IN-WALL OPTICAL NETWORK UNIT

• US 20090087181A1
• Filed: 09/15/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Teknovus Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gray, Barry Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,155,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0226 Fixed carrier allocation, e.g. according to service
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0245 for downstream transmission, e.g. optical line terminal [OLT] to ONU
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0249 for upstream transmission, e.g. ONU-to-OLT or ONU-to-ONU
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/028 WDM bus architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0282 WDM tree architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0283 WDM ring architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0284 WDM mesh architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856

Abstract

One embodiment provides an ONU that includes an optical interface coupled to an optical transceiver, which is configured to transmit optical signals to and receive optical signals from an OLT through the optical interface. The ONU also includes an ONU chip coupled to the optical transceiver and configured to communicate with the OLT through the optical transceiver. The ONU further includes an Ethernet interface coupled to the ONU chip and a power management module configured to provide power to the ONU chip and the optical transceiver using power delivered from a CPE through the Ethernet interface. In addition, the ONU includes a circuit board to which the optical transceiver, the ONU chip, and the power management module are attached, and a wall-mountable fixture, wherein the front side of the fixture includes an opening for the Ethernet interface, and wherein the back side of the fixture holds the circuit board.

Claims

1. An optical network unit (ONU), comprising:

an optical interface;

an optical transceiver coupled to the optical interface, wherein the optical transceiver is configured to transmit optical signals to and receive optical signals from an optical line terminal (OLT) through the optical interface;

an ONU chip coupled to the optical transceiver and configured to communicate with the OLT, through the optical transceiver;

an Ethernet interface coupled to the ONU chip;

a power management module configured to provide power to the ONU chip and the optical transceiver using power delivered from a customer-premises equipment (CPE) through the Ethernet interface, thereby allowing the ONU to be powered by the CPE through the Ethernet interface and providing a passive optical network (PON) uplink for the CPU without requiring a separate power supply;

a circuit board to which the optical transceiver, the ONU chip, and the power management module are attached; and

a wall-mountable fixture, wherein the front side of the fixture includes an opening for the Ethernet interface, and wherein the back side of the fixture holds the circuit board.

2. The ONU of claim 1, wherein the fixture can be installed in a wall, wherein the optical interface is hidden in the wall, and wherein an optical fiber coupled to the optical interface runs inside the wall, thereby protecting the optical interface and the optical fiber from environmental and mechanical damage.

3. The ONU of claim 2, wherein the wall is an exterior wall of a customer'"'"'s premises, and wherein the back side of the fixture can be accessed from the outer surface of the exterior wall, thereby allowing the ONU to be serviced without the need to enter the premises.

4. The ONU of claim 1, wherein the fixture can be installed on the surface of a wall, and wherein the optical interface is coupled to an optical fiber that runs inside a securely anchored conduit, thereby protecting the optical fiber from environmental and mechanical damages.

5. The ONU of claim 1, wherein the Ethernet interface comprises an RJ45 socket, and wherein the ONU can be coupled to the CPE through the Ethernet interface using an RJ45 cable.

6. The ONU of claim 1, wherein the ONU chip is configured to perform network management through an in-band management channel between the ONU and the OLT.

7. The ONU of claim 1, wherein the optical transceiver is a pluggable transceiver and is configured to transmit optical signals into and receive optical signals from a multi-mode or a single-mode optical fiber.

8. The ONU of claim 1, wherein the ONU chip comprises a die directly attached to the circuit board without conventional chip packaging.

9. The ONU of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more LEDs coupled to the ONU chip and configured to indicate the ONU'"'"'s status.

10. A passive optical networking (PON) system, comprising:

an optical line terminal (OLT);

an optical network unit, the ONU comprising;

an optical interface;

an optical transceiver coupled to the optical interface, wherein the optical transceiver is configured to transmit optical signals to and receive optical signals from the OLT through the optical interface;

an ONU chip coupled to the optical transceiver and configured to communicate with the OLT, through the optical transceiver;

an Ethernet interface coupled to the ONU chip;

a power management module configured to provide power to the ONU chip and the optical transceiver using power delivered from a customer-premises equipment (CPE) through the Ethernet interface, thereby allowing the ONU to be powered by the CPE through the Ethernet interface and providing a passive optical network (PON) uplink for the CPU without requiring a separate power supply;

a circuit board to which the optical transceiver, the ONU chip, and the power management module are attached; and

a wall-mountable fixture, wherein the front side of the fixture includes an opening for the Ethernet interface, and wherein the back side of the fixture holds the circuit board.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the fixture can be installed in a wall, wherein the optical interface is hidden in the wall, and wherein an optical fiber coupled to the optical interface runs inside the wall, thereby protecting the optical interface and the optical fiber from environmental and mechanical damage.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the wall is an exterior wall of a customer'"'"'s premises, and wherein the back side of the fixture can be accessed from the outer surface of the exterior wall, thereby allowing the ONU to be serviced without the need to enter the premises.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the fixture can be installed on the surface of a wall, and wherein the optical interface is coupled to an optical fiber that runs inside a securely anchored conduit, thereby protecting the optical fibers from environmental and mechanical damage.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the Ethernet interface comprises an RJ45 socket, and wherein the ONU can be coupled to the CPE through the Ethernet interface using an RJ45 cable.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the ONU chip is configured to perform network management through an in-band management channel between the ONU and the OLT.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the optical transceiver is a pluggable transceiver and is configured to transmit optical signals into and receive optical signals from a multi-mode or a single-mode optical fiber.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the ONU chip comprises a die directly attached to the circuit board without conventional chip packaging.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the ONU further comprises one or more LEDs coupled to the ONU chip and configured to indicate the ONU'"'"'s status.