Optical amplifier combiner arrangement and method for upstream transmission realized thereby

Claim 1

Optical amplifier combiner arrangement (OAS) for use in a tree-like optical network comprising a cascade connection of dedicated input branches (B1, B2, . . . , Bi, . . . , Bn) and of a common output branch, said arrangement for interconnection between a plurality of optical network users (ONU1, ONU2, . . . , ONUi, . . . , ONUn) and an optical line terminator (OLT), said optical network enabling upstream transmission of information signals (IN1, IN2, . . . , INi, . . . INn) from said optical network users (ONU1, ONU2, . . . , ONUi, . . . ONUn) to said optical line terminator (OLT), characterized in that each branch (Bi) of said dedicated branches (B1, B2, . . . , Bi, . . . Bn) comprises: an optical amplifier (OAi) responsive to a respective one (INi) of said information signals (IN1, IN2, . . . INi, . . . , INn) transmitted over said branch (Bi), with a gain value (Gi), for providing an amplified information signal (A-INi) with a predetermined power level, an optical on/off switch (SW ON/OFFi), responsive to said amplified information signal for passing said amplified information signal (A-INi) for providing a passed amplified information signal when it is present and for otherwise interrupting said branch (Bi) for preventing passing of a signal by said branch (Bi), and in that said optical amplifier arrangement further comprises an optical combiner responsive to said amplified information signal from each of said branches for providing an outgoing optical signal (OUT) on said common optical branch according to a selected multiple access technique to said optical line terminator, and in that said arrangement (OAS) further comprises for each said branch (Bi) a control means (CTRLi), responsive to said respective one of said information signals, for providing a first electrical control signal (CTRL-Ai) to said optical amplifier (OAi) for controlling a gain value (Gi) thereof and for providing a second electrical control signal (CTRL-Bi) for controlling said on/off switch (SW ON/OFFi).

Claim 10

A method used in a tree-like optical network to perform upstream transmission of information signals (IN1 IN2, . . . , INi, . . . , In) from a plurality of optical network users (ONU1, ONU2, . . . , ONUi, . . . , ONUn) to an optical line terminator (OLT) via dedicated branches (B1, B2, . . . , Bi, . . . , Bn) and a common branch, respectively, characterized in that said method for each one (INi) of said information signals (IN1, IN2, . . . , INi, . . . , INn) comprises the steps of: a. sensing said information signal (INi) for providing a control signal (CTRL-Ai) for controlling amplification of said information signal and for providing a switch control signal (CTRL-Bi); b. amplifying said information signal (INi), in response to said amplification control signal, for providing an amplified information signal (A-INi); c. passing, in response to said switch control signal, said amplified information signal (A-INi) when said information signal (INi) is present and otherwise interrupting said branch (Bi); said method further comprising the step of: d. combining all amplified information signals (A-IN1, A-IN2, . . . , A-INi, . . . , A-INn) from all said dedicated branches according to a multiple access technique for generating an outgoing optical signal (OUT) for transmission to said optical line terminator (OLT).

Claim 11

A method used in a tree-like optical network to perform upstream transmission of information signals (IN1 IN2, . . . , INi, . . . , In) from a plurality of optical network users (ONU1, ONU2, . . . , ONUi, . . . , ONUn) to an optical line terminator (OLT) via dedicated branches (B1, B2, . . . , Bi, . . . , Bn) and a common branch, respectively, characterized in that said method for each one (INi) of said information signals (IN1, IN2, . . . , INi, . . . , INn) comprises the steps of: a. sensing said information signal (INi) for providing a control signal (CTRL-Ai) for controlling amplification of said information signal and for providing a switch control signal (CTRL-Bi); b. amplifying said information signal (INi), in response to said amplification control signal, for providing an amplified information signal (A-INi); c. passing, in response to said switch control signal, said amplified information signal (A-INi) when said information signal (INi) is present and otherwise interrupting said branch (Bi); said method further comprising the step of: d. combining all amplified information signals (A-IN1, A-IN2, . . . , A-INi, . . . , A-INn) from all said dedicated branches according to a multiple access technique for generating an outgoing optical signal (OUT) for transmission to said optical line terminator (OLT).