Patent ID: 8718087

Claim:
For a point-to-multipoint network, a network termination device integrated circuit comprising: a receiver to receive a downstream transmission from an optical line termination unit i) within the point-to-multipoint network and ii) upstream of a network termination device, wherein the downstream transmission comprises a downstream transmission convergence frame format having i) an overhead field and ii) a payload field, and wherein the downstream transmission comprises data associated with executing time-sensitive functions and data associated with executing non-time-sensitive functions; a transmitter to transmit an upstream transmission to the line termination unit, wherein the upstream transmission comprises an upstream transmission convergence frame format having i) an overhead field and ii) a payload field, and wherein the upstream transmission comprises data associated with executing time-sensitive functions and data associated with executing non-time-sensitive functions; and an internal processor having an interface to a subassembly, the internal processor to process at least one sub-field within the overhead field of the downstream transmission and to assemble the overhead field of the upstream transmission, wherein the internal processor is to receive and process exclusively the data within each of the upstream transmission and the downstream transmission associated with executing the time-sensitive functions, and wherein after the internal processor receives the data within the downstream transmission associated with executing the time-sensitive functions, the internal processor is to control the receiver to offload the data within the downstream transmission associated with executing the non-time-sensitive functions to an external processor physically located on the subassembly and external to and distinct from the integrated circuit for processing by the external processor.