# US 10,484,098 B2 · Channel bonding in passive optical networks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,484,098 B2 - Document ID: US10484098B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/259,555 - Filed: 2019-01-28 - Published: 2019-05-23 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-08 - Assignees: Futurewei Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Futurewei Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Duane Remein; Frank Effenberger; Yuanqiu Luo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10484098B2 ## CPC - H04B 10/50: Transmitters - H04B 10/27: Arrangements for networking - H04B 10/272: Star-type networks {or tree-type networks} - H04J 14/0227: {Operation, administration, maintenance or provisioning [OAMP] of WDM networks, e.g. media access, routing or wavelength allocation} - H04J 14/0273: {using optical overhead, e.g. overhead processing} - H04J 14/0282: {WDM tree architectures} - H04L 69/14: Multichannel or multilink protocols - H04B: TRANSMISSION - 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) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method implemented at a transmitter in a passive optical network (PON), the method comprising the transmitter fragmenting a data packet into multiple frames, with each frame of the multiple frames including a data packet preamble, with the data packet preamble including an indicator associated with at least one lane to be used to transmit the data packet and a logical link identifier (LLID), the indicator identifying a first lane selected from a plurality of lanes, identifying at least one frame transmitted over the first lane, and identifying the lane order of the plurality of lanes, and the transmitter transmitting the multiple frames over the plurality of lanes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method implemented at a transmitter in a passive optical network (PON), the method comprising: the transmitter fragmenting a data packet into multiple frames, with each frame of the multiple frames including a data packet preamble, with the data packet preamble including an indicator associated with at least one lane to be used to transmit the data packet and a logical link identifier (LLID), the indicator identifying a first lane selected from a plurality of lanes, identifying at least one frame transmitted over the first lane, and identifying a lane order of the plurality of lanes; and the transmitter transmitting the multiple frames over the plurality of lanes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises a synchronization indicator for assisting a receiver device in aligning fragmented packets in a proper order. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to fragmenting the data packet into the multiple frames, the transmitter replicating the indicator into each lane of the plurality of lanes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises a reconciliation sublayer (RS), with the RS modifying the data packet preamble to include the indicator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, with the indicator further identifying a lane order of the plurality of lanes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein each indicator is configured to identify a respective set of frames transmitted over a lane in which that indicator has been replicated. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the replicated indicators are configured to identify at least one of: each lane used to transmit the multiple frames; frames transmitted over each lane; or each frame associated with the data packet. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the RS is coupled to the plurality of lanes via a plurality of media-independent interfaces. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein each indicator is further configured to indicate that frames within the respective set of frames form part of the data packet. ### Claim 10 An apparatus in a passive optical network (PON), the apparatus comprising: a reconciliation sublayer (RS) configured to include an indicator in a preamble of a data packet, the indicator associated with at least one lane to be used to transmit the data packet, the preamble comprising the indicator and a logical link identifier (LLID), the indicator identifying a first lane selected from a plurality of lanes, identifying at least one frame transmitted over the first lane, and identifying a lane order of the plurality of lanes; and a transmitter coupled to the RS and configured to transmit the data packet in multiple frames over a plurality of lanes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the indicator comprises a synchronization indicator for assisting a receiver device in aligning fragmented packets in a proper order. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, the RS further configured to, responsive to fragmenting the data packet into the multiple fragments, replicate the indicator into each lane of the plurality of lanes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, with the RS modifying the preamble to include the indicator. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the RS is coupled to the plurality of lanes via a plurality of media-independent interfaces. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, with the indicator further identifying a lane order of the plurality of lanes. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each indicator is configured to identify a respective set of frames transmitted over a lane in which that indicator has been replicated. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the replicated indicators are configured to identify at least one of: each lane used to transmit the multiple frames; frames transmitted over each lane; or each frame associated with the data packet. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein each indicator is further configured to indicate that frames within the respective set of frames form part of the data packet. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer instructions for implementing a method in a passive optical network (PON), that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of: fragmenting a data packet into multiple frames, with each frame of the multiple frames including a data packet preamble, with the data packet preamble including an indicator associated with at least one lane to be used to transmit the data packet and a logical link identifier (LLID), the indicator identifying a first lane selected from a plurality of lanes, identifying at least one frame transmitted over the first lane, and identifying a lane order of the plurality of lanes; and transmitting the multiple frames over the plurality of lanes.