PASSIVE OPTICAL NETWORK REMOTE PROTOCOL TERMINATION

• US 20090208210A1
• Filed: 02/18/2008
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Trojer, Elmar, Hood, David
• Application Number:
  US12/032,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20090208210A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0254 Optical medium access
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/02764 Multiplex arrangements for radio-frequency networks access; policies therefor radio over fibre arrangement H04B10/2575
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0282 WDM tree architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0041 Star, e.g. cross-connect, concentrator, subscriber group equipment, remote electronics
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0067 Resource management and allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0089 Multiplexing, e.g. coding, scrambling, SONET
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1617 carrying packets or ATM cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0067 Provisions for optical access or distribution networks, e.g. Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network (GE-PON), ATM-based Passive Optical Network (A-PON), PON-Ring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0073 Provisions for forwarding or routing, e.g. lookup tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/009 Topology aspects

Abstract

A system, method, and node for extending the reach of a fiber-based access network. A Remote Protocol Termination (RPT) is implemented remotely from a central office Optical Line Termination (OLT). The RPT receives a data signal transmitted by a user'"'"'s Optical Network Unit/Termination (ONU/T) over a Passive Optical Network (PON) utilizing a PON protocol or Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)_based protocol, and converts the signal to a long-reach transport protocol. The RPT then transmits the data signal to the central office OLT utilizing the long-reach transport protocol. The RPT also performs this protocol conversion in the opposite direction for signals transmitted from the central office OLT to the ONU/T.

Claims

1. A protocol termination node for extending the reach of a fiber-based access network, wherein the access network extends from a core network access node to a plurality of user terminals, wherein the protocol termination node is remotely located from the access node and comprises:

means for receiving a data signal transmitted by a user terminal over a distribution portion of the access network utilizing an optical transport protocol;

means for converting the signal from the optical transport protocol to a long-reach transport protocol; and

means for transmitting the data signal to the access node utilizing the long-reach transport protocol.

2. The protocol termination node as recited in claim 1, wherein the protocol termination node is a bi-directional protocol termination node, wherein the converting means also includes means for converting the long-reach transport protocol to the optical transport protocol for data signals transmitted from the core network access node to the user terminal.

3. The protocol termination node as recited in claim 2, wherein the optical transport protocol is selected from a group consisting of:

ITU-T G.984 Gigabit PON (GPON);

10 Gigabit GPON;

Ethernet PON (EPON); and

a Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)-based protocol.

4. The protocol termination node as recited in claim 2, wherein the long-reach transport protocol is selected from a group consisting of:

10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GE);

Gigabit Ethernet (GbE);

Synchronous Digital Hierarchy/Synchronous Optical Network (SDH/SONET); and

a Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)-based backhaul protocol.

5. The protocol termination node as recited in claim 2, wherein the data signal received from the user terminal is a PON-specific time division multiplexed (TDM) signal, and the converting means includes means for decapsulating Ethernet frames from the PON-specific TDM signal for transmission to the access node.

6. The protocol termination node as recited in claim 5, wherein the converting means also includes means for encapsulating Ethernet frames into a PON-specific TDM signal for transmission to the user terminal.

7. The protocol termination node as recited in claim 6, wherein the PON-specific TDM signal is a Gigabit Passive Optical Network Encapsulation Method (GPON GEM) signal.

8. A method of extending the reach of a fiber-based access network that extends from a core network access node to a plurality of user terminals, said method comprising the steps of:

implementing a protocol termination node remotely from the core network access node;

receiving at the protocol termination node, a data signal transmitted by a user terminal over a distribution portion of the access network utilizing an optical transport protocol;

converting the signal from the optical transport protocol to a long-reach transport protocol; and

transmitting the data signal to the access node utilizing the long-reach transport protocol.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the optical transport protocol is selected from a group consisting of:

ITU-T G.984 Gigabit PON (GPON);

10 Gigabit GPON;

Ethernet PON (EPON); and

a Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)-based protocol.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the long-reach transport protocol is selected from a group consisting of:

10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GE);

Gigabit Ethernet (GbE);

Synchronous Digital Hierarchy/Synchronous Optical Network (SDH/SONET); and

a Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)-based backhaul protocol.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the data signal received from the user terminal is a PON-specific time division multiplexed (TDM) signal, and the step of converting the signal from the optical transport protocol to the long-reach transport protocol includes decapsulating Ethernet frames from the PON-specific TDM signal for transmission to the access node.

12. A method of extending the reach of a fiber-based access network that extends from a core network access node to a plurality of user terminals, said method comprising the steps of:

implementing a protocol termination node remotely from the core network access node;

receiving at the protocol termination node, a data signal transmitted by the core network access node utilizing a long-reach transport protocol;

converting the signal from the long-reach transport protocol to an optical transport protocol utilized in a distribution portion of the access network; and

transmitting the data signal to an addressed user terminal over the distribution portion of the access network utilizing the optical transport protocol.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the optical transport protocol utilized in the distribution portion of the access network is selected from a group consisting of:

ITU-T G.984 Gigabit PON (GPON);

10 Gigabit GPON;

Ethernet PON (EPON); and

a Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)-based protocol.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the long-reach transport protocol is selected from a group consisting of:

10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GE);

Gigabit Ethernet (GbE);

Synchronous Digital Hierarchy/Synchronous Optical Network (SDH/SONET); and

a Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)-based backhaul protocol.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the converting step includes utilizing the Gigabit PON (GPON) Encapsulation Method (GEM) to encapsulate Ethernet frames into a PON-specific time division multiplexed (TDM) protocol.

16. A system for extending the reach of a fiber-based access network, said system comprising:

a core network access node for transmitting and receiving data signals utilizing a long-reach transport protocol; and

a protocol termination node in communication with the access node, wherein the protocol termination node is remotely located from the access node and comprises;

means for transmitting and receiving data signals to and from the access node utilizing the long-reach transport protocol;

means for transmitting and receiving data signals to and from a user terminal over a distribution portion of the access network utilizing an optical transport protocol;

means for converting data signals received from the access node from the long-reach transport protocol to the optical transport protocol utilized in the distribution portion of the access network for transmission to the user terminal; and

means for converting data signals received from the user terminal from the optical transport protocol utilized in the distribution portion of the access network to the long-reach transport protocol for transmission to the access node.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the optical transport protocol utilized in the distribution portion of the access network is a Passive Optical Network (PON) protocol selected from a group consisting of:

ITU-T G.984 Gigabit PON (GPON);

10 Gigabit GPON;

Ethernet PON (EPON); and

a Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)-based protocol.

18. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the long-reach transport protocol is selected from a group consisting of:

10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GE);

Gigabit Ethernet (GbE);

Synchronous Digital Hierarchy/Synchronous Optical Network (SDH/SONET); and

a Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)-based backhaul protocol.

19. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the means for converting data signals received from the access node includes means for utilizing the Gigabit PON (GPON) Encapsulation Method (GEM) to encapsulate Ethernet frames into a PON-specific time division multiplexed (TDM) protocol for transmission to the user terminal.

20. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the data signals received from the user terminal are PON-specific time division multiplexed (TDM) signals, and the means for converting data signals received from the user terminal includes means for decapsulating Ethernet frames from the PON-specific TDM signal for transmission to the access node.