Optical network unit, optical line terminal 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, the ONU sends a first message to the OLT indicating an optical communication capability of the ONU, the optical communication capability comprising at least one PON mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard. In this manner, the ONU can report its supported PON standard to the OLT, negotiating with the OLT to operate in accordance with the appropriate PON standard.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to the field of optical communications, and more specifically to optical network units (ONUs), optical line terminals (OLTs), communication methods, communication devices, and computer-readable media. Background Technology

[0002] Passive Optical Network (PON) typically refers to an optical distribution network that does not contain electronic components or power supplies. A PON usually includes an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) installed at a central control station, a set of matching Optical Network Units (ONUs) installed at user sites, and an Optical Distribution Network (ODN). With technological evolution, PONs have increasingly higher uplink and downlink transmission bandwidths. According to relevant ITU-U standards, it has evolved from Gigabit-Capable PON (GPON) to XG (10G) PON and XGS PON, and further to next-generation PONs such as 25G PON and 50G PON. Different generations of PONs have their own capabilities. Scenarios exist where different generations of PONs coexist, therefore, further research is needed on how the OLT and ONUs negotiate optical communication capabilities. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In general, the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure relate to the indication and negotiation of optical communication capabilities between the ONU and the OLT.

[0004] In a first aspect of this disclosure, an optical network unit (ONU) is provided, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the ONU to at least: send a first message to an optical line terminal (OLT) indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, the optical communication capabilities including at least one PON mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

[0005] In a second aspect of this disclosure, an optical line terminal (OLT) is provided, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the OLT to at least: receive from the ONU a first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, the optical communication capabilities including at least one PON mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

[0006] In a third aspect of this disclosure, a communication method is provided. The communication method includes: sending a first message from an optical network unit (ONU) to an optical line terminal (OLT) indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, the optical communication capabilities including at least one PON mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

[0007] In a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a communication method is provided. The communication method includes: receiving, by an optical line terminal (OLT), a first message from an optical network unit (ONU) indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, the optical communication capabilities including at least one PON mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

[0008] In a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a communication apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a component for transmitting a first message from an optical network unit (ONU) to an optical line terminal (OLT) indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, the optical communication capabilities including at least one PON mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

[0009] In a sixth aspect of this disclosure, a communication apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a component for receiving, by an optical line terminal (OLT) from an optical network unit (ONU), a first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, the optical communication capabilities including at least one PON mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

[0010] In a seventh aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided, the computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processing unit, cause the at least one processing unit to at least perform: sending a first message from an optical network unit (ONU) to an optical line terminal (OLT) indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, the optical communication capabilities including at least one PON mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

[0011] In an eighth aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided, the computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processing unit, cause the at least one processing unit to perform at least: receiving, by an optical line terminal (OLT) from an optical network unit (ONU), a first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, the optical communication capabilities including at least one PON mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

[0012] In a ninth aspect of this disclosure, a computer program including instructions is provided, which, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: send a first message from an optical network unit (ONU) to an optical line terminal (OLT) indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, said optical communication capabilities including at least one PON mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

[0013] In a tenth aspect of this disclosure, a computer program including instructions is provided, which, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: receive, by an optical line terminal (OLT) from an optical network unit (ONU), a first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, the optical communication capabilities including at least one PON mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

[0014] In the eleventh aspect of this disclosure, an optical network unit (ONU) is provided. The OLT includes: a transmitting circuit configured to: transmit a first message to the optical OLT indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, the optical communication capabilities including at least one PON mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

[0015] In a twelfth aspect of this disclosure, an optical line terminal (OLT) is provided. The ONU includes a receiving circuit configured to receive from an optical network unit (ONU) a first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, the optical communication capabilities including at least one PON mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

[0016] It should be understood that the description in the Summary of the Invention is not intended to limit the key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to restrict the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

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

[0018] Figure 2A and 2B An exemplary implementation of an ONU that supports multiple PON standards is shown.

[0019] Figure 3 An interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

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

[0021] Figure 5 A schematic flowchart of a method for an ONU according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0022] Figure 6 A simplified block diagram of an electronic device suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0023] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a computer-readable medium suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0024] In all the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The principles and spirit of this disclosure will now be described with reference to several exemplary embodiments illustrated 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 this disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure in any way.

[0026] As used herein, the term "comprising" and similar expressions should be understood as open-ended inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The term "an 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.

[0027] As used herein, the term “determine” encompasses a wide variety of actions. For example, “determine” can include calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, searching (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertainment, etc. Furthermore, “determine” can include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), etc. Additionally, “determine” can include parsing, selecting, choosing, building, etc. As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar wording, where 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 the elements.

[0028] As used herein, the term "circuit" means one or more of the following: (a) a hardware circuit implementation (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 with software / firmware; and (ii) any part of a hardware processor with software (including digital signal processors, software, and memory that work together to enable devices such as computing devices to perform various functions); and (c) a hardware circuit and / or processor, such as a microprocessor or a part of a microprocessor, which requires software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but may be without software when it is not required for operation.

[0029] The definition of "circuit" applies to all uses of this term in this application (including any claim). As another example, the term "circuit" as used herein also covers a hardware circuit or processor (or processors), or a portion thereof, or an implementation thereof with accompanying software or firmware. For instance, if applicable to a particular claim symbol, the term "circuit" also covers a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit or similar integrated circuits in other computing devices.

[0030] With the evolution of technology, various technical standards for Passive Optical Networks (PONs) have been proposed, resulting in different generations of PONs conforming to these standards. Different generations of PONs have different performance characteristics, such as transmission distance, splitting capability, and operating bandwidth. For example, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standard G.984 proposed GPON, G.987 proposed XGSPON (also known as XGPON), G.9807.1 proposed 25G PON, and G.9807.2 proposed 50G PON. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.3ah proposed EPON, 802.3av proposed 10G-EPON, and IEEE 802.3ca proposed 25G-EPO.

[0031] In Passive Optical Networks (PONs), an ONU can have multiple optical transceivers supporting different PON standards, allowing it to function as different generations of ONUs. For example, an ONU can operate in PON modes such as GPON, XGSPON, 25G PON, or 50G PON. Such an ONU can be called a Combo ONU. In this article, ONUs operating in accordance with a specific PON standard can be described as ONUs operating in the corresponding PON mode; furthermore, ONUs supporting a specific PON standard and supporting a specific PON mode are synonymous.

[0032] When a composite ONU is connected to an optical distribution network (ODN), if the ONU is connected to a GPON OLT, it can function as a GPON ONU. However, when the ODN to which this ONU is connected has multiple generations of PON coexisting (i.e., the OLT is a multi-PON module OLT (MPM OLT) or different generations of OLTs coexisting through coexisting components), the ONU can receive multiple downlink signals, such as both GPON and XGSPON downlink signals. In this case, the ONU does not know which generation of PON to select for operation.

[0033] In view of this, embodiments of this disclosure provide a scheme for an ONU to report its optical communication capabilities to an OLT, particularly the PON modes or PON standards it supports. In one example method, the ONU can select a default working PON channel, for example, the ONU selects a GPON channel as the default working PON channel, and reports the PON modes it supports to the OLT through the selected working PON channel. The ONU can report its capabilities during the registration process, for example, using a serial_number PLOAM message to report the supported PON modes. The ONU can also report its capabilities after the registration process is completed, for example, using an application layer management (OA) message to report the supported PON modes. The OLT can explicitly notify the ONU of the PON mode it expects the ONU to use, for example, by sending a message indicating the PON mode, or implicitly indicate, for example, by responding to messages from the ONU only in the expected PON mode. Then, according to the OLT's commands, the ONU can remain in the current PON mode or migrate to another PON mode to continue operating.

[0034] It should be noted that the embodiments of this disclosure will be described with reference to ITU-based PON standards, but it should be understood that the embodiments of this disclosure are also applicable to IEEE-based PON standards, and also applicable to situations where ITU and IEEE PON standards coexist.

[0035] Figure 1 A block diagram of an example communication system 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown. 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 transmits data with the ONUs 120 via an optical distribution network (ODN) 130. Data transmission may include an uplink from the ONUs 120 to the OLT 110 and a downlink from the OLT 110 to the ONUs 120. It should be understood that... Figure 1The number of OLT 110 and ONU shown is for illustrative purposes. Communication network 100 may include any suitable number of OLT 110 and ONU 120. In some embodiments, the communication channel between OLT 110 and ONU 120 may include an optical fiber communication channel. In other embodiments, the communication channel between OLT 110 and ONU 120 may also be any other form of wired or wireless channel.

[0036] 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 where different generations of PON coexist, for example, these different generations of PON 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 coexisting PONs, the OLT 110 and ONU 130 may have different capabilities and PON standards adapted to them. As mentioned above, the ONU may support one or more PON standards; when supporting two or more PON standards, the ONU may be referred to as a composite ONU.

[0037] Figure 2A and 2B An exemplary implementation of an ONU supporting two PON standards is shown. It can be understood that the implementation of an ONU supporting more PON standards can be similar, and the ONU can support multiple PON standards. Figure 2A and 2B The PON standard shown is different from other PON standards.

[0038] In such Figure 2A The ONU implementation shown uses dual optics (i.e., GPON optics and XGSPON optics), but only has one multi-mode transmission communication layer media access control (TC-layer MAC) module. In this case, PLOM messages can be used during the ONU activation process to report its full capabilities.

[0039] exist Figure 2B The ONU implementation shown uses dual optics (i.e., GPON optics and XGSPON optics), and each optics has a corresponding MAC module (GPON MAC and XGSPON MAC). In this case, each MAC module can be registered separately, and the ONU and OLT can disable unused PON modes in software.

[0040] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the ONU can send a signal (e.g., a PLOAM message) to report its capabilities. For example, during the ONU registration process, the OLT sends a Serial Number Grant (SN Grant) message to the ONU, triggering the ONU to send a SNPLOAM message to the OLT, thereby learning that the ONU has dual-mode (or multi-mode) capabilities. It should be noted that... Figure 2A and Figure 2B All ONU implementations can report the ONU's capabilities, enabling the OLT to know the supported PON modes and indicate the PON mode to be used. Figure 2B In its implementation, dual-mode activation is feasible because there are two separate MAC modules. Therefore, the OLT can indicate two PON modes, namely, GPON mode and XGSPON mode, which can be activated and used in parallel.

[0041] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the interaction of a communication method 300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. As shown in FIG2, the interaction flow 300 between the optical line terminal (OLT 310) and the optical network unit (ONU 320) according to embodiments of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0042] At 301, ONU 120 sends a first message to OLT 110 indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU. Accordingly, at 303, OLT 110 receives the first message 302 from ONU 120. The optical communication capabilities may include at least one PON mode supported by ONU 120, where each PON mode corresponds to a different PON standard.

[0043] In some embodiments, ONU 120 may send a first message 202 to OLT 110 during its registration process. The ONU may initiate registration by selecting the PON mode with the lowest nominal line rate from its supported PON modes. During registration, the ONU may send a first message to OLT 110 in response to receiving a Sequence Number (SN) authorization message from OLT 110. The first message may be a PLOAM message for activating ONU 120, such as an SN PLOAM message. Fields in the SN PLOAM message may be reused or reserved fields may be used to indicate the PON modes supported by ONU 120. In some embodiments, a dedicated capability indication message may also be used as the first message 302. Reporting the optical communication capabilities of ONU 120 during activation allows ONU 120 to switch to a PON mode with a higher nominal line rate (described below as the OLT instructing the ONU to use this PON mode), thereby reducing registration time and increasing ONU throughput.

[0044] Alternatively or additionally, in response to receiving a Request_Registration message from OLT 110, ONU 120 may send a first message to OLT 110 indicating its optical communication capabilities. For example, ONU 120 may notify OLT 110 of its optical communication capabilities during the ranging phase, thereby enabling the use of an equalized delay of another wavelength and using the initial wavelength as the active wavelength.

[0045] Alternatively or concurrently, the ONU 120 can send an indication of its optical communication capabilities via application-layer OAM messages after activation. For example, the ONU can use the ONU Management and Control Interface (OMCI) message as the first message to report its optical communication capabilities, informing the OLT of the PON modes it supports. Reporting the ONU's capabilities at the application layer reduces the impact on the Transmission Control (TC) layer standard and requires only minor modifications to the OMCI configuration.

[0046] In some embodiments, the ONU 120 may send the first message in a predetermined PON mode among its supported PON modes. The predetermined PON mode may be the PON mode with the lowest nominal line rate. For example, if the ONU 120 supports GPON and XGSPON modes, the ONU 120 may perform the registration process and send the first message, such as a PLOAM message, in GPON mode. The predetermined PON mode may also be the PON mode with the highest nominal line rate. In this case, the ONU may send the first message in XGSPON mode.

[0047] The first message may include a bitmap indicating the PON modes supported by the ONU 120. The value of each bit in the bitmap indicates whether the ONU 120 supports the corresponding PON mode. For example, a bit value of "1" indicates that the ONU 120 supports the mode, and "0" indicates that it does not. It should be understood that the opposite setting is also possible.

[0048] In some embodiments, the optical communication capability indicated by the first message may further include the ability of the ONU 120 to activate using a dedicated activation wavelength (DAW). The DAW is used to perform relatively slow operations during the ONU 120 registration process, such as ranging between the OLT 110 and the ONU 120. The slow operation of the DAW registration process can be configured to a low-speed PON mode that is compatible with it, thus avoiding becoming a bottleneck for high-speed PON modes. The first message may include a separate field (e.g., a bit) to indicate whether the ONU 120 supports the DAW capability. Alternatively, the DAW capability and the capability of the PON modes supported by the ONU 120 may be jointly indicated. For example, the DAW capability may be associated with a PON mode (typically a PON mode with a high nominal line rate, such as 25G PON, 50G PON, or higher). That is, when the first message indicates that the ONU 120 supports the PON mode, it also indicates that the ONU 120 supports activation using DAW in that PON mode.

[0049] At 304, OLT 110 sends a second message 305 to ONU 120, indicating the PON mode to be used. Accordingly, at 306, ONU 120 receives the second message 305 from OLT 110.

[0050] In response to receiving the first message 302, the OLT 110 can know the PON modes supported by the ONU 120, and can determine one or more PON modes to be used, and notify the ONU 120 using the second message 305. The second message 305 may include a PON mode setting field to indicate the PON mode to be used, wherein the value of the field can be mapped to one or more PON modes reported by the ONU 120.

[0051] As mentioned above, ONU 120 can also report DAW capability, and correspondingly, OLT 110 can indicate in the second message 305 whether to trigger DAW to perform activation. The second message 305 may include a separate field (e.g., a bit) to provide an indication of DAW, or it may be indicated in conjunction with the PON mode to be used.

[0052] When ONU 120 reports its capabilities during registration (e.g., the first message 302 is an SN PLOAM message), OLT 110 can use an Assign_ONU-ID message as the second message 305 to indicate the PON mode to be used. Fields in the Assign_ONU-ID message can be reused or reserved fields can be used to indicate the PON modes supported by ONU 120. In some embodiments, a dedicated capability indication message can also be used as the second message 305. In some embodiments, in response to receiving the first message after sending a registration request message, OLT 110 can use a Range_Time message as the second message to indicate the PON mode to be used. When ONU 120 reports its capabilities after activation (e.g., the first message 302 is an OMCI message), OLT 110 can use another OMCI message as the second message.

[0053] After receiving the second message 305, ONU 120 determines whether the PON mode indicated by the second message 305 is the same as the current PON mode. If they are the same, ONU 120 remains in the current PON mode; otherwise, it migrates to the indicated PON mode. When ONU 120 is in the registration process of a low-rate PON mode, it can also determine whether the second message 305 includes instructions regarding DAW (if ONU 120 supports DAW). If the second message 305 indicates DAW operation, ONU 120 can continue to perform DAW operation in the low-rate PON mode and switch to the PON mode indicated by the second message after ONU activation is complete.

[0054] In addition to explicitly notifying ONU 120 of the PON mode to be used, OLT 110 can also implicitly notify ONU 120 of the PON mode. OLT 110 can respond to the first message only in the desired PON mode without providing PON mode information. Specifically, OLT 110 receives the first message and determines whether the current mode is the desired PON mode, allowing ONU 120 to continue operating in the current PON mode. If not, it does not respond to the first message; if so, it sends a response message to ONU 120 in the current mode in response to the first message.

[0055] In this embodiment, ONU 120 can initiate the registration process in the PON mode with the lowest nominal line rate. During registration, ONU 120 can send a first message to indicate its optical communication capabilities; for example, in response to receiving an SN authorization message from OLT 110, ONU 120 sends an SN PLOAM message to indicate the PON mode it supports. After sending the first message, ONU 120 starts a timer. If the timer expires and ONU 120 does not receive a response message from OLT 110 for the first message, ONU 120 can migrate to a supported PON mode with a higher nominal line rate (e.g., from GPON to XGSPON). ONU 120 can continue sending the first message after the migration, repeating the above process (e.g., migrating to 25G PON, 50G PON) until it receives a response message from OLT 110, thereby determining the PON mode to be used. In this way, OLT 110 and ONU 120 negotiate to operate in this PON mode. Similarly, the ONU 120 can initiate the registration process in the PON mode with the highest nominal line rate and gradually reduce to a lower rate PON mode until it receives a response message from the OLT 110 in a certain PON mode, thus confirming the PON mode to be used.

[0056] It should be noted that the SN PLOAM message from ONU 120 may fail to be received by OLT 110 due to a conflict. OLT 110 can trigger ONU 120 to retransmit the SN PLOAM message by resending the SN grant message. In this case, ONU 120 does not need to start a timer every time it sends an SN PLOAM message; the timer only needs to be started after the first transmission of the PLOAM message in a given PON mode. In some embodiments, the timer duration can be set long enough to cover multiple retransmissions of the SN PLOAM message. For example, assuming that OLT 110 periodically sends SN grant messages without receiving a response message to the SN grant message, the timer duration can be set to a multiple of the SN grant message period.

[0057] In some embodiments, the ONU 120 may determine whether to migrate to a higher-speed PON mode based on the number of times the SN PLOAM message indicating optical communication capabilities is retransmitted. When the number of retransmissions exceeds a certain threshold, the ONU 120 migrates to the next higher-speed PON mode. Alternatively, the ONU 120 may also determine when to migrate to a higher-speed PON mode based on a combination of the retransmission count and a timer; this disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0058] To aid understanding, non-restrictive examples of the first and second messages are given below.

[0059] Table 1: Example 1 of the first message

[0060]

[0061] Table 2: Example 2 of the first message

[0062]

[0063]

[0064] When the ONU responds to the XGSPON SN authorization message, the ONU can use the SN PLOAM message shown in Table 3 to report its capabilities (some information has been omitted for clarity).

[0065] Table 3: Example 3 of the first message

[0066]

[0067]

[0068] ONUs can use the newly defined PLOAM message to report their capabilities, as shown in Table 4.

[0069] Table 4: Example 4 of the first message (PON working mode reporting message)

[0070]

[0071] Table 4: Example 4 of the first message (PON working mode reporting message)

[0072] content illustrate MIC Message integrity checks are performed using the default PLOAM integrity key.

[0073] After receiving the PON working mode report from the ONU, the OLT can continue to keep the ONU active in the current PON mode, or it can command the ONU to switch to other PON modes supported by the ONU by modifying the Assign_ONU_ID PLOAM message or a newly defined PLOAM message (such as the PON_working_mode_set PLOAM message), as shown in Tables 5 and 6.

[0074] Table 5: Example 1 of the second message (Assign_ONU-ID message)

[0075]

[0076] Table 6: Example 2 of the second message (PON_working_mode_set message)

[0077]

[0078]

[0079] The ONU can maintain its current PON operating mode or switch to another PON operating mode according to the OLT's command to continue the activation process. If the ONU receives the Assign-ONU-ID PLOAM message mentioned above, and the PON operating mode set in this message is different from the current one, the ONU will jump to the channel corresponding to the set PON operating mode after allocating the ONU_ID, and this ONU_ID may be reused at a higher rate.

[0080] The OLT can choose to notify the ONU via the aforementioned PLOAM message, and the OLT can also set the ONU's PON mode by continuing ONU activation or not responding to the ONU's activation request. In this case, after the ONU sends an SN PLOAM message requesting activation, it starts a timer. If the ONU receives a PLOAM message assigning an ONU-ID, it means the OLT commands the ONU to work on the current channel, and the ONU continues to be activated on the current channel. If the ONU does not receive a response from the OLT after the aforementioned timer expires, the ONU will switch to the next higher or lower rate channel for activation. The OLT will respond to the ONU's sequence number PLOAM message on the channel on which the OLT expects the ONU to work.

[0081] Figure 4 A schematic flowchart of a method 400 for an ONU according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In some embodiments, method 400 can be performed in... Figure 1 The method 400 is implemented at ONU 120. In another embodiment, the method 400 may also be implemented at any other ONU or other device with similar functionality.

[0082] In box 410, ONU 120 sends a first message to OLT indicating the optical communication capabilities of ONU 120, which include at least one PON mode supported by ONU 120, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

[0083] In some embodiments, sending a first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU includes at least one of the following: sending a first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU to the OLT in response to receiving a sequence number (SN) authorization message from the OLT; sending a first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU to the OLT in response to receiving a registration request message from the OLT; or sending a first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU to the OLT after the ONU has completed activation.

[0084] In some embodiments, the first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU includes a PLOAM message for activating the ONU.

[0085] In some embodiments, a first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU is sent in a predetermined PON mode in at least one PON mode.

[0086] In some embodiments, in at least one PON mode, the predetermined PON mode has a minimum or maximum nominal line rate.

[0087] In some embodiments, the first message includes a bitmap, wherein the value of each bit indicates whether the ONU supports the corresponding PON mode.

[0088] In some embodiments, the optical communication capability also includes the ability for the ONU to be activated using a DAW.

[0089] In some embodiments, the ONU 120 also receives a second message from the OLT indicating the PON mode to be used; and migrates to the indicated PON mode based on determining that the indicated PON mode is different from the ONU's current PON mode.

[0090] In some embodiments, the second message includes a PON mode setting field to indicate the PON mode to be used.

[0091] In some embodiments, the second message is an Assign_ONU-ID or a Ranging_Time message.

[0092] In some embodiments, the ONU 120 may start a timer after sending the first message; and in response to the timer expiring and the ONU not receiving a response message from the OLT for the first message, migrate to a PON mode with a higher or lower nominal line rate.

[0093] In some embodiments, the ONU 120 may also determine to continue operating in the current PON mode in response to receiving a response message from the OLT to the first message.

[0094] Figure 5 A schematic flowchart of a method 400 for an ONU according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In some embodiments, method 400 can be performed in... Figure 1 The method 500 is implemented at OLT 110. In another embodiment, the method 500 may also be implemented at any other OLT or other device with similar functionality.

[0095] In box 510, OLT 110 receives a first message from ONU indicating the optical communication capabilities of ONU, which include at least one PON mode supported by ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

[0096] In some embodiments, receiving a first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of an ONU includes at least one of the following: receiving a first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of an ONU from an ONU after sending an SN authorization message to the ONU; receiving a first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of an ONU from an ONU after sending a request registration message to the ONU; or receiving a first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of an ONU from an ONU after the ONU has completed activation.

[0097] In some embodiments, the first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU includes a PLOAM message for activating the ONU.

[0098] In some embodiments, a first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU is received in a predetermined PON mode in at least one PON mode.

[0099] In some embodiments, in at least one PON mode, the predetermined PON mode has a minimum or maximum nominal line rate.

[0100] In some embodiments, the first message includes a bitmap, wherein the value of each bit indicates whether the ONU supports the corresponding PON mode.

[0101] In some embodiments, the optical communication capability also includes the ability for the ONU to be activated using a DAW.

[0102] In some embodiments, the OLT 110 may also send a second message to the ONU indicating the PON mode to be used.

[0103] In some embodiments, the second message includes a PON mode setting field to indicate the PON mode to be used.

[0104] In some embodiments, the second message is an Assign_ONU-ID message or a Ranging_Time message.

[0105] In some embodiments, the OLT 110 may also determine to enable the ONU to continue operating in the current PON mode; and to send a response message to the ONU in the current mode to the first message.

[0106] In some example embodiments, the apparatus capable of performing method 400 (e.g., implemented at ONU 120) may include components for performing the various steps of method 400. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit or software module.

[0107] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may include a component for sending a first message from the ONU to the OLT indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, the optical communication capabilities including at least one PON mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

[0108] In some embodiments, the component for sending a first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU includes: a component for sending a first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU to the OLT in response to receiving a sequence number (SN) authorization message from the OLT.

[0109] In some embodiments, the first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU includes a PLOAM message for activating the ONU.

[0110] In some embodiments, a first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU is sent in a predetermined PON mode in at least one PON mode.

[0111] In some embodiments, in at least one PON mode, the predetermined PON mode has a minimum or maximum nominal line rate.

[0112] In some embodiments, the first message includes a bitmap, wherein the value of each bit indicates whether the ONU supports the corresponding PON mode.

[0113] In some embodiments, the optical communication capability also includes the ability for the ONU to be activated using a DAW.

[0114] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include: a component for receiving a second message from the OLT indicating the PON mode to be used; and a component for migrating to the indicated PON mode based on determining that the indicated PON mode is different from the current PON mode of the ONU.

[0115] In some embodiments, the second message includes a PON mode setting field to indicate the PON mode to be used.

[0116] In some embodiments, the second message is an Assign_ONU-ID message or a Ranging_Time message.

[0117] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include: a component for starting a timer after sending a first message; and a component for migrating to a PON mode with a higher or lower nominal line rate in response to the timer expiring and the ONU not receiving a response message from the OLT for the first message.

[0118] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include a component for determining, in response to receiving a response message from the OLT to the first message, to continue operating in the current PON mode.

[0119] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing additional steps in some embodiments of method 400. In some embodiments, the components include 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, together with the at least one processor, to cause execution of the apparatus.

[0120] In some example embodiments, the apparatus capable of performing method 500 (e.g., implemented at OLT 110) may include components for performing the various steps of method 500. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit or software module.

[0121] The apparatus may include a component for receiving a first message from the ONU indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, the optical communication capabilities including at least one PON mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

[0122] In some embodiments, the component for receiving a first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU includes: a component for receiving a first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU from the ONU after sending an SN authorization message to the ONU.

[0123] In some embodiments, the first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU includes a PLOAM message for activating the ONU.

[0124] In some embodiments, a first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU is received in a predetermined PON mode in at least one PON mode.

[0125] In some embodiments, in at least one PON mode, the predetermined PON mode has a minimum or maximum nominal line rate.

[0126] In some embodiments, the first message includes a bitmap, wherein the value of each bit indicates whether the ONU supports the corresponding PON mode.

[0127] In some embodiments, the optical communication capability also includes the ability for the ONU to be activated using a DAW.

[0128] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include a component for sending a second message to the ONU indicating the PON mode to be used.

[0129] In some embodiments, the second message includes a PON mode setting field to indicate the PON mode to be used.

[0130] In some embodiments, the second message is an Assign_ONU-ID message or a Ranging_Time message.

[0131] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include: a component for determining whether the ONU should continue to operate in the current PON mode; and a component for sending a response message to the ONU in the current mode to the first message.

[0132] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing additional steps in some embodiments of method 500. In some embodiments, the components include 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, together with the at least one processor, to cause execution of the apparatus.

[0133] Figure 6 This is a simplified block diagram of an electronic device 600 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. Device 600 can be provided to implement a communication device, such as... Figure 1 The OLT 110 and ONU 120 are shown. As shown, the device 600 includes one or more processors 610, one or more memories 620 coupled to the processor 610, and one or more communication modules 640 coupled to the processor 610.

[0134] The communication module 640 is used for bidirectional communication. For example, the communication module 640 may include a transmitter, receiver, or transceiver used in embodiments of this disclosure. The communication interface may represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements.

[0135] Processor 610 can be any type suitable for a local technology network and can 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 600 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips, which are time-subordinate to a clock synchronized with the main processor.

[0136] Memory 620 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) 624, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, optical disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), and other magnetic and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 622 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power-off periods.

[0137] Computer program 630 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by associated processor 610. Program 630 may be stored in ROM 620. Processor 610 can perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 630 into RAM 620.

[0138] The embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented by means of program 630, enabling device 600 to perform as described in the reference. Figures 3 to 5 Any process discussed in this disclosure. Embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0139] In some embodiments, program 630 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may include in device 600 (such as in memory 620) or other storage device accessible by device 600. Program 630 may be loaded from the computer-readable medium into RAM 622 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.

[0140] Figure 7 An example of a computer-readable medium 700 in the form of a CD or DVD is shown. A program 630 is stored on the computer-readable medium.

[0141] Generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software, which can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or represented using some other illustration, it should be understood that the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented as, as in the non-limiting examples, hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0142] This 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 program modules, which execute in a device on a target's real or virtual processor to perform the above-referenced... Figure 4 and Figure 5 Methods 400 and 500. Typically, a program module includes 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 among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions for a program module can execute within a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, program modules can reside in both local and remote storage media.

[0143] Computer program code used to implement the methods of this disclosure may be written in one or more programming languages. This computer program code may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that when executed by the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be performed. The program code may be executed entirely on a computer, partially on a computer, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server.

[0144] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried on any suitable 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 so on. Examples of signals may include electrical, optical, radio, sound, or other forms of propagation signals, such as carrier waves, infrared signals, etc.

[0145] A computer-readable medium can be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program for or relating to an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A computer-readable medium can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable medium can be, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More detailed examples of computer-readable storage media include electrical connections with one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. As used herein, the terms “non-transient” or “non-signal” are a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not signaling), and not a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM).

[0146] Furthermore, although the operation of the methods of this disclosure is described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that these operations must be performed in that specific order, or that all of the operations shown must be performed to achieve the desired result. Rather, the steps depicted in the flowcharts may be performed in a different order. Additionally or alternatively, certain steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or one step may be broken down into multiple steps. It should also be noted that the features and functions of two or more devices according to this disclosure may be embodied in one device. Conversely, the features and functions of one device described above may be further divided and embodied by multiple devices.

[0147] While this disclosure has been described with reference to several specific embodiments, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed. This disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An optical network unit (ONU), comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the ONU to at least: A first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU is sent to the optical line terminal (OLT), the optical communication capabilities including at least one passive optical network (PON) mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

2. The ONU according to claim 1, wherein, The first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU includes at least one of the following: In response to receiving a Serial Number (SN) authorization message from the OLT, a first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU is sent to the OLT; In response to receiving a registration request message from the OLT, a first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU is sent to the OLT; or After the ONU is activated, a first message indicative of the ONU's optical communication capabilities is sent to the OLT.

3. The ONU according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU includes a Physical Layer Operation Management and Maintenance (PLOAM) message for activating the ONU.

4. The ONU according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU is sent in a predetermined PON mode in at least one PON mode.

5. The ONU according to claim 4, wherein, In the at least one PON mode, the predetermined PON mode has the lowest or highest nominal line rate.

6. The ONU according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The first message includes a bitmap, wherein the value of each bit indicates whether the ONU supports the corresponding PON mode.

7. The ONU according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the optical communication capability further includes the ability of the ONU to be activated using a dedicated activation wavelength (DAW).

8. The ONU according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The instruction also causes the ONU to: Receive a second message from the OLT indicating the PON mode to be used; and Based on the determination that the indicated PON mode is different from the current PON mode of the ONU, the system migrates to the indicated PON mode.

9. The ONU according to claim 8, wherein, The second message includes a PON mode setting field to indicate the PON mode to be used.

10. The ONU according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, The second message is either the Assign_ONU-ID message or the Ranging_Time message.

11. The ONU according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the instruction further causes the ONU to: After sending the first message, start the timer; and In response to the timer expiring and the ONU not receiving a response message from the OLT for the first message, it migrates to a PON mode with a higher or lower nominal line rate.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The instruction also causes the ONU to: In response to receiving a response message from the OLT to the first message, it is determined to continue operating in the current PON mode.

13. An optical line terminal (OLT), comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the OLT to at least: The ONU receives a first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, the optical communication capabilities including at least one passive optical network (PON) mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

14. The OLT according to claim 13, wherein, Receiving the first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU includes at least one of the following: After sending a sequence number (SN) authorization message to the ONU, the first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU is received from the ONU; After sending a registration request message to the ONU, the system receives a first message from the ONU indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU. or After the ONU is activated, the first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU is received from the ONU.

15. The OLT according to claim 13 or 14, wherein, The first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU includes a Physical Layer Operation Management and Maintenance (PLOAM) message for activating the ONU.

16. The OLT according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein, The first message indicating the optical communication capability of the ONU is received in a predetermined PON mode in at least one PON mode.

17. The OLT according to claim 16, wherein, In the at least one PON mode, the predetermined PON mode has the lowest or highest nominal line rate.

18. The OLT according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein, The first message includes a bitmap, wherein the value of each bit indicates whether the ONU supports the corresponding PON mode.

19. The OLT according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein the optical communication capability further includes the ability of the ONU to be activated using a dedicated activation wavelength (DAW).

20. The OLT according to any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein, The instruction also causes the OLT to: Send a second message to the ONU indicating the PON mode to be used.

21. The OLT according to claim 20, wherein, The second message includes a PON mode setting field to indicate the PON mode to be used.

22. The ONU according to claim 20 or 21, wherein, The second message is either the Assign_ONU-ID message or the Ranging_Time message.

23. The OLT according to any one of claims 13 to 22, wherein the instructions further cause the OLT to: Determine whether the ONU should continue to operate in the current PON mode; and In the current mode, a response message to the first message is sent to the ONU.

24. A communication method, comprising: A first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of an Optical Network Unit (ONU) is sent from an Optical Line Terminal (OLT). The optical communication capabilities include at least one Passive Optical Network (PON) mode supported by the ONU, with each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

25. A communication method, comprising: The optical line terminal (OLT) receives a first message from the optical network unit (ONU) indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, the optical communication capabilities including at least one passive optical network (PON) mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

26. A communication device, comprising: A component for sending a first message from an optical network unit (ONU) to an optical line terminal (OLT) indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, the optical communication capabilities including at least one passive optical network (PON) mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

27. A communication device, comprising: A component for receiving, by an optical line terminal (OLT) from an optical network unit (ONU), a first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, the optical communication capabilities including at least one passive optical network (PON) mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

28. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the following: A first message indicating the optical communication capabilities of an Optical Network Unit (ONU) is sent from an Optical Line Terminal (OLT). The optical communication capabilities include at least one Passive Optical Network (PON) mode supported by the ONU, with each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

29. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the following: The optical line terminal (OLT) receives a first message from the optical network unit (ONU) indicating the optical communication capabilities of the ONU, the optical communication capabilities including at least one passive optical network (PON) mode supported by the ONU, each PON mode corresponding to a different PON standard.

Images