Fiber access architecture capable of being seamlessly upgraded

• US 7,095,958 B1
• Filed: 01/11/2005
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Woodward, Sheryl Leigh
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Leslie
• Application Number:
  US11/032,708
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 398 68- 72
• US Class Current: 398/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0216 Bidirectional architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0226 Fixed carrier allocation, e.g. according to service
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0227 Operation, administration, maintenance or provisioning [OAMP] of WDM networks, e.g. media access, routing or wavelength allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0232 for downstream transmission
• 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 14/028 WDM bus architectures

Abstract

Disclosed is an architecture enabling premium services to be provided over fiber to high-end users/customers. The architecture has a plurality of nodes and a passive optical device inserted prior to one of the nodes. The optical device allows wavelengths provisioned for original service(s) to pass through with minimal loss, while other wavelengths provisioned for the premium services are diverted onto a new fiber. This new fiber may be installed at the time of the upgrade, but, sometimes, dark fiber is available. Dark fiber is fiber that carries no optical signals.

Claims

1. A distribution network, for connecting a plurality of customer sites to a core optical network, comprising:

a first segment, wherein said first segment is coupled to said core optical network;

a second segment, wherein said second segment further comprises a first fiber, a second fiber, and a third fiber;

a wavelength partition, wherein said first segment is further coupled to said wavelength partition, and further wherein said second segment is coupled to said wavelength partition;

at least one node, wherein said first fiber carries optical signals from said wavelength partition to a plurality of customer sites via said at least one node, and wherein said second fiber carries optical signals from said plurality of customer sites to said wavelength partition via said at least one node; and

at least one customer'"'"'s transceiver (CTx), wherein said third fiber carries optical signals in both directions between said wavelength partition and said at least one customer'"'"'s transceiver (CTx),

wherein said first segment further comprises a first fiber carrying signals from said core optical network destined for said at least one node and said customer'"'"'s transceiver, a second fiber carrying signals from said at least one node to said core optical network, and a third fiber carrying signals from said customer'"'"'s trancsceiver to said core optical network.

2. A distribution network, for connecting a plurality of customer sites to a core optical network, comprising:

a first segment, wherein said first segment is coupled to said core optical network;

a second segment, wherein said second segment further comprises a first fiber, a second fiber, and a third fiber;

a wavelength partition, wherein said first segment is further coupled to said wavelength partition, and further wherein said second segment is coupled to said wavelength partition;

at least one node, wherein said first fiber carries optical signals from said wavelength partition to a plurality of customer sites via said at least one node, and wherein said second fiber carries optical signals from said plurality of customer sites to said wavelength partition via said at least one node; and

at least one customer'"'"'s transceiver (CTx), wherein said third fiber carries optical signals in both directions between said wavelength partition and said at least one customer'"'"'s transceiver (CTx),

wherein said first segment further comprises a first fiber carrying signals from said core optical network destined for said at least one node, a second fiber carrying signals from said at least one node and said customer'"'"'s transceiver to said core optical network, and a third fiber carrying signals from said core optical network to said customer'"'"'s transceiver.