optical network unit with the central office. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     When a universal demarcation point (“UDP”)  50  is installed in a passive optical network (“PON”)  40  by installer  20 , optical network unit (“ONU”)  51  of UDP  50  must be configured to receive and transmit signals correctly over the PON. Configuration of the ONU  51  with the PON facilitates proper communication to occur between installed UDP  50  and its associated optical line termination (“OLT”)  52  (shown in  FIG. 1  as being located at central office  41 ). Thus, for instance, configuration may register the serial number of the UDP  50 , ONU  51  and even correlate that UDP and ONU with the equipment along the branch by which UDP  50  is operably connected to the PON. However, configuration does not correlate the identity of subscriber  30  (i.e. John Smith) with ONU  51  or even OLT  52 . This correlation is important because generally a PON will include a plurality of subscribers, OLTs and ONUs. Each of these subscribers are operably connected to the central office via a series of fiber optic cables, passive optical splitters, and a specific optical line terminator (“OLT”) located at the central office in a “tree structure.” 
       FIG. 1  generally illustrates, among other things, one PON tree topology and particularly one particular branch in the PON tree structure. As shown in  FIG. 1 , UDP  50  is equipped to receive information including voice, video and data content. It would be understood by those of skill in the art having the present specification before them that alternative topologies will also work with the disclosed invention. As illustrated, subscriber  30  is operably connected to central office  41  via OLT  52 , fiber optic cable  53 , optical splitter  60   a , fiber optic cable  54   a  and UDP  50 . Thus, as depicted in  FIG. 1 , OLT  52  is a conduit to fiber optic cables  54   a  through  54   n  (in preferred approach n=32) via optical splitter  60   a . Of course, other OLTs in PON  40  will support other branches of the PON via other optical splitters  60   b  through  60   n . As further depicted in  FIG. 1 , it is contemplated that additional optical splitters (see reference number  61   a ) will exist in the system even at secondary (and deeper) levels toward supporting even further subscribers on each OLT branch via fiber optic cables  56   a  through  56   n.    
     Once installer  20  has operably installed UDP  50  on the PON, the configuration may be initiated manually or automatically. Although not relevant to the present invention, it should be understood that communications could be implemented over the PON using a frequency-division, wavelength-division or time-division multiplexing scheme. Thus, for instance, where a time-division multiplexing scheme is used, upon installation (or hard start up) among other possible configuration requirements, ONU  51  must be ranged such that upstream transmissions are inserted by the UDP at the appropriate time onto the PON. For purposes of the present invention, once configuration has completed, the UDP and its ONU can properly communicate with the central office. 
     Once configuration has been completed, general practice indicates that the installer should verify the receipt of dial tone at the subscriber location. This verification is has generally been performed in all types of telephone networks by operably connecting a butt set (or any other touch tone phone) to the UDP using one of electrical connectors  70 . Of course, various types of testing device may be utilized with the present invention as will be apparent in view of the present disclosure. In a preferred approach, installer  20  would connect butt set  21  to the last POTS binding post among the electrical connectors  70  to run this test. While using the last binding post adds some complexity to UDP controller and installer training, it greatly decreases the odds that subscriber  30  will ever pick up a phone set on a line that is in registration mode after a power outage. 
     In addition to testing for dial tone, the installer  20  may be required to establish the site key for the UDP  50 . The site key identifies the customer or UDP  50 , which in turn identifies the ONU location and the service parameters associated with the customer or UDP  50 . The ONU location is generally the same as the customer location. Where necessary, in a preferred approach, the installer would take the butt set  21  off-hook and enter a “#.” In response, the UDP  50  prompts the installer  20  to enter the site key of the location. This prompt may take any form that would be perceivable to the installer  20  including, but not limited to, audible and textual prompts. In the preferred approach using a butt set, audible prompting is most likely. This audio feedback would preferably be generated by ONU  51 —in response to download announcements—using the existing voice processing hardware in the ONU. 
     The installer  20  enters (via the testing device) the site key. The location site key is a numeric code assigned by the utility company for each UDP in the PON. In a preferred approach, this entry will be accomplished using the touch tone keys on the butt set  21  followed by the pound sign. However, another testing device with other forms of manual entry may also be used. In response, to the completed entry of the site key, UDP  50  transmits the site key along with the UDP&#39;s serial number (stored in non-volatile memory in the UDP (not shown) to the Element Management System (EMS) via the host digital terminal (“HDT”). 
     Now that configuration of the UDP has been completed, correlation can be performed. If the testing device (e.g. butt sett  21 ) in not already connected to one of the electrical connectors  70  of UDP  50 , the installer would operably connect such a device. Alternatively, it is contemplated that the device may be directly connected to the ONU within UDP  50   a  (the utility company side of the UDP  50 ) for correlation. Upon connection, correlation would be initiated. In the approach where electrical connectors  70  are utilized by the installer a manual signal, such as a key activation or series of key activations may be required. In the approach where the installer operably connects the testing device directly to the ONU, the connection, itself, may automatically initiate correlation. Other connections may also be programmed to automatically initiate correlation. 
     In response to correlation initiation, manual feedback unit  100  will provide a user perceivable instruction to enter a location key for the UDP  50  (a unique integer assigned to the location). This user perceivable instruction may take various forms, such text or audio. Where an audio instruction is used the audio may be stored in various formats, such as CD-audio, “.WAV”, MP3, PARCOR speech synthesis, etc. In such an approach, UDP  50  will include a media player or speech synthesizer, depending upon the format in which the audio is stored. It is alternatively possible to include an analog tape player to playback an analog tape recording of various phrases. 
     The installer, in turn, inputs the digits of the location key. This input may be pre-programmed in the installer&#39;s testing device or may be entered manually via a keypad on the testing device. In the preferred embodiment, the location key is an integer, which reflects a customer number already used by the service provider operations support system (“OSS”)(e.g. the methods that directly support the daily operation of a LEC) identifying the subscriber  30 . More generally, the location code/key is any identifier that can be input via the mechanism provided to the installer that identifies geographic location of the customer. It would be a desirable attribute of the location IDs to be “sparse” so that if the location ID is mis-entered the probability is high that the mis-entered id can be distinguished as a non-valid id rather than the wrong subscriber ID. Where the testing device is a butt set or other telephone-paradigm based device, UDP  50  would be provided with equipment to convert the DTMF tones received into the corresponding digits. 
     The location key input by the installer  20  is then transmitted to the central office  41 . In a preferred embodiment, the location key is placed into an IP package along with the unique identifier for the optical network unit  51  (“ONU”). This IP package is routed over the PON to the OLT  52 . In turn, the OLT  52  passes the location key and ONU identifier information to the Element Management System (EMS)  80 . It is contemplated that EMS  80  can be provisioned with the remaining pieces of the puzzle so that EMS  80  may correlate the location key with the specific ONU. 
     The transmitted correlation information will be validated and generally checked for errors. For instance, validation may consider one or more of the following: (1) sufficiency of the information received about the site key; (2) existence of other UDPs on the PON associated with the entered site key; and (3) correct type of the UDP installed at the site. Other potential errors could also be checked as would be understood. This validation may be conducted at any one of various levels, such as the Central Office  41  or the EMS  80 . 
     Once validated, one or more of the OLT  52 , central office  41 , EMS  80  and/or other EMS modules store the received correlation data. Of course, it would be understood to those of ordinary skill in the art that the correlation could be stored elsewhere in the central office, such as a central router, which would further correlate the location/UDP codes with a OLT identifier to ensure that the traffic to the subscriber is appropriately routed. 
     Once the correlation is validated and stored, a message may be transmitted to the UDP  50  with instructions to indicate to the installer either: (1) successful registration or (2) erroneous correlation. In a preferred approach, an “erroneous correlation: indication could be accompanied by commands that cause the UDP to provide directions to the installer  20  on how to handle errors in the ONU Location Correlation process. 
     The installer would then re-initialize correlation after correcting any errors in installation. In the cases where the installer  20  is unable to successfully correlate the UDP, the installer would have to call into a center to resolve the problem. 
     At the completion of an installer registering UDP  50 , the EMS will have made the correlation between the appearance of UDP  50  on the PON  40  and the site at which the UDP  50  is located (i.e. fiber  54   a  via splitter  60   a , fiber  53  and OLT  52 ). Thus, the network now has all the information it needs to activate any services that have been pre-provisioned for the site.