Power saving mechanisms for high speed passive optical network

1 . A method of communication, comprising:

detecting, by an optical line terminal (OLT), a service change associated with an optical network unit (ONU) from a first data rate service to a second data rate service, the second data rate service having a lower data rate than the first data rate service;

comparing, by the OLT, a data rate of the second data rate service with a predetermined data rate with a corresponding reference value; and

performing, by the OLT, a power saving operation, upon determination that the data rate of the second data rate service is smaller than the predetermined data rate,

wherein the power saving operation includes at least one of:

switching off at least a portion of digital signal processing (DSP) functions;

switching off circuitry for nonlinear compensation;

switching off a forward error correction (FEC) function; or

switching a modulation format for communication with the ONU.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the corresponding reference value is larger than a data rate of the second data rate service and smaller than a data rate of the first data rate service.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising instructing, by the OLT, the ONU to enter a power saving mode, upon detection of the service change from the first data rate service to the second data rate service.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the switching the modulation format includes switching a modulation format for transmission to the ONU to non-return to zero (NRZ) modulation format.

5 . A method of communication, comprising:

detecting, by an optical line terminal (OLT), a service change associated with an optical network unit (ONU) from a first data rate service to a second data rate service, the second data rate service having a lower data rate than the first data rate service;

comparing, by the OLT, a data rate of the second data rate service with a predetermined data rate with a corresponding reference value;

performing, by the OLT, a power saving operation, upon determination that the data rate of the second data rate service is smaller than the predetermined data rate

detecting, by the OLT, an actual communication distance between the OLT and the ONU;

comparing, by the OLT, the actual communication distance between the OLT and the ONU, with a corresponding reference value; and

performing, by the OLT, the power saving operation, upon determination that the actual communication distance is smaller than the corresponding reference value,

wherein the corresponding reference value includes a predetermined communication distance.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the power saving operation is performed upon determination that the actual communication distance is shorter than the predetermined communication distance.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the power saving operation includes at least one of: adjusting a maximum reach supported by a passive optical network (PON) that includes the OLT and the ONU; switching off circuitry for nonlinear compensation for a communication between the OLT and the ONU; switching a modulation format associated with digital signal processing; switching off a forward error correction function for a communication between the OLT and the ONU; or adjusting a transmission optical power.

8 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising instructing, by the OLT, the ONU to enter a power saving mode, upon determination that the actual communication distance is shorter than the predetermined communication distance.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the power saving operation includes at least one of a reception channel power saving operation of the OLT or a transmission channel power saving operation of the OLT.

10 . An optical transceiver apparatus, comprising:

an I/O interface communicatively coupled via an optical transmission medium to another optical transceiver apparatus;

a memory to store executable instructions; and

one or more processors configured to read the executable instructions from the memory to:

detect, by an optical line terminal (OLT), a service change associated with an optical network unit (ONU) from a first data rate service to a second data rate service, the second data rate service having a lower data rate than the first data rate service;

compare, by the OLT, a data rate of the second data rate service with a predetermined data rate with a corresponding reference value; and

perform, by the OLT, a power saving operation, upon determination that the data rate of the second data rate service is smaller than the predetermined data rate,

wherein the power saving operation includes at least one of:

switching off at least a portion of digital signal processing (DSP) functions;

switching off circuitry for nonlinear compensation;

switching off a forward error correction (FEC) function; or

switching a modulation format for communication with the ONU.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the corresponding reference value is larger than a data rate of the second data rate service and smaller than a data rate of the first data rate service.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to instruct, by the OLT, the ONU to enter a power saving mode, upon detection of the service change from the first data rate service to the second data rate service.

13 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the switching the modulation format includes switching a modulation format for transmission to the ONU to non-return to zero (NRZ) modulation format.

14 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the power saving operation includes at least one of a reception channel power saving operation of the OLT or a transmission channel power saving operation of the OLT.

15 . An optical transceiver apparatus, comprising:

an I/O interface communicatively coupled via an optical transmission medium to another optical transceiver apparatus;

a memory to store executable instructions; and

one or more processors configured to read the executable instructions from the memory to:

detect, by an optical line terminal (OLT), a service change associated with an optical network unit (ONU) from a first data rate service to a second data rate service, the second data rate service having a lower data rate than the first data rate service;

compare, by the OLT, a data rate of the second data rate service with a predetermined data rate with a corresponding reference value;

perform, by the OLT, a power saving operation, upon determination that the data rate of the second data rate service is smaller than the predetermined data rate;

detect an actual communication distance between the OLT and the ONU;

compare the actual communication distance between the OLT and the ONU, with a corresponding reference value; and

perform the power saving operation, upon determination that the actual communication distance is smaller than the corresponding reference value,

wherein the corresponding reference value includes a predetermined communication distance.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the power saving operation is performed upon determination that the actual communication distance is shorter than the predetermined communication distance.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the power saving operation includes at least one of: adjusting a maximum reach supported by a passive optical network (PON) that includes the OLT and the ONU; switching off circuitry for nonlinear compensation for a communication between the OLT and the ONU; switching a modulation format associated with digital signal processing; switching off a forward error correction function for a communication between the OLT and the ONU; or adjusting a transmission optical power.

18 . The apparatus of claim 15 , the one or more processors are further configured to instruct, by the OLT, the ONU to enter a power saving mode, upon determination that the actual communication distance is shorter than the predetermined communication distance.