Abstract: An apparatus comprising a frame alignment processor coupled to a receiver, wherein the frame alignment processor is configured to align a first frame and a second frame in the receiver by matching a first synchronization (sync) pattern predicted using a first sync field in the first frame with a second sync pattern obtained from a second sync field in the second frame. Included is an apparatus comprising at least one component configured to implement a method comprising receiving a first frame, subsequently receiving a second frame that was transmitted after the first frame, predicting a first sync pattern from a first sync field in the first frame, obtaining a second sync pattern from a second sync field in the second frame, and determining that the first frame and the second frame are aligned when the first sync pattern matches the second sync pattern.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a data framer configured to frame a data stream into a plurality of frames each comprising a plurality of fields sized to align the frames with a word boundary greater than or equal to about four bytes long, and an optical transmitter coupled to the data framer and configured to transmit the frames. Included is an apparatus comprising at least one component configured to implement a method comprising encapsulating a data stream with at least one Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) Encapsulation Method (GEM) payload aligned with a word boundary at least about four bytes long, encapsulating the GEM payload with a GPON Transmission Convergence (GTC) frame aligned with the word boundary, and transmitting the GTC frame.

Abstract: A storage area network extension, network and method include a storage terminal coupled to a remote node. The remote node is connected to a passive optical network (PON) for transferring data signals in the PON and storage signals to/from the storage terminal by employing subcarrier channels in the PON to enable concurrent bidirectional transfer of the data and the storage signals. A storage area network is coupled to the storage terminal and configured to store and retrieve the storage signals for transfer over the PON.

Abstract: An optical line terminal (OLT), network and method include input and output switching modules configured to switch between input and output channels. A transmission module is configured for physical layer transmission using at least one of a plurality of transmission technologies to provide multiple uses of an existing transmission line. A dynamic resource module is configured to allocate network resources dynamically to one or more storage area networks (SAN) based on storage resource requests. A service differentiation module is configured to determine and implement different service levels for SAN users. An existing network infrastructure is enabled to provide custom SAN services without a dedicated line and without interfering with existing services.

Abstract: A method includes inserting a virtual circuit connectivity verification packet into aggregated traffic of m packets transmitted over multiple pseudowires in a network path, replying to the transmitted m packets with a virtual circuit connectivity verification packet with a packet loss indication when at least one packet loss is detected in an m packet group, and adjusting a rate of transmitting the aggregated m packets responsive to the packet loss indication. In the preferred embodiment the multiple pseudowires are one of constant bit rate and variable bit rate and the adjusting of the rate includes rate adjustment of variable bit rate pseudowires.

Abstract: Data is transmitted between a central office and customer premises by a wavelength division multiplex passive optical network. Two laser beams with separate wavelengths are transmitted from the central office to an optical network unit in the customer premises. Both laser beams carry downstream data. One laser beam is intensity modulated by on/off keying. The other laser beam is phase modulated by differential phase shift keying, which maintains a constant optical intensity. The first laser beam is received by a first optical receiver, which demodulates the first downstream data. The second laser beam is split in two. One laser beam is sent to a second optical receiver, which demodulates the second downstream data. The other laser beam is sent to a reflective semiconductor amplifier, which modulates the beam with upstream data and transmits the beam back to a receiver in the central optical system.

Abstract: An optical network component, architecture and method for a wavelength division multiplexed passive optical network includes a band coupler configured to demultiplex first and second wavelength division multiplexed content transmitted from an optical line terminal into a first band signal and a second band signal. An arrayed wavelength grating is configured to receive the first band signal and to further demultiplex the first band signal into different wavelengths to provide a plurality of wavelength signals. An optical splitter is configured to split the second band signal into sub-signals and multiplex the sub-signals with each of the wavelength signals such that the first and second wavelength division multiplexed content is provided on a single wavelength to a user.

Abstract: An optical system and method includes a source-free optical network unit coupled to an optical fiber for receiving an original carrier signal with downstream data over the optical fiber. The optical network unit includes a modulator configured to remodulate the original carrier signal with upstream data to produce an upstream data signal for transmission back down the optical fiber in a direction opposite to a direction in which that original carrier signal was received.

Abstract: A network system and method include a wireless base station integrated at a central office of a service provider. The wireless base station is configured to provide portable and fixed services to customers. A passive optical network is coupled to the wireless base station at the central office to provide a link to extend an antenna for wireless operations of the wireless base station to a remote site such that a wireless signal from the wireless base station is transmitted in parallel with a passive fiber network signal through the link.

Abstract: A dynamic upstream bandwidth allocation scheme is disclosed, i.e., limited sharing with traffic prediction (LSTP), to improve the bandwidth efficiency of upstream transmission over PONs. LSTP adopts the PON MAC control messages, and dynamically allocates bandwidth according to the on-line traffic load. The ONU bandwidth requirement includes the already buffered data and a prediction of the incoming data, thus reducing the frame delay and alleviating the data loss. ONUs are served by the OLT in a fixed order in LSTP to facilitate the traffic prediction. Each optical network unit (ONU) classifies its local traffic into three classes with descending priorities: expedited forwarding (EF), assured forwarding (AF), and best effort (BE). Data with higher priority replace data with lower priority when the buffer is full. In order to alleviate uncontrolled delay and unfair drop of the lower priority data, the priority-based scheduling is employed to deliver the buffered data in a particular transmission timeslot.