Patent ID: 7613395

Claim:
A transmission system for a passive optical network, comprising: a shared optical transmission apparatus configured for being coupled to an optical line termination unit via an optical fiber; a shared electrical interface apparatus coupled to the shared optical transmission apparatus; and a plurality of transmission convergence termination units coupled to the shared electrical interface apparatus, wherein each one of said transmission convergence termination units is configured for selectively controlling the shared electrical interface apparatus to facilitate bi-directional signal transmission, wherein the shared optical transmission apparatus includes: an optical multiplexing device; a laser driver coupled between the optical multiplexing device and the shared electrical interface apparatus for enabling upstream transmission functionality; and a clock and data recovery device coupled between the optical multiplexing device and the shared electrical interface apparatus for enabling downstream transmission functionality, and wherein the shared electrical interface apparatus includes a 1:N type buffering device coupled between the shared optical transmission apparatus and each one of said transmission convergence termination units enabling downstream transmission functionality, and an electrical multiplexing device coupled between the shared optical transmission apparatus and each one of said transmission convergence termination units enabling upstream transmission functionality to facilitate the bi-directional signal transmission and wherein the transmission system shares front end components of the plurality of transmission convergence termination units such that the plurality of transmission convergence termination units are devoid of optical module components for facilitating optical signal transmission functionality.