Dynamic bandwidth allocation supporting diversified queue status reporting for EPON systems

Dynamic bandwidth allocation (DBA) is an indispensable function in Ethernet passive optical networks (EPONs). The DBA function implemented in an optical line terminal utilizes REPORT messages to learn about the upstream queue statuses in optical network units (ONUs). However, the methods for describing the REPORT messages are not fully standardized, which results in a lack of interoperability. This paper proposes a diversity DBA technique that can support different types of ONUs with diverse REPORT description methods. The diversity DBA technique is comprised of an identification process to differentiate REPORT description methods and an interpretation process to convert the content of different REPORT description methods. We provide simulation results to demonstrate the validity of the proposed DBA technique.