Patents Assigned to Next Level Communications
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Patent number: 6094464Abstract: In a burst mode communication system bursts arrive at a receiver which must correctly acquire and track carrier and clock phases in order to recover the transmitted symbols. A burst mode receiver is used to recover the clock and carrier phase. The detection of an initiator pulse indicates the presence of a burst signal, and a cross-coupled fractionally spaced digital filter structure is used with a known preamble to perform symbol sampling phase recovery and carrier phase acquisition, and during the normal mode of operation results in a tracking of the symbol and carrier phases.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 1996Date of Patent: July 25, 2000Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventors: Lawrence Ebringer, Scott C. Petler
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Patent number: 6084852Abstract: In a burst mode communications system, bursts of information with a known preamble are transmitted from a burst mode transmitter and are received by a burst mode receiver which uses the preamble to determine the presence of a burst and to determine the correct carrier frequency, carrier phase, symbol clock frequency and symbol clock phase in order to correctly recover the symbols transmitted, and thus the information contained within the burst. The present invention comprises a method of burst transmission using a preamble which contains an initial pulse and a Barker sequence following the initial pulse separated by a dead time period equal to the transmission time of at least one symbol. The preamble can be transmitted on orthogonal carriers and the order of the Barker sequence can be reversed and multiplied by minus one on one of the carriers to reduce the probability that noise events on both carriers make the Barker sequence less detectable on each channel.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 1996Date of Patent: July 4, 2000Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventor: Lawrence Ebringer
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Patent number: 6081519Abstract: A method and apparatus for an in-home communication system based on the use of a telecommunications terminal of a Fiber-to-the-Curb (FTTC) network is described. In this system signals are sent from a first device in a home to the FTTC terminal over a subscriber coaxial cable network, and routed from the telecommunications terminal back to the home, where they are received by a second device in the same home. Signals are routed back to the home at the telecommunications terminal by recognizing a particular address which corresponds to in-home signals or by timing information. In the event that the information is contained within Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) cells, the Virtual Path Identifier (VPI) field of the ATM cells can be used to indicate that cells are to be redirected back to the home.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 1996Date of Patent: June 27, 2000Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventor: Scott C. Petler
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Patent number: 6078593Abstract: A fiber to the curb communication system providing telephone service to subscribers using line cards which are pluggable into a broadband network unit. The line cards provide telephone service to up to six lines per card. The cards are programmable from a central location, and the system includes self-testing of the cards, ring generator testing and provides for testing of the telephone lines from the system to the subscriber's location.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 1997Date of Patent: June 20, 2000Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventors: Thomas R. Eames, Lac X. Trinh, E. Barton Manchester, Bradley N. Yearwood, David J. Manley, Scott T. Hicks, Jaskarn S. Johal, Charles A. Eldering
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Patent number: 6064652Abstract: A cell grant mechanism is presented which allows a central device to control the transmission of cells from one or more remote devices connected to the central device over a physical medium. Grants are issued from a grant table in the central device to allow remote devices to transmit cells to the central device. The spacing of the grants are optimized to minimize cell delay variation. When there are unused cell opportunities, central device can issue grants to devices to utilize the unused cell opportunities on an available bit rate basis.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 1996Date of Patent: May 16, 2000Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventors: Kenneth M. Buckland, Thomas R. Eames, Lac X. Trinh, Steven D. Warwick
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Patent number: 5991912Abstract: In a communications system packets containing compressed digital signals are transported in multiple cells, typically in an Asynchronous Transfer Mode format. Upon reception of these cells, a determination is made as to whether cells have been lost, additional cells inserted, or whether there were bit errors in the transmission of the cells. If so, null packets are substituted for the erred packets and are sent to the video decompression layer.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 1997Date of Patent: November 23, 1999Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventor: Weidong Mao
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Patent number: 5982972Abstract: A line card is provided for a mechanical enclosure unit for an optical network unit. The line card includes a printed circuit board, a mechanical enclosure and a connector element. The mechanical enclosure substantially surrounds and support the printed circuit board. The connector element, which is coupled to provide access to the printed circuit board, is exposed at a surface of the mechanical enclosure. The line card further includes a fastener coupled to the mechanical enclosure. The fastener is adapted to hold the mechanical enclosure on an external support plate of the mechanical enclosure unit of the optical network unit.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 1997Date of Patent: November 9, 1999Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventors: Russell L. Tucker, Mark S. McCall, Bernabe R. Lovina
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Patent number: 5935209Abstract: One embodiment of the invention includes a method for managing a plurality of network elements in a Fiber-to-the-Curb (FTTC) telecommunications system. The FTTC system includes a computer system. The computer system is coupled in communications with the plurality of network elements. The method comprises the following steps. Display a plurality of choices on the computer system. The plurality of choices corresponds to a provisioning equipment function, a provisioning telephony services functions and a provisioning broadband services function. Receive a selection identifying a choice and identifying one or more selected network elements. Provision the one or more selected network elements.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 1996Date of Patent: August 10, 1999Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventors: Virenda Kumar Budhraja, James Jisheng Song, Hung Minh Dinh, Jose Roberto Santiano Fernandez, Caroline Stephanie Gan Lazovick
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Patent number: 5850400Abstract: Digital data is transported bidirectionally between a broadband network unit and devices. The data is transmitted in a series of frame intervals that include request slots and cell slots for transmission of ATM data. The request slots may be used by a device to request one or more cell slots. The broadband network unit determines which requests to grant. If the request is granted, the device may use the cell slot to transmit ATM data. In addition, the request slot can accommodate Time Division Multiplex data such as digital telephony.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 1995Date of Patent: December 15, 1998Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventors: Thomas R. Eames, Kenneth M. Buckland, Lac X. Trinh, Steven D. Warwick
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Patent number: 5828807Abstract: A mechanical enclosure for an optical network unit (ONU). The enclosure includes a frame having a first opening and a second opening opposite the first opening. A partition divides the frame into a first compartment which houses the electronics and optics of the ONU, and a second compartment which houses drop terminal blocks and coaxial cable ports of the ONU. Each compartment has a dedicated door to provide access to the associated compartment. Water-tight seals are provided for each element which passes through the partition, thereby providing electronics/optics compartment with a water-tight environment. Drop cables leave the ONU enclosure through grommets which are held in the second compartment of the frame. The mechanical enclosure includes a support plate which supports various electronics/optics circuitry and a mounting plate which supports drop terminal blocks. Mounting brackets enable the enclosure to be mounted either vertically or horizontally.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 1996Date of Patent: October 27, 1998Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventors: Russell L. Tucker, Mark S. McCall, Bernabe R. Lovina
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Patent number: 5715348Abstract: A fiber management system for routing a plurality of optical fibers having a minimum bend radius. The fiber management system includes a fiber guide and one or more fiber trays. The fiber guide includes a plurality of fingers for retaining the optical fiber. At least one of the fingers has a curved portion with a radius selected to insure that the optical fiber does not bend past its minimum bend radius when routed over the finger. The fiber tray, which routes the optical fiber to the fiber guide, has a curved lip with a radius at least as large as the minimum bend radius of the optical fiber. The fiber tray and fiber guide are positioned such that the curved lip of the fiber tray is adjacent to the curved portion of the finger. The optical fibers are routed over the curved lip of the fiber tray and the curved portion of the corresponding finger, thereby allowing the fibers to be routed without being bent past the minimum bend radius.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 1996Date of Patent: February 3, 1998Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventors: Dean R. Falkenberg, Russell L. Tucker
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Patent number: D389840Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 1996Date of Patent: January 27, 1998Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventors: Russell L. Tucker, Mark S. McCall, Bernabe R. Lovina
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Patent number: D390235Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 1996Date of Patent: February 3, 1998Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventors: Russell L. Tucker, Mark S. McCall, Bernabe R. Lovina
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Patent number: D391263Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 1996Date of Patent: February 24, 1998Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventors: Russell L. Tucker, Mark S. McCall, Bernabe R. Lovina
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Patent number: D404018Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 1997Date of Patent: January 12, 1999Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventors: Russell L. Tucker, Mark S. McCall, Bernabe R. Lovina
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Patent number: D409582Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 1997Date of Patent: May 11, 1999Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventor: Dean R. Falkenberg
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Patent number: D414496Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 1997Date of Patent: September 28, 1999Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventors: Russell L. Tucker, Mark S. McCall, Bernabe R. Lovina
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Patent number: D414497Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 1997Date of Patent: September 28, 1999Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventor: Narendra J. Kulcarni
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Patent number: D418515Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 1997Date of Patent: January 4, 2000Assignee: Next Level CommunicationsInventors: Russell L. Tucker, Mark S. McCall, Bernabe R. Lovina