Patent ID: 7978976

Claim:
An optical data transmission system, comprising: a hub; a passive kerb location having an optical router and a plurality of optically pumped sources; and a plurality of optical network units each corresponding to one of the plurality of optically pumped sources, wherein each optical network unit has a laser for producing data modulated pumping light for transmission to its respective optically pumped source, wherein each optically pumped source is configured to receive injection light from an injection source outside the passive kerb location and to receive the data modulated pumping light from its respective optical network unit, wherein the optically pumped source is configured to form data modulated transmission light at a predefined wavelength range assigned to its respective optical network unit, wherein the data modulated transmission light is based on the injection light and the data modulated pumping light, and wherein each predefined wavelength range corresponds to a distinct wavelength channel, wherein the optical router comprises a plurality of upstream/downstream wavelength division multiplexers (WDMs) configured to route different data modulated pumping light to different optically pumped sources and to route the data modulated transmission light to a multiplexing element.