Method and apparatus for transmitting an internet protocol (ip) packet within a fiber optic network

Abstract

An embodiment includes an optical source, an optical receiver, and an interconnecting optical fiber. A data sequence is received and encoded or formatted as an IP packet using an encoding format capable of returning a signal representing the IP packet to a predetermined value at the beginning of each bit period of the IP packet at a physical layer of the network. The encoded IP packet is then transmitted directly over an optical layer of the network without adapting the IP packet to another encoding format or using an adaptation layer in the network (e.g., at a data link layer or higher). The optical receiver receives the IP packet and then a clock signal is extracted without the overhead and costs associated with additional adaptation or encoding of the IP packet. When the optical source is in an idle state, a mark-hold state (more generally called a filler signal) is formatted with the same encoding format and transmitted to the optical receiver directly over the optical layer in order to maintain a synchronous clock during the idle state.