Network terminal cover
Customer premises equipment (CPE), such as optical network terminals (ONT), are often located on the outside of a premises, and are susceptible to theft and to weather elements. A cap for portions of customer premises equipment (CPE) used in telecommunications networks protects the CPE from theft and from the weather elements. The cap typically covers a portion of the CPE that carries communications and power connectors, providing protection from the weather elements. Additionally, the cap may be lockable, preventing unauthorized removal of the CPE or portions of the CPE. The cap may also provide strain relief for cables coupled to the CPE. The cap may also prevent unauthorized removal of covers on a CPE housing that protects valuable components, such as battery back-ups.
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An increasing number of homes and businesses are receiving telecommunications services, e.g., television, telephone, and Internet, from fiber optic cable. The fiber optic cable in some telecommunications networks is being extended all the way to the customers' premises to fiber optic premises connections, dramatically increasing the speed at which data can be transferred. These fiber optic premises connections employ customer premises equipment (CPE), which may typically be an optical network terminal (ONT).
ONTs have several delicate connections for the fiber optic cable, a power cable, and at least one data cable to other customer premises equipment. These connections can be exposed to weather elements if the ONT is mounted to an exterior of the premises and may be exposed to tampering or accidental jarring by the customer. Additionally, ONTs typically have an internal battery to provide a minimum amount of service in the event of a primary power loss. The batteries are typically lithium-ion batteries, which are expensive to replace. The batteries may be covered with an unsecured cover that can easily be removed, allowing the battery to be removed and possibly stolen. Also, the ONT itself is valuable, and its mounting on a wall, especially outside, makes it susceptible to theft or to being accidentally knocked down.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn embodiment of the present invention enhances security and weather resistance of customer premises equipment (CPES) by placing a cap over a portion of the CPE.
The foregoing will be apparent from the following more particular description of example embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating embodiments of the present invention.
A description of example embodiments of the invention follows.
An embodiment of the present invention enhances security of customer premises equipment (CPEs) by placing a cap over a portion of the CPE. Embodiments of the cap include holes that support cables connected to the CPE. The cap may be lockable and may block access to a battery compartment cover on the CPE and may also lock the CPE to a mounting bracket. The lock may include a bolt with a keyed head or a electrically or mechanically actuated latch. The cap may also cover connectors of cables connected to the CPE, providing protection from weather elements. The cap may also provide storage for slack in the cables and provide strain relief for the cables. The cap may also serve as a base upon which the CPE rests.
In some embodiments, the cap includes two sections connected by a hinge to allow the cap to be partially disconnected from the CPE.
In other embodiments, the cap is in electrical communication with the CPE and enables the CPE to continue to support CPE access to the network. In some embodiments, the cap is in electrical communication with the CPE and provides indications about operation of the CPE on a liquid crystal display (LCD) or light-emitting diode (LED) screen. The LCD or LED screen may support access to information regarding battery power level, data transmission speeds, and network connectivity status.
The receiver may incorporate a tab that engages the latch hook when inserted, preventing the latch hook from being removed until the tab is disengaged. The tab may be spring-loaded in the engaged position such that a temporary force must be exerted to move the tab to a disengaging position. The force may be provided, for example, by a solenoid (not shown) or by a person. An advantage of using a solenoid is that the solenoid activation—and subsequent disengagement of the locking tab—may be accomplished electronically. For example, a technician may be able to activate the solenoid by entering a combination of keys 506a-c on a cap. Alternatively, the solenoid may be activated by a service provider supplying the ONT 602 to the customer via network communications from a server (not shown) to the ONT 602. The completely internal locking mechanism 608 just described is advantageous because it cannot be overridden by an unauthorized individual. The locking mechanism 608 may also be configured such that if the cap 606 is forced from the ONT 602 or if the ONT 602 and cap 606 are forced from the bracket 120, the latch irreparably damages the circuitry of the ONT 602, making the ONT 602 worthless or at least identifiable as a “tampered with” device.
An embodiment of a cap, such as cap 606 shown in
While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to example embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A network terminal device, comprising:
- a housing having a first cavity with an engagable cover; and
- a cap configured to define a second cavity between itself and the housing in a coupled state with the housing and to prevent a user from disengaging the engagable cover when in the coupled state with the housing.
2. The network terminal device of claim 1 wherein the cap may be fully coupled or semi-coupled to the housing and wherein the cap prevents the user from disengaging the engagable cover in the fully coupled state and allows the user to disengage the engagable cover in the semi-coupled state.
3. The network terminal device of claim 2 wherein the cap includes a hinge between a first portion of the cap and a second portion of the cap and wherein the cap is fully coupled when the two portions of the cap are in a first orientation around the hinge and is semi-coupled when the two portions of the cap are in a second orientation around the hinge.
4. The network terminal device of claim 1 further comprising a bracket to which the housing and the cap are each configured to be coupled.
5. The network terminal device of claim 4 wherein the bracket includes a storage cavity configured to store slack of a cable coupled to the network terminal device.
6. The network terminal device of claim 4 wherein the bracket is configured as a base upon which the housing is seated.
7. The network terminal device of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a base and the cap is configured to be coupled to the base and the housing.
8. The network terminal device of claim 7 wherein the base defines a storage cavity configured to store slack of a cable coupled to the network terminal device.
9. The network terminal device of claim 1 wherein the housing includes connector components to receive connectors on cables and wherein the cap is configured to support access for the cables to be coupled to the connector components and provide strain relief for the cables.
10. The network terminal device of claim 1 wherein the cap or housing includes a locking mechanism to prevent impermissible decoupling of the cap from the housing.
11. The network terminal device of claim 10 wherein the locking mechanism includes at least one of the following: a turnkey, a solenoid, a mechanical latch, and an electromagnetic latch.
12. The network terminal device of claim 1 wherein the cap forms a weather-resistant seal with the housing when in a coupled state.
13. The network terminal device of claim 1 wherein the cap includes a transparent window configured to enable a user to view at least a portion of the second cavity.
14. A network terminal device of claim 1 further including:
- a network terminal element to support access of customer premises equipment to a network; and
- wherein the cap is configured to be coupled to the network terminal element to enable the network terminal element to continue to support access of the customer premises equipment to the network.
15. A method of securing a network terminal device, comprising:
- preventing removal of an engagable cover on a first cavity in a housing of a network terminal device while integrally and simultaneously providing a slack storage second cavity external from the housing of the network terminal device.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein preventing removal of the engagable cover includes temporarily permitting disengagement of the engagable cover.
17. The method of claim 15 further comprising integrally and simultaneously preventing removal of the network terminal device from a bracket supporting the network terminal device.
18. The method of claim 15 further comprising integrally and simultaneously providing strain relief for the cable coupled to the network terminal device.
19. The method of claim 15 wherein preventing removal of the engagable cover includes enabling unlocking of the engagable cover to temporarily allow disengagement of the engagable cover.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein enabling unlocking of the engagable cover includes at least one of the following: turning of a key; enabling energizing of a solenoid; enabling deenergizing of a solenoid; enabling disengaging of a mechanical latch; and enabling disengaging of an electromagnetic latch.
21. The method of claim 15 further comprising simultaneously sealing a coupled end of the cable coupled to the network terminal device from weather elements.
22. The method of claim 15 further comprising simultaneously enabling viewing of at least a portion of the second cavity.
23. The method of claim 15 further comprising simultaneously enabling the network terminal device to support access to a network.
Type: Application
Filed: May 21, 2008
Publication Date: Nov 26, 2009
Applicant: Tellabs Vienna, Inc. (Naperville, IL)
Inventors: Marc R. Bernard (Miramar, FL), Douglas A. Atkinson (Ashburn, VA), David H. Liu (Herndon, VA), Joseph C. Roesch (Herndon, VA)
Application Number: 12/154,227
International Classification: A47B 81/00 (20060101);