Optical Splitter Location Determination in PON Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
In passive optical networks (PON), determining the optimal location of optical splitters is crucial to minimize the total length of optical fibers and deployment costs, as the number and placement of splitters directly affect the network's efficiency and cost.
Innovation Solution
A method and device utilizing the K-means clustering algorithm to classify optical network units into clusters based on their locations, with the central office added to these clusters to determine the location of optical splitters that minimize the sum of distances between the splitter and network units, employing the Weiszfeld algorithm for precise positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If optical splitters are deployed to cover more optical network units, then the network coverage is improved, but the total optical fiber length increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the optical network units into multiple clusters based on their geographic locations. Each cluster is served by a dedicated optical splitter, creating localized service areas. This segmentation allows the network to cover more units overall while keeping fiber lengths within each cluster relatively short, thus resolving the contradiction between extensive coverage and minimized fiber length.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by optimizing the optical fiber path within each cluster individually. The optical splitter for each cluster is positioned at the geometric center of that specific cluster, minimizing the average fiber length to units in that local area. This localized optimization approach allows different parts of the network to have tailored configurations that minimize their respective fiber lengths while collectively achieving broad coverage.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of optical splitters is increased, then more optical network units can be served, but the deployment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary clustering of optical network units before deploying optical splitters. By pre-grouping units into clusters based on their locations and determining the optimal position for each splitter in advance, the deployment process becomes more efficient. This preliminary action reduces on-site decision-making complexity and allows for better resource allocation, thereby reducing deployment costs while serving more units.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of splitter placement from arbitrary or uniform distribution to optimized geometric center positioning within each cluster. This parameter change allows the system to serve more units with a reasonable number of splitters by maximizing the efficiency of each splitter's location, thus improving adaptability without proportionally increasing deployment complexity and cost.
3Length of stationary object
If optical splitters are placed to minimize fiber length to individual units, then the total optical fiber length is reduced, but the location determination becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the location determination problem from the overall network design and solves it separately for each cluster. By focusing on one cluster at a time and calculating the geometric center of each cluster independently, the complex global optimization problem is broken down into simpler local problems. This extraction approach minimizes total fiber length through precise local positioning without being overwhelmed by the complexity of determining optimal positions for all splitters simultaneously across the entire network.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and a device for determining a location of an optical splitter are provided. With the method, optical network units in a PON network are classified into K clusters based on locations of the optical network units with a K-means clustering-based algorithm. Distances between multiple optical network units in the same cluster are small. If it is determined that the number of the optical network units in each of the clusters does not exceed a threshold, a central office is added into the K clusters to obtain K new clusters; and for each of the new clusters, a location of an optical splitter corresponding to the new cluster is determined, so as to ensure that a sum of distances between the location of the optical splitter and locations of all elements in the new cluster is minimized.