Optical communications network, power supply controlling method, station-side equipment, subscriber-side equipment, and semiconductor chip

A power supply controlling method in an optical communications network that consists of one station-side equipment being connected to a plurality of subscriber-side equipments, the method comprising:

• at the station-side equipment, accumulating downstream data signals received from an external network;
• at the station-side equipment, referring to accumulated downstream data signals, and preparing transmission plans;
• at the station-side equipment, generating downstream control signals that include the transmission plans;
• at the station-side equipment, assigning, to the downstream data signals and the downstream control signals, identifiers that indicate addressing subscriber-side equipments;
• at the station-side equipment, converting downstream signals, that include the downstream data signals and the downstream control signals, into downstream optical signals;
• at the station-side equipment, sending the downstream optical signals out toward the subscriber-side equipments in accordance with the transmission plans;
• at the subscriber-side equipment, converting downstream optical signals, that are received from the station-side equipment, into downstream electric signals;
• at the subscriber-side equipment, referring to identifiers assigned thereto and extracting downstream electric signals addressed to itself;
• at the subscriber-side equipment, reading the transmission plans included in the downstream control signals that are included in the extracted downstream electric signals;
• at the subscriber-side equipment, generating timer control signals including information of receiving start times and receiving stop times of downstream optical signals addressed to itself;
• and
• at the subscriber-side equipment, on the basis of the timer control signals, opening and closing a path connecting a receiving section and an electricity supply section that are provided at the subscriber-side equipment.

A subscriber-side equipment among a plurality of subscriber-side equipments that are connected to a station-side equipment and comprise an optical communications network, the station-side equipment transmitting downstream optical signals to the subscriber-side equipments, the downstream optical signals including downstream data signals received from an external network and downstream control signals including transmission plans, identifiers that indicate the destination subscriber-side equipments being assigned to the downstream data signals and the downstream control signals, the subscriber-side equipment comprising:

• a receiving section that converts downstream optical signals, that are received from the station-side equipment, into downstream electric signals, and refers to identifiers assigned thereto and extracts downstream electric signals addressed to itself, and sends downstream control signals, that are included in the extracted downstream electric signals, to a subscriber-side control section;
• the subscriber-side control section that comprises a transmission plan reading unit that reads the transmission plans included in the downstream control signals, and a timer control signal generation unit that generates timer control signals including information of receiving start times and receiving stop times of downstream optical signals addressed to itself;
• a timer that generates switch control signals that switch on/off a switch on the basis of the timer control signals;
• an electricity supply section;
• and
• the switch that is provided between the receiving section and the electricity supply section, and that, on the basis of the switch control signals, opens and closes a path connecting the receiving section and the electricity supply section.

A semiconductor chip implemented on a subscriber-side equipment among a plurality of subscriber-side equipments that are connected to a station-side equipment and comprise an optical communications network, the station-side equipment transmitting downstream optical signals to the subscriber-side equipments, the downstream optical signals including downstream data signals received from an external network and downstream control signals including transmission plans, identifiers that indicate the destination subscriber-side equipments being assigned to the downstream data signals and the downstream control signals, the semiconductor chip comprising:

• a receiving section that converts downstream optical signals, that are received from the station-side equipment, into downstream electric signals, and refers to identifiers assigned thereto and extracts downstream electric signals addressed to itself, and sends downstream control signals, that are included in the extracted downstream electric signals, to a subscriber-side control section;
• the subscriber-side control section that comprises a transmission plan reading unit that reads the transmission plans included in the downstream control signals, and a timer control signal generation unit that generates timer control signals including information of receiving start times and receiving stop times of downstream optical signals addressed to itself;
• a timer that generates switch control signals that switch on/off a switch on the basis of the timer control signals;
• an electricity supply section;
• and
• the switch that is provided between the receiving section and the electricity supply section, and that, on the basis of the switch control signals, opens and closes a path connecting the receiving section and the electricity supply section.