Optical Network Unit Activation via Subsequence Ranging

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing ONU activation process in TDM-PON systems introduces significant latency due to the quiet window required to avoid collisions with upstream traffic, which is not suitable for latency-sensitive applications.

Innovation Solution

A method where ONUs transmit a localization sequence with unique subsequences during reserved time-windows, allowing the OLT to determine the ONU's position and round-trip time, thereby reducing the quiet window duration and minimizing interference with regular upstream traffic.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a quiet window is enforced during ONU activation to avoid collisions with upstream traffic, then collision avoidance is improved, but upstream traffic latency increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision avoidanceVSAvoidupstream traffic latency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The localization sequence is divided into multiple unique subsequences, where only one subsequence needs to be identified during the ranging process. This segmentation allows the quiet window to be reduced to the duration of a single subsequence rather than the entire localization sequence, thereby reducing upstream traffic latency while still ensuring collision avoidance through precise position identification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If the duration of the localization sequence is longer than the quiet window, then positioning precision is improved, but quiet window duration must increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning precisionVSAvoidquiet window duration
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of requiring the entire localization sequence to fit within the quiet window, the system only needs to identify a single subsequence from the localization sequence during the ranging process. This partial action approach allows the use of a long localization sequence for high positioning precision while keeping the quiet window duration short (equal to subsequence duration), resolving the contradiction between precision and duration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3550742B1Optical network unit activation
Publication Date: 2020.07.15 NOKIA SOLUTIONS & NETWORKS OY
  • EP3550742B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3550742B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3550742B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is an optical line terminal, OLT, which is enabled to range optical network units, ONU, in a time division multiplexing, TDM, passive optical network, PON, based on a position of a received subsequence within a localization sequence, wherein the duration of the localization sequence is longer than the duration of a time-window which is reserved for ranging.