Method and system for addressing a home terminal unit using a fiber-to-the-curb system

Claim 1

A system for determining the physical location of a home terminal unit that communicates with a telecommunications network, the system comprising: a home terminal unit for receiving and transmitting communication signals; a telecommunications network comprising network communications circuitry for communicating the communications signals to and from said home terminal unit; a cable for connecting said home terminal unit to said network communications circuitry; energy detection circuitry coupled to said cable for detecting energy associated with the transmission of the communication signals on said cable between said home terminal unit and said network communications circuitry and for generating a detection signal responsive to detecting communication signals on said cable; status circuitry for reading the detection signal; detection signal communication circuitry for communicating the detection signal from said energy detection circuitry to said status circuitry as corresponding to the physical location of said home terminal unit; and interface circuitry for receiving the detection signal and the communication signals for determining the physical location of said home terminal unit that communicates with said telecommunications network.

Claim 2

A system for determining the physical location of a home terminal unit that communicates with a telecommunications network, the system comprising: a home terminal unit for receiving and transmitting communication signals; a telecommunications network comprising network communications circuitry for communicating the communications signals to and from said home terminal unit; a cable for connecting said home terminal unit to said network communications circuitry; energy detection circuitry coupled to said cable for detecting energy associated with the transmission of the communication signals on said cable between said home terminal unit and said network communications circuitry and for generating a detection signal responsive to detecting communication signals on said cable; status circuitry for reading the detection signal; detection signal communication circuitry for communicating the detection signal from said energy detection circuitry to said status circuitry as corresponding to the physical location of said home terminal unit; and interface circuitry for receiving the detection signal and the communication signals for determining the physical location of said home terminal unit that communicates with said telecommunications network.

Claim 3

A method for determining the physical location of a home terminal unit that communicates with telecommunications network, the method comprising the steps of: connecting a home terminal unit to the telecommunications network with a cable coupled to network communications circuitry in the telecommunications network; communicating communication signals between the home terminal unit and the network communications circuitry on the cable; detecting the energy associated with the transmission of the communication signals on the cable and generating a detection signal responsive to detecting the energy on the cable; reading the detection signal as uniquely identifying the physical location of the home terminal unit; and receiving the detection signal and the communication signals for determining the physical location of said home terminal unit that communicates with said telecommunications network.

Claim 4

A method for determining the physical location of a home terminal unit that communicates with telecommunications network, the method comprising the steps of: connecting a home terminal unit to the telecommunications network with a cable coupled to network communications circuitry in the telecommunications network; communicating communication signals between the home terminal unit and the network communications circuitry on the cable; detecting the energy associated with the transmission of the communication signals on the cable and generating a detection signal responsive to detecting the energy on the cable; reading the detection signal as uniquely identifying the physical location of the home terminal unit; and receiving the detection signal and the communication signals for determining the physical location of said home terminal unit that communicates with said telecommunications network.

Claim 5

A system for determining the physical location of each of a plurality of home terminal units that communicates with a telecommunications network, the system comprising: a plurality of home terminal units each located at a different physical location, each home terminal unit operable to receive and transmit communication signals; a telecommunications network comprising network communications circuitry for communicating the communication signals to and from each of said plurality of home terminal units; a plurality of cables each for connecting one of said plurality of home terminal units to said network communications circuitry; a plurality of energy detection circuits each associated with one of said cables for detecting energy associated with the transmission of communication signals on its associated cable and for generating a detection signal responsive to detecting the energy on its associated cable; status circuitry coupled to each of said energy detection circuits for reading the detection signals from said plurality of energy detection circuits; detection signal communication circuitry coupled to each of said energy detection circuits for communicating the detection signals from each of said energy detection circuits to said status circuitry as corresponding to the physical location of each of said home terminal units; and interface circuitry for receiving the detection signal and the communication signals for determining the physical location of said home terminal unit that communicates with said telecommunications network.

Claim 6

A system for determining the physical location of each of a plurality of home terminal units that communicates with a telecommunications network, the system comprising: a plurality of home terminal units each located at a different physical location, each home terminal unit operable to receive and transmit communication signals; a telecommunications network comprising network communications circuitry for communicating the communication signals to and from each of said plurality of home terminal units; a plurality of cables each for connecting one of said plurality of home terminal units to said network communications circuitry; a plurality of energy detection circuits each associated with one of said cables for detecting energy associated with the transmission of communication signals on its associated cable and for generating a detection signal responsive to detecting the energy on its associated cable; status circuitry coupled to each of said energy detection circuits for reading the detection signals from said plurality of energy detection circuits; detection signal communication circuitry coupled to each of said energy detection circuits for communicating the detection signals from each of said energy detection circuits to said status circuitry as corresponding to the physical location of each of said home terminal units; and interface circuitry for receiving the detection signal and the communication signals for determining the physical location of said home terminal unit that communicates with said telecommunications network.

Claim 7

A method for determining the physical location of each of a plurality of home terminal units that communicate with a telecommunications network, the method comprising the steps of: connecting a plurality of home terminal units each located at a different physical location to the telecommunications network with a plurality of cables coupled to network communications circuitry in the telecommunications network, each of said cables being uniquely associated with one of said different physical locations; communicating communication signals between the home terminal units and the network communications circuitry on the plurality of cables; detecting the energy associated with the transmission of the communication signals between at least one home terminal unit and the network communications circuitry on at least one of said cables using a plurality of energy detection circuits each uniquely associated with one of the cables and generating a detection signal responsive to detecting the energy on the one cable; reading the detection signal as uniquely identifying the physical location of the one home terminal unit; and receiving the detection signal and the communication signals for determining the physical location of said home terminal unit that communicates with said telecommunications network.

Claim 8

A method for determining the physical location of each of a plurality of home terminal units that communicate with a telecommunications network, the method comprising the steps of: connecting a plurality of home terminal units each located at a different physical location to the telecommunications network with a plurality of cables coupled to network communications circuitry in the telecommunications network, each of said cables being uniquely associated with one of said different physical locations; communicating communication signals between the home terminal units and the network communications circuitry on the plurality of cables; detecting the energy associated with the transmission of the communication signals between at least one home terminal unit and the network communications circuitry on at least one of said cables using a plurality of energy detection circuits each uniquely associated with one of the cables and generating a detection signal responsive to detecting the energy on the one cable; reading the detection signal as uniquely identifying the physical location of the one home terminal unit; and receiving the detection signal and the communication signals for determining the physical location of said home terminal unit that communicates with said telecommunications network.