Patent ID: 7154904

Claim:
A time slot management method for use in a time division multiple access network which includes a main station (MS) coupled by optical fibers to each of a plurality of units of an optical communications network, said management method being for an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), and said management method including transmission of grants transmitted downstream for upstream access, characterized in that said time slot management method additionally includes at least partially filling a physical layer operation and maintenance part (PLOAM) with a plurality of said grants, said physical layer operation and maintenance part (PLOAM) broadcasted from said main station (MS) toward said plurality of unit of said optical communications network in order to transport operation and maintenance information packets related to operation and maintenance functions, wherein the upstream access provides access to upstream frames which each include fifty-three cells, wherein a first PLOAM cell in a downstream frame includes twenty-seven of the grants, wherein a second PLOAM cell in the downstream frame includes twenty-seven of the grants, and wherein one of the grants in the second PLOAM cell is an idle grant.