Port replicator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10992387-B2
Application number	US-201916568759-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2019
Priority date	Sep 12, 2019
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

A method of combining optical signals from a plurality of optical fibers into a single optical signal includes receiving, at corresponding optical-signal receivers optically coupled to corresponding trunk fibers, respective optical signals. The method further includes determining, by the corresponding optical-signal receivers, when each respective optical signal is received. When the respective optical signal is received, the method includes performing the following steps: converting, by the corresponding optical-signal receiver, the respective optical signal to a corresponding electrical signal; transmitting, by the corresponding optical-signal receiver, the corresponding electrical signal to a corresponding input channel of an electrical-multiplexing device; and configuring the electrical-multiplexing device to select the corresponding input channel. Configuring the electrical-multiplexing device to select the corresponding input channel causes the electrical-multiplexing device to transmit the corresponding electrical signal to an electro-optical converter configured to convert the corresponding electrical signal back to the respective optical signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at corresponding optical-signal receivers optically coupled to corresponding trunk fibers, respective optical signals;
for each corresponding optical-signal receiver:
determining, by the corresponding optical-signal receiver, when the respective optical signal is received;
responsive to determining when the respective optical signal is received, delivering, by a bust-mode limiting amplifier of the corresponding optical-signal receiver, a reset signal to a signal-conditioning circuit, causing the signal-conditioning circuit to reset a trans-impedance amplifier of the corresponding optical-signal receiver, the signal-conditioning circuit comprising a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD) or a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA);
converting, by the corresponding optical-signal receiver, the respective optical signal to a corresponding electrical signal;
transmitting, by the corresponding optical-signal receiver, the corresponding electrical signal to a corresponding input channel of an electrical-multiplexing device; and
configuring the electrical-multiplexing device to select the corresponding input channel, causing the electrical-multiplexing device to transmit the corresponding electrical signal to an electro-optical converter configured to convert the corresponding electrical signal back to the respective optical signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each corresponding optical-signal receiver comprises:
a photodiode optically coupled to a corresponding trunk fiber, the photodiode converting the respective optical signal to a respective current signal;
the trans-impedance amplifier in communication with the photodiode, the trans-impedance amplifier converting the respective current signal to the corresponding electrical signal; and
the burst-mode limiting amplifier in communication with the trans-impedance amplifier, the burst-mode limiting amplifier indicating when the respective optical signal is received.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the photodiode comprises an avalanche photodiode or a PIN diode.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the electrical-multiplexing device to select the corresponding input channel comprises delivering, by the corresponding optical-signal receiver, a signal detection indication to a channel-select circuit, causing the channel-select circuit to deliver a channel-select indication to the electrical-multiplexing device, the channel-select indication identifying the corresponding input channel of the electrical-multiplexing device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electro-optical converter comprises a burst-mode laser transmitter.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the burst-mode laser transmitter comprises a Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) laser.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising delivering, by the electro-optical converter, the respective optical signal to a port of an optical line terminal (OLT).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the corresponding trunk fibers are optically coupled to respective burst-mode laser transmitters of respective Optical Network Units (ONUs).

9. An optical-electrical-optical converter comprising:
an electrical-multiplexing device comprising one or more input channels; and
optical-signal receivers optically coupled to corresponding trunk fibers, each optical-signal receiver configured to:
receive a respective optical signal from the corresponding trunk fiber;
determine when the respective optical signal is received;
responsive to determining when the respective optical signal is received, deliver, by a bust-mode limiting amplifier of the corresponding optical-signal receiver, a reset signal to a signal-conditioning circuit, causing the signal-conditioning circuit to reset a trans-impedance amplifier of the corresponding optical-signal receiver, the signal-conditioning circuit comprising a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD) or a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA);
convert the respective optical signal to a corresponding electrical signal;
transmit the corresponding electrical signal to a corresponding input channel of the electrical-multiplexing device; and
configure the electrical-multiplexing device to select the corresponding input channel, causing the electrical-multiplexing device to transmit the corresponding electrical signal to an electro-optical converter configured to convert the corresponding electrical signal back to the respective optical signal.

10. The optical-electrical-optical converter of claim 9 , wherein each corresponding optical-signal receiver comprises:
a photodiode optically coupled to a corresponding trunk fiber, the photodiode converting the respective optical signal to a respective current signal;
the trans-impedance amplifier in communication with the photodiode, the trans-impedance amplifier converting the respective current signal to the corresponding electrical signal; and
the burst-mode limiting amplifier in communication with the trans-impedance amplifier, the burst-mode limiting amplifier indicates when the respective optical signal is received.

11. The optical-electrical-optical converter of claim 10 , wherein the photodiode comprises an avalanche photodiode or a PIN diode.

12. The optical-electrical-optical converter of claim 9 , wherein configuring the electrical-multiplexing device to select the corresponding input channel comprises delivering, by the corresponding optical-signal receiver, a signal detection indication to a channel-select circuit, causing the channel-select circuit to deliver a channel-select indication to the electrical-multiplexing device, the channel-select indication identifying the corresponding input channel of the electrical-multiplexing device.

13. The optical-electrical-optical converter of claim 9 , wherein the electro-optical converter comprises a burst-mode laser transmitter.

14. The optical-electrical-optical converter of claim 13 , wherein the burst-mode laser transmitter comprises a Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) laser.

15. The optical-electrical-optical converter of claim 9 , further comprising delivering, by the electro-optical converter, the respective optical signal to a port of an optical line terminal (OLT).

16. The optical-electrical-optical converter of claim 9 , wherein the corresponding trunk fibers are optically coupled to respective burst-mode laser transmitters of respective Optical Network Units (ONUs).

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Lam Cedric Fung
• Zhao Xiangjun
• Yin Shuang
• Nagarajan Muthu
• Zhang Tao
• Du Liang
• Barratt Adam Edwin Taylor
• Jiang Changhong Joy
• Desanti Claudio

Classifications

• H04Q11/0067 Primary

  Provisions for optical access or distribution networks, e.g. Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network (GE-PON), ATM-based Passive Optical Network (A-PON), PON-Ring · CPC title

• H04Q11/0062

  Network aspects · CPC title

• H04B10/69

  Electrical arrangements in the receiver · CPC title

• H04B10/503

  Laser transmitters · CPC title

• H04B10/29

  Repeaters · CPC title