Passive optical network system for the delivery of bi-directional RF services

1. A point-to-multipoint passive optical network (PON) system comprising:

a. an Optical Line Terminal (OLT);

b. a first RF Optical Transmitter;

c. a first RF Optical Receiver;

d. a first Wave-Division-Multiplexer (WDM) comprising a first upstream port, a second upstream port, a third upstream port, and at least one downstream port;

e. an optical fiber connecting the first RF Optical Transmitter to the first upstream port of the first WDM;

f. an optical fiber connecting the first RF Optical Receiver to the second upstream port of the first WDM;

g. an optical fiber connecting the OLT to the third upstream port of the first WDM;

h. an optical splitter with at least one upstream port and a plurality of downstream ports;

i. an optical fiber connecting the downstream port of the first WDM to at least one upstream port of the optical splitter;

j. one or more nodes, each node comprising:

i. a first upstream port;

ii. a second upstream port;

iii. a downstream port;

iv. a second RF optical transmitter comprising an upstream port and a downstream port;

v. a second Wave-Division-Multiplexer (WDM) comprising a first upstream port, a second upstream port, and a downstream port;

vi. an optical fiber connecting the first upstream port of the second WDM and the first upstream port of the node;

vii. an optical fiber connecting the second upstream port of the second WDM and the second upstream port of the node;

viii. an optical fiber connecting the downstream port of the second WDM to the upstream port of the second RF Optical Transmitter; and

ix. an RF connection between the downstream port of the second RF Optical Transmitter and the downstream port of the node;

k. an optical fiber connecting a downstream port of the optical splitter to the first upstream port of the node;

l. at least one three-wave length ONU, comprising:

i. an upstream port; and

ii. a downstream port;

m. an optical fiber connecting the second upstream port of the node to the upstream port of the ONU; and

n. a diplexer, the diplexer connected to the downstream port of the ONU, the downstream port of the node, and an RF distribution network.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a. one or more multi-wavelength ONUs connected to additional downstream ports of the optical splitter.

3. A point-to-multipoint passive optical network (PON) system comprising:

a. an Optical Line Terminal (OLT);

b. a first RF Optical Transmitter;

c. a first RF Optical Receiver;

d. a first Wave-Division-Multiplexer (WDM) comprising a first upstream port, a second upstream port, a third upstream port, and at least one downstream port;

e. an optical fiber connecting the first RF Optical Transmitter to the first upstream port of the first WDM;

f. an optical fiber connecting the first RF Optical Receiver to the second upstream port of the first WDM;

g. an optical splitter with at least one upstream port and a plurality of downstream ports;

h. an optical fiber connecting the OLT to the third upstream port of the first WDM;

i. an optical fiber connecting the downstream port of the first WDM to at least one upstream port of the optical splitter;

j. one or more nodes, each node comprising:

i. a first upstream port;

ii. a second upstream port;

iii. a downstream port;

iv. a second RF optical transmitter comprising an upstream port and a downstream port;

v. a second RF optical receiver comprising an upstream port and a downstream port;

vi. a second Wave-Division-Multiplexer (WDM) comprising a first upstream port, a second upstream port, and a downstream port;

vii. a third Wave-Division-Multiplexer (WDM) comprising an upstream port, a first downstream port, and a second downstream port;

viii. an optical fiber connecting the first upstream port of the second WDM to the first upstream port of the node;

ix. an optical fiber connecting the second upstream port of the second WDM to the second upstream port of the node;

x. an optical fiber connecting the downstream port of the second WDM to the upstream port of the third WDM;

xi. an optical fiber connecting the first downstream port of the third WDM to the upstream port of the second RF Optical Transmitter;

xii. an optical fiber connecting the second downstream port of the third WDM to the upstream port of the second RF Optical Receiver; and

xiii. a diplexer, the diplexer connected to the downstream port of the second RF Optical Transmitter, the downstream port of the second RF Optical Receiver, and the downstream port of the node;

k. an optical fiber connecting a downstream port of the optical splitter to the first upstream port of the node;

l. at least one two-wavelength capable ONU, comprising:

i. an upstream port; and

ii. a downstream port; and

m. an optical fiber connecting the second upstream port of the node to the upstream port of the ONU.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising one or more additional multi-wavelength capable ONUs connected to additional downstream ports of the optical splitter.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber connecting the first upstream port of the second WDM to the first upstream port of the node transports bidirectional RF optical signals.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the bidirectional RF optical signals comprise video content.

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein the optical fiber connecting the first upstream port of the second WDM to the first upstream port of the node transports bidirectional RF optical signals.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the bidirectional RF optical signals comprise video content.

9. A node, comprising:

an upstream port for coupling to an optical fiber carrying bidirectional optical signals in a bidirectional passive optical network;

an RF Optical Transmitter operative for transmitting an upstream RF optical signal;

an RF Optical Receiver, operative for receiving a downstream RF optical signal from the bidirectional passive optical network;

a diplexer, coupled to the RF Optical Transmitter and the RF Optical Receiver, operative to demultiplex an upstream RF electrical signal from a downstream RF electrical signal;

a Wavelength-Division-Multiplexer (WDM), coupled to the RF Optical Transmitter and the RF Optical Receiver, operative to multiplex the upstream RF optical signal and the downstream RF optical signal;

a second upstream port for coupling to an Optical Network Unit (ONU) operative for transmitting upstream baseband optical signals and receiving downstream baseband optical signals; and

a second Wavelength-Division-Multiplexer (WDM), coupled to the WDM, the upstream port and the second upstream port, operative for multiplexing the upstream baseband optical signals and the upstream RF optical signal and demultiplexing the downstream baseband optical signals and the downstream RF optical signal.

10. The node of claim 9 , wherein the upstream RF optical signal comprises video content.

11. The node of claim 9 , wherein the upstream RF optical signal and the downstream RF optical signal each comprise video content.

12. The node of claim 9 , further comprising a downstream electrical port for coupling to a customer premises electrical device.

13. The node of claim 12 , where the customer premises electrical device comprises a set top box.

14. The node of claim 12 , where the customer premises electrical device comprises a cable modem.

15. The node of claim 9 , where the downstream RF electrical signal occupies a portion of the RF frequency spectrum between 50 and 870 MHz.

16. The node of claim 9 , where the upstream RF electrical signal occupies a portion of the RF frequency spectrum between 5 and 42 MHz.

17. The node of claim 9 , where the upstream RF electrical signal is generated by a set top box.

18. The node of claim 9 , where the upstream RF electrical signal is generated by a cable modem.

19. The node of claim 9 , where the WDM and a laser source of the RF Optical Transmitter are combined in a single package.