Filtering and forwarding frames at an optical network node
US7245621B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 29, 2003 |
| Grant date | Jul 17, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 26, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04Q2011/0064
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An optical line terminal (OLT) monitors and controls communications with a plurality of optical nodes (ONs), such as optical network units (ONUs) and/or optical network terminators (ONTs), within a passive optical network (PON), such as, but not exclusively, an Ethernet-based passive optical node (EPON). A tagging mechanism is implemented to identify an origin ON that introduces a frame into the PON segment linking the origin ON with the OLT. The origin ON produces a PON tag to associate its identifier (ON_ID) to the frame. The PON tag facilitates filtering and forwarding operations, and enables the physical layer interface (PHY) to the PON segment to emulate a point-to-point and/or shared communications link. The PON tag allows a MAC control layer to create virtual ports to traffic incoming and outgoing optical signals, and supply the virtual ports to a forwarding entity for frame filtering and forwarding. The PON tag also allows an OLT and ON to track the origination and/or destination of a frame within the PON segment, and accept or reject the frame based on the contents of the PON tag.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.