Enhanced telecommunication signal insertion systems and methods
View Patent ↗An enhanced telecommunication signal insertion system includes a first connection block field including a plurality of switches configured to be coupled to an enhanced signal source and a second connection block field including a plurality of normally closed switches configured to connect respective pairs of tip and ring lines from a central office to corresponding pairs of tip and ring lines to associated subscriber locations and a jumper plug. The jumper plug has a first connector and a second connector with a length of cable extending therebetween. The first connector is configured to be inserted in one of the normally closed switches of the second connection block field to open the one of the normally closed switches. The second connector is configured to be inserted in one of the switches of the first connection block field. When inserted, the jumper plug connects terminals of the one of the switches of the first connection block field to terminals of the one of the normally closed switches of the second connection block field to allow insertion of the enhanced telecommunication signal onto a selected one of the pairs of tip and ring lines to one of the associated subscriber locations associated with the one of the normally closed switches of the second connection block field.
1. An enhanced telecommunication signal insertion system, comprising:
a first connection block field including a plurality of switches configured to be coupled to an enhanced signal source;
a second connection block field including a plurality of normally closed switches configured to connect respective pairs of tip and ring lines from a central office to corresponding pairs of tip and ring lines to associated subscriber locations; and
a jumper plug having a first connector and a second connector with a length of cable extending therebetween, wherein the first connector is configured to be inserted in one of the normally closed switches of the second connection block field to open the one of the normally closed switches and the second connector is configured to be inserted in one of the switches of the first connection block field, wherein, when inserted, the jumper plug connects terminals of the one of the switches of the first connection block field to terminals of the one of the normally closed switches of the second connection block field to allow insertion of the enhanced telecommunication signal onto a selected one of the pairs of tip and ring lines to one of the associated subscriber locations associated with the one of the normally closed switches of the second connection block field.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the enhanced signal source comprises a Digital Subscriber Line (xDSL) signal source and the enhanced telecommunication signal comprises an xDSL signal.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the xDSL signal source inserts the xDSL signal onto the selected one of the pairs of tip and ring lines to the associated subscriber locations along with other telecommunications signals carried between the central office and the one of the associated subscriber locations.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the other telecommunications signals comprise plain old telephone service (POTS) signals.
5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the terminals of the one of the normally closed switches include a first tip line terminal and a first ring line terminal configured to connect to the selected one of the pairs of tip and ring lines from the central office and a second tip line terminal and a second ring line terminal configured to connect to the selected one of the pairs of tip and ring lines to the subscriber associated subscriber locations, the first tip line terminal and the second tip line terminal being normally connected and the first ring line terminal and the second ring line terminal being normally connected.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first connector is configured to be inserted between the first and second tip line terminals and the first and second ring line terminals to break the connection therebetween.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the length of cable includes:
a first conductor extending from the first tip line terminal to a first one of the terminals of the one of the switches of the first connection block field configured to be coupled to a first input to the enhanced signal source;
a second conductor extending from the first ring line terminal to a second one of the terminals of the one of the switches of the first connection block field configured to be coupled to a second input to the enhanced signal source;
a third conductor extending from the second tip line terminal to a third one of the terminals of the one of the switches of the first connection block field configured to be coupled to a first output of the enhanced signal source; and
a fourth conductor extending from the second ring line terminal to a fourth one of the terminals of the one of the switches of the first connection block field configured to be coupled to a second output of the enhanced signal source.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the enhanced signal source comprises a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM).
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the other telecommunications signals comprise plain old telephone service (POTS) signals and wherein the DSLAM is configured to couple the POTS signals between the first input to the DSLAM and the first output of the DSLAM and between the second input of the DSLAM and the second output of the DSLAM to couple the POTS signals between the central office and the one of the associated subscriber locations when the first connector is inserted in the one of the normally closed switches of the second connection block field to open the one of the normally closed switches.
10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising the DSLAM and wherein first one of the terminals is coupled to the first input to the DSLAM, the second one of the terminals is coupled to the second input to the DSLAM, the third one of the terminals is coupled to the first output of the DSLAM and the fourth one of the terminals is coupled to the second output of the DSLAM.
11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising the respective pair of tip and ring lines from the central office and pairs of tip and ring lines to the associated subscriber locations coupled to the plurality of normally closed switches of the second connection block field.
12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a signal receiving and identification module configured to identify the one of the normally closed switches to be coupled to the enhanced signal source.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the signal receiving and identification module is configured to detect a ring signal on the selected one of the pairs of tip and ring lines from the central office and to one of the associated subscriber locations associated with the one of the normally closed switches and to activate an identification signal responsive to detection of the ring signal.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the signal receiving and identification module is configured to detect a specified ring signal pattern that is distinguishable from a normal ring signal pattern and the identification signal is activated responsive to the specified ring signal pattern and is not activated responsive to the normal ring signal pattern.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the signal receiving and identification module includes a plurality of visual signal sources, a selected one of which is activated responsive to the identification signal, ones of which are positioned proximate respective associated ones of the plurality of normally closed switches.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the signal receiving and identification module comprises a plug-in test device configured to be inserted into the one of the normally closed switches, the plug-in test device including a visual signal source positioned proximate the one of the normally closed switches when the plug-in test device is inserted therein that is activated responsive to the identification signal.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the plug-in test device is configured to be concurrently inserted into a plurality of the normally closed switches and the plug-in test device includes a plurality of visual signal sources, a selected one of which is activated responsive to the identification signal, ones of which are positioned proximate respective associated ones of the plurality of normally closed switches when the plug-in test device is inserted therein.
18. An enhanced telecommunication signal insertion system, comprising:
a connection block field including a plurality of normally closed switches configured to connect respective tip and ring lines from a central office to subscriber locations; and
a jumper plug having a connector on a length of cable extending from an enhanced signal source, wherein the connector is configured to be inserted in one of the normally closed switches of the connection block field to open the one of the normally closed switches, wherein, when the connector is inserted in the one of the normally closed switches, the jumper plug connects the enhanced signal source to terminals of the one of the normally closed switches of the connection block field to allow insertion of the enhanced telecommunication signal source onto the respective tip and ring lines to the subscriber locations.
19. A method of inserting an enhanced telecommunication signal onto a pair of tip and ring lines from a central office to a subscriber location, the method comprising:
breaking the connection of the tip and ring lines at a connection block field located between the central office and the subscriber location by inserting a connector on a first end of a jumper plug into a normally closed switch in the connection block field to open the normally closed switch, the normally closed switch being configured to connect respective central office and subscriber sides of the tip line and central office and subscriber sides of the ring line when closed; and
coupling a second end of the jumper plug to an enhanced signal source, wherein, when the connector is inserted into the normally closed switch, the jumper plug connects the enhanced signal source to terminals of the normally closed switch to allow insertion of the enhanced telecommunication signal onto the subscriber side tip and ring lines.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein, wherein, when the connector is inserted into the normally closed switch, the jumper plug connects the enhanced signal source to terminals of the normally closed switch to allow the enhanced signal source to insert the enhanced telecommunication signal onto the of tip and ring lines along with other telecommunications signals carried between the central office and the subscriber side.