Patent ID: 8238754

Claim:
A network client optical transceiver module for a passive optical network, the passive optical network having one or more passive optical splitters for coupling the network client optical transceiver module over one or more optical fibers to the head end of the passive optical network and the network client optical transceiver module having a pluggable form factor and configured to removably couple to an optical module port of a switch or router, the network client optical transceiver module comprising: an optical port configured to optically couple to one or more optical fibers of the passive optical network having one or more passive optical splitters; a bi-directional optical interface block optically coupled to the optical port and configured to perform optical-to-electrical and electrical-to-optical signal conversion; a control module electrically coupled to the bi-directional optical interface block and configured to receive from the head end of the passive optical network data communications representing one or more start times for transmitting data communications to the head end of the passive optical network and configured to transmit the data communications to the head end of the passive optical network responsive to the start times; and an electrical network interface port electrically coupled to the control module and for electrically coupling into the optical module port of the switch or router and for communicating with the switch or router; whereby the network client optical transceiver module is configured to optically communicate with the head end of the passive optical network responsive to start times for transmitting data communications to the head end of the passive optical network and the network client optical transceiver module is configured to removably couple to the optical module port of the switch or router and electrically communicate with the switch or router.