Dynamic scheduling using PON bandwidth allocation on lower aggregation levels

1. An Optical Network Unit (ONU), for terminating a passive optical network (PON) operating according to a PON transmission technology, said ONU comprising:

a memory storing program instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the program instructions, whereby the ONU is operative to:

receive, via a Downlink interface, upstream data packet communication from at least one downstream-positioned network operating according to a different, second transmission technology;

transmit, via an Uplink interface, upstream data packet communication to at least one upstream-positioned PON network node via an optical uplink;

convert data packet communication in a downstream direction from the PON transmission technology to the second transmission technology;

convert data packet communication in an upstream direction from the second transmission technology to the PON technology;

determine a momentary parameter value of at least one scheduling control parameter of a set of different scheduling control parameters of the optical uplink;

transmit each determined scheduling control parameter momentary value to at least the closest node in the downstream-positioned network operating according to the second transmission technology, wherein the node comprises a scheduler, and wherein each of said scheduling control parameter values is used by the node to adapt the scheduler operation to the latest determined parameter values of the scheduling control parameter received from the ONU; and

schedule the data packets upstream to the PON in the same order as they were scheduled by said downstream-positioned scheduler and received by the Downstream interface.

2. The Optical Network Unit according to claim 1 , wherein at least one scheduling control parameter of said set of different scheduling control parameters is related to a corresponding quality of service (QoS) setting of a set of QoS settings defined for an optical uplink provided by a PON to which the ONU is connected.

3. The Optical Network Unit according to claim 1 , wherein said determined and transmitted parameter value is the momentary transmission bandwidth capacity of an optical uplink provided by a PON to which the ONU is connected.

4. The Optical Network Unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a buffer for temporarily storing message content of received signals.

5. The Optical Network Unit according to claim 1 , wherein the ONU is further operative to handle status messages and status reports.

6. The Optical Network Unit according to claim 5 , wherein the ONU is further operative to insert the determined momentary parameter value of a scheduling control parameter as an encapsulated message to one or more downstream-positioned schedulers.

7. The Optical Network Unit according to claim 5 , wherein the ONU is further operative to receive a buffer queue usage message as a message from the downstream-positioned scheduler.

8. The Optical Network Unit according to claim 7 , wherein the ONU is further operative to process information in said buffer queue usage messages and determine Dynamic Bandwidth Report Upstream (DBRu) parameter content.

9. The Optical Network Unit according to claim 1 , wherein said ONU is configured to be located in a node of a Gigabit Passive Optical Network.

10. The Optical Network Unit according to claim 9 , wherein said ONU is configured to communicate with a Network Termination device in a node of the downstream-positioned network operating according to the second transmission technology.

11. A method in an Optical Network Unit (ONU) for scheduling control of an upstream data packet communication through the ONU, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a momentary parameter value of at least one scheduling control parameter of a set of different parameters;

transmitting each determined momentary parameter value to at least one downstream-positioned node, said node comprising a scheduler operating in a network utilizing a different transmission protocol than utilized by the ONU;

receiving on a downlink interface from the at least one downstream-positioned node, the upstream data packet communication; and

transmitting upstream, the upstream data packet communication received from the at least one downstream-positioned node, wherein the data packets are scheduled for upstream transmission in the same order as they were scheduled by the at least one downstream-positioned node and received on the downlink interface.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein at least one scheduling control parameter of said set of different scheduling control parameters is related to a corresponding Quality of Service (QoS) setting of a set of QoS settings defined for an optical uplink provided by a passive optical network (PON) to which the ONU is connected.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein said determined and transmitted momentary parameter value is a momentary transmission bandwidth capacity of an optical uplink provided by a passive optical network (PON) to which the ONU is connected.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein said momentary transmission bandwidth capacity is partially distributed as a committed traffic rate to multiple downstream positioned nodes.

15. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising temporarily storing message content of the signals received on the downlink interface in a buffer.

16. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising handling status messages and status reports.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein handling status messages and status reports comprises distributing resources characterized by the determined momentary parameters in encapsulated messages to the at least one downstream-positioned node.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein handling status messages and status reports comprises:

receiving a buffer queue usage message as an encapsulated message from the at least one downstream-positioned node; and

processing information in said buffer queue usage message and determining Dynamic Bandwidth Report Upstream (DBRu) parameter content.

19. A Network Termination device, comprising:

a scheduler;

a buffer; and

a processing unit, wherein the processing unit is adapted to:

identify and read actual scheduling control parameter values received from an upstream-positioned Optical Network Unit (ONU); and

adjust scheduling of the scheduler to schedule upstream data packets for transmission to the ONU according to the received actual scheduling control parameters values;

wherein the Network Termination device operates in a network utilizing a different transmission protocol than utilized by the ONU.

20. The Network Termination device according to claim 19 , further configured to determine at least one value of a level of a buffer queue of the buffer.

21. The Network Termination device according to claim 20 , further configured to generate outgoing messages involving the level of the buffer queue in a message addressed to said ONU.