Countermeasures for idle pattern SRS interference in ethernet optical network systems

A method for reducing optical interference between data and video information propagated over a single optical waveguide comprising:

• receiving video information in an electrical domain;
• converting the video information into an optical domain by modulating the video information on a first optical carrier with a first optical wavelength;
• monitoring input in an electrical domain;
• determining if the input comprises one of an absence of data and an idle pattern;
• if the data comprises an idle pattern code, then generating substitute data;
• converting the substitute data into an optical domain by modulating the substitute data on a second optical carrier with a second optical wavelength;
• combining the first and second optical carriers;
• and
• propagating the first and second optical carriers along the single optical waveguide wherein the substitute data substantially reduces any optical interference between the first and second optical carriers.

A method for reducing optical interference between data and video information propagated over a single optical waveguide comprising:

• receiving video information in an electrical domain;
• converting the video information into an optical domain by modulating the video information on a first optical carrier with a first optical wavelength;
• generating random data assigned with a low priority;
• determining if any higher priority data is present for optical transmission;
• if higher priority data is not present, then inserting the random data with the low priority for optical transmission;
• converting the random data into an optical domain by modulating the random data on a second optical carrier with a second optical wavelength;
• combining the first and second optical carriers;
• and
• propagating the first and second optical carriers along the single optical waveguide wherein the substitute data substantially reduces any optical interference between the first and second optical carriers.

An optical network comprising:

• a routing device for assigning data to optical taps that are coupled to one or more subscribers;
• an idle pattern replacement device coupled to the routing device for determining whether data received from the routing device comprises one of an idle pattern and an absence of data, for generating a substitute idle pattern in an electrical domain that reduces power at one or more harmonics;
• an optical transmitter for converting the substitute idle pattern from the electrical domain to the optical domain;
• and
• an optical waveguide coupled to the optical transmitter for propagating the substitute idle pattern in the optical domain along with video information in the optical domain along a single optical waveguide, the substitute idle pattern reducing any optical interference between the input data and the video information.