US 11589142

A concise summary of US Patent 11,589,142 is as follows:

Title: Mutually secure optical data network and method

Assignee: While the patent document lists "Individual" as the original and current assignee, related legal filings from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) identify the owner as Spada Innovations Inc. This suggests a potential transfer of ownership or a more complex assignment history.

Inventors: Joseph L. Vilella

Filing Date: July 15, 2021

Issue Date: February 21, 2023

Abstract: The patent describes a digital optical data network system designed to enhance information security within Passive Optical Networks (PONs). This is achieved by implementing virtual information separation in the network's router, such as a premise router. The system utilizes virtual routing and forwarding to enable secure data traffic between multiple carriers, service providers, and end-users on the PON, such as tenants in a building or employees of a business.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

Claim 1: This claim outlines a method for securely communicating digital data over a network. It involves a primary and a secondary passive optical network (PON) interface router. The primary router is configured to virtually separate data intended for a specific private user. This separation is accomplished by generating a unique virtual routing table using Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF). The private data is then labeled using Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) and sent with other data streams to the secondary router. The secondary router converts the MPLS-labeled data back to standard Internet Protocol (IP) packets and forwards all the data to a PON optical line terminal (OLT). The OLT combines these data streams into a common feed, which is then distributed to multiple optical network units (ONUs) via optical splitters. Finally, the specific ONU connected to the private user extracts the virtually separated private data stream and sends it to the user's device.

Claim 5: This claim focuses on a digital network communication method from the perspective of the PON optical line terminal (OLT). The OLT receives at least one private data stream that has already been virtually separated using Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) by a PON interface router. This separated stream, intended for a specific optical network unit (ONU) serving a private user, is then aggregated with other data streams by the OLT into a common data feed. This common feed is then distributed to multiple ONUs. The designated ONU extracts the private data stream from the common feed and delivers it to the end-user's device.

Claim 8: This claim presents a broader digital network communication method. It begins with a passive optical network (PON) optical line terminal (OLT) receiving a private data stream that has been virtually separated using Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF). This separated data is intended for a particular optical network unit (ONU) that serves a private user. The OLT aggregates this private stream with other data streams into a common data feed. This feed is then distributed to various ONUs using optical splitters. The intended ONU then extracts the private data from the common feed and forwards it to the private user's device.