Optical line terminal, optical network unit and communication method thereof

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments relate to an optical line terminal (OLT), an optical network unit (ONU), a communication method, a communication device, and a medium. In an example method, an optical line terminal determines its optical communication capability, the optical communication capability comprising at least one of: at least two uplink wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an uplink modulation format used by the OLT. And the optical line terminal also sends at least one piece of indication information for indicating the optical communication capability to the optical network unit. In this way, the optical line terminal can negotiate the optical communication capability with the optical network unit, and data transmission failure or performance reduction caused by incompatibility between devices is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of optical communications, and more particularly to an optical line terminal (OLT), an optical network unit (ONU), a communication method, a communication device, and a computer-readable medium. Background Art

[0002] Passive optical network (PON) usually refers to an optical distribution network that does not contain electronic devices and electronic power supplies. PON usually includes an optical line terminal (OLT) installed in a central control station and a set of supporting optical network units (ONU) installed in user locations, as well as an optical distribution network (ODN). With the evolution of technology, PON has higher and higher upstream and downstream transmission bandwidths. According to the relevant standards of ITU-U, it has developed from Gigabit-Capable PON (GPON) to XG (10G) PON and XGS PON, and further developed into the next generation of PON of 25G PON and 50G PON.

[0003] Different generations of PON have their own capabilities or working modes. There are scenarios where different generations of PON coexist, so it is necessary to further study how to negotiate optical communication capabilities or working modes between OLT and ONU. Summary of the invention

[0004] In general, example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a technical solution for optical communication capability indication and negotiation between an OLT and an ONU.

[0005] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, an optical line terminal (OLT) is provided. The OLT includes at least one processor and at least one memory. The at least one memory stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the OLT at least: determines the optical communication capability of the OLT, the optical communication capability includes at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; and sends at least one indication information for indicating the optical communication capability to an optical network unit (ONU).

[0006] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, an optical network unit (ONU) is provided. The ONU includes at least one processor and at least one memory. The at least one memory stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the ONU at least: receives at least one indication information from an optical line terminal (OLT), the at least one indication information is used to indicate the optical communication capability of the OLT, and the optical communication capability includes at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; and based on the at least one indication information, performs optical communication between the ONU and the OLT. In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided. The method includes: determining the optical communication capability of the OLT at an optical line terminal (OLT), the optical communication capability includes at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; and sending at least one indication information for indicating the optical communication capability to the optical network unit (ONU).

[0007] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided. The method includes: receiving at least one indication information from an optical line terminal (OLT) at an optical network unit (ONU), the at least one indication information being used to indicate an optical communication capability of the OLT, the optical communication capability including at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; and performing optical communication between the ONU and the OLT based on the at least one indication information.

[0008] In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided. The device includes: a component for determining, at an optical line terminal (OLT), an optical communication capability of the OLT, the optical communication capability including at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; and a component for sending at least one indication information indicating the optical communication capability to an optical network unit (ONU).

[0009] In a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided. The device includes: a component for receiving at least one indication information from an optical line terminal (OLT) at an optical network unit (ONU), the at least one indication information being used to indicate an optical communication capability of the OLT, the optical communication capability including at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; and a component for performing optical communication between the ONU and the OLT based on the at least one indication information.

[0010] In a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided, on which instructions are stored. When the instructions are executed by at least one processing unit, the at least one processing unit is configured to at least perform: determining, at an optical line terminal (OLT), an optical communication capability of the OLT, the optical communication capability including at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; and sending at least one indication information indicating the optical communication capability to an optical network unit (ONU).

[0011] In an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided, on which instructions are stored. When the instructions are executed by at least one processing unit, the at least one processing unit is configured to at least perform: receiving at least one indication information from an optical line terminal (OLT) at an optical network unit (ONU), the at least one indication information being used to indicate an optical communication capability of the OLT, the optical communication capability including at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; and performing optical communication between the ONU and the OLT based on the at least one indication information.

[0012] In a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions, which, when executed by a device, causes the device to at least: determine, at an optical line terminal (OLT), an optical communication capability of the OLT, the optical communication capability comprising at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; and send at least one indication information indicating the optical communication capability to an optical network unit (ONU). .

[0013] In a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions, which, when executed by a device, causes the device to at least: receive at least one indication information from an optical line terminal (OLT) at an optical network unit (ONU), the at least one indication information being used to indicate an optical communication capability of the OLT, the optical communication capability comprising at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; and based on the at least one indication information, perform optical communication between the ONU and the OLT.

[0014] In an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure, an optical line terminal (OLT) is provided. The OLT includes: a determination circuit configured to determine an optical communication capability of the OLT at the OLT, the optical communication capability including at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; and a sending circuit configured to send at least one indication information indicating the optical communication capability to an optical network unit (ONU).

[0015] In a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure, an optical network unit (ONU) is provided. The ONU includes: a receiving circuit, the receiving circuit is configured to: receive at least one indication information from an optical line terminal (OLT) at the optical network unit (ONU), the at least one indication information is used to indicate the optical communication capability of the OLT, the optical communication capability includes at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; and an optical communication execution circuit, the optical communication execution circuit is configured to execute optical communication between the ONU and the OLT based on the at least one indication information.

[0016] It should be understood that the contents described in the summary of the invention are not intended to limit the key or important features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 A block diagram of an example communication system is shown in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0018] Figure 2 An interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 3 A schematic flow chart of a method for an OLT according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 4 A schematic flow chart of a method for an ONU according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] Figure 5 A simplified block diagram of an electronic device suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0022] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a computer-readable medium suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0023] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The principles and spirit of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to several exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these specific embodiments are described only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

[0025] As used herein, the term "including" and similar terms should be understood as open inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "based at least in part on". The term "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc. may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0026] As used herein, the term "determine" covers a variety of actions. For example, "determine" may include operation, calculation, processing, export, investigation, search (e.g., search in a table, a database or another data structure), ascertain, etc. In addition, "determine" may include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory), etc. In addition, "determine" may include parsing, selecting, selecting, establishing, etc. As used herein, "at least one of the following: " and "at least one of " and similar expressions, wherein a list of two or more elements is connected by "and" or "or", means at least any one of these elements, or at least any two or more of these elements, or at least all of them.

[0027] The term "circuitry" as used herein refers to one or more of: (a) a hardware circuit implementation only (such as an implementation of analog and / or digital circuits only); and (b) a combination of hardware circuits and software, such as (if applicable): (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and (ii) any portion of a hardware processor with software (including a digital signal processor, software and memory that work together to enable an apparatus such as an OLT or other computing device to perform various functions); and (c) a hardware circuit and / or processor, such as a microprocessor or a portion of a microprocessor, that requires software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but can be without software when software is not required for operation.

[0028] The definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, the term "circuitry" as used herein also covers an implementation of a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors), or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor, or its accompanying software or firmware. For example, if applicable to a particular claim notation, the term "circuitry" also covers a baseband integrated circuit or a processor integrated circuit or a similar integrated circuit in an OLT or other computing device.

[0029] As mentioned above, different generations of PON have their own capabilities or working modes, for example, different working wavelengths. The upstream wavelength range of GPON is 1290-1310nm; the upstream wavelength range of XG(S)PON is 1260-1280nm; the upstream wavelength range of 25G PON has three options: option 1 is 1260-1280nm, option 2 is 1290-1310nm, and option 3 is 1284-1288nm. ITU-U has defined 50G PON in the G.9804 standard, which has one downstream wavelength option and three upstream wavelength options as shown in Table 1 below.

[0030] Table 1

[0031] Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 1260-1280nm 1290-1310nm 1284-1288nm

[0032] That is to say, there are multiple types of 50G ONUs, which use upstream wavelength option 1, option 2, or option 3. Correspondingly, there are also multiple types of 50G OLTs, which receive upstream wavelength option 1, option 2, or option 3, or can receive two or more of these wavelength options. Too many types of OLTs will increase inventory varieties and increase operation and maintenance costs.

[0033] 50G PON can coexist with different traditional PONs. Option 1 is used to coexist with GPON, Option 2 is used to coexist with XG(S)PON, Option 3 is used to coexist with GPON or XG(S)PON, or coexist with GPON and XG(S)PON at the same time. In the Multi-Source Agreement (MSA), 25G PON is also defined. 25G PON can coexist with different traditional PONs. Option 1 is used to coexist with GPON, Option 2 is used to coexist with XG(S)PON, Option 3 is used to coexist with GPON or XG(S)PON, or coexist with GPON and XG(S)PON at the same time.

[0034] 50G / 25G OLT can know its own receiving wavelength range, but 50G / 25G ONU does not. This will lead to some coexistence issues. For example, when 50G PON coexists with XG(S)PON, 50G OLT can support 50G ONU using option 2, and XG(S)PON uses 1260-1280nm. If a 50G ONU using option 1 is incorrectly connected to the PON, it will use option 1 to send upstream data in response to the sequence number grant (SN Grant), which will conflict with the XG(S)PON upstream signal and may cause the XG(S)PON to go offline. If the 50G PON OLT cannot receive the upstream signal of the 50G ONU using option 1, the 50G ONU cannot complete the activation.

[0035] To reduce inventory types, OLT can be designed to receive multiple wavelengths, that is, one OLT type in PON (e.g., broadband OLT, supporting multiple wavelength options) and multiple types of ONUs. However, ONU does not know which types of ONUs in PON can work.

[0036] To reduce inventory types, one ONU can work in multiple PON modes, for example, the ONU can work in GPON mode or XG PON mode, or the ONU can work in XG(S)PON or 25G PON mode, or the ONU can work in 25G or 50G PON mode.

[0037] There are also some problems. In different modes, ONU can use the same upstream wavelength. If the ONU uses the wrong PON mode, the OLT still cannot recognize the ONU data, and upstream data conflicts may occur. There are also some other problems. Under different optical link conditions, the ONU can use different modulation methods to achieve different upstream rates. The ONU can use the same upstream wavelength for different modulations. If the OLT and ONU use different modulation methods, the OLT cannot recognize the ONU data, and upstream data conflicts may also occur.

[0038] Therefore, in a PON system, the OLT can have different capabilities and can operate in different modes. The OLT can include a broadband receiver to support different types of ONUs, and can also support different modulation formats to achieve different line rates, and support different PON modes to operate under different generations of PON. Therefore, the ONU needs to know the capabilities or operating modes of the OLT in order to maintain a consistent operating mode with the OLT, otherwise it will cause various data transmission anomalies or errors, resulting in performance degradation.

[0039] In view of this, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a scheme for an OLT to notify an ONU of its capabilities. In an exemplary method, the OLT determines its optical communication capability, which may include at least two wavelength options supported by the OLT. Then, the OLT may send indication information indicating the determined wavelength options to one or more ONUs in a unicast or broadcast manner. The ONU receives the indication information from the OLT and performs activation based on the indication information. In some implementations, the ONU may perform the activation process of the ONU based on a comparison between the upstream wavelength option supported by the OLT and the at least two upstream wavelength options indicated. If the wavelength option of the ONU itself is a wavelength option supported by the OLT, the ONU may respond to the serial number grant of the OLT, and then complete the activation. If the wavelength option of the ONU is not among the wavelength options supported by the OLT, the ONU may generate an error prompt to avoid repeated attempts to activate and fail, resulting in a timeout error and performance degradation.

[0040] In some embodiments, in addition to the upstream wavelength option, the OLT may also indicate other optical communication capabilities to the ONU, including PON mode, upstream modulation format, etc. These indication information may be sent to the ONU in the same or different messages (or downstream frames). In some embodiments, the indication information about the upstream wavelength option may be sent during the activation period of the ONU (e.g., parameter learning phase), and the indication information about the PON mode and adjustment format may be sent during the activator or working period of the ONU. Alternatively, these information may also be sent by broadcasting.

[0041] Figure 1 1 is a block diagram of an example communication system 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Figure 1 As shown, the communication system 100 includes an OLT 110 and ONUs 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, and 120-4 (collectively referred to as 120). The OLT 110 performs data transmission with the ONUs 120 via an optical distribution network ODN 130. The data transmission may include an uplink from the ONUs 120 to the OLT 110 and a downlink from the OLT 110 and the ONUs 120. It should be understood that Figure 1 The number of OLTs 110 and ONUs shown is given for illustrative purposes. The communication network 100 may include any suitable number of OLTs 110 and ONUs 120. In some embodiments, the communication channel between the OLT 110 and the ONUs 120 may include an optical fiber communication channel. In other embodiments, the communication channel between the OLT 110 and the ONUs 120 may also be any other form of wired or wireless channel.

[0042] In some embodiments, the communication system 100 may be part of a passive optical network (PON). The communication system 100 may be a communication system in which different generations of PONs coexist. For example, these different generations of PONs may include but are not limited to: APON, BPON, GPON, EPON, XG PON, XG(S)PON, 25G PON, 50G PON, and other existing or future developed PONs. For the coexisting PONs, the OLT 110 and the ONU 130 may have different capabilities and working modes adapted thereto.

[0043] In order to improve the negotiation capability and working mode as a whole, the embodiment of the present disclosure proposes an improved technical solution. Figures 2 to 6 Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail.

[0044] Figure 2 FIG. 2 shows an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 As shown, the interaction process 200 between the optical line terminal (OLT 110) and the optical network unit (ONU 120) of the embodiment of the present disclosure is as follows:

[0045] The OLT 110 determines 202 its optical communication capabilities. The optical communication capabilities may include at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT 110. For example, the upstream wavelength options that the OLT 110 may support may include Option 1, Option 2, and Option 3 mentioned above. Additionally or alternatively, the optical communication capabilities may also include a passive optical mode (PON) associated with the OLT. Additionally or alternatively, the optical communication capabilities may also include an upstream modulation format used by the OLT 110.

[0046] In some embodiments, OLT 110 has a broadband receiver and can determine the upstream wavelength options it supports according to the reception band. OLT 110 can determine at least two upstream wavelength options included in the reception band as the waveform options it supports.

[0047] The OLT 110 sends 204 to the ONU 120 indication information 205 for indicating the optical communication capability. The indication information 205 may be implemented or encoded as a value of a specified field (also referred to as a "domain") of a message or a downstream frame, such as a plurality of bits. For example, in the case of indicating an upstream wavelength option, three bits may be used to indicate the wavelength options supported by the OLT: option 1 only, option 2 only, option 3 only, option 1 and option 2, option 2 and option 3, option 1 and option 3, and option 1, option 2, option 3 (full support). It is understood that the wavelength options that the OLT may support are not limited to the existing three options, but may also include more wavelength options to be developed in the future. Additionally or alternatively, the OLT 110 may also use other bits to indicate the PON mode and the upstream modulation format.

[0048] In some embodiments, the OLT 110 may send indication information 205 for indicating wavelength selection to the ONU 120 of the communication system 100 by broadcasting. Alternatively or additionally, the OLT 110 may also send an indication message 205 indicating the determined at least two wavelength options during the activation period of a certain ONU 120. The activation period of the ONU 120 includes a parameter learning phase, a sequence number acquisition phase, and a ranging phase, and the indication information 205 may be sent during the parameter learning phase to facilitate sequence number acquisition.

[0049] In some embodiments, OLT 110 may include indication information 205 about the wavelength option in a physical layer operations management and maintenance (PLOAM) message or an operations control (OC) body message, for example, in a reserved field or multiplexing some fields. In some embodiments, OLT 110 may send the indication information by defining a separate message or downstream frame.

[0050] Accordingly, the ONU 120 receives 206 the indication information 205. The ONU 120 then performs 208 its optical communication with the OLT 110 based on the indication information 205. In the case where the indication information 205 indicates at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT 110, the ONU 120 may determine whether the upstream wavelength option supported by the ONU 120 matches one of the at least two upstream wavelength options indicated. If the wavelength option of the ONU matches one of the options (e.g., the wavelength option of the ONU 120 is within the range of one of the wavelength options supported by the OLT 110), the ONU 110 determines a match and may respond to the serial number grant from the OLT. If the ONU 120 determines that the wavelength option of the ONU does not match any of the wavelength options supported by the OLT 110 (e.g., the wavelength option of the ONU 120 is not within the range of any of the wavelength options supported by the OLT 110), the ONU 120 may generate an error indication. Thus, ONU 120 can know that OLT 110 is incompatible with it and cannot communicate. ONU 120 will no longer repeatedly attempt activation which will inevitably fail (because OLT 110 cannot parse the upstream data), resulting in timeout and performance degradation.

[0051] In some embodiments, the OLT 110 may also indicate or negotiate with the ONU 120 via an indication message 205 the determined upstream modulation format and PON mode. The OLT 110 and the ONU 120 may support multiple types of modulation formats, such as pulse amplitude modulation 4 (PAM4) or non-return to zero (NRZ). The OLT 110 may determine the upstream modulation format it supports, and send indication information 205 to the ONU 120 for indicating the upstream modulation format. The indication information 205 may be sent during the activation period or the working period of the ONU 120. Accordingly, the ONU 120 may receive the indication information 205, select the upstream modulation format corresponding to the indicated upstream modulation format, and use it to send upstream data to the OLT 110. In some embodiments, the indication information of the upstream modulation format may be sent in a PLOAM message, an OC body message, or an ONU management control interface (OMCI) message, or alternatively, may be sent in a separately defined message.

[0052] The OLT 110 and the ONU 120 may operate in different PON modes, such as GPON, EPON, 10G GPON, 10GEPON, 25G GPON, 25G GPON, TWDM PON, 50G GPON, etc. The OLT 110 sends indication information 205 indicating the determined PON mode to the ONU 120. The indication information 205 may be sent during the activation period or the working period of the ONU 120. Accordingly, the ONU 120 may receive the indication information, select a PON mode corresponding to the indicated PON mode, and communicate with the OLT 110. In some embodiments, the indication information of the PON mode may be sent in a PLOAM message or an OC body message, or alternatively, may be sent in a separately defined message.

[0053] It can be understood that the indication of the optical communication capability (including the indication of the wavelength option, the indication of the PON mode, and the indication of the modulation format) sent by the OLT 110 to the ONU 120 can be implemented separately. In other words, the OLT 110 can indicate any one of the wavelength option, the PON mode, and the modulation format, or any combination thereof. Moreover, these indication information can be sent in different messages or downstream frames, or in the same message or downstream frame.

[0054] For ease of understanding, an example implementation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is given. In this example, the OLT is a 50G OLT. If it is determined that the receiving band of the OLT is 1260-1310nm, it can be determined that the wavelength options it supports include option 1 (1260-1280nm), option 2 (1290-1310nm) and option 3 (1284-1288nm). In other words, the OLT can receive uplink data from three types of ONUs (each ONU supports one wavelength option). ONU 120 can work under these three wavelength options through time division multiple access (TDMA).

[0055] If the receiving band of the 50G OLT is 1260-1288 nm, then it can receive Option 1 (1260-1280 nm) and Option 3 (1284-1288 nm). Similarly, the ONU 120 using Option 1 and Option 3 can work in TDMA mode.

[0056] If the receiving band of 50G OLT is 1260-1280 and 1290-1310nm (for example, there is a dual-pass filter on the OLT side, and the passband of the filter is 1260-1280 and 1290-1310nm), then Option 1 (1260-1280nm) and Option 2 (1290-1310nm) can be received. Similarly, ONUs using Option 1 and Option 2 can work in TDMA mode.

[0057] From the perspective of a 50G PON ONU, it only supports one upstream wavelength option. When it is connected to the PON, it will learn the upstream wavelength indication information and compare whether its upstream wavelength option is within the range supported by the OLT. If so, the ONU will respond to the serial number grant assigned by the OLT, otherwise the ONU will not respond to the serial number grant and may generate a local error indication, such as error printing, error log, or displaying an error on a web page.

[0058] The ONU can also read the PON mode and select the corresponding PON format to work. As an example, there are two types of combined ONUs: GPON / XG PON and GPON / XGS PON. The OLT works in the XG PON mode. When the GPON / XGS PON combined ONU is mistakenly connected to the OLT, the ONU cannot work when working as a GPON ONU. Then it switches to the XGS PON mode, and still cannot work because it cannot obtain the serial number grant of the 10G rate. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the OLT can notify the ONU that the current OLT is an XGPON OLT, so the ONU can clearly know that it is connected to the wrong network, does not need to wait for the SN authorization of the 10G rate, and triggers the wrong connection indication.

[0059] An exemplary implementation for sending indication information is given below. It should be understood that these exemplary implementations (e.g., exemplary messages, fields, values, etc. given below) are only used to help understand the embodiments of the present disclosure, but not to limit the scope of the present disclosure, and other variations are also applicable. For the sake of brevity, only a part of the relevant messages is shown here.

[0060] In Example 1, the indication information may be sent or received via a PLOAM message. For example, the indication information may be carried in one or more fields of the PLOAM message, as shown in Table 2 below.

[0061] Table 2 Burst Profile message

[0062]

[0063]

[0064] Example 2: Indication information can be sent and received via custom messages

[0065] Table 3 Capability indication message

[0066]

[0067]

[0068] Example 3: Indication information can be sent and received via an OC body message. The upstream wavelength option can be indicated using, for example, a combination of 2 bits (e.g., 2 bits of Link Type) in the PON-ID TYPE (PIT) field of the OC body message (e.g., refer to ITU-U G9804.2 (21)) and the R field (1 bit) of the OC body message. The correspondence between the value of the combination and the indicated wavelength option can be referred to Example 1 and Example 2. Additionally or alternatively, the 6 bits of the "administration label" field of the OC body message can also be used to indicate the upstream wavelength option, PON mode and modulation format of the OLT. For example, the 6 bits are recorded as "UUUGGM", where "UUU" is used to indicate the upstream wavelength option, "GG" is used to indicate the PON mode, and "M" is used to indicate the modulation mode. The correspondence between the values ​​of the above bits and the indicated information can be referred to Example 1 and Example 2.

[0069] Example 4: The indication information may be sent and received via an ONU management control interface (OMCI) message. As an example, the OMCI message may include a management entity identifier, a modulation format (e.g., "0" indicates NRZ, "1" indicates PAM4), an SFC value for indicating a switching time, and a superframe counter.

[0070] Figure 3 A schematic flow chart of a method 300 for an OLT according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In some embodiments, the method 300 may be Figure 1 In another embodiment, the method 300 may also be implemented at any other OLT or other device having similar functions.

[0071] At block 310, OLT 110 determines the optical communication capability of OLT 110, the optical communication capability including at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by OLT 110, a PON mode associated with OLT 110, and an upstream modulation format used by OLT 110. At block 320, OLT 110 sends at least one indication information indicating the optical communication capability to ONU 120.

[0072] In some embodiments, determining the optical communication capability of the OLT may include: determining at least two upstream length options included in the receiving band based on the receiving band of the OLT. In some embodiments, sending at least one indication information indicating the optical communication capability to the ONU may include: sending indication information indicating at least two upstream length options during the activation period of the ONU or via broadcast.

[0073] In some embodiments, sending at least one indication information indicating the optical communication capability to the ONU may include: sending indication information indicating at least one of a PON mode and an upstream modulation format during an activation period or a working period of the ONU, or via broadcasting.

[0074] In some embodiments, the at least one indication information may be sent via at least one of: a physical layer operations administration and maintenance (PLOAM) message; an operations control (OC) body message; and an ONU management control interface (OMCI) message.

[0075] Figure 4 A schematic flow chart of a method 400 for an ONU according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In some embodiments, the method 400 may be Figure 1 The method 400 is implemented at the ONU 120. In other embodiments, the method 400 may also be implemented at any other ONU or other device having similar functions.

[0076] At block 410, ONU 120 receives at least one indication information from OLT 110, where the at least one indication information is used to indicate the optical communication capability of OLT 110. The optical communication capability may include at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by OLT 110, a PON mode associated with OLT 110, and an upstream modulation format used by OLT 110. At block 420, ONU 120 performs optical communication between ONU 120 and OLT 110 based on the at least one indication information.

[0077] In some embodiments, performing optical communication between the ONU and the OLT may include: performing an activation process of the ONU based on a comparison between an upstream wavelength option supported by the ONU and at least two upstream wavelength options.

[0078] In some embodiments, performing an activation process of the ONU may include: responding to a serial number grant from the OLT based on determining that an upstream wavelength option supported by the ONU matches one of the at least two upstream wavelength options; or generating an error indication based on determining that an upstream wavelength option supported by the ONU does not match any of the at least two upstream wavelength options.

[0079] In some embodiments, receiving at least one indication information from the OLT may include: receiving indication information indicating at least two upstream wavelength options during an activation period of the ONU or via broadcasting.

[0080] In some embodiments, performing optical communication between the ONU and the OLT may include: selecting a PON mode corresponding to the indicated PON mode from among a plurality of PON modes supported by the ONU for communicating with the OLT.

[0081] In some embodiments, performing optical communication between the ONU and the OLT includes: selecting an upstream modulation format corresponding to the indicated upstream modulation format from a plurality of upstream modulation formats supported by the ONU, for sending upstream data to the OLT.

[0082] In some embodiments, receiving at least one indication information from the OLT may include: receiving indication information indicating at least one of a PON mode and an upstream modulation format during an activation period or a working period of the ONU, or via broadcasting.

[0083] In some embodiments, the one or more indication messages may be received via at least one of: a physical layer operations administration and maintenance (PLOAM) message; an operations control (OC) body message; and an ONU management control interface (OMCI) message.

[0084] In some example embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing method 300 (eg, implemented at optical line terminal 110) may include components for performing the various steps of method 300. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit or a software module.

[0085] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may include a component for determining an optical communication capability of the OLT. The optical communication capability includes at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a PON mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT. The apparatus may also include a component for sending at least one indication information indicating the optical communication capability to the ONU.

[0086] In some embodiments, the means for determining the optical communication capability of the OLT may include means for determining at least two upstream length options included in the receiving band based on the receiving band of the OLT. In some embodiments, the means for sending at least one indication information indicating the optical communication capability to the ONU may include means for sending indication information indicating at least two upstream length options during the activation period of the ONU or via broadcast.

[0087] In some embodiments, the component for sending at least one indication information indicating optical communication capability to the ONU may include: a component for sending indication information indicating at least one of a PON mode and an upstream modulation format during an activation period or an operating period of the ONU, or via broadcast.

[0088] In some embodiments, the at least one indication information may be sent via at least one of: a physical layer operations administration and maintenance (PLOAM) message; an operations control (OC) body message; and an ONU management control interface (OMCI) message.

[0089] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 300. In some embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory storing computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause execution of the apparatus.

[0090] In some example embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing method 400 (e.g., implemented at optical network unit 120) may include components for performing the various steps of method 400. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit or a software module.

[0091] The apparatus may include a component for receiving at least one indication information from the OLT at the ONU. The at least one indication information is used to indicate the optical communication capability of the OLT. The optical communication capability may include at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a PON mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT. The apparatus may also include a component for performing optical communication between the ONU and the OLT based on the at least one indication information.

[0092] In some embodiments, the component for performing optical communication between the ONU and the OLT may include: a component for performing an activation process of the ONU based on a comparison between an upstream wavelength option supported by the ONU and at least two upstream wavelength options.

[0093] In some embodiments, the components for performing the activation process of the ONU may include: a component for responding to a serial number grant from the OLT based on determining that the upstream wavelength option supported by the ONU matches one of the at least two upstream wavelength options; and a component for generating an error indication based on determining that the upstream wavelength option supported by the ONU does not match any of the at least two upstream wavelength options.

[0094] In some embodiments, the means for receiving at least one indication information from the OLT may include means for receiving indication information indicating at least two upstream wavelength options during an activation period of the ONU or via broadcast.

[0095] In some embodiments, the means for performing optical communication between the ONU and the OLT may include means for selecting a PON mode corresponding to the indicated PON mode from among a plurality of PON modes supported by the ONU for communication with the OLT.

[0096] In some embodiments, the means for performing optical communication between the ONU and the OLT includes: means for selecting an upstream modulation format corresponding to the indicated upstream modulation format from among a plurality of upstream modulation formats supported by the ONU for sending upstream data to the OLT.

[0097] In some embodiments, the means for receiving at least one indication information from the OLT may include: means for receiving indication information indicating at least one of a PON mode and an upstream modulation format during an activation period or an operation period of the ONU, or via broadcasting.

[0098] In some embodiments, the one or more indication messages may be received via at least one of: a physical layer operations administration and maintenance (PLOAM) message; an operations control (OC) body message; and an ONU management control interface (OMCI) message.

[0099] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 400. In some embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory storing computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause execution of the apparatus.

[0100] Figure 5 5 is a simplified block diagram of an electronic device 500 suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 500 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as Figure 1 An OLT 110 and an ONU 120 are shown. As shown, the device 500 includes one or more processors 510, one or more memories 520 coupled to the processor 510, and one or more communication modules 540 coupled to the processor 510.

[0101] The communication module 540 is used for two-way communication. For example, the communication module 540 may include a transmitter, a receiver, or a transceiver used in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The communication interface may represent any interface necessary for communicating with other network elements.

[0102] Processor 510 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network and may include, but is not limited to, one or more of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microcontroller, a digital signal controller (DSP), and a controller-based multi-core controller architecture. Device 500 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips, which are time-slaved to a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0103] The memory 520 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 524, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disks, compact disks (CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), and other magnetic and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 522 and other volatile memories that do not persist over the duration of a power outage.

[0104] Computer program 530 includes computer executable instructions executed by associated processor 510. Program 530 may be stored in ROM 520. Processor 510 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 530 into RAM 520.

[0105] The embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented with the help of program 530, so that the device 500 can execute the Figures 2 to 4 Any process of the present disclosure discussed. The embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0106] In some embodiments, the program 530 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium that may be included in the device 500 (such as in the memory 520) or other storage device accessible by the device 500. The program 530 may be loaded from the computer-readable medium to the RAM 522 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.

[0107] Figure 6 An example of a computer readable medium 600 in the form of a CD or DVD is shown. The computer readable medium has a program 530 stored thereon.

[0108] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software, which may be performed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented as, by way of non-limiting example, hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or a controller or other computing device, or some combination thereof.

[0109] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer executable instructions, such as instructions included in a program module, which are executed in a device on a real or virtual processor of a target to perform the above-referenced Figure 3 and Figure 4 Methods 300 and 400 of the present invention. Typically, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of program modules can be combined or divided between program modules as needed. Machine executable instructions for program modules can be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules can be located in local and remote storage media.

[0110] The computer program code for realizing the method of the present disclosure can be written in one or more programming languages. These computer program codes can be provided to the processor of general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device, so that the program code, when being executed by computer or other programmable data processing device, causes the function / operation specified in flow chart and / or block diagram to be implemented. The program code can be executed completely on computer, partly on computer, as independent software package, partly on computer and partly on remote computer or completely on remote computer or server.

[0111] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any appropriate carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer readable media, and the like. Examples of signals may include electrical, optical, radio, acoustic or other forms of propagation signals, such as carrier waves, infrared signals, and the like.

[0112] A computer-readable medium may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program for or about an instruction execution system, device or equipment. A computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor system, device or equipment, or any suitable combination thereof. A more detailed example of a computer-readable storage medium includes an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. As used herein, the term "non-transient" or "non-transient" is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM).

[0113] In addition, although the operation of the method of the present disclosure is described in a particular order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that these operations must be performed in this particular order, or that all the operations shown must be performed to achieve the desired result. On the contrary, the steps depicted in the flow chart can change the order of execution. Additionally or alternatively, some steps can be omitted, multiple steps can be combined into one step for execution, and / or one step can be decomposed into multiple steps for execution. It should also be noted that the features and functions of two or more devices according to the present disclosure can be embodied in one device. Conversely, the features and functions of a device described above can be further divided into being embodied by multiple devices.

[0114] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to several specific embodiments, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed. The present disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An optical line terminal (OLT), comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the OLT to at least: Determining an optical communication capability of the OLT, the optical communication capability comprising at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; as well as At least one indication information indicating the optical communication capability is sent to an optical network unit (ONU).

2. The OLT according to claim 1, wherein determining the optical communication capability of the OLT comprises: Based on a receiving band of the OLT, the at least two uplink length options included in the receiving band are determined.

3. The OLT according to claim 1 or 2, wherein sending at least one indication information for indicating the optical communication capability to the ONU comprises: Indication information indicating the at least two uplink length options is sent during the activation period of the ONU or via broadcasting.

4. The OLT according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein sending at least one indication information for indicating the optical communication capability to the ONU comprises: Indication information indicating at least one of the PON mode and the upstream modulation format is sent during an activation period or a working period of the ONU, or via broadcasting.

5. The OLT according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one indication information is sent via at least one of the following: Physical layer operations administration and maintenance (PLOAM) messages; Operational Control (OC) body messages; and ONU Management and Control Interface (OMCI) messages.

6. An optical network unit (ONU), comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the ONU to at least: receiving at least one indication information from an optical line terminal (OLT), the at least one indication information being used to indicate an optical communication capability of the OLT, the optical communication capability comprising at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; and Based on the at least one indication information, optical communication between the ONU and the OLT is performed.

7. The ONU according to claim 6, wherein performing optical communication between the ONU and the OLT comprises: Based on the comparison between the upstream wavelength option supported by the ONU and the at least two upstream wavelength options, an activation process of the ONU is performed.

8. The ONU according to claim 7, wherein the activation process of performing the ONU comprises: responding to a serial number grant from the OLT based on determining that the upstream wavelength option supported by the ONU matches one of the at least two upstream wavelength options; or Based on determining that the upstream wavelength option supported by the ONU does not match the at least two upstream wavelength options, an error indication is generated.

9. The ONU according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein receiving at least one indication information from the OLT comprises: Indication information indicating the at least two upstream wavelength options is received during an activation period of the ONU or via broadcasting.

10. The ONU according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein performing optical communication between the ONU and the OLT comprises: Among a plurality of PON modes supported by the ONU, a PON mode corresponding to the indicated PON mode is selected for communicating with the OLT.

11. The ONU according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein performing optical communication between the ONU and the OLT comprises: Among a plurality of upstream modulation formats supported by the ONU, an upstream modulation format corresponding to the indicated upstream modulation format is selected for sending upstream data to the OLT.

12. The ONU according to any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein receiving at least one indication information from the OLT comprises: Indication information indicating at least one of the PON mode and the upstream modulation format is received during an activation period or a working period of the ONU, or via broadcasting.

13. The ONU according to any one of claims 6 to 12, wherein the one or more indication information is received via at least one of the following: Physical layer operations administration and maintenance (PLOAM) messages; Operational Control (OC) body messages; and ONU Management and Control Interface (OMCI) messages.

14. A communication method, comprising: determining, at an optical line terminal (OLT), an optical communication capability of the OLT, the optical communication capability comprising at least one of: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; as well as At least one indication information indicating the optical communication capability is sent to an optical network unit (ONU).

15. A communication method, comprising: receiving at least one indication information from an optical line terminal (OLT) at an optical network unit (ONU), the at least one indication information being used to indicate an optical communication capability of the OLT, the optical communication capability comprising at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; and Based on the at least one indication information, optical communication between the ONU and the OLT is performed.

16. A communication device, comprising: means for determining, at an optical line terminal (OLT), optical communication capabilities of the OLT, the optical communication capabilities comprising at least one of: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; and A component for sending at least one indication information indicating the optical communication capability to an optical network unit (ONU).

17. A communication device, comprising: A means for receiving at least one indication information from an optical line terminal (OLT) at an optical network unit (ONU), wherein the at least one indication information is used to indicate an optical communication capability of the OLT, wherein the optical communication capability includes at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; and A component for performing optical communication between the ONU and the OLT based on the at least one indication information.

18. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least perform: determining, at an optical line terminal (OLT), an optical communication capability of the OLT, the optical communication capability comprising at least one of: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; and At least one indication information indicating the optical communication capability is sent to an optical network unit (ONU).

19. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least perform: receiving at least one indication information from an optical line terminal (OLT) at an optical network unit (ONU), the at least one indication information being used to indicate an optical communication capability of the OLT, the optical communication capability comprising at least one of the following: at least two upstream wavelength options supported by the OLT, a passive optical network (PON) mode associated with the OLT, and an upstream modulation format used by the OLT; and Based on the at least one indication information, optical communication between the ONU and the OLT is performed.

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