Method and apparatus for link sharing among multiple EPONs

• US 9,432,753 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2013
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hirth, Ryan E., Boyd, Edward W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sedighian, M. R.
• Application Number:
  US13/890,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20130243435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 398/72, 398/71, 398/70, 398/67
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0239 in WDM-PON sharing multiple downstream wavelengths for groups of optical network units [ONU], e.g. multicasting wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0246 using one wavelength per ONU
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0247 Sharing one wavelength for at least a group of ONUs
• 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 14/0252 Sharing one wavelength for at least a group of ONUs, e.g. for transmissions from-ONU-to-OLT or from-ONU-to-ONU
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/026 using WDM channels of different transmission rates
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0282 WDM tree architectures
• 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 2011/0064 Arbitration, scheduling or medium access control aspects

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides an optical line terminal (OLT) in an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON). The OLT includes a number of bi-directional optical transceivers. At least one bi-directional optical transceiver is coupled to an optical network unit (ONU) group that includes a number of ONUs. The OLT further includes a first downstream media access control (MAC) interface configured to provide a first downstream control signal and a splitter configured to split the first downstream control signal to a number of sub-signals. At least one sub-signal is configured to control downstream transmission of a corresponding bi-directional optical transceiver to a corresponding ONU-group.

Claims

1. An optical line terminal (OLT) in an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON), the OLT comprising:

a plurality of optical transceivers, each optical transceiver from among the plurality of optical transceivers being configured to transmit a downstream signal from among a plurality of downstream signals to a corresponding optical network unit (ONU) group from among a plurality of ONU groups, each ONU group from among the plurality of ONU groups including a plurality of ONUs;

a downstream media access control (MAC) interface configured to provide a downstream control signal;

a splitter configured to split the downstream control signal into a plurality of sub-signals, each sub-signal from among the plurality of sub-signals controlling transmission of a corresponding downstream signal from among the plurality of downstream signals; and

a plurality of upstream MAC interfaces configured to arbitrate a plurality of upstream signals received from the plurality of ONUs of each ONU group, wherein each upstream MAC interface from among the plurality of upstream MAC interfaces is further configured to independently control a corresponding optical transceiver from among the plurality of optical transceivers to arbitrate the plurality of upstream signals.

2. The OLT of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ONU groups includes a first ONU group and a second ONU group, and wherein the plurality of upstream signals is transmitted concurrently from the first and second ONU groups to the OLT.

3. The OLT of claim 2, wherein the plurality of downstream signals propagates on a first wavelength, and wherein the plurality of upstream signals propagates on a second wavelength.

4. The OLT of claim 1, wherein the downstream MAC interface and an upstream MAC interface from among the plurality of upstream MAC interfaces are configured to operate at an identical data rate.

5. The OLT of claim 1, wherein at least two downstream signals from among the plurality of downstream signals are identical to provide a downstream link shared among the plurality of ONU groups.

6. The OLT of claim 1, wherein the downstream signal of at least one optical transceiver from among the plurality or optical transceivers and an upstream signal from among the plurality of upstream signals are transmitted via an optical fiber strand.

7. The OLT of claim 1, wherein each upstream MAC interface from among the plurality of upstream MAC interfaces is further configured to independently control a corresponding optical transceiver from among the plurality of optical transceivers to arbitrate the plurality of upstream signals.

8. The OLT of claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical transceivers, the downstream MAC interface, the splitter, and the plurality of upstream MAC interfaces are comprised in a line card.

9. The OLT of claim 8, wherein the line card comprises a redundant uplink interface.

10. The OLT of claim 9, wherein the redundant uplink interface is configured to interface with a backplane.

11. The OLT of claim 1, wherein the plurality of upstream MAC interfaces is configured to arbitrate the plurality of upstream signals separately.

12. The OLT of claim 1, wherein the plurality of upstream MAC interfaces is configured to arbitrate the plurality of upstream signals to allow a first ONU from among a first group of ONUs from among the plurality of ONU groups and a second ONU from among a second group of ONUs from among the plurality of ONU groups to simultaneously transmit a first upstream signal from among the plurality of upstream signals and a second upstream signal from among the plurality of upstream signals, respectively.

13. The OLT of claim 1, wherein the downstream MAC interface and an upstream MAC interface from among the plurality of upstream MAC interfaces are configured to operate at different data rates.

14. An optical line terminal (OLT) in an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON), the OLT comprising:

a plurality of optical transceivers, each optical transceiver from among the plurality of optical transceivers being configured to transmit a downstream signal from among a plurality of downstream signals to a corresponding optical network unit (ONU) group from among a plurality of ONU groups, each ONU group from among the plurality of ONU groups including a plurality of ONUs;

a downstream media access control (MAC) interface configured to provide a downstream control signal;

a splitter configured to split the downstream control signal into a plurality of sub-signals, each sub-signal from among the plurality of sub-signals controlling transmission of a corresponding downstream signal from among the plurality of downstream signals; and

a plurality of upstream MAC interfaces configured to arbitrate a plurality of upstream signals received from the plurality of ONUs of each ONU group,

wherein the downstream MAC interface and an upstream MAC interface from among the plurality of upstream MAC interfaces are configured to operate at different data rates.

15. In an optical line terminal (OLT), a method comprising:

transmitting, using a plurality of optical transceivers, a plurality of downstream signals to corresponding optical network unit (ONU) groups from among a plurality of ONU groups, each ONU group from among the plurality of ONU groups including a plurality of ONUs;

generating a downstream control signal;

splitting the downstream control signal into a plurality of sub-signals, each sub-signal from among the plurality of sub-signals controlling transmission of a corresponding downstream signal from among the plurality of downstream signals;

controlling the transmitting of the plurality of downstream signals utilizing the plurality of sub-signals; and

arbitrating a plurality of upstream signals received from the plurality of ONUs of each ONU group, the arbitrating comprising;

independently controlling a corresponding optical transceiver from among the plurality of optical transceivers to arbitrate the plurality of upstream signals.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitting comprises:

transmitting the plurality of downstream signals on a first wavelength, and

wherein the arbitrating comprises;

arbitrating the plurality of upstream signals received on a second wavelength.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitting comprises:

transmitting the plurality of downstream signals at a first data rate, and

wherein the arbitrating comprises;

arbitrating the plurality of upstream signals received at a second data rate.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitting comprises:

transmitting the plurality of downstream signals at a first data rate, and

wherein the arbitrating comprises;

arbitrating the plurality of upstream signals received at the first data rate.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein each downstream signal from among the plurality of downstream signals is an identical downstream signal, and further comprising:

providing a downstream link shared among the plurality of ONU groups based on the identical downstream signal.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the arbitrating comprises:

arbitrating the plurality of upstream signals in accordance with a multipoint control protocol (MPCP).

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the arbitrating further comprises:

receiving a REPORT message from a first ONU of the plurality of ONUs.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the arbitrating further comprises:

sending a GATE message responsive to the REPORT message.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the arbitrating further comprises:

granting a time slot to the first ONU.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the arbitrating comprises;

arbitrating the plurality of upstream signals separately.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the arbitrating comprises:

arbitrating the plurality of upstream signals to allow a first ONU from among a first group of ONUs from among the plurality of ONU groups and a second ONU from among a second group of ONUs from among the plurality of ONU groups to simultaneously transmit a first upstream signal from among the plurality of upstream signals and a second upstream signal from among the plurality of upstream signals, respectively.