Passive optical network system and wavelength assignment method

• US 20080166127A1
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Communication Technologies, Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kazawa, Tohru, Nishino, Ryosuke, Sakamoto, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,873,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0226 Fixed carrier allocation, e.g. according to service
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0246 using one wavelength per ONU
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/025 using one wavelength per ONU, e.g. for transmissions from-ONU-to-OLT or from-ONU-to-ONU
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0282 WDM tree architectures

Abstract

In a PON system with WDM, at the time of initial setting, each ONU negotiates with an OLT, and automatically acquires a wavelength which can be used by the ONU. One wavelength for negotiation of assigned wavelength is fixed as a default, and a newly connected ONU first uses the wavelength. The OLT 200 includes a plurality of light sources for downstream communication. The ONU 300 includes a wavelength variable filter selectively receiving one of wavelengths of downstream communication, and a wavelength variable light source selectively emitting light of one of plural wavelengths for upstream communication. The ONU 300 uses a transmission wavelength (for example, λu32) for negotiation and transmits a wavelength assignment request 1000 to the OLT 200. The OLT 200 selects a wavelength λu1 to be assigned from unused wavelengths, and transmits wavelength information to the ONU 300. The OLT 200 and the ONU 300 communicates using the notified wavelengths.

Claims

1. A passive optical network system which comprises an optical line termination, an optical splitter, an optical fiber, and a plurality of optical network units connected to the optical line termination through the optical splitter and in which the optical line termination communicates with the optical network units in wavelength division multiplexing,

wherein the system includes a plurality of wavelengths for communication between the optical line termination and the optical network units, a first wavelength among the plurality of wavelengths is previously determined as a wavelength for transmission and reception of a control message, and a second wavelength for communication with each of the optical network units is assigned among the plurality of wavelengths including the first wavelength,

wherein the optical line termination includes:

a plurality of first transmitters having light source respectively which wavelengths are different from each other;

a plurality of first receivers to receive signals of a plurality of wavelengths;

a wavelength management table to manage information of the second wavelength assigned for communication with each of the optical network units for each of identifiers of the optical network units; and

a first control unit to transmit and to receive a first and a second control messages for assigning wavelengths to and from the optical network unit and to assign the second wavelength for the communication with the optical network unit,

wherein each of the optical network units includes;

a second receiver to receive a signal of a set wavelength;

a second transmitter to transmit a signal of a set wavelength;

a second control unit to transmit and receive the first and the second control message to assign the wavelengths through the second transmitter and the second receiver; and

a wavelength control unit to variably control the transmission wavelength of the second transmitter and the reception wavelength of the second receiver to the first wavelength or the second wavelength, and wherein

the optical network unit transmits the first control message to request assignment of the second wavelength to be used for communication between the optical line termination and the optical network unit itself to the optical line termination by the second transmitter previously set to the first wavelength,

when the optical line termination receives the first control message from the optical network unit, the optical line termination refers to the wavelength management table, assigns the second wavelength, which is not assigned to other communications, to communication with the optical network unit, and transmits, by using the first wavelength, the second control message to notify information of assigned second wavelength to the optical network unit,

the optical network unit receives the second control message by the second receiver previously set to the first wavelength, and sets the transmission wavelength of the second transmitter and the reception wavelength of the second receiver to the assigned second wavelength by the wavelength control unit based on the second control message, and

the optical network unit and the optical line termination communicate with each other with the second wavelength.

2. The passive optical network system according to claim 1, wherein:

the optical line termination includes the first transmitters and the first receivers the number of which is equal to the maximum number of the connectable optical network units.

3. The passive optical network system according to claim 1, wherein,

the wavelength control unit of the optical network unit initializes the transmission wavelength of the second transmitter and the reception wavelength of the second receiver to the previously determined first wavelength.

4. The passive optical network system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the first wavelength and the second wavelength includes a downstream wavelength from the optical line termination to the optical network unit and an upstream wavelength from the optical network unit to the optical line termination,

the optical network unit uses the first upstream wavelength to transmit the first control message, and uses the first downstream wavelength to receive the second control message including information of assigned second upstream wavelength and information of assigned second downstream wavelength, and

the optical network unit uses the wavelength control unit to set the second upstream wavelength in the second transmitter and to set the second downstream wavelength in the second receiver.

5. The passive optical network system according to claim 1, wherein the assigned second wavelength is the wavelength different from the first wavelength.

6. The passive optical network system according to claim 1, wherein

in a case where there is no wavelength other than the first wavelength, which is not assigned to communication with other optical network units, the optical line termination assigns the first wavelength as the second wavelength.

7. The passive optical network system according to claim 1, wherein

the optical line termination detects disconnection of the optical network unit when a signal of the assigned second wavelength is not received by the first receiver for a specified time, and

the optical line termination deletes an identifier of the optical network unit and/or the information of the second wavelength from the wavelength management table.

8. The passive optical network system according to claim 7, wherein

the optical line termination transmits, by using the first wavelength, a third control message including information of the second wavelength in which the disconnection occurs, and

the newly connected optical network unit

receives the third control message by the second receiver previously set to the first wavelength,

sets a transmission wavelength of the second transmitter and a reception wavelength of the second receiver to the second wavelength based on the information of the second wavelength included in the third control message, and

transmits, by using the second wavelength, the first control message to the optical line termination.

9. A passive optical network system which comprises an optical line termination, an optical splitter, an optical fiber, and a plurality of optical network units connected to the optical line termination through the optical splitter and in which the optical line termination communicates with the optical network units in wavelength division multiplexing,

wherein the optical line termination includes:

a plurality of first transmitters having light source respectively which wavelengths are different from each other;

a plurality of first receivers to receive signals of a plurality of wavelengths;

a wavelength management table to manage information of a wavelength assigned for communication with each of the optical network units for each of identifiers of the optical network units;

a first control unit to receive a control message to assign a wavelength from the optical network unit and to assign the wavelength for the communication between the optical line termination itself and the optical network unit; and

a transmission enabling control unit to cause only a wavelength under communication with the optical network unit to be outputted by enabling or disabling each of the plurality of first transmitters,

wherein each of the optical network units includes;

a second receiver to receive a signal of a set wavelength;

a second transmitter to transmit a signal of a set wavelength;

a reception power detection unit to detect reception power in the second receiver;

a second control unit to transmit the control message to assign the wavelength through the second transmitter; and

a wavelength control unit to variably control a transmission wavelength of the second transmitter and a reception wavelength of the second receiver,

wherein the second control unit of the optical network unit

sequentially changes the reception wavelength of the second receiver by the wavelength control unit to each of transmission wavelengths of the plurality of first transmitters of the optical line termination,

detects reception power of a downstream signal from the optical line termination to the optical network unit by the reception power detection unit for each wavelength, obtains a first downstream wavelength not used for other communications based on the reception power,

sets the reception wavelength of the second receiver to the first downstream wavelength by the wavelength control unit, and sets the transmission wavelength of the second transmitter to a first upstream wavelength paired with the first downstream wavelength, and

transmits, by using the first upstream wavelength, a control message to request assignment of a wavelength to be used for communication with the optical line termination to the optical line termination,

wherein the optical line termination

according to receiving the control message, assigns the first downstream wavelength and the first upstream wavelength to communication with the optical network unit, or refers to the wavelength management table to assign a second downstream wavelength and a second upstream wavelength, which are not used for other communications, to communication with the optical network unit, and

enables the first transmitter corresponding to the first downstream wavelength or the second downstream wavelength by the transmission enabling control unit, and

wherein the optical network unit and the optical line termination communicate with each other with the first downstream wavelength and the first upstream wavelength, or the second downstream wavelength and the second upstream wavelength.

10. The passive optical network system according to claim 9,

wherein the optical line termination

refers to the wavelength management table when the control message is received, and assigns the second downstream wavelength and the second upstream wavelength, which are not used for the communications with other optical network units, to the communication with the optical network unit, and

transmits, by using the first downstream wavelength, a second control message to notify information of assigned second downstream wavelength and information of assigned second upstream wavelength to the optical network unit, and

wherein

the optical network unit receives the second control message by the second receiver set to the first downstream wavelength, sets the transmission wavelength of the second transmitter to the second upstream wavelength, and sets the reception wavelength of the second receiver to the second downstream wavelength by the wavelength control unit based on the second downstream wavelength, and

the optical network unit and the optical line termination communicate with each other with the second downstream wavelength and the second upstream wavelength.

11. The passive optical network system according to claim 9, wherein

the optical line termination

detects that connection with the optical network unit is disconnected when the first or the second upstream wavelength assigned to the optical network unit is not received by the first receiver for a specified time, and

disables the first transmitter of the first or the second downstream wavelength paired with the first or the second upstream wavelength by the transmission enabling control unit.

12. A wavelength assignment method in a passive optical network system which includes an optical line termination, an optical splitter, an optical fiber, and a plurality of optical network units connected to the optical line termination through the optical splitter and in which the optical line termination communicates with the optical network units in wavelength division multiplexing, wherein

the system includes a plurality of wavelengths for communication between the optical line termination and the optical network units, a first wavelength among the plurality of wavelengths is previously determined as a wavelength for transmission and reception of a control message, and the wavelength assignment method is for assigning a second wavelength for communication with each of the optical network units among the plurality of wavelengths including the first wavelength, and wherein

the optical network unit transmits a first control message to request assignment of the second wavelength to be used for communication between the optical line termination and the optical network unit itself to the optical line termination by a transmitter previously set to the first wavelength,

when the optical line termination receives the first control message from the optical network unit, the optical line termination refers to a wavelength management table for managing information of the second wavelength assigned for communication with each of the optical network units, assigns the second wavelength, which is not assigned to other communications, to communication with

the optical network unit, and transmits, by using the first wavelength, a second control message to notify the information assigned second wavelength to the optical network unit, the optical network unit receives the second control message by a receiver previously set to the first wavelength, and sets a transmission wavelength of a transmitter and a reception wavelength of the receiver to the assigned second wavelength based on the second control message, and

the optical network unit and the optical line termination communicate with each other with the second wavelength.

13. A wavelength assignment method in a passive optical network system which includes an optical line termination, an optical splitter, an optical fiber, and a plurality of optical network units connected to the optical line termination through the optical splitter and in which the optical line termination communicates with the optical network units in wavelength division multiplexing,

wherein the optical network unit

sequentially changes a reception wavelength of a receiver of the optical network unit to each of transmission wavelengths of a plurality of transmitters of the optical line termination, detects reception power of a downstream signal from the optical line termination to the optical network unit for each wavelength,

obtains a first downstream wavelength not used for other communications based on the reception power,

sets the reception wavelength of the receiver of the optical network unit to the obtained first downstream wavelength, and sets the transmission wavelength of the transmitter of the optical network unit to a first upstream wavelength paired with the first downstream wavelength, and

transmits, by using the first upstream wavelength, a control message to request assignment of a wavelength to be used for communication with the optical line termination to the optical line termination,

wherein the optical line termination

according to receiving the control message, assigns the first downstream wavelength and the first upstream wavelength to communication with the optical network unit, or refers to a wavelength management table for managing wavelength information assigned for communication with each of the optical network units for each of identifiers of the optical network units, assigns a second downstream wavelength and a second upstream wavelength, which are not used for other communications, to communication with the optical network unit, and

enables the transmitter of the optical line termination corresponding to the first downstream wavelength or the second downstream wavelength, and

wherein the optical network unit and the optical line termination communicate with each other with the first downstream wavelength and the first upstream wavelength, or the second downstream wavelength and the second upstream wavelength.