Abstract:
A technique for storing cable slack in an automatic and safe manner, to allow a plug and play connectivity for fiber optic cable installation between floors in multi-floor high-rise apartment buildings. A tamper-proof storage box is located in a prescribed location for which its footprint is intended, such as a utility closet in a lobby or basement. The box contains a number of reels of cable (bundles of individual optical strands), each reel&#39;s contents designated for a different floor in the building. As pre-connectorized strands are pulled from a rotatable spindle mounted in the storage box to its intended floor, any cable excess (slack) remains automatically on the spindle in the storage box in an out-of-the-way location avoiding tampering and tripping. This allows off the shelf lengths of cable saving time and expense.

Description:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
       [0001]    Installation of fiber-optic transmission systems in multi-floor apartment and similar buildings can be challenging. For example, one issue is how to safely and sensibly store fiber optic cable that has been deployed throughout hallways of an apartment building while a telecommunications company waits for requests from individual residents of the building for delivery of that fiber-optic service into their individual apartments. This issue is addressed by the technique described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/428,813 filed Apr. 23, 2009 titled “Hidden Drop Storage Device,” assigned to the assignee of the instant application and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
         [0002]    Another challenge emerges during deployment of cable between the floors in such a building, the inter-floor cable deployment normally occurring before the above-noted hallway cable deployment. For example, a problem can arise from attempting to store excess length, or slack, of pre-connectorized optical fiber bundles. Initially, fiber optic cable is brought from a telecommunications company (telco) located remotely from the apartment building to an indoor fiber distribution hub (IFDH) which can be located in one of several areas of the building such as, e.g., the basement or lobby. Connections are then made from the IFDH to each floor in the building. But, each floor can be a different distance away from the IFDH. If cable lengths were precisely tailored for each floor of a building, there would be no cable slack after deployment to each floor, but this approach would be very costly and time consuming. Standardized lengths can avoid those high costs, but using standardized lengths of pre-connectorized cable to connect from the IFDH to each floor shall result in substantial cable slack. Cable slack would then need to be stored permanently and safely on each floor. But, containers for storage of that slack in plain sight in hallways attracts tampering or vandalism and/or can be an ingress/egress hazard for occupants of, and visitors to, the building. Thus, there is a need for automatic storage, during installation, of optical cable slack of pre-connectorized and standard-sized cables that can be used to connect between floors of a multi-floor apartment building in a plug and play manner, where such storage is automatically accomplished in safe and sensible pre-assigned areas within the building set aside for that purpose. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]      FIG. 1  is an exemplary schematic diagram depicting the relationship between a telecommunications company and a multi floored building wherein exemplary embodiments are particularly useful; 
           [0004]      FIG. 2  is an exemplary schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment; 
           [0005]      FIG. 3  is an exemplary schematic diagram of a portion of a flange used on a reel or spool of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0006]      FIG. 4  is an exemplary schematic diagram depicting one bundle of twelve connectorized optical fiber strands used in exemplary embodiments. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0007]    In this description, the same reference numeral in different Figs. refers to the same entity. Otherwise, reference numerals of each Fig. start with the same number as the number of that Fig. For example,  FIG. 3  has numerals in the “300” category and  FIG. 4  has numerals in the “400” category, etc. In addition, the term “cable” may be used interchangeably with the term “bundle” so that an optical fiber cable (or fiber-optic cable) and optical fiber bundle may both be the same entity, each containing a number of mutually-isolated optical fiber strands, and where each strand carries optical signals intended for only one end user customer or subscriber. 
         [0008]    In overview, preferred embodiments include a lockable storage box or container having a pre-determined footprint. The box is positioned in a pre-arranged location designed for that footprint in a multi-floored building such as, for example, in a basement or lobby area of a medium-rise or high-rise apartment building having a total number of floors of up to thirty-six or more. That location also can be inside a lockable utility closet in any level of the building or at some other suitable location in the building designed for this purpose. For additional security, the box can be lockable and made tamper proof through conventional means, regardless of its installation inside a lockable utility closet. The storage box can be made from steel or other similarly strong material. 
         [0009]    The storage container includes an axel structure about which a number of reels or spools of optical fiber bundles can each independently rotate without interfering with the others, when their respective bundles are pulled from the container by installation technicians. Each bundle has a rough diameter of approximately 3.7 millimeters and comprises twelve separate strands of mutually-isolated optical fiber, each strand being assigned to carrying optical signals to and from a different end-user customer or subscriber. Because of the relatively small diameter of a fiber optic bundle, large and continuous lengths of these bundles can be wrapped around each spool, where those un-interrupted lengths can reach to thirty-six stories or more, if needed. 
         [0010]    Different spools can support different off-the-shelf lengths of optical fiber strands, the shorter lengths being used for the lower floors and the longer lengths being used for the higher floors, assuming the storage box is at or near ground level. For example, in a thirty-six floor apartment building, possibly four to six different standard lengths of optical fiber strands, with both ends connectorized, can be spooled and rotatably mounted on thirty-six separate spools in a storage box in an exemplary embodiment for deployment to all floors of that building. (If need be, only one length sufficient for the maximum number of floors to be encountered could be used, where more slack than otherwise would then have to be stored in the slack-strand storage box.) After deployment, the other ends of the strands, which are in the box, are connected through appropriate ports in the storage box to an adjacently located indoor fiber distribution hub (IFDH) which, by way of outdoor optical cable is connected to a remotely-located telecommunications company or cable service provider. Therefore, exemplary embodiments include apparatus and methodology for automatically storing excess length of an optical bundle in a container during and after deployment of the optical bundle, where the container can be positioned on a prescribed or pre-determined floor in a multi-floor building such as an apartment building; the destination of the deployed optical bundle is generally a different floor from the prescribed floor. 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is an exemplary schematic diagram depicting relationship  100  between a telecommunications company (telco) and a multi-floored building wherein exemplary embodiments are particularly useful. Telco  101  is operatively or communicatively coupled to building  102  by way of optical cable  103 . Building  102  may be an apartment building having a lobby, six residential floors located above the lobby and labeled “First Floor” through “Sixth Floor”, inclusively, each floor separated from its adjacent lower floor by distance “d” as shown, with multiple residences per floor and a basement below ground level  119 . The floor numbers, the lobby and the basement are each labeled accordingly in the Fig. and the residences are not shown. 
         [0012]    Optical cable  105  represents the total cable output from IFDH  104 . In other words, if there are, for example, six reels (not shown in this Fig.) inside storage block  118 , each reel&#39;s bundle of strands destined for a different floor, optical cable  105  represents all optical strands, collectively, which can be deployed from those six reels. A first reel would contain optical strands associated with the First Floor, a second reel would contain optical strands associated with the Second Floor, etc. If there are twelve strands per reel, with six reels there are seventy-two strands total in optical cable  105 . 
         [0013]    Bundle  106  represents twelve strands serving the First Floor and is shown to be connected to collector  112  located in the hallway on the First Floor. A collector is akin to a terminal block where, in this instance, twelve optical connections can be made from connectors (not shown) on the ends of the twelve strands. Bundle  107  represents another twelve strands serving the Second Floor and is shown to be connected to collector  113  located in the hallway on the Second Floor. Bundle  108  represents yet another twelve strands serving the Third Floor and is shown to be connected to collector  114  located in the hallway on the Third Floor. Bundle  109  represents an additional twelve strands serving the Fourth Floor and is shown to be connected to collector  115  located in the hallway on the Fourth Floor. Bundle  110  represents yet an additional twelve strands serving the Fifth Floor and is shown to be connected to collector  116  located in the hallway on the Fifth Floor. Finally, bundle  111  represents yet another additional twelve strands serving the Sixth Floor and is shown to be connected to collector  117  located in the hallway on the Sixth Floor. 
         [0014]    If collectors are not wanted in the hallways of this building they can be eliminated entirely. In that case, the connectorized ends of the bundles are merely stored in ducts or behind moldings or raceways on each floor, ready to be connected directly to additional optical fibers (not shown) to extend the signal path from those connections along the hallways of the apartment building into each individual apartment or residence. (Reference is again made to the incorporated by reference patent application above, which details this aspect of the process.) Cable  105  is hidden from public view in the lobby and bundles  106 - 111  are hidden from public view on their respective floors by positioning each of them, respectively, within ductwork or behind a raceway. 
         [0015]    Optical cable  103  is a multi-path, bi-directional, optical-communication conduit connecting telco  101  to indoor fiber distribution hub (IFDH)  104  located, in this example, in the lobby of building  102 . In a particular cable, data and video can be transmitted from telco  101  to IFDH  104  by way of transmitted optical signals having wavelengths of 1490 nanometers (nm) and 1550 nm, respectively, and channel command overhead information can be returned in the opposite direction from IFDH  104  to telco  101  by way of transmitted optical signals having a wavelength of 1310 nm. 
         [0016]    Lockable and tamper-proof storage container  118  is shown located in the lobby of the building. Immediately adjacent container  118  is IFDH  104 , which can be co-located with container  118  in a lockable utility closet. (An alternate location is shown for container  118   a  and IFDH  104   a , respectively, in the basement of building  102 .) Container  118  (and IFDH  104 ) can be made from steel or hard plastic or some other similarly hard and intrusion-proof material. 
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is an exemplary schematic diagram of exemplary embodiment  200 . Storage container  118  is shown at the bottom of the Fig. IFDH  104  is shown at the top of the Fig. Storage container  118  includes an axis or axel  201  fixedly mounted to, or supported by, sides of box  118 . In this example, there are shown six separate reels or spindles  202 - 207 , each of which supports a different bundle length  208 - 213 , respectively, of bundled optical fibers. Each bundle can have an approximate 3.7 mm diameter. Bundle lengths  208 - 211  are depicted as not yet deployed, and bundle lengths  212  and  213  are depicted as having been deployed. The optical connectors (not shown) attached to both ends of each optical fiber strand (not shown) in the not yet deployed bundles are secured at their respective spindle within box  118 . Those optical connectors are inserted into their respective spindle-storage spaces defined by their respective flanges fashioned at one end of each reel. For example, spindle-space  220  is defined by disc or flange  207   b  and end-face  207   c , identified for reel  207 . Similar spaces are shown for the other reels in  FIG. 2  but are not specifically identified by reference numbers in the interests of clarity of presentation. The flanges are discussed further in connection with discussion of  FIG. 3  below. Each reel  202 - 207  can rotate, independently of all other reels, about axel  201 . 
         [0018]    IFDH  104  is a self-contained, lockable housing which is physically secure and located next to, if not actually abutting, storage box  118  and which essentially contains multiple sets of terminals from which optical connections can be made to outdoor optical cable  103 . Bundle terminals  214 - 219  are each intended to represent twelve separate optical fiber strand terminals or connector jacks, and are shown in this compressed manner for ease of visual presentation. Cable  103 , in this instance, is comprised of seventy-two optical fiber strands, twelve strands associated with each of terminals  214 - 219  and identified as bundles  208 ′,  209 ′,  210 ′,  211 ′,  212 ′ and  213 ′, respectively, to be associated with bundles  208 ,  209 ,  210 ,  211 ,  212  and  213 , respectively, in storage box  118 . 
         [0019]    Bundle lengths  212  and  213  associated with reels  206  and  207 , respectively, are shown as being deployed. For example, at least one end of bundle  213  to which optical connectors  207   e  (representing twelve individual optical connectors, each connected to one of twelve optical strands) are attached, was contained within a pull sock (not shown). That one end, or first end, is pulled out from box  118  by an installer through an appropriate port (not shown) formed through box  118  into and out from appropriate ports (not shown) formed through the structure of IFDH  104 . That first end forms part of cable  105 , as shown. (That first end of bundle  213  and similar first ends of other bundles in box  118  need not pass through IFDH  104 . Alternatively, they can be deployed to their respective floors without passing through IFDH  104 ) 
         [0020]    The other end of bundle  213  to which twelve connector plugs  207   d  are attached, respectively, to twelve individual strands, is removed from box  118  after deployment of the first end of bundle  213  to its intended floor in the apartment building. The other end of bundle  213  is also directed through appropriate ports (not shown) formed through box  118  and IFDH  104  where it is connected to jack  219 . Jack  219  represents twelve individual optical connector jacks connected to twelve individual optical fiber strands  213 ′ forming a portion of cable  103 , and configured to receive connector plugs  207   d.    
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is an exemplary schematic diagram of a portion of a flange  300  used on a reel or spool of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . It is a cross-sectional view of flange  300 , taken at the slice shown in  FIG. 1 . Spindle or reel  207 , which is made from steel or some other similarly strong material, is supported by rod or axel  201  with substantial rotational clearance as shown; outside diameter of axel  201  is substantially smaller than inside diameter of spindle  207  permitting ease of rotation of the spindle about the axel. Disc  207   b , also made from steel or some other similarly strong material as are all of the spindles, is fixedly mounted to spindle  207  or can be formed with spindle  207  as a contiguous component part. 
         [0022]    A slot  301  is configured in disc  207   b  as shown to permit both ends of an optical bundle (twelve connectorized, optical strands on each end for a total of twenty-four connectorized strands and not shown in this Fig.) to be inserted through slot  301  into spindle-space  220  between flange  207   b  and reel end-face  207   c . Flange  207   b  and reel end-face  207   c  define spindle-storage space  220  for storing both ends of optical bundle  213  before it was deployed. Before deployment, each end of optical bundle  213  was encased in a pulling sock (not shown) which is a sleeve that fits over all twelve strands on each end, including their connectors, to protect them and keep them together. However, when optical bundle  213  is going to be used, the human operator or technician removes only one end of the bundle from spindle-storage space  220 , thereby leaving the other end in its pulling sock in space  220 . Thus, when a technician grasps the pulling sock and pulls on the to-be-removed end of bundle  213 , the bundle shall easily unravel or unwind from spool  207  as it rotates. That other end of bundle  213  remains safely within the spindle-storage space and rotates with rotation of reel  207 . The portion of bundle  213  that has been unwound can be snaked through a riser duct (not shown), which protects the bundle and hides it from view, until it reaches its intended destination floor. 
         [0023]    After the intended destination floor is reached, the other end of bundle  213 , which is still held within the spindle-storage space  220 , can be removed by the technician, not by further rotation of the spindle, but by unwinding no more than a few feet of bundle by hand. That other end of bundle  213  is then passed through its ports (not shown) out from storage box  118  and into IFDH  104 , and is then connected to its appropriate set of twelve terminals  219  in IFDH  104 . IFDH  104  may be located contiguously with, or adjacent to, storage box  118 . The portion of bundle  213  that remains wound on the reel is slack, or the equivalent of slack, which has been automatically and safely stored in storage box  118 , un-noticeable to the building&#39;s occupants. Assuming that optical signals are available from telco  101  over optical cable  103 , this installation technique allows a plug and play result because as soon as both ends of the strands of optical bundle  213  are plugged in, signal flow there-through can take place. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  is an exemplary schematic diagram depicting one bundle of twelve connectorized optical fiber strands used in exemplary embodiments. Bundle  213  is shown as twelve mutually isolated optical fibers terminating in a first group of twelve optical connectors  207   e - 1  inclusively through  207   e - 12 , respectively, on one end thereof and in a second group of twelve optical connectors  207   d - 1  inclusively through  207   d - 12 , respectively, on the other end thereof. Connector  207   e  of  FIG. 2  is comprised of the first group of optical connectors (e.g., male plugs)  207   e - 1  through  207   e - 12 . Connector  207   d  of  FIG. 2  is comprised of the second group of optical connectors (e.g., male plugs)  207   d - 1  through  207   d - 12 . Optical strands  213 ′ shown in  FIG. 2  are comprised of twelve strands  213 ′ shown in  FIG. 4  and terminating in individual optical connectors (e.g., female jacks)  219 - 1  through  219 - 12 , respectively. Connector plugs  207   d - 1  through  207   d - 12  mate, and make operative optical connections, with connector jacks  219 - 1  through  219 - 12  respectively. The male and female aspect of the connectors can be reversed on either or both ends and any claimed embodiment is not constrained to connector orientation described above. Connectors  214 - 218  of  FIG. 2  can each be configured with twelve connectors similarly to that of connector  219 . 
         [0025]    All connectors can be constructed from MT (mechanical transfer) technology, where separate optical glass fibers, or plastic fibers, physically touch each other inside the connector housings when a connector plug is inserted into its mated connector jack, for the purpose of allowing transfer of optical signal from one fiber to the other. The MT connectors most useful for the embodiments presented herein are available in 12, 72 and 96 fiber strand configurations. These MT connectors would preferably restrict signal loss at the interface of the two abutting fibers to be no greater than a 0.3 db (decibel) loss, with 0.25 db loss being typical. The claimed embodiments are not limited to connectors with these specifications which are provided to disclose the best mode now known for practice of the claimed subject matter. Other connector styles and designs, presently known or not yet developed, may be used with embodiments of the claimed subject matter, and the claims are not limited in any respect to particular connectors. 
         [0026]    In the preceding specification, various preferred embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto, and additional embodiments may be implemented, without departing from the broader scope of the invention as set forth in the claims that follow. There are other variations and modifications that can be made. Therefore, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.