# US 10,374,744 B2 · System and method for passive optical network communication > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,374,744 B2 - Document ID: US10374744B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/907,063 - Filed: 2018-02-27 - Published: 2018-07-05 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-05 - Assignees: Futurewei Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Futurewei Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Yuanqiu Luo; Frank J. Effenberger - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374744B2 ## CPC - H04J 14/0235: {for upstream transmission} - H04B 10/27: Arrangements for networking - H04J 14/0227: {Operation, administration, maintenance or provisioning [OAMP] of WDM networks, e.g. media access, routing or wavelength allocation} - 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} - H04B 10/25: Arrangements specific to fibre transmission - H04B 10/50: Transmitters - H04B 10/60: Receivers - H04J 14/0232: {for downstream transmission} - H04J 14/0247: {Sharing one wavelength for at least a group of ONUs} - 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} - H04J 14/026: {using WDM channels of different transmission rates} - H04J 14/0267: {Optical signaling or routing} - H04J 14/0298: {with sub-carrier multiplexing [SCM]} - H04Q 2011/0086: {Network resource allocation, dimensioning or optimisation} - H04Q 2011/0096: {Tree} - H04J: MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION (transmission in general H04B; peculiar to transmission of digital information H04L5/00; systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal H04N7/08; in exchanges H04Q11/00; stereophonic systems H04S) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W) ## Abstract In one embodiment, a method for passive optical network (PON) communication includes broadcasting, by an optical line terminal (OLT), a first message including a first start time of a first quiet window and a first allocation identification number (Alloc-ID), where the first Alloc-ID indicates a first supported upstream line rate associated with the first quiet window. The method also includes receiving, by the OLT from a first optical network unit (ONU) during the first quiet window, a first serial number response, wherein a first transmitting upstream line rate of the first ONU is equal to the first supported upstream line rate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for passive optical network (PON) communication, the method comprising: broadcasting, by an optical line terminal (OLT), a first allocation structure, the first allocation structure comprising a first allocation identification number (Alloc-ID) field and a first start time of a first quiet window, the first Alloc-ID field having a value of 1022 to indicate that ONUs supporting a first upstream line rate are permitted to transmit a first serial number response to register with the OLT during the first quiet window; and broadcasting, by the OLT, a second allocation structure, the second allocation structure comprising a second allocation structure Alloc-ID field and a second start time of a second quiet window, the second Alloc-ID having a value of 1023 to indicate that ONUs supporting a second upstream line rate are permitted to transmit a second serial number response to register with the OLT during the second quiet window, the second upstream line rate being different than the first upstream line rate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first upstream line rate is 10 gigahertz and the second upstream line rate is 2.5 gigahertz. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by the OLT, a first serial number ONU message from a first optical network unit (ONU) during the first quiet window according to the first upstream line rate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: receiving, by the OLT, a second serial number ONU message from a second optical network unit (ONU) during the second quiet window according to the second upstream line rate. ### Claim 5 An optical line terminal (OLT) comprising: a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to: broadcast a first allocation structure comprising a first allocation identification number (Alloc-ID) field and a first start time of a first quiet window, the first Alloc-ID field having a value of 1022 to indicate that ONUs supporting a first upstream line rate are permitted to transmit a first serial number response to register with the OLT during the first quiet window; and broadcast a second allocation structure comprising a second allocation identification number (Alloc-ID) field and a second start time of a second quiet window, the second Alloc-ID having a value of 1023 to indicate that ONUs supporting a second upstream line rate are permitted to transmit a second serial number response to register with the OLT during the second quiet window, the second upstream line rate being different than the first upstream line rate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The OLT of claim 5, wherein the first upstream line rate is 10 gigahertz and the second upstream line rate is 2.5 gigahertz. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The OLT of claim 5, wherein the programming further includes instructions to: receive a first serial number ONU message from a first optical network unit (ONU) during the first quiet window according to the first upstream line rate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The OLT of claim 7, wherein the programming further includes instructions to: receive a second serial number ONU message from a second optical network unit (ONU) during the second quiet window according to the second upstream line rate. ### Claim 9 A method for passive optical network (PON) communication, the method comprising: receiving, by an optical network unit (ONU), a first allocation structure from an optical line terminal (OLT), the first allocation structure comprising a first allocation identification number (Alloc-ID) field and a first start time of a first quiet window, the first Alloc-ID field having a value of 1022 to indicate that ONUs supporting a first upstream line rate are permitted to transmit a first serial number response to register with the OLT during the first quiet window; and receiving, by the ONU, a second allocation structure from the OLT, the second allocation structure comprising a second allocation structure Alloc-ID field and a second start time of a second quiet window, the second Alloc-ID having a value of 1023 to indicate that ONUs supporting a second upstream line rate are permitted to transmit a second serial number response to register with the OLT during the second quiet window, the second upstream line rate being different than the first upstream line rate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the first upstream line rate is 10 gigahertz and the second upstream line rate is 2.5 gigahertz. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: transmitting a serial number ONU message during the first quiet window according to the first upstream line rate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: transmitting a serial number ONU message during the second quiet window according to the second upstream line rate. ### Claim 13 An optical network unit (ONU) comprising: a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to: receive a first allocation structure from an optical line terminal (OLT), the first allocation structure comprising a first allocation identification number (Alloc-ID) field and a first start time of a first quiet window, the first Alloc-ID field having a value of 1022 to indicate that ONUs supporting a first upstream line rate are permitted to transmit a first serial number response to register with the OLT during the first quiet window; and receive a second allocation structure from the OLT, the second allocation structure comprising a second allocation structure Alloc-ID field and a second start time of a second quiet window, the second Alloc-ID having a value of 1023 to indicate that ONUs supporting a second upstream line rate are permitted to transmit a second serial number response to register with the OLT during the second quiet window, the second upstream line rate being different than the first upstream line rate. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The ONU of claim 13, wherein the first upstream line rate is 10 gigahertz and the second upstream line rate is 2.5 gigahertz. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The ONU of claim 13, wherein the programming further includes instructions to: transmitting a serial number ONU message during the first quiet window according to the first upstream line rate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The ONU of claim 13, wherein the programming further includes instructions to: transmitting a serial number ONU message during the second quiet window according to the second upstream line rate.