OPTICAL ACCESS NETWORK HAVING EMITTER-FREE CUSTOMER PREMISE EQUIPMENT AND ADAPTIVE COMMUNICATION SCHEDULING

摘要

An access network includes an access device having an optical interface module that outputs a plurality of pairs of optical communication signals, each of the pairs of optical communication signals comprising a modulated optical transmit signal and an unmodulated optical receive signal, each of the pairs of optical communication signals having a different wavelength. A customer premise equipment (CPE) comprises an optical interface module to receive the modulated optical transmit signal and the unmodulated optical receive signal for any of the plurality of pairs of optical communication signals. The optical interface module includes a receive module to demodulate the modulated optical transmit signal into inbound symbols and a transmit module having an optical modulator and reflective optics to modulate the unmodulated optical receive signal in accordance with a data signal and reflect a modulated optical receive signal to communicate outbound data symbols to the access device.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
scheduling, with a scheduler executing on an access device, upstream communication by a plurality of customer premise equipment (CPEs) coupled to the access device; and outputting, with the access device and in accordance with the schedule, an unmodulated optical receive signal to the CPEs for upstream communication by the plurality of CPEs.