Communication system and method for an optical local area network
OwnerAlexander Ivan Soto, Walter Glenn Sotoinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical local area network includes a passive optical distribution fabric interconnecting a plurality of nodes including a first node and a plurality of remaining nodes, a hub that includes the first node and a control module, and a client network adapter coupled to each of the remaining nodes for responding to the control module. The control module controls timing for each of the client network adapters to transmit signals over the passive optical distribution fabric and distribution of signals to each of the nodes.
Claims21
A method for operating a local area network (LAN) client for a passive optical local area network (LAN), the passive optical LAN disposed to having one or more passive optical splitters for coupling the LAN client over one or more optical fibers to the head end of the passive optical LAN, the method for operating the LAN client for the passive optical local area network comprising:
- receiving from an optical port of the LAN client a downstream optical signal on a downstream wavelength wherein the downstream optical signal includes downstream control and downstream data information and wherein the downstream control information includes at least one upstream bandwidth allocation for the LAN client;
- receiving user data from an electrical interface of the LAN client;
- and
- transmitting an upstream optical signal through the optical port of the LAN client on an upstream wavelength responsive to the at least one upstream bandwidth allocation for the LAN client and wherein the upstream optical signal includes upstream control and upstream data information and, wherein the upstream data information includes at least a portion of the user data.
A method for operating a local area network (LAN) client for a passive optical local area network (LAN), the passive optical LAN disposed to having one or more passive optical splitters for coupling the LAN client over one or more optical fibers to the head end of the passive optical LAN, the method for operating the LAN client for the passive optical local area network comprising:
- processing a received optical signal on a first wavelength received through an optical port of the LAN client wherein the received optical signal includes control and downstream data information and wherein the control information includes at least one transmit bandwidth allocation for the LAN client;
- receiving Ethernet data from an electrical interface of the LAN client;
- and
- emitting a transmit optical signal on a second wavelength through the optical port of the LAN client responsive to the at least one transmit bandwidth allocation for the LAN client, and wherein the transmit optical signal includes control and data information, and wherein the data information includes at least a portion of the Ethernet data.
A method for operating a local area network (LAN) client for a passive optical local area network (LAN), the passive optical LAN disposed to having one or more passive optical splitters for coupling the LAN client over one or more optical fibers to the head end of the passive optical LAN, the method for operating the LAN client for the passive optical local area network comprising:
- processing a received optical signal on a first wavelength received through an optical port of the LAN client wherein the received optical signal includes control and downstream data information and wherein the control information includes at least one transmit bandwidth allocation for the LAN client;
- processing the downstream data information according to an Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) Layer 3 protocol;
- receiving Ethernet data from an electrical interface of the LAN client;
- and
- emitting a transmit optical signal on a second wavelength through the optical port of the LAN client responsive to the at least one transmit bandwidth allocation for the LAN client, and wherein the transmit optical signal includes control and data information, and wherein the data information includes at least a portion of the Ethernet data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.