System and method for providing packetized video over an optical network
System and method for distributing IP video are described. One embodiment is a method for distributing IP video comprising transmitting an optical data stream in a designated optical band to an optical network terminal (“ONT”), wherein the optical data stream comprises a broadcast IP video signal provided as a packetized video overlay; converting the optical data stream to an electrical data stream at the ONT; and transmitting the electrical data stream to a subscriber.
1. A method for distributing IP video comprising:
prior to transmitting an optical data stream is a designated optical band, receiving a broadcast IP video signal, combining the broadcast IP video signal with an additional IP video signal, and converting the combined IP video signal to an optical data stream in a designated optical band by a modified IP video switch, the modified IP video switch adapted to transmit the video data stream as an optical data signal and drive video channel information into an Ethernet destination address;
amplifying the optical data stream;
transmitting, by the modified IP video switch, the optical data stream in the designated optical band to an optical network terminal (“ONT”), wherein the optical data stream comprises the broadcast IP video signal provided as a packetized video overlay;
converting the optical data stream to an electrical data stream at the ONT; and
transmitting the electrical data stream to a subscriber.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the optical data stream is performed in a promiscuous mode.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the modified IP video switch is located in a video head end apparatus.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein each packet of the broadcast IP video signal comprises a header, the method further comprising, for each header, replacing an Ethernet MAC destination address (“DA”) with a video channel identification (“CH_ID”).
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein channel switching is implemented at layer 2 of multicast protocols.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmission of an optical data stream in a designated optical band is performed over a passive optical network (“PON”).
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additional IP video signal is an interactive video signal.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additional IP video signal is a locally-generated video signal.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting the optical data stream to an ONT further comprises splitting the optical data stream into a plurality of optical data streams each for delivery to an ONT.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving Internet voice and data at an optical line terminal (“OLT”);
converting the received Internet voice and data to an additional optical data stream portion in a different optical band; and
combining the additional optical data stream portion into the optical data stream prior to the transmitting the optical data stream to an optical network terminal (“ONT”).
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising, prior to transmitting the electrical data stream to a subscriber:
separating and recovering the additional optical data stream portion from the optical data stream;
converting the additional optical data stream portion back to an electrical signal comprising the IP voice and data signals;
converting the IP voice signals into analog voice signals and providing the analog voice signals to a POTS device; and
providing the IP data signals to a data device.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the additional IP video signal is sent as IP video overlay.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the designated optical band has an optical wavelength of about 1550 nm.
14. A system for distributing IP video comprising:
means for transmitting an optical data stream in a designated optical band to an optical network terminal (“ONT”) by a modified IP video switch, the optical data stream comprising a broadcast IP video signal provided as a packetized video overlay, the modified IP video switch adapted to transmit the video data stream as an optical data signal and drive video channel information into an Ethernet destination address;
means for converting the optical data stream to an electrical data stream at the ONT;
means for receiving the broadcast IP video signal;
means for combining the broadcast IP video signal with an additional IP video signal into a combined IP video signal;
means for converting the combined IP video signal to the optical data stream in the designated optical band;
means for amplifying the optical data stream prior to transmission thereof to the ONT; and
means for transmitting the electrical data stream to a subscriber.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein the modified IP video switch transmits the optical data stream in a promiscuous mode.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein the modified IP video switch is located in a video head end apparatus.
17. The system of claim 14 wherein the means for transmitting the electrical data stream to a subscriber comprises a passive optical network (“PON”).
18. The system of claim 14 wherein the additional IP video signal is an interactive video signal.
19. The system of claim 14 wherein the means for transmitting the optical data stream to an ONT further comprises means for splitting the optical data stream into a plurality of optical data streams each for delivery to an ONT.
20. The system of claim 14 further comprising:
means for receiving Internet voice and data at an at optical line terminal (“OLT”);
means for converting the received Internet voice and data to an additional optical data stream portion in a different optical band; and
means for combining the additional optical data portion into the optical data stream prior to the transmitting the optical data stream to an optical network terminal (“ONT”).
21. The system of claim 20 further comprising:
means for separating and recovering the additional optical data stream portion from the optical data stream;
means for converting the additional optical data stream portion back to an electrical signal comprising the IP voice and data signals;
means for converting the IP voice signals into analog voice signals and providing the analog voice signals to a POTS device; and
means for providing the IP data signals to a data device.
22. A system for distributing video, the system comprising:
a video head end connected to receive a broadcast IP video data stream and convert the received data stream from an electrical signal to an optical signal in a first optical band, the video head end comprising an IP video switch for transmitting an IP video data stream in a promiscuous mode, the IP video switch adapted to transmit the video data stream as an optical data signal and drive video channel information into an Ethernet destination address;
an optical amplifier (“OA”) for amplifying optical signals received from the video head end;
a wave division multiplexer (“WDM”) for combining the amplified broadcast IP video data stream from the OA with IP data and voice signals in a second optical band; and
a distributive optical network for transmitting the combined optical signal to an optical network terminal (“ONT”) at a subscriber premises, wherein at the ONT, the broadcast IP video data signals are recovered from the combined optical signal, converted back to an electrical signal, and transmitted to subscriber equipment comprising a set top box (“STB”).
23. The system of claim 22 wherein the OA is an erbium doped fiber amplifier (“EDFA”).
24. The system of claim 22 wherein the ONT is located at a subscriber premises.
25. The system of claim 22 further comprising an optical line terminal (“OLT”) for converting the IP data and voice signals from electrical signals to optical signals in a 1490 nm optical band.
26. The system of claim 22 wherein the distributive optical network is implemented as a PON using a splitter operable to split the combined optical signal into a plurality of optical sign al streams.
27. The system of claim 22 wherein the ONT comprises a triplexer for converting the optical signals into electrical signals.
28. The system of claim 27 wherein the ONT comprises an Ethernet switch configured as a static bridge connected to receive the IP video data stream from the triplexer.
29. The system of claim 22 , wherein the optical network terminal comprises:
a triplexer for converting optical signals received on three wavelengths into electrical signals, the triplexer comprising an avalanche photodiode (“APD”) for detecting an optical signal comprising an IP video data stream;
an Ethernet physical layer (“PHY”) module for receiving digital signals from the triplexer; and
an Ethernet switch connected for receiving digital signals from the PHY module and passing selected video streams therethrough.
30. The ONT of claim 29 wherein the Ethernet switch is configured as a static bridge.
31. The ONT of claim 29 wherein video streams are passed through the Ethernet switch per an IEEE standard.