Claims
- 1. An ethernet-passive optical networking system, comprising:
a centralized controller device implementing a Media Access Control (MAC) control layer; and at least one subscriber device implementing said MAC control layer in optical communication with said centralized controller device, wherein each said implementation of the MAC control layer includes extended functionality that is implemented through transmission of ethernet frames.
- 2. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 1, wherein said extended functionality of said MAC control layer in said centralized controller device includes token allocation.
- 3. The ethernet-pasive optical networking system of claim 2, wherein said token specifies a sequence number of an encryption key to be used by said at least one subscriber device.
- 4. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 1, wherein said extended functionality of said MAC control layer in said at least one subscriber device includes token request and receipt.
- 5. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 1, wherein said extended functionality of said MAC control layer includes MAC timing and synchronization between said centralized control device and said at least one subscriber device.
- 6. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 5, wherein said MAC timing and synchronization is initiated by transmission of a synchronization message from said centralized controller device to said at least one subscriber device.
- 7. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 5, wherein said MAC timing and synchronization includes allocation of a ranging interval specified by said centralized controller device.
- 8. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 5, wherein said MAC timing and synchronization includes transmission of a ranging request from said at least one subscriber device to said centralized controller device.
- 9. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 5, wherein said centralized controller device determines a time adjustment period corresponding to a difference in time between a clock at said centralized controller device and a clock at said subscriber device.
- 10. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 9, wherein said time adjustment period is derived from a time difference between a message timestamp and a message arrival time at an optical line terminator.
- 11. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 9, wherein an optical line terminator specifies a grant assignment adjusted by a corresponding optical network unit adjustment period to represent said grant assignment in optical network unit local time.
- 12. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 9, wherein said centralized controller device transmits a time adjustment message to said subscriber device.
- 13. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 12, wherein said optical line terminator specifies the grant assignments according to the time at said optical line terminator and an optical network unit adjusts its local time based on the received adjustment period.
- 14. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 5, wherein every message from said centralized controller device to said subscriber device contains synchronization information.
- 15. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 1, further comprising a signal from said MAC control layer to a physical layer.
- 16. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 15, wherein said signal is a transmit/wait timing signal and can represent an active and passive state of a laser.
- 17. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 16, wherein said subscriber device transmits in said active state only.
- 18. A method of communication between a centralized controller device and at least one subscriber device in an ethernet-passive optical networking system, wherein each device implements a MAC control layer having extended functionality, comprising the following steps performed via transmission of ethernet frames in the MAC control layer:
(a) transmitting a ranging grant from the centralized controller device to the at least one subscriber device; (b) receiving a ranging request from the at least one subscriber device; (c) calculating a time difference between a time at which the ranging request is sent and a time at which the ranging request was received at the centralized controller device; and (d) issuing a token from the centralized controller device to the at least one subscriber device to assign a transmission period.
- 19. The method of communication of claim 18, wherein the token specifies a sequence number for an encryption key.
- 20. The method of communication of claim 19, wherein the encryption key is used for transmission of information during the transmission period.
- 21. A method of communication between a centralized controller device and at least one subscriber device in an ethernet-passive optical networking system, wherein each device implements a MAC control layer having extended functionality, comprising the following steps performed via transmission of ethernet frames in the MAC control layer:
(a) receiving a ranging grant at the at least one subscriber device from the centralized controller device; (b) transmitting a ranging request from the at least one subscriber device to the centralized controller device; and (c) receiving a token at the at least one subscriber device, wherein the token is transmitted from the centralized controller device based on a calculated time difference between the centralized controller device and the subscriber device.
- 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of transmitting a signal from said MAC control layer to a physical layer.
- 23. The method of claim 22, wherein said signal is a transmit/wait timing signal and can represent an active and passive state of a laser.
- 24. The method of claim 23, wherein said subscriber device transmits in said active state only.
- 25. The method of claim 21, wherein said request includes a sequence number of an encryption key.
- 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the encryption key is used for downstream transmission from an optical line terminator to an optical network unit until another key is specified.
- 27. A computer program product comprising computer usable media having computer readable program code means embodied in said media for causing application programs to execute on a computer that synchronizes time between a centralized controller device and at least one subscriber device in an ethernet-passive optical networking system, said computer readable program code means comprising:
a first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to transmit a ranging grant from the centralized controller device to the at least one subscriber device; a second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive a ranging request at the centralized controller device from the at least one subscriber device; and a third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to calculate a time difference between a time at which the ranging request was transmitted and a time at which the ranging request was received at the centralized controller device.
- 28. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising:
a fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to issue a token to the at least one subscriber device from the centralized controller device.
- 29. A computer program product comprising computer usable media having computer readable program code means embodied in said media for causing application programs to execute on a computer that synchronizes time between a centralized controller device and at least one subscriber device in an ethernet-passive optical networking system, said computer readable program code means comprising:
a first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive a ranging grant at the at least one subscriber device from the centralized controller device; and a second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to transmit a ranging request from the at least one subscriber device to the centralized controller device.
- 30. The computer program product of claim 29, further comprising a third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive a token at the at least one subscriber device from the centralized controller device.
- 31. The computer program product of claim 29, further comprising a third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to transmit a signal from said MAC control layer to a physical layer wherein said signal is a transmit/wait timing signal and can represent an active and passive state of a laser.
- 32. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein said subscriber device transmits in said active state only.
- 33. An ethernet-passive optical networking system, comprising:
a centralized controller device implementing a control layer; at least one subscriber device implementing said control layer in optical communication with said centralized controller device; wherein each said implementation of said control layer includes an extension of an ethernet protocol to control transmission between subscriber devices in a Passive Optical Network (PON)-like media based on a definition of ethernet frames for control.
- 34. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 33, wherein timing definition is based on ethernet frame handshaking.
- 35. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 33, wherein said extension of said ethernet protocol in said centralized controller device includes token allocation.
- 36. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 35, further comprising a configuration mechanism wherein said centralized controller device is configured to assign bandwidth to said at least one subscriber device.
- 37. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 33, wherein said extension in said at least one subscriber device includes token request and receipt.
- 38. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 33, further comprising a signal from said control layer to a physical layer.
- 39. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 38, wherein said signal is a transmit/wait timing signal and can represent an active and passive state of a laser.
- 40. The ethernet-passive optical networking system of claim 39, wherein said subscriber device transmits in said active state only.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/313,499 filed Aug. 21, 2002, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60313499 |
Aug 2001 |
US |