Light splitting device and optical network system

Abstract

The present application provides a light splitting device and an optical network system. The light splitting device comprises a wavelength division device, an optical switch, a wave combining device, and at least one output port. The wavelength division device is used for receiving a first signal and demultiplexing the first signal to obtain a first protocol signal and a second protocol signal, and optical communication protocols used by the first protocol signal and the second protocol signal are different. The optical switch is used for receiving a second protocol signal and dividing the second protocol signal into a second signal and a third signal, and the second signal and the third signal are different in the time domain. The wave combining device is used for receiving the first protocol signal and the second signal and performing wavelength multiplexing on the first protocol signal and the second signal to generate a fourth signal. The at least one output port is used for outputting the third signal and the fourth signal. The number of ONUs accessed by an OLT is increased, and the requirement for rapid increase of the number of access users of an optical access network is met on the premise of ensuring that services of different protocols are not interfered.

Description

Optical splitting device and optical network system

[0001] This application claims priority to the Russian Federation application No. 2024102629 filed with the Russian Federal Intellectual Property Office on February 2, 2024, and priority to the Russian Federation application entitled "A spectroscopic device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of optical communications, and more specifically, to an optical splitting device and an optical network system. Background Art

[0003] In recent years, with the rapid development of fiber-optic communication technology, optical access networks have become one of the primary ways for users to access high-speed internet services. Fiber-optic communication networks, with their high bandwidth, fast speeds, long distances, and low noise, have become the infrastructure for high-speed data transmission over the internet.

[0004] However, the passive optical network (PON) architecture faces the challenge of expanding the number of connected users. This is because the increasing number of connected users leads to an increasingly stringent power budget for the optical line terminal (OLT) during downlink signal transmission, making it difficult to achieve a sustained increase in the number of connected optical network units (ONUs).

[0005] To address this issue, one solution has proposed using optical switches to time-shift the OLT's downlink signals between different branches to support more ONUs. However, due to the gradual evolution of optical access networks, this solution could impact the normal communication of legacy services already deployed in the access network.

[0006] Therefore, how to enable optical switches to simultaneously support continuously iterative access network protocols in the same access network is a technical problem that those skilled in the art urgently need to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This application provides a splitter device and optical network system. Based on the existing PON network architecture, a new splitter device is proposed. While ensuring no interference with legacy protocol services, it increases the number of ONUs connected to the OLT, meeting the rapidly growing number of users accessing the optical access network. Different splitter processing is implemented for legacy and new protocol signals, thereby increasing the number of ONUs connected to the new protocol signals without affecting the normal communication of legacy protocol services.

[0008] In a first aspect, a spectrometer is provided. The spectrometer includes a wavelength division device, an optical switch, a multiplexing device, and at least one output port. The wavelength division device is used to receive a first signal and demultiplex the first signal to obtain a first protocol signal and a second protocol signal, wherein the first protocol signal and the second protocol signal use different optical communication protocols. The optical switch is used to receive a second protocol signal and divide the second protocol signal into a second signal and a third signal, wherein the second signal and the third signal differ in the time domain. The multiplexing device is used to receive the first protocol signal and the second signal and wavelength-multiplex the first protocol signal and the second signal to generate a fourth signal. The at least one output port is used to output the third signal and the fourth signal.

[0009] Based on this technical solution, a new optical splitter device is proposed within the existing PON network architecture. This device increases the number of ONUs connected to the OLT while ensuring no interference with existing protocol services, thereby meeting the rapidly growing number of users on the optical access network. By using the optical splitter device, protocol signals for new services and existing service protocols are processed differently, thereby increasing the number of ONUs connected to the new service protocol signals without affecting the normal communication of existing protocol services.

[0010] It should be understood that in some specific implementations, the first protocol signal includes a protocol deployed by an existing service, and the second protocol signal includes a protocol supported by a newly added service.

[0011] It should be understood that in some other specific implementations, the first protocol signal includes a protocol that does not support division in the time domain, and the second protocol signal includes a protocol that supports division in the time domain.

[0012] It should be understood that in some specific implementations, demultiplexing includes wavelength division multiplexing.

[0013] It should be understood that in some specific implementations, the optical switch can divide the second protocol signal into multiple signals in the time domain. The specific divided signal data is related to the number of signal paths required during actual deployment and the optical splitting performance of the optical switch hardware equipment. This application does not make any special restrictions on this.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the wavelength division device and the wavelength combining device include a coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM).

[0015] Based on this technical solution, the wavelength combining device and the wavelength division device are the same device. The CWDM device is used to multiplex the wavelengths of different optical signals when used in the forward direction; and is used to demultiplex the wavelengths of the multiplexed signals when used in the reverse direction. This application proposes a new type of optical splitting device based on the existing PON network architecture. Under the premise of ensuring no interference with existing protocol services, it increases the number of ONUs accessed by the OLT and meets the demand for the rapid growth of the number of users accessing the optical access network. By using the optical splitting device, different optical splitting processing of the protocol signals of the new services and the protocol signals of the existing services is achieved, thereby achieving an increase in the number of ONUs accessed to the protocol signals of the new services without affecting the normal communication of the old protocol services.

[0016] It should be understood that the wavelength division device and the wavelength combination device can be devices of the same model parameters, or can be different devices, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0017] With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first protocol signal includes a signal that does not support division in the time domain by an optical switch.

[0018] Based on the present technical solution, the first protocol signal includes a signal that does not support division in the time domain by an optical switch, and the second protocol signal includes a signal that supports division in the time domain by an optical switch. This application proposes a new type of optical splitting device based on the existing PON network architecture. On the premise of ensuring that the signal of the first protocol service is not interfered with, the number of ONUs accessed by the OLT is increased to meet the demand for the rapid growth of the number of users accessing the optical access network. By using the optical splitting device, different optical splitting processing of the signal of the first protocol service and the signal of the second protocol service is achieved, thereby achieving time domain splitting of the second protocol signal to increase the number of access ONUs without affecting the normal communication of the first protocol service.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the optical switch further includes a communication component configured to receive first information, the first information being configured to instruct a switching logic of the optical switch between the second signal and the third signal.

[0020] Based on the present technical solution, the optical switch also includes a communication component, which receives the first information and controls the switching between different signals in the time domain according to the instructions of the first information, thereby enabling access to a larger number of ONU devices. This application proposes a new type of optical splitting device based on the existing PON network architecture. Under the premise of ensuring that the signal of the first protocol service is not interfered with, the number of ONUs accessed by the OLT is increased to meet the demand for the rapid growth of the number of users accessing the optical access network. Through the use of the optical splitting device, different optical splitting processing of the signal of the first protocol service and the signal of the second protocol service is achieved, thereby achieving time domain optical splitting of the second protocol signal to increase the number of access ONUs while not affecting the normal communication of the first protocol service.

[0021] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the switching logic of the optical switch between the second signal and the third signal includes sequential switching.

[0022] Based on this technical solution, the switching logic of the optical switch between different signals includes switching in sequence according to the divided signal order, or switching in a certain logical order. This application proposes a new type of optical splitting device based on the existing PON network architecture. Under the premise of ensuring that the signal of the first protocol service is not interfered with, the number of ONUs accessed by the OLT is increased to meet the demand for the rapid growth of the number of users accessing the optical access network. Through the use of the optical splitting device, different optical splitting processing of the signal of the first protocol service and the signal of the second protocol service is achieved, thereby realizing time domain splitting of the second protocol signal to increase the number of access ONUs while not affecting the normal communication of the first protocol service.

[0023] It should be understood that the sequential switching includes sequential switching according to the signal channels divided by the optical switch.

[0024] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the switching logic of the optical switch between the second signal and the third signal includes jump sequence switching.

[0025] Based on this technical solution, the switching logic of the optical switch between different signals includes switching in sequence according to the divided signal order, or switching in a certain logical sequence. This application proposes a new type of optical splitting device based on the existing PON network architecture. Under the premise of ensuring that the signal of the first protocol service is not interfered with, the number of ONUs accessed by the OLT is increased to meet the demand for the rapid growth of the number of users accessing the optical access network. Through the use of the optical splitting device, different optical splitting processing of the signal of the first protocol service and the signal of the second protocol service is achieved, thereby realizing time domain splitting of the second protocol signal to increase the number of access ONUs while not affecting the normal communication of the first protocol service.

[0026] It should be understood that sequential switching includes switching in sequence according to the signal channels divided by the optical switch.

[0027] It should be understood that the first information can also be used to indicate multiple switching sequences in the time domain, and this application does not make any further special limitations on this.

[0028] It should be understood that the first information can also come from the control unit. The control unit dynamically adjusts the order of optical switch switching by detecting the status of the user end, thereby accessing more ONU units to a certain extent and ensuring the smooth operation of the communication network. This solution should not be considered to exceed the scope of protection of this application.

[0029] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the optical switch is further configured to receive second information indicating clock information of the optical switch and / or a time interval for the optical switch to switch between the second signal and the third signal.

[0030] Based on the present technical solution, the optical switch can also receive clock information through the second information and synchronize the clock with the system. The optical switch can also control the time interval for switching between different signals in the time domain based on the second information. The present application proposes a new type of optical splitting device based on the existing PON network architecture. Under the premise of ensuring that the signal of the first protocol service is not interfered with, the number of ONUs accessed by the OLT is increased to meet the demand for the rapid growth of the number of users accessing the optical access network. Through the use of the optical splitting device, different optical splitting processing of the signals of the first protocol service and the second protocol service is achieved, thereby achieving time domain splitting of the second protocol signal to increase the number of access ONUs without affecting the normal communication of the first protocol service.

[0031] It should be understood that the second information can also come from the control unit. The control unit dynamically adjusts the conduction time of the optical switch in each signal time domain by detecting the status of the user end, thereby supporting the access of more ONU units to a certain extent and ensuring the smooth operation of the communication network. It should not be considered that this solution exceeds the scope of protection of this application.

[0032] In a second aspect, an optical network system is provided. The optical network system includes at least one optical line terminal, a splitting device, and at least one optical network unit (ONU). The at least one ONU is configured to transmit a first signal, which, after being split by the splitting device, is received by the at least one ONU. Specifically, the splitting device includes a wavelength division device (WDM), an optical switch, a wavelength combining device, and at least one output port. The WDM device is configured to receive the first signal and demultiplex the first signal to obtain a first protocol signal and a second protocol signal. The first and second protocol signals utilize different optical communication protocols. The optical switch is configured to receive the second protocol signal and divide the second protocol signal into a second signal and a third signal. The second and third signals differ in the time domain. The wavelength combining device is configured to receive the first protocol signal and the second signal and wavelength-multiplex the first and second signals to generate a fourth signal. The at least one output port is configured to output the third and fourth signals. A first ONU in the at least one ONU is configured to receive the fourth signal, and a second ONU in the at least one ONU is configured to receive the third signal. The first ONU supports the first optical communication protocol, and the second ONU supports the second optical communication protocol.

[0033] Based on the present technical solution, an optical network system with a splitter device is proposed. The optical signal sent by the optical line terminal is split to support the access of more ONUs and ensure the normal communication of optical signals of different protocols sent by different optical line terminals. The present application proposes a PON network architecture with a new type of splitter device, which increases the number of ONUs accessed by the OLT while ensuring no interference with existing protocol services, and meets the demand for the rapid growth in the number of users accessing the optical access network. Through the use of the splitter device, different splitting processing of the protocol signals of the new services and the protocol signals of the existing services is achieved, thereby achieving an increase in the number of ONUs accessed to the new service protocol signals while not affecting the normal communication of the old protocol services.

[0034] It should be understood that in some specific implementations, the first protocol signal includes a protocol deployed by an existing service, and the second protocol signal includes a protocol supported by a newly added service.

[0035] It should be understood that in some other specific implementations, the first protocol signal includes a protocol that does not support division in the time domain, and the second protocol signal includes a protocol that supports division in the time domain.

[0036] It should be understood that in some specific implementations, demultiplexing includes wavelength division multiplexing.

[0037] It should be understood that in some specific implementations, the optical switch can divide the second protocol signal into multiple signals in the time domain. The specific divided signal data is related to the number of signal paths required during actual deployment and the optical splitting performance of the optical switch hardware equipment. This application does not make any special restrictions on this.

[0038] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the wavelength division device and the wavelength combining device include a coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM).

[0039] Based on this technical solution, the wavelength combining device and the wavelength division device are the same device. The CWDM device is used to multiplex the wavelengths of different optical signals when used in the forward direction; and is used to demultiplex the wavelengths of the multiplexed signals when used in the reverse direction. This application proposes a PON network architecture with a new optical splitting device. Under the premise of ensuring no interference with existing protocol services, the number of ONUs accessed by the OLT is increased to meet the demand for the rapid growth in the number of users accessing the optical access network. By using the optical splitting device, different optical splitting processing is achieved for the protocol signals of the new services and the protocol signals of the existing services, thereby increasing the number of ONUs accessed to the protocol signals of the new services without affecting the normal communication of the old protocol services.

[0040] It should be understood that the wavelength division device and the wavelength combination device can be devices of the same model parameters, or can be different devices, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0041] With reference to the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the first protocol signal includes a signal that does not support division in the time domain by an optical switch.

[0042] Based on this technical solution, the first protocol signal includes a signal that does not support division in the time domain by an optical switch, and the second protocol signal includes a signal that supports division in the time domain by an optical switch. This application proposes a PON network architecture with a new optical splitting device, which increases the number of ONUs accessed by the OLT while ensuring that the signal of the first protocol service is not interfered with, and meets the demand for the rapid growth of the number of users accessing the optical access network. By using the optical splitting device, different optical splitting processing of the signal of the first protocol service and the signal of the second protocol service is achieved, thereby achieving time domain splitting of the second protocol signal to increase the number of access ONUs while not affecting the normal communication of the first protocol service.

[0043] In conjunction with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the optical switch further includes a communication component configured to receive first information, wherein the first information is configured to indicate a switching logic of the optical switch between the second signal and the third signal.

[0044] Based on this technical solution, the optical switch also includes a communication component, which receives the first information and controls the switching between different signals in the time domain according to the instructions of the first information, thereby achieving access to a larger number of ONU devices. This application proposes a PON network architecture with a new optical splitter, which increases the number of ONUs accessed by the OLT while ensuring that the signal of the first protocol service is not interfered with, and meets the demand for the rapid growth of the number of users accessing the optical access network. Through the use of the optical splitter, different optical splitting processing of the signal of the first protocol service and the signal of the second protocol service is achieved, thereby achieving time domain splitting of the second protocol signal to increase the number of access ONUs while not affecting the normal communication of the first protocol service.

[0045] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the switching logic of the optical switch between the second signal and the third signal includes sequential switching.

[0046] Based on this technical solution, the switching logic of the optical switch between different signals includes switching in sequence according to the divided signal order, or switching in a certain logical order. This application proposes a PON network architecture with a new optical splitter, which increases the number of ONUs connected to the OLT while ensuring that the signal of the first protocol service is not interfered with, and meets the demand for the rapid growth of the number of users accessing the optical access network. Through the use of the optical splitter, different optical splitting processing of the signal of the first protocol service and the signal of the second protocol service is achieved, thereby realizing time domain splitting of the second protocol signal to increase the number of ONUs connected, while not affecting the normal communication of the first protocol service.

[0047] It should be understood that the sequential switching includes sequential switching according to the signal channels divided by the optical switch.

[0048] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the switching logic of the optical switch between the second signal and the third signal includes jump sequence switching.

[0049] Based on this technical solution, the switching logic of the optical switch between different signals includes switching in sequence according to the divided signal order, or switching in a certain logical sequence. This application proposes a PON network architecture with a new optical splitter, which increases the number of ONUs connected to the OLT while ensuring that the signal of the first protocol service is not interfered with, and meets the demand for the rapid growth of the number of users accessing the optical access network. Through the use of the optical splitter, different optical splitting processing of the signal of the first protocol service and the signal of the second protocol service is achieved, thereby realizing time domain splitting of the second protocol signal to increase the number of ONUs connected, while not affecting the normal communication of the first protocol service.

[0050] It should be understood that sequential switching includes switching in sequence according to the signal channels divided by the optical switch.

[0051] It should be understood that the first information can also be used to indicate multiple switching sequences in the time domain, and this application does not make any further special limitations on this.

[0052] It should be understood that the first information can also come from the control unit. The control unit dynamically adjusts the order of optical switch switching by detecting the status of the user end, thereby accessing more ONU units to a certain extent and ensuring the smooth operation of the communication network. This solution should not be considered to exceed the scope of protection of this application.

[0053] In conjunction with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the optical switch is further configured to receive second information indicating clock information of the optical switch and / or a time interval for the optical switch to switch between the second signal and the third signal.

[0054] Based on the present technical solution, the optical switch can also receive clock information through the second information and synchronize the clock with the system. The optical switch can also control the time interval for switching between different signals in the time domain based on the second information. The present application proposes a PON network architecture with a new optical splitting device. Under the premise of ensuring that the signal of the first protocol service is not interfered with, the number of ONUs accessed by the OLT is increased to meet the demand for the rapid growth of the number of users accessing the optical access network. Through the use of the optical splitting device, different optical splitting processing of the signals of the first protocol service and the second protocol service is achieved, thereby achieving time domain splitting of the second protocol signal to increase the number of access ONUs without affecting the normal communication of the first protocol service.

[0055] It should be understood that the second information can also come from the control unit. The control unit dynamically adjusts the conduction time of the optical switch in each signal time domain by detecting the status of the user end, thereby supporting the access of more ONU units to a certain extent and ensuring the smooth operation of the communication network. It should not be considered that this solution exceeds the scope of protection of this application.

[0056] In conjunction with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the first optical network unit includes a demultiplexer and a receiver. The demultiplexer is configured to receive a fourth signal and demultiplex the fourth signal to generate a fifth signal. The fifth signal uses the first optical communication protocol. The receiver is configured to receive the fifth signal.

[0057] Based on the present technical solution, the optical network unit side includes a demultiplexing device and a receiver. The demultiplexing device can demultiplex the received multiplexed signal, and the receiver is used to receive the signal supported by the optical network unit and perform the next operation according to the signal. The present application proposes a PON network architecture with a new optical splitting device, which increases the number of ONUs accessed by the OLT while ensuring that the signal of the first protocol service is not interfered with, and meets the demand for the rapid growth of the number of users accessing the optical access network. Through the use of the optical splitting device, different optical splitting processing of the signal of the first protocol service and the signal of the second protocol service is achieved, thereby realizing time domain splitting of the second protocol signal to increase the number of access ONUs without affecting the normal communication of the first protocol service.

[0058] It should be understood that the optical network system proposed in this application may include optical network units with demultiplexing devices, and may also include optical network units without demultiplexing devices. Different types of optical network units can be deployed according to actual user needs, and this application does not make any special restrictions on this.

[0059] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the power divider is used to receive at least one signal output by the optical splitting device and perform power distribution on the at least one signal output by the optical splitting device.

[0060] Based on the present technical solution, the optical signal output by the optical splitting device can be split again through one or more levels of optical splitting equipment, and thus transmitted to optical network units in different areas. The division of the optical signal can be achieved through a power splitter, and the optical signal is split through power distribution. The split optical signal is transmitted to the next level of optical splitting device or received by the optical network unit. The present application proposes a PON network architecture with a new optical splitting device, which increases the number of ONUs accessed by the OLT while ensuring that the signal of the first protocol service is not interfered with, and meets the demand for the rapid growth of the number of users accessing the optical access network. Through the use of the optical splitting device, different optical splitting processing of the signal of the first protocol service and the signal of the second protocol service is achieved, thereby achieving time domain splitting of the second protocol signal to increase the number of access ONUs while not affecting the normal communication of the first protocol service.

[0061] It should be understood that an optical network system may include multiple levels of splitting devices, and different splitting devices may be devices of the same structure or devices of different structures, and may be configured according to actual needs. This application does not impose any special restrictions on this. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a PON system architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0063] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a PON system with an optical switch provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0064] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a spectrometer provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0065] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a PON system with an optical splitting device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0066] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another PON system with an optical splitting device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0067] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0068] It should be noted that, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, “ / ” means or, for example, A / B can mean A or B; “and / or” in this article is merely a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, “multiple” refers to two or more than two, and “at least one” and “one or more” refer to one, two or more. The singular expressions “a”, “an”, “said”, “the” and “this” are intended to also include expressions such as “one or more”, unless there is a clear indication to the contrary in the context.

[0069] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment is included in one or more embodiments of the present application. Thus, phrases such as "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," and "in yet other embodiments" appearing in various places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more but not all embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "including," "comprising," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0070] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the terms "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships that are defined relative to the orientations or positions of the components schematically placed in the drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms are relative concepts. They are used for relative descriptions and clarifications, rather than indicating or implying that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. They may change accordingly according to changes in the orientation of the components placed in the drawings, and therefore cannot be understood as limitations on the present application.

[0071] In the embodiments of the present application, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same component or the same element. In addition, the components in the drawings are not drawn to scale, and the sizes and dimensions of the components shown in the drawings are only exemplary and should not be understood as limiting the present application.

[0072] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various passive optical network (PON) systems, such as next-generation PON (NG-PON), NG-PON1, NG-PON2, gigabit-capable PON (GPON), 10 gigabit per second PON (XG-PON), 10-gigabit-capable symmetric passive optical network (XGS-PON), Ethernet PON (EPON), 10 gigabit per second EPON (10G-EPON), next-generation EPON (NG-EPON), wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) PON, time-and wavelength-division multiplexing (TWDM) PON, point-to-point (P2P) WDM PON (P2P-WDM PON), asynchronous transfer mode PON (APON), broadband PON (BPON), etc., as well as 25 gigabit per second PON (25G-PON), 50 gigabit per second PON (50G-PON), 100 gigabit per second PON (100G-PON), 25 gigabit per second EPON (25G-EPON), 50 gigabit per second EPON (50G-EPON), 100 gigabit per second EPON (100G-EPON), and GPON and EPON of other rates. It can also be used in optical networks such as optical transport networks (OTN).

[0073] A passive optical network (PON) system is a point-to-multipoint (P2MP) network topology. This system consists of an optical line terminal (OLT) located in a central office and multiple optical network units (ONUs) located at the user end. By adopting a passive optical network architecture, the OLT transmits data to one or more ONUs, eliminating the need for relaying or amplification of signal light during transmission. This enables a high-bandwidth, low-cost, multi-user shared network structure that is easy to deploy.

[0074] In recent years, with the rapid development of fiber-optic communication technology, optical access networks have become the primary way for users to obtain high-speed Internet services. The basic principle diagram of an optical access network is shown in Figure 1.

[0075] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a PON system architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0076] PON technology is a point-to-multipoint fiber optic access technology. A PON system includes an optical transmission line (OLT) device, an optical distribution network (ODN) device, and at least one optical network unit (ONU) device. The OLT device is connected to the ODN device, which in turn is connected to multiple ONU devices. The OLT device provides a network-side interface, connecting to upper-layer network devices (such as switches and routers) and lower-layer connections to one or more ODN devices.

[0077] Typically, the OLT is located in the central office (CO), while the ONU is located in or near the user's home. The ONU provides a user-side interface and is connected to the ODN. If the ONU also provides user interface functions, such as Ethernet or plain old telephone service (POTS), it is called an optical network terminal (ONT).

[0078] ODN equipment includes a power splitter for optical power distribution, a trunk fiber connected between the power splitter and the OLT, and branch fibers connected between the power splitter and the ONU devices. A coarse wavelength division multiplexer (CWDM) can also be added to the trunk fiber to multiplex multiple optical signals using different wavelengths to achieve multi-signal transmission. When transmitting downstream data, the ODN device transmits the downstream data from the OLT device to each ONU device via CWDM and the power splitter. Similarly, when transmitting upstream data, the ODN device aggregates the upstream data from the ONU devices and transmits it to the OLT device.

[0079] It should be understood that in some implementations, the power divider is also referred to as a power divider, a power divider device, etc., which is only a name reference and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0080] It should be understood that Figure 1 only illustrates the connection between one OLT and multiple ONUs; a specific architecture may also include multiple OLTs. Furthermore, Figure 1 only illustrates the connection between one power splitter and two ONUs; the specific number of ONUs that can be connected to a power splitter depends on the actual performance parameters of the power splitter. Furthermore, Figure 1 only illustrates a two-level connection architecture; the PON architecture may also be a one-level architecture, a multi-level architecture, or other architectures. This application does not impose any specific limitations on this.

[0081] However, the passive optical network (PON) architecture faces the challenge of expanding the number of connected users. This is because the increasing number of connected users leads to an increasingly stringent power budget for the optical line terminal (OLT) during downlink signal transmission, making it difficult to achieve a sustained increase in the number of connected optical network units (ONUs).

[0082] To solve this problem, a solution has been proposed to use optical switches to switch the OLT's downlink signal between different branches according to time to support more ONUs.

[0083] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a PON system with an optical switch provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0084] In this architecture, the OLT can centrally manage one or more ONUs and is used to transmit data between the ONUs and the upper-layer network. During upstream transmission, one or more ONUs use a time-division method to divide the upstream transmission time into several time slots. The OLT authorizes each ONU to use a time slot, which is used to allocate an upstream message transmission window. Each ONU transmits data in the corresponding upstream message transmission window. The data transmitted by each ONU is transmitted to the OLT via the trunk optical fiber. Because data is sent in sequence, upstream data conflicts are avoided. During downstream transmission, the OLT broadcasts data to one or more ONUs. The OLT assembles downstream traffic into frames, which carry multiple data packets of variable length and are accompanied by corresponding device identifications (IDs). The frames are then divided into multiple signals for each branch through a power divider. After receiving the data sent by the OLT, the ONU determines whether to process or discard the data packet based on the ID.

[0085] However, the evolution of optical access networks is gradual. Existing access networks contain equipment deployed at different stages and using different generations of access network protocols. When OLTs using different generations of access network protocols are present throughout the access network system, some older OLTs may not support time-based switching of downlink signals between branches. Simply adding optical switches to the access network would disrupt the communication of older OLTs already deployed.

[0086] Therefore, this application proposes a splitting device based on the existing PON network architecture. Under the premise of ensuring that the deployed old protocol OLT equipment can communicate normally, the optical switch is used to increase the number of ONUs connected to the new protocol OLT, thereby meeting the demand for the rapid growth of the number of users accessing the optical access network. By implementing different splitting processing for old protocol signals and new protocol signals, the new protocol signals can be processed differently, thereby increasing the number of ONUs connected to the new protocol without affecting the normal communication of old protocol services.

[0087] It should be understood that the old protocol described in this application refers to a protocol that does not support switching between different branches according to time through an optical switch, such as protocols such as XG-PON.

[0088] It should be understood that the new protocol described in this application refers to a protocol that supports switching between different branches according to time through an optical switch, such as 50G-PON and other protocols.

[0089] It should be understood that in some implementations, the old protocol is also referred to as the old protocol, the old protocol, etc., which is only a name reference and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0090] It should be understood that the old protocol signal, as a specific implementation of the first protocol signal in the above implementation, should not constitute any limitation to the protection scope of this application.

[0091] It should be understood that the new protocol signal is a specific implementation of the second protocol signal in the above implementation and should not constitute any limitation to the protection scope of this application.

[0092] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a spectrometer provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0093] The present application provides an optical splitter device applicable to optical communication PON systems. Specifically, OLT 1 ​​includes an OLT device supporting the legacy protocol. As ONUs increase their demand for the new protocol, OLT devices supporting the new protocol are added to the OLT. OLT 2 includes an OLT device supporting the new protocol. OLT 1 ​​and OLT 2 transmit downstream signals for the legacy protocol and the new protocol, respectively. These different downstream signals are multiplexed via a CWDM device and then transmitted to the optical splitter device.

[0094] This application provides a splitting device for splitting the new protocol in the time domain using a switching device, while ensuring normal communication with the old protocol OLT device, thereby increasing the number of connected ONUs. The splitting device splits the received multiplexed signal in the time domain and outputs it to the next-level splitting device. After splitting by a power splitter, the multiplexed signal is transmitted to the ONU device. The ONU device includes a demultiplexer that demultiplexes the received multiplexed signal to receive signals from a specific OLT.

[0095] The specific process of implementing time-domain light splitting by the light splitting device will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 and 5. It should be understood that the figures only illustrate a specific implementation and should not limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0096] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a PON system with an optical splitting device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0097] This architecture includes at least two OLTs supporting different generations of access network protocols. Each OLT manages one or more ONUs and is used to transmit data between the ONUs and the upper-layer network. OLT 1 ​​supports the legacy protocol, meaning its downstream signal does not support time division via optical switches, which divides the downstream transmission time into multiple time slots. OLT 2 supports the newer protocol, meaning its downstream signal does support time division via optical switches, which divides the downstream transmission time into multiple time slots.

[0098] The OLT equipment includes a transmitter and a receiver. The OLT transmitter is used to send downlink signals, and the OLT receiver is used to receive uplink signals. The downlink signals transmitted by the OLT and the uplink signals received by the OLT use different wavelengths, so both uplink and downlink signals are transmitted on the same optical fiber. CWDM devices are used to multiplex and demultiplex optical signals. The ONU equipment includes a transmitter, a receiver, and a CWDM device. The transmitter is used to send uplink signals, and the receiver is used to receive downlink signals. The CWDM device demultiplexes the multiplexed signals, allowing the receiver to receive the demultiplexed signals.

[0099] It should be understood that the number of ONUs connected to the power distributor and the number of split links supported by the optical switch are only schematically drawn and described in the embodiments of this application. The actual number of links supported by each device is determined by the parameter performance of the device itself, and this application does not impose any special restrictions on this.

[0100] Downlink optical signals are transmitted by the OLT, split by the optical splitter, and then split by the power divider before being detected and received by the ONU. Because the optical path is reversible, uplink optical signals are transmitted by the ONU in the opposite direction using the same optical fiber to the OLT, where they are detected.

[0101] As a specific implementation method, this application describes the PON architecture by taking the downlink service as an example, and this application does not make any special limitation on this.

[0102] It should be understood that in the implementation described in this application, uplink services can refer to the process and transmission method of downlink services and complete uplink communication through reverse transmission via the optical path. The transmission of uplink services should not be considered to exceed the scope of protection of this application, and this application will not elaborate on uplink services here.

[0103] The optical splitting device provided in the present application is used as a first-level optical splitting device in an optical access network, and includes an optical switch and a CWDM device. On the OLT side, the uplink and downlink signals of OLT 1 ​​and OLT 2 are multiplexed through CWDM, that is, the uplink and downlink signals of the new and old protocols are multiplexed through the CWDM device. The multiplexed signal is transmitted to the optical splitting device through the optical fiber. The optical splitting device first uses the first CWDM device to demultiplex the received signal, and the demultiplexed new protocol signal is transmitted to the optical switch for time splitting, and the split new protocol signal enters different subnets. The demultiplexed old protocol does not pass through the optical switch, but directly enters the second CWDM device, and is multiplexed again with the signal of the new protocol and then transmitted to the next-level optical splitting device.

[0104] The optical switch time-splittingly splits the new protocol signal, and at least one of its outputs is re-multiplexed with the old protocol signal through a second CWDM device. The multiplexed optical signal is then transmitted downstream. The remaining at least one or more outputs of the optical switch are directly transmitted downstream.

[0105] It should be understood that the above-mentioned continued downward transmission includes passing through one or more other optical splitting devices again and then reaching the ONU or ONT. This application does not make any special limitation on this.

[0106] The old protocol signal and at least one new protocol signal output by the optical switch are multiplexed again by a second CWDM device and then split twice by a power splitter. The split downstream signals are then transmitted to different ONUs in a certain area. This area contains both previously deployed old protocol ONUs (ONU 1) and newly deployed new protocol ONUs (ONU 2). After receiving the multiplexed downstream signals from the power splitter, the different ONUs demultiplex the signals using their own CWDM devices, and their receivers receive the demultiplexed signals. ONU 1's receiver receives the demultiplexed old protocol downstream signals from OLT 1. ONU 2's receiver receives the demultiplexed new protocol downstream signals from OLT 2.

[0107] At least one new protocol signal output by the optical switch is directly split into two sub-splitters by the power splitter. The split downstream signals are then transmitted to different ONUs within a specific area. In this area, there are no ONUs using the old protocol; all ONUs (ONU 3 and ONU 4) use the new protocol. After receiving the multiplexed downstream signals from the power splitter, the different ONUs demultiplex the signals using their own CWDM components. The demultiplexed signals are then received by their receivers. ONU 3's receiver receives the demultiplexed new protocol downstream signal from OLT 2. ONU 4's receiver also receives the demultiplexed new protocol downstream signal from OLT 2.

[0108] It should be understood that in some specific implementations, the optical signal after passing through the optical splitting device provided by this application can be directly transmitted to a device such as an ONU or ONT, without passing through a secondary optical splitting device such as a power divider. The optical signal after passing through the optical splitting device provided by this application can undergo multiple levels of optical splitting, such as three or four levels, before being transmitted to a device such as an ONU or ONT. The number of levels of optical splitting depends on the specific geographical environment, physical distance, and number of users of the specific deployment, and is not specifically limited by this application.

[0109] It should be understood that the CWDM devices in the embodiments of the present application may be CWDM devices of the same structure, or CWDM devices of different models and structures, and the present application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0110] It should be understood that Figure 3 only illustrates the connection of two OLTs and four ONUs via two-stage splitting. The specific architecture may also include multiple OLTs, and more ONUs connected via multi-stage splitting. The splitting device provided in this application is primarily used for primary splitting, but can also be used as a splitting device for secondary or multi-stage splitting, and this application does not impose any specific limitations on this. Furthermore, the figure only illustrates the connection of one power splitter to two ONUs. The specific number of ONUs that can be connected to a power splitter is determined by the actual performance parameters of the power splitter. This application does not impose any specific limitations on this.

[0111] Based on the technical solution of this application, a new type of optical splitting device is proposed on the basis of the existing PON network architecture. Under the premise of ensuring no interference with the old protocol services, the number of ONUs connected to the OLT is increased to meet the demand of the rapid growth of the number of users accessing the optical access network. By using CWDM devices in conjunction with optical switches, different optical splitting processing is achieved for the old protocol signals and the new protocol signals, thereby achieving the goal of increasing the number of ONUs connected to the new protocol signals without affecting the normal communication of the old protocol services.

[0112] In a specific implementation, the existing PON network system is deployed with an old protocol OLT device. When a new protocol ONU needs to be connected at the user end, an OLT device with a new protocol can be added to the PON network, and the new protocol ONU can be connected through a splitter.

[0113] It should be understood that the optical splitting device provided in this application can support one or more legacy protocol OLT devices, and this application does not impose any special restrictions on this. The following describes the network architecture of multiple legacy protocol OLT devices in conjunction with FIG5 .

[0114] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another PON system with an optical splitting device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0115] It should be understood that the present application is described by taking the existence of two old protocol OLT devices as an example, which should not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of the present application.

[0116] In a specific implementation, OLT 1 ​​and OLT 3 support the old protocol, and OLT 2 supports the new protocol. Signals sent by different OLTs are multiplexed through a CWDM device and transmitted to a splitter.

[0117] It should be understood that in the above implementation, since the downstream and upstream signals sent and received by the OLT use different wavelengths, both upstream and downstream signals are transmitted over the same optical fiber. The following describes the implementation in detail using the transmission of downstream signals as an example.

[0118] The downlink signal after multiplexing by the CWDM device is transmitted to the optical splitter through optical fiber. The optical splitter consists of three parts: wavelength division device, switch device and combiner device.

[0119] In one specific implementation, the downlink signals sent by OLT 1 ​​and OLT 2 are multiplexed by a CWDM device and then transmitted to the optical splitter. Downlink signals sent by OLT 3 can be transmitted directly to the optical splitter or multiplexed by the CWDM device before being transmitted to the optical splitter. The wavelength division multiplexing device in the optical splitter is used to demultiplex the received signals.

[0120] The wavelength division device is used to demultiplex the wavelengths of the multiplexed protocols received from OLT 1 ​​and OLT 3. The demultiplexed signals include the new protocol signal and the old protocol signal. The new protocol signal enters the switching device, which switches it in the time domain to direct it to different transmission directions. The signal in one transmission direction is combined with the old protocol signal transmitted by OLT 1 ​​by the combining device. The combined signal continues to be transmitted downstream, potentially passing through one or more additional optical splitting devices during the downward transmission process, ultimately reaching the ONU or ONT device. The signal in the other transmission direction or directions of the switching device is combined with the old protocol signal transmitted by OLT 3, and then continues to be transmitted downstream. During the downward transmission process, the signal may also pass through one or more additional optical splitting devices before ultimately reaching the ONU or ONT device.

[0121] In a specific implementation, the wavelength division device includes a CWDM device, the wavelength combining device includes a CWDM device, and the switching device includes an optical switch.

[0122] In a specific implementation, the signal output by the optical splitting device passes through one or more power splitting devices and finally reaches the ONU or ONT device.

[0123] It should be understood that each ONU device includes a CWDM device for wavelength division multiplexing. Each ONU device can demultiplex the received signal according to the protocol it supports to obtain the protocol sent by the specific OLT.

[0124] In a specific implementation, ONU 1 and ONU 3 are ONU devices that support the old protocol. The CWDM devices in the ONU devices demultiplex the received signals. ONU 1 receives the old protocol signal from OLT 1, and ONU 3 receives the old protocol signal from OLT 3.

[0125] In a specific implementation, ONU 2 and ONU 4 are ONU devices that support the new protocol. The CWDM devices in the ONU devices demultiplex the received signals. ONU 2 and ONU 3 both receive the new protocol signal from OLT 2.

[0126] Based on the technical solution of this application, a new type of optical splitting device is proposed on the basis of the existing PON network architecture. Under the premise of ensuring no interference with the old protocol services, the number of ONUs connected to the OLT is increased to meet the demand of the rapid growth of the number of users accessing the optical access network. By using CWDM devices in conjunction with optical switches, different optical splitting processing is achieved for the old protocol signals and the new protocol signals, thereby achieving the goal of increasing the number of ONUs connected to the new protocol signals without affecting the normal communication of the old protocol services.

[0127] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0128] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0129] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0130] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0131] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0132] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A spectroscopic device, characterized in that: include: A wavelength division device, an optical switch, a wavelength combining device and at least one output port, wherein: The wavelength division device is used to receive a first signal and demultiplex the first signal to obtain a first protocol signal and a second protocol signal, where the first protocol signal and the second protocol signal use different optical communication protocols; The optical switch is configured to receive the second protocol signal and divide the second protocol signal into a second signal and a third signal, wherein the second signal and the third signal are different in time domain; The wavelength combining device is used to receive the first protocol signal and the second signal, and perform wavelength multiplexing on the first protocol signal and the second signal to generate a fourth signal; The at least one output port is used to output the third signal and the fourth signal.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The wavelength division device and the wavelength combining device include a coarse wavelength division multiplexer (CWDM).

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first protocol signal includes a signal that does not support division in the time domain by the optical switch.

4. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The optical switch further includes a communication component configured to receive first information, where the first information is configured to indicate a switching logic of the optical switch between the second signal and the third signal.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The switching logic of the optical switch between the second signal and the third signal includes sequential switching.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The switching logic of the optical switch between the second signal and the third signal includes jump sequence switching.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The optical switch is further configured to receive second information, where the second information is configured to indicate: Clock information of the optical switch, and / or a time interval for the optical switch to switch between the second signal and the third signal.

8. An optical network system, characterized in that: The optical network device comprises at least one optical line terminal, a light splitting device, and at least one optical network unit; wherein the at least one optical line terminal is used to send a first signal, and the first signal is received by the at least one optical network unit after being split by the light splitting device; The optical splitting device includes a wavelength division device, an optical switch, a wavelength combining device and at least one output port, wherein: The wavelength division device is used to receive a first signal and demultiplex the first signal to obtain a first protocol signal and a second protocol signal, where the first protocol signal and the second protocol signal use different optical communication protocols; The optical switch is configured to receive the second protocol signal and divide the second protocol signal into a second signal and a third signal, wherein the second signal and the third signal are different in time domain; The wavelength combining device is used to receive the first protocol signal and the second signal, and perform wavelength multiplexing on the first protocol signal and the second signal to generate a fourth signal; The at least one output port is used to output the third signal and the fourth signal; The first optical network unit in the at least one optical network unit is used to receive the fourth signal, the second optical network unit in the at least one optical network unit is used to receive the third signal, the first optical network unit supports the communication protocol of the first protocol signal, and the second optical network unit supports the communication protocol of the second protocol signal.

9. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that The wavelength division device and the wavelength combining device include a coarse wavelength division multiplexer (CWDM).

10. The system according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that The first protocol signal includes a signal that does not support division in the time domain by the optical switch.

11. The system according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that The optical switch further includes a communication component configured to receive first information, where the first information is configured to indicate a switching logic of the optical switch between the second signal and the third signal.

12. The system according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that The switching logic of the optical switch between the second signal and the third signal includes sequential switching.

13. The system according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that The switching logic of the optical switch between the second signal and the third signal includes jump sequence switching.

14. The system according to any one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that The optical switch is further configured to receive second information, where the second information is configured to indicate: Clock information of the optical switch, and / or a time interval for the optical switch to switch between the second signal and the third signal.

15. The system according to any one of claims 8 to 14, characterized in that The first optical network unit includes a demultiplexer and a receiver. The demultiplexing device is used to receive the fourth signal and demultiplex the fourth signal to generate a fifth signal, wherein the fifth signal uses the first optical communication protocol. The receiver is configured to receive the fifth signal.

16. The system according to any one of claims 8 to 15, characterized in that Also includes power splitter, The power distributor is used to receive at least one signal output by the optical splitting device and perform power distribution on the at least one signal output by the optical splitting device.

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