PON Master Configures Slaves via ME Support List

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Solution Overview

Problem

In passive optical network (PON) systems, the master (OLT) cannot automatically determine which managed entities (MEs) are supported by the slaves (ONTs) before configuration, leading to inefficient communication and potential incompatibility issues.

Innovation Solution

The slaves generate and report a ME Support List, comprising numbers representing supported MEs, allowing the master to obtain this information and configure the slaves accordingly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the OLT sends service-relevant ME Create messages to ONTs one by one to determine supported services, then the OLT can identify supported MEs, but the communication efficiency is poor and configuration time is extended

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of ME support identificationVSAvoidconfiguration speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The ONT pre-generates and stores the ME Support List ME based on its hardware configuration before the OLT needs to configure it. This preliminary action allows the OLT to quickly retrieve capability information without time-consuming trial-and-error messaging, directly resolving the contradiction between accurate identification and fast configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The ME Support List ME acts as an intermediary data structure that carries capability information from the ONT to the OLT. Instead of direct trial-and-error communication, this intermediary list efficiently transmits supported ME information, improving communication efficiency while maintaining accurate identification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the OLT configures ONTs without knowing their supported MEs in advance, then all ONTs can be configured with standard MEs, but incompatibility issues occur and service clearance time is extended

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompatibility of ME configurationVSAvoidservice clearance time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The ONT prepares the ME Support List ME in advance, containing all supported ME numbers. This allows the OLT to perform compatibility checking before configuration, ensuring adaptability while reducing service clearance time by avoiding post-configuration incompatibility resolutions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The ME Support List ME provides feedback to the OLT about the ONT's capabilities. This feedback mechanism enables the OLT to adjust its configuration strategy to match the specific ONT's supported MEs, ensuring compatibility without time-consuming trial-and-error or conservative one-size-fits-all configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Extent of automation

If the ONT automatically creates ME instances based on hardware configuration, then the ONT can self-configure, but the OLT cannot automatically know which MEs are supported for centralized control

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic ME creationVSAvoidcapability information availability
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The ME Support List ME serves as an intermediary that bridges the gap between automatic local ME creation and centralized OLT control. It conveys the result of the ONT's automatic hardware-based ME creation to the OLT, preserving both automation and information availability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The ONT provides feedback to the OLT about which ME instances it has automatically created based on its hardware. This feedback ensures the OLT has visibility into the ONT's capabilities while maintaining the efficiency of automatic local configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2378684B1Passive optical network system and method of the master configuring the slaves in the system
Publication Date: 2015.03.11 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP2378684B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2378684B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3C
  • EP2378684B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a method for the master to configure the slaves for use in a passive optical network (PON) system, comprising: the slaves generating a managed entity (ME) Support List ME based on their individual hardware configuration; the master obtaining the ME Support List ME; and the master configuring the slaves based on this list. The technical solution of the present disclosure allows speeding up of the optical network terminal (ONT) service clearance time by quickly identifying incompatibility of the optical line terminal (OLT) with the ONTs.