Technology for fault allocation in passive optical networks (PON)
AssigneeECI Telecom Ltd.
InventorAmitay Melamed
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for allocating faults in a passive optical network (PON) by placing a number of passive unique optical correlators in a number of respective diagnostic points of the PON, each of the passive unique optical correlators being responsive to an optical diagnostic signal by returning a predetermined unique matching signal; by further transmitting the diagnostic optical signal in the PON towards the diagnostic points to receive upstream response signals from the correlators. Upon detecting presence or absence, in the received response signals, of a predetermined unique matching signal expected from a specific optical correlator, judging about a fault in proximity of the respective specific diagnostic point.
Claims7
A method for locating faults in a passive optical network (PON), comprising:
- providing a number of passive unique optical correlators at a number of respective diagnostic points of the PON, each of the passive unique optical correlators being configured to respond to a signal pattern representing a respective unique signature and being responsive to an optical diagnostic signal by returning a predetermined unique matching signal;
- transmitting the diagnostic optical signal in said PON towards said diagnostic points, wherein said diagnostic signal comprises a plurality of respectively different signal patterns each representing a respective unique signature, each characterizing a specific passive optical correlator and each optical correlator being characterized by a respective one of the unique signatures that is different from the unique signature characterizing any other one of said optical correlators, thereby enabling generation of a matching signal by the specific optical correlator in response to receiving by said specific passive optical correlator the diagnostic signal that comprises a respective signal pattern,
- receiving upstream response signals from one or more of said plurality of passive optical correlators which had received the diagnostic signal, detecting presence or absence, in said received response signals, of a predetermined unique matching signal expected from a specific optical correlator out of said optical correlators, and
- judging about a fault in proximity of a specific diagnostic point, based on the presence or absence and/or a level of said specific matching response signal expected from the optical correlator placed in said specific diagnostic point.
A diagnostic tool for use in a PON network, the diagnostic tool comprising a passive optical correlator to be connected to an optical fiber, and being responsive to an optical diagnostic signal carrying a specific unique signature if received at the passive optical correlator, by returning a predetermined unique matching signal and wherein the unique signature comprises a specific binary code applied to a carrier optical signal, and wherein the correlator comprises a number of delay elements arranged in parallel in such a manner that, all “1”-level pulses of said specific binary code, upon passing via the parallel delay elements, coincide in time and get summarized so that the sum thereof forms the predetermined matching signal;
- the correlator being adapted to return said predetermined matching signal in response to the diagnostic signal for further processing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.