Patent ID: 8412043

Claim:
An optical communications network that consists of one station-side equipment being connected to a plurality of subscriber-side equipments, the station-side equipment comprising: a transmission buffer section that accumulates downstream data signals received from an external network; a station-side control section that comprises a transmission plan preparation unit that monitors the transmission buffer section and prepares transmission plans, and a control signal generation unit that generates downstream control signals that include the transmission plans; and a transmitting section that assigns, to the downstream data signals and the downstream control signals, identifiers that indicate the destination subscriber-side equipments, and converts downstream signals, that include the downstream data signals and the downstream control signals, into downstream optical signals, and sends the downstream optical signals out toward the subscriber-side equipments in accordance with the transmission plans, and each of the plurality of subscriber-side equipments comprising: a receiving section that converts downstream optical signals, that are received from the station-side equipment, into downstream electric signals, and refers to identifiers assigned thereto and extracts downstream electric signals addressed to itself, and sends downstream control signals, that are included in the extracted downstream electric signals, to a subscriber-side control section; the subscriber-side control section that comprises a transmission plan reading unit that reads the transmission plans included in the downstream control signals, and a timer control signal generation unit that generates timer control signals including information of receiving start times and receiving stop times of downstream optical signals addressed to itself; a timer that generates switch control signals that switch on/off a switch on the basis of the timer control signals; an electricity supply section; and the switch that is provided between the receiving section and the electricity supply section, and that, on the basis of the switch control signals, opens and closes a path connecting the receiving section and the electricity supply section.