Heterogeneous functions-integrated communication device

Details Heterogeneous functions-integrated communication device Heterogeneous functions-integrated communication device

2000-06-29

2002-03-19

Gandhi, Jayprakash N. (Department: 2841)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...

For electronic systems and devices

C361S730000, C361S801000, C361S825000, C361S826000, C385S136000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06359789

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heterogeneous functions-integrated communication device, and more particularly, to a heterogeneous functions-integrated communication device improved in the handling efficiency of a customer interface section thereof and capable of saving space.
It is essential for recent communication systems to furnish an existing SONET (Synchronous Optical NETwork) system with ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode)/LAN (Local Area Network) functions, and also to ensure affinity and compatibility with the existing network (SONET), as well as flexibility to permit new functions to be added to required networks.
In communication devices having such functions, it is often necessary that a customer interface section having conventional SONET functions should be expanded/added, and also that a customer interface section having new ATM/LAN functions should be given multichannel support.
(2) Description of the Related Art
FIG. 26
shows the arrangement of a conventional optical multiplex communication device by way of example. The optical multiplex communication device
1
comprises two printed board shelves
3
having respective opposite sides thereof attached to a pair of posts
2
, and printed board units
4
received in the printed board shelves
3
and plugged therein. The upper printed board shelf
3
constitutes a multiplexing section while the lower printed board shelf
3
constitutes a separating section, and in the illustrated example, up to 16 units can be inserted into each shelf. As the number of communication lines increases, additional printed board shelves
3
may be stacked, thus forming an increased number of shelves.
In
FIG. 26
is shown a state in which the leftmost printed board units
4
are pulled out from the respective printed board shelves
3
. An optical signal processing circuit, an electrical signal-to-optical signal conversion device, an optical signal-to-electrical signal conversion device, etc. are mounted on the printed board unit
4
, but are omitted from the figure for simplicity of illustration.
Optical fibers
5
from the outside of the device need to be detachably connected to respective internal optical fibers
6
of each printed board unit
4
by means of optical connectors, and to this end, a plurality of (in the figure, four) optical connector adapters
7
are mounted in parallel by a fitting
8
on a printed board surface close to the front thereof.
The top of each printed board shelf
3
constitutes a fiber tray
9
, on which excess portions
10
of the optical fibers
5
introduced to the printed board units
4
are placed, forming loops.
Let it here be assumed that circuitry corresponding to the required number of lines is mounted on each printed board unit
4
, and also that as many optical connector adapters
7
are attached thereto. On the site where the communication device is installed, connection/disconnection of the optical connectors of the external optical fibers
5
is carried out at locations where the corresponding optical connector adapters
7
are situated.
When the optical connector is to be connected or disconnected, the printed board unit
4
needs to be pulled out from the printed board shelf
3
as illustrated in the figure so that the printed board unit can be seen from outside, to permit connection/disconnection of the optical connector from one side, and after the connection/disconnection work is finished, the printed board unit
4
needs to be again inserted into the printed board shelf
3
. At this time, since the optical connector to be connected or disconnected is moved, the excess portion
10
of the corresponding optical fiber
5
on the fiber tray
9
is extended for a certain length, and after the work is finished, the optical fiber is restored to its original state. How the optical connector is connected/disconnected will be explained with reference to
FIGS. 27 and 28
.
FIGS. 27 and 28
are sectional side views of a principal part of the communication device, showing states in which the printed board unit is received and pulled out, respectively. In the figures, various circuit elements mounted on the printed board unit
4
are omitted, except for the optical connector adapters
7
and the fitting
8
therefor. Also, in the figures, the left side corresponds to the front of the device, and the right side corresponds to the rear (back) of the device.
Guide grooves, not shown, are cut in upper and lower inside surfaces of the printed board shelf
3
, for guiding the printed board unit
4
when the unit is moved back and forth. A back board
11
, which comprises a printed board, is attached to the back of the printed board shelf
3
and has back board-side connectors
12
mounted thereon.
The printed board unit
4
has a face plate
13
attached to the front thereof, upper and lower tabs
14
for inserting/pulling the unit, a stopper
15
situated at a lower portion of the unit close to the back thereof, and printed board unit-side connectors
16
attached to the back of the unit. The printed board unit
4
is inserted into the printed board shelf
3
, whereupon the printed board unit-side connectors
16
are plugged into and thus connected to the respective back board-side connectors
12
.
The external optical fibers
5
extend from the back of the device toward the front of the same in a manner such that the excess portions
10
thereof are looped on the fiber tray
9
, and are introduced into the printed board unit
4
from the front thereof. The lead-in portions of the optical fibers
5
are bundled with bundling bands
17
and are fixed to the front face of the printed board unit
4
so that they cannot be moved.
Not only when the communication device is installed but also when the number of lines is changed or inspection is made in case of fault, optical connectors
18
need to be connected to or disconnected from the optical connector adapters
7
of the printed board unit
4
received in the printed board shelf
3
. In such cases, first, the tabs
14
are moved to pull out the printed board unit
4
from the printed board shelf
3
. When the printed board unit
4
is pulled out, its stopper
15
comes into engagement with a front fitting of the printed board shelf
3
, and accordingly, the printed board unit is pulled out up to the illustrated position. With the optical connector adapters
7
drawn out of the printed board shelf
3
in this manner, the optical connectors
18
are connected or disconnected, and after the connection/disconnection work is finished, the optical connector adapters
7
are put back into the printed board shelf
3
. When the optical connector adapters
7
are drawn out of the printed board shelf
3
, the looped excess portions
10
are extended and removal or reattachment of the bundling bands
17
is performed at the same time.
Let it be assumed that, in the optical multiplex communication device
1
constructed as described above, a customer interface section of low-order group has a maximum of 12 mounting slots, for example. These slots permit interface printed board units having any one of three heterogeneous functions to be mounted thereto. Specifically, printed board units having a DS1 (digital signal level 1) interfacing function, a DS3 (digital signal level 3) interfacing function or a LAN interfacing function can be mounted to the slots.
Where a maximum number of printed board units are mounted to the customer interface section, the DS1 interface has a capacity of 168 channels if one printed board unit can accommodate 14 channels, the DS3 interface has a capacity of 36 channels if one printed board unit can accommodate three channels, and the LAN interface has a capacity of 24 channels if one printed board unit can accommodate two channels. It is also necessary that external line connectors for such interface which are equal in number to the maximum number of channels should be mounted to the back of the device.
The DS3 interface printed board units can be used in two different ways, depending on

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