Methods and apparatus for reducing power consumption in optical devices

A customer premises device, the customer premises device comprising:

• a first laser for upstream communication;
• a first optical receiver for downstream communication;
• a power monitoring circuit configured to monitor main power availability;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• operate the customer premises device in a normal mode of operation in which the first laser is continuously powered on for upstream communications;
• detect one of:
• i) a loss in main power availability or ii) a command to implement a power saving mode of operation;
• communicate to an optical line terminal (OLT) that the customer premises device is switching to the first power saving mode of operation;
• and
• switch to a first power saving mode of operation in response to:
• i) detecting a command to implement a power saving mode of operation or ii) detecting a loss of main power availability, said first power saving mode of operation being a mode of operation in which said first laser and a corresponding first optical receiver in the customer premises device is powered off for at least a first period of time, and wherein said switch to the first power saving mode of operation includes turning off power to the first laser and corresponding first optical receiver.

A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer executable instructions which when executed by a processor of a customer premises device including an optical modem including at least a first laser cause the customer premises device to perform the steps of:

• operating in a normal mode of operation in which the first laser is continuously powered on for upstream communications;
• detecting one of:
• i) a loss in main power availability or ii) a command to implement a power saving mode of operation;
• communicating to an optical line terminal (OLT) that the customer premises device is switching to the first power saving mode of operation;
• and
• switching to a first power saving mode of operation in response to:
• i) detecting a command to implement a power saving mode of operation or ii) detecting a loss of main power availability, said first power saving mode of operation being a mode of operation in which said first laser and a corresponding first optical receiver is powered off for at least a first period of time, and wherein switching to the first power saving mode of operation includes:
• turning off power to the first laser and corresponding first optical receiver.