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A fiber optic network comprises an optical fiber connection (one fiber or two) from a central office to an intelligent interface device in the subscriber's premises. The central office includes a serving node transceiver providing communication links to/from at least a narrowband switch and a broadband switch for providing narrowband and broadband service routing. The network includes at least one passive power splitter/combiner for passing all wavelengths on the optical fiber connection between the serving node transceiver and the intelligent interface devices. All wavelengths are provided to each customer and bandwidth on the optical fiber loop is dynamically allocated for individual services on demand through two-way wavelength division multiplexing and demultiplexing as well as any necessary signal format conversions. The network has media access control functionality and utilizes a dynamic media access control procedure for allocation of the bandwidth.

Inventors: Larry Williams, Dave Little, Amos Lucas, William Burton
Original Assignee: Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc.
Current U.S. Classification: 398/72; 370/907; 398/49; 398/167.5; 398/168
International Classification: H04J 1402

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Claims

1. An intelligent optical interface device comprising:

an optical transmitter providing conversion of electrical signals to optical signals and connected to an optical fiber transmission path for controllably transmitting upstream optical data signals at any one or more of a plurality of wavelengths;
an optical receiver receiving all of said plurality of wavelengths and controllably discriminating said plurality of wavelengths to selectively receive optical data signals at any one or more of said plurality of wavelengths; and
a media access controller connected to and controlling said optical transmitter and said optical receiver so as to cause said optical transmitter and said optical receiver to transmit and receive wavelength division multiplexed optical data signals at any one or more of said plurality of wavelengths over said optical fiber transmission path,
wherein said media access controller is responsive to signalling communications received over a signalling channel wavelength, separate from said plurality of wavelengths, on said optical fiber for controlling the wavelengths utilized by said optical transmitter and said optical receiver in accordance with said signalling communications.

2. An intelligent optical interface device as recited in claim 1, wherein: said optical transmitter comprises an array of lasers, each one operating at a predetermined wavelength;

and said media access controller selects one or more of said lasers for transmitting said upstream data signals in accordance with said signalling communications.

3. An intelligent interface device as recited in claim 2, which further comprises a SONET multiplexer connected to said fiber optic transmission path and an ISDN terminal adapter performing conversion of POTS communications signals and providing ISDN signals to said SONET multiplexer.

4. An intelligent interface device as recited in claim 1, wherein said optical transmitter and optical receiver transmit optical data signals on said fiber optic transmission path in accordance with a plurality of different input signals and output a plurality of different output signals in accordance with optical data signals received over said fiber optic transmission path.

5. An intelligent interface device as recited in claim 1, wherein said media access controller performs a dynamic media access control procedure in response to said signalling communications.

6. An intelligent interface device as recited in claim 5, wherein said dynamic media access control procedure includes the dynamic allocation of individual services in response to a demand by said customer.

7. An intelligent interface device as recited in claim 5, wherein said dynamic media access control procedure includes the dynamic allocation of bit rates of said first or said second plurality of optical signals in response to a demand by said customer.

8. An intelligent interface device as recited in claim 1, wherein said media access controller performs a dynamic media access control procedure which includes the dynamic allocation of a plurality of different wavelengths.

9. An intelligent interface device as recited in claim 8, wherein said dynamic allocation of said plurality of different wavelengths is performed upon demand by said customer.

10. A fiber optics communications network as recited in claim 1, wherein said media access controller is addressable by a telecommunications central office.

11. A fiber optics communications network as recited in claim 1, wherein said media access controller outputs a bandwidth request signal on said at least one optical fiber in response to user inputs.

12. A fiber optics communications network as recited in claim 11, wherein said user inputs are received from a remote control.

Drawings