Patent ID: 7450515

Claim:
A method for transmitting Operation, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) information from an Optical Line Termination (OLT) to an Optical Network Unit/Optical Network Terminal (ONU/ONT) during a Gigabit-Capable Passive Optical Network (GPON) Encapsulation Method (GEM) mode in a Gigabit-capable passive optical network, the method comprising the steps of: constructing a Gigabit-Capable Passive Optical Network (GPON) Encapsulation Method Operation, Administration and Maintenance (GEM OAM) frame having a GEM header field and a GEM payload field, the GEM header field containing OAM representation information indicating that the GEM OAM frame contains the OAM information, the GEM payload field containing the OAM information; and transmitting the constructed GEM OAM frame to enable the ONU/ONT to perform an operation according to the OAM information, wherein the GEM header field includes an OAM type field for representing types of the OAM information, a function type field for representing functions according to the OAM types, and an OAM function specific field for representing detailed operations according to the function types; and wherein a value of the OAM representation information is activated to indicate the GEM OAM frame and deactivated to indicate a conventional frame.