Channel Bonding in Multiple-Wavelength Passive Optical Networks (PONs)

Abstract

An apparatus comprises: a processor configured to: select a first channel from among a plurality of channels in a network, and generate a first message assigning a first grant corresponding to the first channel; a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit the first message; and a receiver coupled to the processor and configured to receive a second message on the first channel and in response to the first message. A method comprises: selecting a first channel from among a plurality of channels in a network; generating a first message assigning a first grant corresponding to the first channel; transmitting the first message; and receiving a second message on the first channel in response to the first message

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a processor configured to:
 select a first channel from among a plurality of channels in a network, and 
 generate a first message assigning a first grant corresponding to the first channel; 
   a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit the first message; and   a receiver coupled to the processor and configured to receive a second message on the first channel in response to the first message.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first message is a discovery gate message comprising a channel assignment field, a grant start time field, and a channel information field, wherein the channel assignment field indicates the first channel for upstream transmission, wherein the grant start time field indicates when to transmit on the first channel, and wherein the channel information field indicates channel-related information. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the channel-related information is at least one of a channel rate, a channel association, or a channel priority. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first message is a gate message comprising a channel assignment field and a grant start time field, wherein the channel assignment field indicates the first channel for upstream transmission, and wherein the grant start time field indicates when to transmit on the first channel. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second message is a report message comprising a channel assignment field and a queue report field, wherein the channel assignment field indicates the first channel, and wherein the queue report field indicates a queue report for the first channel. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to select a second channel from among the channels, and wherein the first message further assigns a second grant corresponding to the second channel. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the first message on the first channel. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the first message on a second channel from among the channels. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is an optical line terminal (OLT), and wherein the network is a passive optical network (PON). 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the transmitter is further configured to further transmit the first message to an optical network unit (ONU) comprising a plurality of ONU transmitters, wherein the ONU transmitters comprise a first transmitter corresponding to the first channel, and wherein the first message instructs the ONU to disable all of the ONU transmitters except for the first transmitter. 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 selecting a first channel from among a plurality of channels in a network;   generating a first message assigning a first grant corresponding to the first channel;   transmitting the first message; and   receiving a second message on the first channel and in response to the first message.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first message is a discovery gate message comprising a channel assignment field, a grant start time field, and a channel information field, wherein the channel assignment field indicates the first channel for upstream transmission, wherein the grant start time field indicates when to transmit on the first channel, and wherein the channel information field indicates channel-related information. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first message is a gate message comprising a channel assignment field and a grant start time field, wherein the channel assignment field indicates the first channel for upstream transmission, and wherein the grant start time field indicates when to transmit on the first channel. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the second message is a report message comprising a channel assignment field and a queue report field, wherein the channel assignment field indicates the first channel, and wherein the queue report field indicates a queue report for the first channel. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising selecting a second channel from among the channels, wherein the first message further assigns a second grant corresponding to the second channel. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein an optical line terminal (OLT) implements the method, wherein the network is a passive optical network (PON), wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the first message to an optical network unit (ONU) comprising a plurality of ONU transmitters, wherein the ONU transmitters comprise a first transmitter corresponding to the first channel, and wherein the first message instructs the ONU to disable all of the ONU transmitters except for the first transmitter. 
     
     
         17 . An optical network unit (ONU) comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive a first message assigning a first grant corresponding to a first channel selected from among a plurality of channels;   a processor coupled to the receiver and configured to:
 process the first message, and 
 generate a second message; and 
   a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit the second message on the first channel and according to the first grant.   
     
     
         18 . The ONU of  claim 17 , wherein the first message further assigns a second grant corresponding to a second channel selected from among the channels, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a third message, and wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the third message on the second channel and according to the second grant. 
     
     
         19 . The ONU of  claim 17 , wherein the first message is a gate message comprising a channel assignment field and a grant start time field, wherein the channel assignment field indicates the first channel for upstream transmission, and wherein the grant start time field indicates when to transmit on the first channel. 
     
     
         20 . The ONU of  claim 17 , wherein the second message is a report message comprising a channel assignment field and a queue report field, wherein the channel assignment field indicates the first channel, and wherein the queue report field indicates a queue report for the first channel.