Cable modem system management of passive optical networks (PONs)
AssigneeMaxLinear, Inc.
InventorsGerfried Krampl, Barak Hermesh, Amos Klimker, Shaul Shulman, Franz-Josef Schaefer, Guy Ray
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A network infrastructure combining data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS) cable modem management and 10 Gb passive optical network XGPON networking technology. The DOCSIS equipment controls restrict the XGPON to physical layer (layer 1) while the DOCSIS equipment operate at a data link layer and above.
Claims21
A network processor in a cable network communication device having a memory, a communication module and a network data interface coupled to the communication module, and adapted to connect to a node in a 10 Gb passive optical network (XGPON), the network processor configured to:
- cause the network data interface to communicate with at least one other cable network communication device through said XGPON in accordance with an established cable network packet switched protocol;
- and
- control one or more features of the XGPON via a first layer, wherein the cable network communication device is to operate via one or more other layers, wherein the network processor is configured to control one or more optical line terminal (OLT) functions including at least one of:
- ONU registration, ONU-ID assignment, ranging and management of XGPON physical layer.
The network processor of 1 wherein the cable network communication device utilizes data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS) protocols.
A 10 Gb passive optical network (XGPON) network processor having open system interconnection (OSI) layers above layer 1 (physical layer) disabled from the perspective of the XGPON network processor, the OSI layers above layer 1 being controlled by a data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS) configuration which ignores optional features of XGPON protocols and uses XGPON service data units (SDUs) to pass DOCSIS data frames and medium access control (MAC) management messages (MMMs) between an optical line terminal (OLT) and a plurality of optical networking units (ONUs) in the XGPON network, wherein the XGPON SDUs are processed by the XGPON physical layer protocols including three transmission convergence (TC) sublayers and a physical media dependent (PMD) sublayer, the XGPON network processor residing at the OLT, wherein the XGPON processor is configured to control OLT functions not disabled, including at least one of:
- ONU registration, ONU-ID assignment, ranging and management of XGPON physical layer.
A data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS)-enabled communication device comprising:
- a communications processor;
- a memory coupled to the communications processor, the memory including a DOCSIS communications protocol stack without having access to a layer 1 (physical layer) protocol;
- and
- a data interface including an external port configured to connect to a service data unit (SDU) interface of one of an optical line terminal (OLT) or an optical network unit (ONU) of a DOCSIS configured 10 Gb passive optical network (XGPON), the XGPON having access to the layer 1 and not to other layers in the DOCSIS communications protocol stack;
- wherein the communication device is operative to communicate with one or more remote DOCSIS communication devices by exchanging layer 2 (data link layer) data frames over the XGPON,
- wherein the XGPON is configured to control OLT functions not disabled, including at least one of:
- ONU registration, ONU-ID assignment, ranging and management of XGPON physical layer.
A method of altering protocols in a passive optical network (XGPON) to serve as a physical layer and medium for communications between nodes in a data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS) cable network, the method comprising:
- allowing an XGPON optical line terminal (OLT) to continue performing native tasks including:
- optical network unit (ONU) registration, ONU ID assignment, ranging and management of an XGPON physical layer;
- accessing a config/control interface OLT;
- and
- replacing the OLT control with DOCSIS control of the XGPON:
- (1) medium access control (MAC) functions and assigning MAC addresses to each optical network unit (ONU);
- (2) upstream dynamic bandwidth allocation (DBA) to ONUs by disabling ONU DBA reporting to the OLT and taking over access to an upstream bandwidth map;
- (3) security functions by disabling data path encryption in said XGPON;
- and
- (4) quality of service (QoS) by distributing MAC management messages in the XGPON by way of OLT and ONU service data unit (SDU) interfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.