Entries |
Document | Title | Date |
20080205887 | Integrated Wavelength Selectable Photodiode Using Tunable Thin Film Filters - An integrated wavelength selectable photodiode includes a device package having an input that receives an optical signal. A set-and-hold, thermally tunable thin-film filter is positioned in the device package and includes an input that is optically coupled to the input of the device package. The set-and-hold, thermally tunable thin-film filter passes light with a predetermined optical bandwidth to an output. An optical element collimates an incident optical beam onto the input of the set-and-hold, thermally tunable thin-film filter. A detector is positioned in the device package and includes an input that is optically coupled to the output of the set-and-hold, thermally tunable thin-film filter. The detector detects data received by the integrated wavelength selectable photodiode. | 08-28-2008 |
20080219662 | Monolithically Integrated Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer - A reconfigurable optical add-drop mulitplexer comprises a first waveguide layer having formed therein a first multiplexer-demultiplexer, a second multiplexer-demultiplexer, and a plurality of optical switches. The reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer further comprises a second waveguide layer optically coupled to the first waveguide and having a second effective index of refraction, said second waveguide layer having an optical amplifier formed therein. An input signal is amplified by the optical amplifier and communicated to the first optical multiplexer-demultiplexer where the signal is demultiplexed into a plurality individual wavelength signals. The second optical multiplexer-demultiplexer is adapted to receive a multiplexed add signal and to demultiplex the add signal into component wavelength signals. The individual wavelength signals are received at the optical switches and selectively routed to either an optical detector or toward the first multiplexer-demultiplexer. The individual wavelength signals received at the first multiplexer-demultiplexer are multiplexed into an output signal. | 09-11-2008 |
20080219663 | OPTICAL DEVICE WITH CASCADED STEERING DEVICES - An optical switching device for wavelength divisional multiplexed signals uses cascaded arrays of optical steering devices for 1×N routing of WDM optical signals, where N=4, 8, 16, etc. Two cascaded arrays provide 1×4 switching; three cascaded arrays provide 1×8 switching; and so on. Each array is configured with independently controlled optical steering devices so that each wavelength channel of the WDM signal may be routed to any of N output ports. The optical steering devices may be micro-mirrors, liquid crystal-based polarization modulators, or a combination of both. By incorporating cascaded optical steering devices into a single WDM switching device, cost effective 1×N switching of WDM optical signals may be realized. | 09-11-2008 |
20080226292 | Method and Processing Device for Transmitting Ethernet Service Signals in Wavelength Division Multiplexing Networks - Disclosed is a method for transmitting Ethernet service signals in a Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) network, including: a Center receiving Ethernet service signals and transmitting the signals to a transmission channel; a receiving station receives the Ethernet service signals, performs a space-division cross operation upon the received signals, duplicates the signals into two copies, where one is locally downloaded while the other is returned to the transmission channel. Three devices for processing the Ethernet service signals in the WDM network are provided. With the present invention, the broadcast of the Ethernet service signals with large granularity is implemented, therefore decreasing the delay for broadcast the real-time services; besides, it is not necessary anymore to construct a overlapped network with three layers of devices, i.e. a WDM system, a Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) system and a data device, so the network structure is simplified and management is convenient. | 09-18-2008 |
20080232800 | Method and apparatus for switching optical wavelengths - An example embodiment of the present invention is a non-blocking wavelength switching architecture that enables graceful scaling of a network wavelength switching node from small to large fiber counts using fixed size bidirectional 1×N Wavelength Selective Switches (WSS). The architecture uses an intermediate broadcast and select layer implemented using optical splitters and WSSs to eliminate wavelength blocking. | 09-25-2008 |
20080247753 | Optoelectronic switch having cascaded optical nodes - An optical switch assembly is provided having a plurality of optoelectronic switching nodes. Each node is a three terminal optical device having a first optical input, a second optical input and an optical output. Each node can be electrically activated or deactivated via an electrical control input. Each node has a transmittance between its second optical input and its optical output. This transmittance depends on the signal at the first optical input if the node is activated, and is independent of the first optical input if the node is deactivated. Thus modulation at the first optical input can be selectively imposed on the optical output. The switch includes at least two chains of nodes, each chain having two or more nodes connected in series such that each pair of adjacent nodes is connected from optical output to second optical input. Switches according to the invention can be configured as optical crossbar switches or optical routers. | 10-09-2008 |
20080298805 | System and Method for Wavelength Conversion and Switching - A network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising collecting wavelength availability information associated with a wavelength switched optical network (WSON), receiving a path computation request to transport a signal through the WSON, calculating at least one route through the WSON for the signal, and assigning at least one wavelength for the signal to use along the route. Also disclosed is a network comprising a first path computation element (PCE) configured to compute at least one route for a signal between a source and a destination, and a second PCE in communication with the first PCE, wherein the second PCE is configured to receive the route from the first PCE and assign at least one wavelength to the route. | 12-04-2008 |
20080304827 | Frequency Shift Keying Demodulator - It is an object of the present invention to provide an FSK demodulator which can be used in the optical information and telecommunications and the like, and which can appropriately demodulate an FSK signal by compensating a delay of an optical FSK modulated signal due to dispersion and the like of an optical fiber. | 12-11-2008 |
20090060503 | STORAGE OVER OPTICAL/WIRELESS INTEGRATED BROADBAND ACCESS NETWORK (SOBA) ARCHITECTURE - An optical line terminal (OLT), network and method include input and output switching modules configured to switch between input and output channels. A transmission module is configured for physical layer transmission using at least one of a plurality of transmission technologies to provide multiple uses of an existing transmission line. A dynamic resource module is configured to allocate network resources dynamically to one or more storage area networks (SAN) based on storage resource requests. A service differentiation module is configured to determine and implement different service levels for SAN users. An existing network infrastructure is enabled to provide custom SAN services without a dedicated line and without interfering with existing services. | 03-05-2009 |
20090060504 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROTECTION SWITCHING OF OPTICAL CHANNEL - An apparatus and method for protection switching of an optical channel at each node in an optical network based on wavelength division multiplexing optical transmission technology are provided. The method can be applied to any node having at least two optical fiber inputs and outputs. The apparatus includes: a splitter receiving an electrical signal and splitting the received electrical signal into a plurality of electrical signals which are substantially identical to the received electrical signal; an output switching unit selecting output paths of the electrical signals split by the splitter according to an optical channel path control command of the optical network; and a plurality of optical transponders being assigned to the respective output paths of the electrical signals, converting the electrical signal input by the selection of the output switching unit to an optical signal, and transmitting the converted optical signal to another node of the optical network. | 03-05-2009 |
20090060505 | Distributing Wavelength Compatible with Signaling Protocols - An apparatus, comprising a first node configured to communicate with a second node to generate a wavelength assignment, wherein the first node is configured to send a wavelength availability information to the second node. Included is a network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method, comprising receiving a wavelength availability information, and updating the wavelength availability information using a local wavelength availability information. Also included is a method, comprising acquiring a local wavelength assignment information, calculating a local wavelength availability information, and transmitting the local wavelength availability information to a subsequent network element on a lightpath. | 03-05-2009 |
20090080885 | SCHEDULING METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPTICAL BURST SWITCHED NETWORKS - An optical network scheduling device ( | 03-26-2009 |
20090080886 | Extending Path Computation Element Protocol to Accommodate Routing and Wavelength Assignment in Wavelength Switched Optical Networks - A network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising transmitting a request to compute a routing assignment, a wavelength assignment, or both for a signal in a wavelength switched optical network, wherein the request comprises a lightpath constraint and wherein the request is transmitted using a path computation element protocol. Also disclosed is a network comprising a first path computation element (PCE) and a path computation client (PCC) in communication with the PCE, wherein the PCC is configured to send a request to and receive a reply from the PCE using a PCE protocol, wherein the request comprises a lightpath constraint. Included is a method comprising sending a discovery advertisement to the at least one PCE that calculates a wavelength assignment, receiving a response comprising a PCE capability information from the PCE, wherein the request and the reply are communicated via a PCE protocol. | 03-26-2009 |
20090103919 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTEGRATING A FIBER OPTIC FIXED ACCESS NETWORK AND A FIBER OPTIC RADIO ACCESS NETWORK - A system and method are described for integrating a fiber optic fixed access network and a fiber optic radio access network. At least one radio unit transmits and receives communications with at least one mobile unit. A first multiplexer transmits and receives the communications with the at least one radio unit and fixed access communications with at least one fixed access subscriber. The first multiplexer is connected to each of the at least one radio unit and to each of the at least one fixed access subscriber using fiber optic connections. Each of the at least one radio unit transmits and receives the communications with the first multiplexer using a wavelength that is different for each of the at least one radio unit and different from that used to transmit and receive the fixed access communications from the at least one fixed access subscriber. The communications and the fixed access communications are transmitted and received together between the first multiplexer and a second multiplexer through the fiber optic fixed access network using the different wavelengths. | 04-23-2009 |
20090110395 | Path Computation Element Method to Support Routing and Wavelength Assignment in Wavelength Switched Optical Networks - A network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising transmitting a request to compute a routing assignment, a wavelength assignment, or both, wherein the request comprises a lightpath constraint indicator is disclosed. Also disclosed is an apparatus comprising a Path Computation Client (PCC) configured to transmit a request to and receive a reply from a Path Computation Element (PCE), wherein the request comprises a lightpath constraint, and wherein the reply comprises a routing assignment, a wavelength assignment, an error message, a no-path indication, or combinations thereof. Included is a method comprising receiving a request comprising a request parameter (RP) object comprising a lightpath constraint, sending a reply comprising a routing assignment, a wavelength assignment, an error message, a no-path indicator, or combinations thereof, wherein the request is received and the reply is sent using path computation element protocol (PCEP). | 04-30-2009 |
20090116835 | WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH - A wavelength selective switch is provided. The wavelength selective switch according to the present invention comprises: an optical demultiplexer for separating an incident light with a plurality of wavelengths multiplexed into a plurality of wavelength lights and outputting the separated wavelength lights; an optical amplifier for selectively amplifying or absorbing the separated wavelength lights; an optical deflector for selectively deflecting outputs of the optical amplifier; and an optical multiplexer for multiplexing the selectively deflected lights and outputting the multiplexed lights. | 05-07-2009 |
20090129776 | WAVELENGTH-SELECTIVE SWITCH AND METHOD FOR CHANNEL-BY-CHANNEL SWITCHING FOR A WAVELENGTH-SELECTIVE SWITCH - A wavelength multiplex signal (WDM | 05-21-2009 |
20090148162 | METHODS FOR NON-WAVELENGTH-CONVERTING MULTI-LANE OPTICAL SWITCHING - A method for providing multi-wavelength switching. The method comprising receiving a plurality of signals through at least one input port, and separating the plurality of said signals into at least one wavelength signal set based on wavelengths, wherein a first wavelength signal set of said at least one wavelength signal sets corresponds to a first wavelength. The method further comprises providing a plurality of output lanes to at least one output port, and determining if two signals from said first wavelength signal set traveling on said first wavelength are scheduled output from an output port during an overlapping time period through said plurality of output lanes. The method further comprises determining if one of said plurality of output lanes is available during said overlapping time period when said two signals are schedule for said output port during the overlapping time period, wherein a first signal of said two signals is routed for output on an available lane if one of said plurality of output lanes of said output port is available. | 06-11-2009 |
20090154923 | WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH - Provided is a wavelength selective switch (WSS), and more particularly, a wavelength selective switch for electrically switching a wavelength without physical displacement. The wavelength selective switch includes an optical demultiplexer for dividing an input optical signal into signals having wavelengths corresponding to respective channels, selecting either the optical signal of each channel obtained by dividing the input optical signal or an optical signal input via an add port, and outputting the selected optical signal; and an optical multiplexer including an optical deflecting unit for individually deflecting the optical signals of the respective channels received from the optical demultiplexer according to supplied current or applied voltage, wherein the optical signal of each channel deflected by the optical deflecting unit is output to a specific output port. In the wavelength selective switch, current is supplied to the optical deflectors to switch the channels, resulting in higher reliability, smaller volume and higher switching speed than a conventional wavelength selective switch using mechanical displacement to switch channels. | 06-18-2009 |
20090162059 | WAVELENGTH DIVISION MULTIPLEXING TRANSMISSION SYSTEM - A wavelength division multiplexing transmission system in which a first channel using an intensity modulation scheme and a second channel using a phase modulation scheme are present includes a polarization scrambler inserted into a signal path of either one of the first channel and the second channel to perform polarization scrambling, and a drive unit configured to drive the polarization scrambler at frequency greater than or equal to a value defined as: (bit rate of phase modulated signal)/(error correction frame length)×2. | 06-25-2009 |
20090175620 | WAVELENGTH-SWITCHED OPTICAL ADD-DROP MULTIPLEXER WITH WAVELENGTH BROADCASTING CAPABILITY - The present invention provides a wavelength-switched reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (R-OADM) with wavelength broadcasting capability, such that asymmetric video signal distribution and the like can be performed without sacrificing with respect to component complexity and expense. The present invention utilizes an optical splitting and combining device with the wavelength-switched R-OADM to allow the R-OADM to support network-wide wavelength broadcasts without requiring external regeneration and extra optical transceiver equipment. | 07-09-2009 |
20090185804 | Optical access network system - In an optical access network system in which a relay station receives a wavelength multiplexed and time-division multiplexed optical signal (WDM optical signal) from an optical network, and the relay station transmits optical signals having specified wavelengths to subscriber units, the relay station demultiplexes the WDM optical signal into a plurality of groups with one group having a plurality of optical signals having a fixed wavelength interval between signals, then divides the optical signals of each group into k branches (k is the number of subscriber units) and inputs the signals to optical switches, and by turning ON/OFF the optical switches such that they are spaced in time, inputs the branched optical signals to the respective specified subscribers units. | 07-23-2009 |
20090220228 | Wide Free-Spectral-Range, Widely Tunable and Hitless-Switchable Optical Channel Add-Drop Filters - Optical devices extending the free spectral range and tunability of, and enabling hitless switching of, integrated optical filters suitable for add-drop filters. Devices include (i) a splitter device configured to split an input spectrum among a plurality of output ports, and a combiner device configured to combine at least a portion of the split input spectrum into a single output port, splitter and combiner having respective first and second input and output ports, and a respective transfer matrix, the matrix of the combiner being the diagonal transpose of that of the splitter; (ii) a first optical path coupling the first output port of the splitter and the first input port of the combiner; (iii) a second optical path coupling the second output port of the splitter and the second input port of the combiner, wherein the first and second optical paths are configured to introduce, at least at a wavelength of the input spectrum, a relative phase shift of π radians; and (iv) an optical filter coupled to at least one of the first and second optical paths. | 09-03-2009 |
20090238565 | OPTICAL SWITCH WITH POWER EQUALIZATION - An optical intensity control system for use with an optical switch providing individual signal paths between input and output ports. The system has a optical splitters connectable to output multiplexers of the switch and also has variable optical intensity controllers (VOICs) for insertion into the individual signal paths. The VOICs individually control the intensity of optical signals present in the signal paths in accordance with intensity control signals. An equalizer is connected to the splitters and to the VOICs, for producing an estimate of the optical power of each individual switched optical signal and generating the intensity control signals. The equalizer is adapted to controllably isolate individual switched optical signals. In this way, individual and independent control of the power on each optical channel is provided, wavelength-dependent losses introduced by all the devices in the switch including the WDM devices at the output of the switch are accounted for and one optical coupler is required for each output optical fiber. Coarse equalization may be provided for each multiplexed optical signal either at the switch input or output, permitting a reduction in the dynamic range over which the VOICs inside the switch are required to operate. | 09-24-2009 |
20090269060 | Providing Wavelength Connectivity Information To A Network - In particular embodiments, providing wavelength connectivity information to a network includes establishing wavelength connectivity information for a network node of the network. The network node comprises link pairs, where a link pair has an input link and an output link. The wavelength connectivity information describes a set of available wavelengths between an input link and an output link. The wavelength connectivity information is inserted into an advertisement, and the advertisement is sent to at least a subset of the network nodes of the network in real time. | 10-29-2009 |
20090274459 | OPTICAL NODE APPARATUS - The present invention is directed to an optical node apparatus in which the number of light elements that propagates reference light is reduced, which includes pa input-side wavelength mux/demux elements, a switch module, pb output-side wavelength mux/demux elements, and a reference light source. Each of the input-side wavelength mux/demux element include at least two first port and at least two second port. One of the first ports included in each input-side wavelength mux/demux element is coupled to an input transmission path. The other of the first ports coupled to the reference light source, and each of the second ports is coupled to an input end of the switch module. | 11-05-2009 |
20090324220 | COMMUNICATION NETWORK WITH NODE BYPASSED CO-ROUTED MULTI-CHANNEL TRAFFIC - Embodiments of the present invention route a wavelength division multiplexed signal across multiple communication paths using skew characteristics of at least some of the communication paths. The network is a wavelength division multiplexed optical transport network. The plurality of communication paths involves different signal and path attributes such as a plurality of carrier wavelengths, optical carrier groups, physical communication paths (different nodes, different fibers along a same path, or any combination of the foregoing), or any other differentiating factors between two paths. | 12-31-2009 |
20100014859 | Optimized Dynamic Routing in a network, in particular in an optical telecommunication network - A routing method for a network including a first type of nodes and a second type of nodes, in particular an optical telecommunication network including transparent codes and regenerating nodes, includes: constructing a simplified network topology including the given node, the second nodes, first paths between the given node and the second nodes and second paths between each couple of second nodes, wherein the first and second paths pass only through first nodes and have an acceptable run-through cost, and, if the given node receives a routing request specifying a destination node that is reachable only through a second node, constructing an enhanced network topology by adding to the simplified network topology the destination node and third paths between the destination node and the second nodes that pass only through first nodes and have an acceptable run-through cost; and searching for a path having the lowest run-through cost from the given node to the destination node in the enhanced network topology. | 01-21-2010 |
20100061726 | Dynamically Reconfiguring An Optical Network Using An Ethernet Switch - An Ethernet switch is used to dynamically reconfigure an optical network having a fixed optical layer. The Ethernet switch is incorporated into a transmission node of the optical network to selectively route data streams received through its input channels to one of the output channels. The data streams at the output channels are multiplexed into multiple wavelength channels of a multiplexed optical signal, and the wavelength channels are selectively dropped at local nodes of the optical network. In addition, the Ethernet switch can be used to reroute data from a single data stream to multiple wavelength channels, and thereby perform sub-wavelength multiplexing. | 03-11-2010 |
20100061727 | HITLESS MxN WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH - A wavelength selective switch (WSS) based on an array of MEMS mirrors tiltable in 1-dimension about only one axis exhibits “hitting” or unwanted port connections during switching. Two WSS's can be cascaded to create M×N switching functionality in a hitless manner by the inclusion of block ports at specified positions in one or both of the WSS's. Greater use efficiency of ports can be achieved if quasi-hitless performance is acceptable. | 03-11-2010 |
20100067906 | Bandwidth allocation and management system for cellular networks - A bandwidth allocation and management system for cellular communication networks. The system includes at least one master optical switch and processing station, a number of aggregation base stations that are in optical fiber, communication with a master optical switching and processing station and a number (for example about 18) of auxiliary cellular base stations surrounded by and supported by each aggregation base station. In preferred embodiments each of a plurality of the aggregation base stations is in communication with one or more auxiliary base stations via a wireless millimeter wave link. | 03-18-2010 |
20100080557 | INTER-UNIT SETTING SYNCHRONIZATION DEVICE - In a transponder serving as a functional device having plural units, I/O RAM for holding functions settings contents is prepared for two sides, i.e. an ACT side and a STBY side in each unit. When functions settings contents are to be modified, the unit CPU in each unit switches the I/O RAM from the ACT side to the STBY side. The units continue to operate by using the settings contents of I/O RAM on the ACT sides, but set new settings contents for the STBY sides. The CPUs instruct that new settings contents be set simultaneously, thereby each unit reads the settings contents of I/O RAM on the STBY sides, and sets functions in the LSI. | 04-01-2010 |
20100086301 | DIRECTIONLESS RECONFIGURABLE OPTICAL ADD/DROP MULTIPLEXER - An optical switch system for dropping a ROADM node is presented. The switch system includes an N×M structure having two layers. A first layer includes optical splitters, each splitter receiving a multiplexed input signal and outputting a first multiplexed output signal. A second layer includes switches receiving the first multiplexed output signals from the optical splitters and generating a second multiplexed output signal. The second multiplexed output signal is typically one of the first multiplexed output signals. An optional third layer, which includes optical filters, receives the second multiplexed output signal from the switches and produces a non-multiplexed, single-wavelength output signal. | 04-08-2010 |
20100129076 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPECTRAL BAND MANAGEMENT - Optical signal bands having different bandwidths are selectively directed along different optical paths. Some optical signal bands are directed along more than one optical path. Also, a group of optical signal bands having different bandwidths may be directed along a selected optical path. | 05-27-2010 |
20100142949 | Smart RF over glasss (RFoG) CPE unit with seamless PON upgrade capability - Methods and apparatus are described for “Smart” RF over Glass (RFoG) CPE Unit with Seamless PON Upgrade Capability. A method includes operating a customer premises equipment device including transporting upstream cable return services with a laser; and switching a drive source for the upstream laser from an analog driver to a digital driver by using a managed electrical switch to reuse a wavelength of the laser. An apparatus includes a customer premises equipment device including a laser for transporting upstream cable return services; and a managed electrical switch coupled to the laser that is used to switch a drive source for the upstream laser to reuse a wavelength of the laser. | 06-10-2010 |
20100202773 | System and Method for Impairment-Aware Routing and Wavelength Assignment in Wavelength Switched Optical Networks - An apparatus comprising a path computation element (PCE) configured for at least partial impairment aware routing and wavelength assignment (RWA) and to communicate with a path computation client (PCC) based on a PCE protocol (PCEP) that supports path routing, wavelength assignment (WA), and impairment validation (IV). Also disclosed is a network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising establishing a PCEP session with a PCC, receiving path computation information comprising RWA information and constraints from the PCC, establishing impairment aware RWA (IA-RWA) based on the path computation information and a private impairment information for a vendor's equipment, and sending a path and an assigned wavelength based on the IA-RWA to the PCC. Disclosed is a method comprising establishing impairment aware routing and wavelength assignment for a plurality of network elements (NEs) in an optical network using routing and combined WA and IV. | 08-12-2010 |
20100221002 | Optical signal processing apparatus - An OADM in a wavelength division multiplexing transmission system includes a wavelength selection switch that selects a predetermined wavelength from a multiple optical signal obtained by multiplexing a phase modulated signal and an intensity modulated signal and outputs the selected wavelength signal to a predetermined output port. The wavelength selection switch has a different delay for each wavelength of the multiple optical signal. For example, the wavelength selection switch includes a mirror array. Optical paths from the surfaces of mirrors arranged on the mirror array to the diffraction grating are different in the case of adjacent mirrors. | 09-02-2010 |
20100221003 | Open Shortest Path First Extensions in Support of Wavelength Switched Optical Networks - A network component comprising a generalized multiprotocol label switching (GMPLS) control plane controller configured to implement a method comprising transmitting a message to at least one adjacent control plane controller, wherein the message comprises a Type-Length-Value (TLV) indicating Routing and Wavelength Assignment (RWA) information, wherein the TLV comprises a Node Attribute TLV, a Link Set TLV, or both, and wherein the TLV further comprises at least one sub-TLV indicating additional RWA information. A method comprising communicating an open shortest path first (OSPF) link state advertisement (LSA) message comprising a TLV with at least one sub-TLV to a GMPLS control plane controller, wherein the TLV comprises a Node Attribute TLV, a Link Set TLV, or both, and wherein the TLV further comprises at least one sub-TLV indicating RWA information. | 09-02-2010 |
20100254705 | HIGH-CAPACITY SWITCH - Consistent with the present disclosure, an optical switch is provided that switches multiple wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical signals. Each of the WDM signals includes optical signals having the same wavelengths. The WDM signals are supplied to optical splitters, which supply power split portions of the WDM signals to corresponding optical gates. Groups of the optical gates are associated with a corresponding switching block, which may include a cyclical arrayed waveguide grating (AWG), and the optical gates within each group are controlled so that one gate passes a received WDM signal portion while the remaining optical gates in the group are in a blocking configuration. As a result, the WDM portion received by the non-blocking gate is demultiplexed in the switching block and each of the wavelength components that constitute the selected WDM portion are supplied to corresponding outputs within the switching block. In a later time interval, a different optical gate may be rendered non-blocking so that a different WDM signal portion, supplied from a different optical splitter and carrying different information over the same wavelengths, may be input to the switching block. Thus, by controlling the optical gates, different WDM signal portions may be switched to, and thus demultiplexed by, a particular switching block. In addition, portions of the same WDM signal may be selectively supplied to different AWGs by appropriately control of the optical gates. | 10-07-2010 |
20100254706 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LINK SHARING AMONG MULTIPLE EPONS - One embodiment of the present invention provides an optical line terminal (OLT) in an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON). The OLT includes a number of bi-direction optical transceivers. At least one bi-direction optical transceiver is coupled to an optical network unit (ONU) group that includes a number of ONUs. The OLT further includes a first downstream media access control (MAC) interface configured to provide a first downstream control signal and a splitter configured to split the first downstream control signal to a number of sub-signals. At least one sub-signal is configured to control downstream transmission of a corresponding bi-direction optical transceiver to a corresponding ONU-group. | 10-07-2010 |
20100260499 | OPTICAL TRANSMISSION APPARATUS - There is provided an optical transmission apparatus including: a plurality of wavelength selective switches including input ports, a transmission port, and monitor port used to output a light switched so that the light from the input port is monitored; a multiplexer to combine the lights output from the transmission ports of the plurality of wavelength selective switches; a monitor to monitor whether a same wavelength of the light output from the monitor port exists in wavelengths of the lights combined by the multiplexer; and a controller to control the wavelength selective switch so as to output, from the transmission port, the light switched to the monitor port in case that the same wavelength of the light output from the monitor port is absent in wavelengths of the lights combined by the multiplexer, based on a monitor result by the monitor. | 10-14-2010 |
20100266279 | MULTIPLE REDUNDANCY SCHEMES IN AN OPTICAL NETWORK - Methods and apparatuses for multiple redundancy schemes in an optical network are described herein. In one embodiment, an exemplary method includes receiving a demand for allocating a first protection path that meets a first set of disjointness constraints with respect to a first working path according to a first protection scheme having a first priority, in response to the demand, locating a second protection path that meets a second set of disjointness constraints with respect to a second working path according to a second protection scheme having a second priority, and assigning the second protection path as a protection path to the first working path if the first priority of the first protection scheme is higher than the second priority of the second protection scheme. Other methods and apparatuses are also described. | 10-21-2010 |
20110013908 | Adaptive Hybrid Optical Control Plane Determination of Lightpaths in a DWDM Network - Techniques and a control architecture (apparatus and logic) are provided for an adaptive hybrid DWDM-aware computation scheme. The architecture is one that is a hybrid of a centralized control scheme and a distributed control scheme that performs adaptive physical impairment computations for an optical network. A central control server is connected to multiple client control devices each of which resides in a node in a dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) optical network, wherein each client control device is part of an optical control plane associated with the optical network. The control server obtains data for path route analysis from the client control devices. The control server then determines optical feasibility of at least one path route from a source node to a destination node from optical parametric information based on the data obtained from multiple client control devices and without real-time communication between the central control server and the multiple client control devices while performing the optical feasibility computations. | 01-20-2011 |
20110064408 | OPTICAL SIGNAL PROCESSING - A central terminal for an optical communications network, comprises a light source, an optical splitter for separating light from said source into first and second signals, each being of the same wavelength, a modulator for encoding said first signal received from said splitter, a first output port coupled to said modulator for outputting said encoded first signal, and a second output port coupled to said splitter for outputting said second signal as an unencoded second signal. An endpoint terminal and method of communication are also disclosed. | 03-17-2011 |
20110076016 | Methods for Expanding Cross-Connect Capacity in a ROADM Optical Network - A reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) transport network comprising a plurality of optical fan-out devices and a first plurality and a second plurality of demultiplexers for locally dropping selected wavelengths; and first plurality and a second plurality of multiplexers for locally adding selected wavelengths, the first and second plurality disposed in a cascaded relationship to enable selective coupling between network degrees. | 03-31-2011 |
20110076017 | OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SYSTEM - An optical transmission system including: first, second, and third stations; a main transmission path that bi-directionally couples the first station with the second station; and an optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) disposed on the main transmission path, the OADM branching light from the first and second station, combining light from the third station to the main transmission path; wherein the OADM includes an input determination unit and an optical path switching unit, the input determination unit detects the power of the lights, and determines whether each of the input lights is lost or not, and the optical path switching unit forms a loop-back route based on the determination. | 03-31-2011 |
20110081146 | OPTICAL MONITOR DEVICE - An optical monitor device includes a band pass filter configured to transmit a light of a band of a first input light, an optical switch configured to select between a second input light and the first input light transmitted through the band pass filter based on a switch signal, and output the selected light, a tunable filter configured to input a selected light from the optical switch and to transmit a specified wavelength based on a drive signal, a photodetector configured to output an electric signal according to a power level of transmitted light from the tunable filter, and a control unit configured to output the switch signal and the drive signal based on the electric signal. | 04-07-2011 |
20110081147 | Method for Characterizing Wavelength Switched Optical Network Signal Characteristics and Network Element compatibility Constraints for Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching - An apparatus comprising a path computation element (PCE) configured to perform a path computation using signal compatibility constraints information for a network element (NE) in a wavelength switched optical network (WSON), wherein the signal constraints information are communicated at a Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching (GMPLS) control plane layer and comprise a plurality of signal attributes and a plurality of NE compatibility constraints. A network component comprising a transmitter unit configured to transmit signal compatibility constraints via GMPLS signaling, wherein the signal compatibility constraints define the signal compatibility constraints for a NE in a WSON. A method comprising receiving signal compatibility constraints for a NE in a WSON, performing a path calculation based on the signal compatibility constraints for the NE, and sending signal compatibility constraints associated with a computed path. | 04-07-2011 |
20110081148 | Method for Routing and Wavelength Assignment Information Encoding for Wavelength Switched Optical Networks - An apparatus comprising a network element (NE) configured to communicate at least one of signal constraints and processing capabilities for a plurality of resource blocks (RBs) associated with a network node in a wavelength switched optical network (WSON) node Type-Length-Value (TLV) and signal constraints and processing capabilities associated with a link in a WSON link TLV, wherein the WSON node TLV comprises a node identifier (ID), one or more Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching (GMPLS) TLVs, a connectivity matrix TLV, and a resource pool TLV, and wherein the WSON link TLV comprises a link ID, one or more GMPLS TLVs, and a port wavelength restriction TLV. | 04-07-2011 |
20110085801 | Testing and Measurement in Optical Networks - An optical node may include a plurality of optical input components operable to receive a plurality of signals communicated in an optical network and a plurality of optical output components operable to transmit a plurality of signals to be communicated in the optical network. The optical node may also include at least one of: (a) an optical drop component coupled to the plurality of optical input components, the optical drop component operable to select a signal and select a portion of the signal of a particular selectable wavelength to drop to an associated item of test equipment from any one of the plurality of optical input components; and (b) an optical add component coupled to the plurality of optical output components and operable to selectively transmit copies of a selected one or more of a plurality of optical add signals to the plurality of optical output components, wherein the plurality of optical add signals includes a signal of a particular selectable wavelength communicated to the optical add component from an associated item of test equipment, and wherein each optical output component is operable to select a signal to communicate in the optical network received from any one of the optical add component and the plurality of optical input components. | 04-14-2011 |
20110097083 | Data center optical network - A new networking architecture for data centers, storage networks, and parallel computer centers. This invention eliminates the need for the large complicated core. In essence we replace the large complicated M×M switches at the core of the data center network with simple 1×N (where N is the total number of servers in the data center) switch at every server. Physically, we take advantage of the fact that a single optical fiber can carry thousands of high-bandwidth communications channels to enable the construction of 1×N switches that are roughly equivalent in cost and complexity to a single optical transponder unit. | 04-28-2011 |
20110158645 | PLASMON-ASSISTED WAVELENGTH-SELECTIVE SWITCH - A device may include a first optical port configured to receive an optical signal and a demultiplexer to spatially separate the optical signal into multiple optical signals. Each of the multiple optical signal may have a different carrier wavelength. The device may also include a switch element with plasmons. The switch element may receive one of the multiple optical signals, direct the received one of the multiple optical signals, and couple energy of the plasmons to energy of the directed optical signal. The device may further include a second optical port. The second optical port may receive the directed optical signal with the coupled energy of the plasmons, and transmit the received, directed optical signal. | 06-30-2011 |
20110158646 | MEDIUM ACCESS CONTROL DEVICE AND METHOD FOR OPTICAL PACKET-SWITCHED METRO WDM SLOTTED-RING NETWORKS - A medium access control (MAC) device and method for optical packet-switched metro wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) slotted-ring networks are used for providing quality of service (QoS) guarantees for isochronous traffic. The device includes a MAC processor and a distributed call admission control (CAC) module. The CAC module in each node of an optical packet-switched network is designed in a distributed manner, and flexibly allocates a reserved bandwidth to an isochronous traffic by a mean-rate-reservation method, controls a quota of the isochronous traffic below a quota ratio rH, resolves output contention by recording node locations forming a connection, and establishes a connection for each isochronous traffic. The MAC processor establishes a connection in the reserved bandwidth for each isochronous traffic between the nodes according to control information carried in a control channel, controls uploading, unloading, and erasing of a plurality of data channels, and updates corresponding contents in the control information. | 06-30-2011 |
20110158647 | Wavelength Assignment In An Optical WDM Network - The path selection and wavelength assignment to a selected path are performed by mapping the wavelength reach to the demand distribution (agile reach) resulting in a 50-60% increase in the network reach. The network reach is further increased (about 2.2 times) when on-line measured performance data are used for path selection and wavelength assignment. The connections may be engineered/upgraded individually, by optimizing the parameters of the entire path or of a regenerator section of the respective path. The upgrades include changing the wavelength, adjusting the parameters of the regenerator section, controlling the launch powers, mapping a certain transmitter and/or receiver to the respective wavelength, selecting the wavelengths on a certain link so as to reduce cross-talk, increasing wavelength spacing, etc. | 06-30-2011 |
20110158648 | OPTICAL NETWORK SYSTEM, OPTICAL REDUNDANT SWITCHING APPARATUS, AND WDM APPARATUS - An optical network system includes a first node that converts input signals of n systems into optical signals having wavelengths different for each of the systems and wavelength-multiplexes and transmits the optical signals and a second node that selects signals of n systems from the wavelength-multiplexed signals and outputs the signals. The first node includes an optical coupler that divides the input signals into operating system signals and redundant signals, TPNDs that convert the operating systems into optical signals, an optical switch that selects standby system signals from the redundant signals, and a TPND that converts the standby system signals into optical signals in a storage mode corresponding to a type of the standby system signals. The second node includes TPNDs that convert the optical signals converted from the operating system signals into signals of a type corresponding to the input signals, a TPND that converts the optical signals of the standby system signals into signals of the type of the input signals in a storage mode corresponding to the standby system signals, and an optical switch that selects an output destination of the signals output from the TPND. | 06-30-2011 |
20110164876 | DIRECTIONLESS RECONFIGURABLE OPTICAL ADD/DROP MULTIPLEXER - An optical switch system for dropping a ROADM node is presented. The switch system includes an N×M structure having two layers. A first layer includes optical splitters, each splitter receiving a multiplexed input signal and outputting a first multiplexed output signal. A second layer includes switches receiving the first multiplexed output signals from the optical splitters and generating a second multiplexed output signal. The second multiplexed output signal is typically one of the first multiplexed output signals. An optional third layer, which includes optical filters, receives the second multiplexed output signal from the switches and produces a non-multiplexed, single-wavelength output signal. | 07-07-2011 |
20110176805 | TECHNIQUE FOR SELECTIVELY CHANGING DISPERSION IN OPTICAL COMMUNICATION CHANNELS - A reconfigurable wavelength selective dispersion compensation device RWSDCD for selective compensation of dispersion in optical channels having different wavelengths. The RWSDCD comprises a controllable wavelength selective unit WSU having a plurality of local, wavelength related input/output (I/O) ports. The RWDSD also comprises a dispersion compensation cascade comprising at least one chain of successively connected dispersion compensation units DCUs, wherein one or more of the DCUs in the chain are respectively connectable to one or more of the local I/O ports. The RWSDCD outputs one or more of the incoming optical channels upon selectively compensating chromatic dispersion in them, by controllably passing these channels via one or more DCUs of the dispersion compensation cascade. | 07-21-2011 |
20110217037 | WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH - A wavelength selective switch includes a substrate. On the substrate, the wavelength selective switch includes at least one input port, a dispersive element, a light converging element, a light deflecting member, an output port, and a driving mechanism which drives at least one of the dispersive element, the light condenser element, and the light deflecting member, and drive by the driving mechanism is a rotational drive around an axis perpendicular to the substrate, for the dispersive element, and is a translational drive in a direction of dispersion of wavelength with respect to the substrate, for the light condenser element or the light deflecting member. | 09-08-2011 |
20110217038 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR OPTICAL SWITCHING - A method and a device for optical switching are disclosed. The method includes: receiving input optical signals; switching the input optical signals to an optical grouping unit when the input optical signals need to be grouped, and then receiving grouped optical signals; and switching the grouped optical signals to corresponding output ports for outputting. The device includes an optical switching unit and an optical grouping unit. A part of output ports of the optical switching unit are connected to input ports of the optical grouping unit, and output ports of the optical grouping unit are connected to input ports of the optical switching unit. The optical switching unit is configured to control transmission paths of the optical signals, and the optical grouping unit is configured to group the optical signals. | 09-08-2011 |
20110222851 | METHOD TO TRANSFORM A DYNAMIC ANALOG OPTICAL NETWORK TO A DIGITAL REPRESENTATION - A system for enabling reconfiguration of a Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM) optical communications network. A plurality of channel transmitters are provided for generating respective optical signals within corresponding wavelength channels of the network. A broadband light source generates a broadband continuous wave light having a bandwidth corresponding to a channel band of the network. A wavelength selective switch includes a first switch port connected to receive optical signals from the channel transmitters. A second switch port is connected to receive the broadband continuous wave light from the broadband light source. The wavelength selective switch is configured to comb the broadband continuous wave light into a plurality of narrowband lights respectively corresponding with wavelength channels of the network. A common-OUT port of the wavelength selective switch outputs a WDM signal for transmission through a downstream fibre span of the network. The wavelength selective switch is controlled to switch optical signals from the first switch port to the common-OUT port as active wavelength channels, and further to switch narrowband lights corresponding to inactive channel wavelengths to the common-OUT port. Consequently, a spectral loading of the WDM signal is independent of the number of active wavelength channels. | 09-15-2011 |
20110222852 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONFIGURING A CONNECTION-ORIENTED PACKET NETWORK OVER A WAVELENGTH DIVISION MULTIPLEXED OPTICAL NETWORK - A network planning tool and method for configuring a connection-oriented packet network over a WDM optical network without an optical control layer, such as a SONET/SDH layer. The optical network includes a plurality of optical fibers interconnected through nodes and the connection-oriented packet network, such an Ethernet network, MPLS network, or pseudowire network, includes two or more terminal devices. The method and tool function by building an association between the components of the physical layer, such as the optical fiber, and their geographic location or path. The connection-oriented packet network is configured by building multi-link trunks (MLTs) between terminal devices, where the MLTs are built by aggregating lightpaths that traverse distinctive geographic paths. The MLTs are planned and configured through aggregating lightpaths that traverse incongruent sets of photonic elements. A predetermined target for resiliency to physical failure events may determine the degree of congruence allowed between the sets of photonic elements associated with lightpaths in the same MLT. | 09-15-2011 |
20110229132 | WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH - A wavelength selective switch includes a light input/output unit that includes an input unit and an output unit of a wavelength multiplexed light arranged in a form of an array in a first direction, a light dispersing unit that receives the wavelength multiplexed light from the input unit and disperses the wavelength multiplexed light into signal wavelengths, a light condensing element that condenses the light dispersed into the signal wavelengths, and a light deflecting element array that deflects a signal light in the first direction and a second direction, that is orthogonal to the first direction, so as to switch the light of the signal wavelengths condensed by the light condensing element to a desired output unit. In the wavelength selective switch, the light condensing element and the light deflecting element array are arranged such that a light launched from the input unit is incident on a surface orthogonal to a passing direction at an angle that is not orthogonal within a deflection range of the light deflecting element array. | 09-22-2011 |
20110236019 | UNIFIED SWITCHING FABRIC ARCHITECTURE - A unified network and elements thereof, including a switch fabric, is provided. The switch fabric may include a plurality of transport elements and a first signal-communication media. The transport elements may be adapted to communicatively couple and to communicate, via the first signal-communication media, transport signals adapted for communication among any of the plurality of transport elements. At least one transport element may be further adapted to communicate, via a second signal-communication media, signals and/or sets of signal originating from and/or terminating to one or more network nodes. Each of the electrical signals may be formatted in accordance with a protocol for electrical signals. And one or more of the transport signals may include the electrical signals in adapted form. Additionally and/or alternatively, one or more of the transport signals may be formed from, or as a function of, the electrical signals. | 09-29-2011 |
20110243558 | OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SYSTEM AND OPTICAL TRANSMISSION METHOD - An OADM device without a transponder unit does not mount the transponder in charge of separating a fault between the OADM device and an external device and is difficult to perform fault separation and to identify a fault interval. To solve this problem, for the OADM device without the transponder unit, the optical loop back function is provided by using such a switch as, for example, 2×2 optical switch. By identifying a fault developing interval by the use of the optical loop back function, fault separation at the time of occurrence of a fault can be facilitated. | 10-06-2011 |
20110255869 | OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE MULTIPLEXER - Triplexer formed by disposing upon a substrate a highly confined silicon waveguide including one or more polarization-diverse lattice filters that are monolithically integrated with photodetectors, such as PIN or APD. | 10-20-2011 |
20110268442 | COHERENT AUGMENTED OPTICAL ADD-DROP MULTIPLEXER - In an Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer, a drop section comprises a Wavelength Selective Switch (WSS) having at least one drop-port, the WSS being operative to couple a respective set of w (where w> | 11-03-2011 |
20110280573 | OPTICAL BEAM STEERING - This invention generally relates to an optical beam steering apparatus and a method of manufacturing an optical beam steering apparatus, and more particularly to an optical add drop multiplexer (OADM) such as a reconfigurable OADM (ROADM) comprising the optical beam steering apparatus. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a slab and a plurality of optical elements in or on a first surface of said slab, the plurality of optical elements including at least one liquid crystal on silicon element, the apparatus being arranged such that at least one optical beam can propagate freely in the slab from one of said plurality of optical elements to another one of said plurality of optical elements via a reflection from a second surface of the optical beam steering apparatus. | 11-17-2011 |
20110286745 | WAVELENGTH DIVISION MULTIPLEXING TRANSMISSION SYSTEM, OPTICAL CHANNEL MONITOR AND OPTICAL CHANNEL MONITORING METHOD - A light channel monitor includes an optical separating section configured to separate a wavelength multiplexed optical signal into optical signals for channels and monitors configured to measure intensities of the optical signals for the channels. A processing section is configured to correct the measured intensities of the optical signals based on a wavelength transmission characteristic of the optical separating section to calculate the wavelength multiplexed optical signal before the separation. | 11-24-2011 |
20110293273 | WAVELENGTH CONVERSION APPARATUS, WAVELENGTH CONVERSION METHOD, AND OPTICAL ADD/DROP MULTIPLEXER USING THE SAME - There is provides a wavelength conversion apparatus for converting a wavelength of input signal light and for outputting output signal light of the converted wavelength. The apparatus includes a first and a second nonlinear mediums. The first nonlinear medium receives a first input light and outputs a first output light having a wavelength which is longer than that of the first input light, the wavelength being dependent on optical power of the first input light. The second nonlinear medium receives a second input light and a light output by a light source and outputs a second output light having a wavelength dependent on the wavelengths of the second input light and the light. The first output light is input as the second input light to the second nonlinear medium or the second output light is input as the first input light to the first nonlinear medium. | 12-01-2011 |
20120020663 | BUS-BASED SCALABLE OPTICAL FABRICS - Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to arrangements of multiple optical buses to create scalable optical interconnect fabrics for computer systems. In one aspect, a multi-bus fabric ( | 01-26-2012 |
20120033969 | WAVELENGTH PATH MULTIPLEXING AND DEMULTIPLEXING OPTICAL TRANSMISSION APPARATUS - A sending apparatus includes: a wavelength path multiplexing part; a sending wavelength path selection part; and an optical transmitter having optical sending parts. The wavelength path multiplexing part includes: sending wavelength path demultiplexing ports; and sending wavelength multiplexing ports connected thereto. The sending wavelength path multiplexing ports are connected to optical transmission paths respectively. The sending wavelength path selection part includes a wavelength multiplexing parts which multiplexing a set combination of optical signals among the optical signals inputted to the sending input ports and outputs it to any of the sending output ports. In the wavelength path sending or receiving by the wavelength path multiplexing/demultiplexing optical transmission apparatus, a non-selectable combination between a wavelength and a route can be avoided. | 02-09-2012 |
20120045205 | Method and Apparatus for Deriving Parameters of Optical Paths in Optical Networks Using Two-wavelength OTDR and a Wavelength-Dependent Reflective Element - A method of distinguishing a wavelength-dependent reflective element (HRD) from wavelength-independent events in an optical network, the reflective element (HRD) being highly-reflective at a first predetermined wavelength (λ | 02-23-2012 |
20120063778 | Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer Using Integrated Optical Components - An optical add/drop multiplexer incorporates an integrated receiver module and an integrated transmitter which are interfaced to an intervening electrical network to provide an add/drop/pass-through functionality. The receiver module incorporates a wavelength demultiplexer which is in turn combined with optical/electrical converters PIN photodiodes, and amplifiers on a per wavelength basis to output a plurality of parallel electrical signals in response to a common optical input. The transmitter module combines an integrated plurality of drive circuits and lasers for converting a plurality of parallel input electrical signals to a plurality of optical signals, on a per wavelength basis, which in turn are coupled via an optical wavelength multiplexer to a common output optical fiber. The interconnected electrical network, ring mesh or tree, can provide a reconfigurable electrical add/drop interface to other portions of the network. | 03-15-2012 |
20120082453 | WAVELENGTH DIVISION MULTIPLEXED OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM HAVING VARIABLE CHANNEL SPACINGS - Consistent with the present disclosure, data, in digital form, is received by a transmit nodes of an optical communication, and converted to analog signal by a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to drive a modulator. The modulator, in turn, modulates light at one of a plurality of wavelengths in accordance with the received data. The modulated light is then transmitted over an optical communication path to a receive node. At the receive node, the modulated optical signal, as well as other modulated optical signals are supplied to a photodetector circuit, which receives additional light at one of the optical signal wavelengths from a local oscillator laser. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is provided in the receive node to convert the electrical signals output from the photodetector into digital form. The output from the ADC is then filtered in the electrical domain, such that optical demultiplexing of individual channels is unnecessary. | 04-05-2012 |
20120087657 | Orthogonally-Combining Wavelength Selective Switch Multiplexer and Systems and Methods Using Same - In general, a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) communication system may use wavelength selective switching to simultaneously pre-filter and combine groups of channel wavelengths with orthogonal polarizations to provide a pre-filtered, pair-wise orthogonal aggregate WDM optical signal. An orthogonally-combining wavelength selective switch (WSS) multiplexer may route channel wavelengths individually from different sets of channels to a common output. The orthogonally-combining WSS multiplexer may also provide substantially orthogonal polarizations for the wavelengths in the different sets of channels. The different sets of channels may include odd channels and even channels. | 04-12-2012 |
20120087658 | Wavelength Selective Switch Band Aggregator and Band Deaggregator and Systems and Methods Using Same - In general, wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) communication systems may use wavelength selective switching to aggregate and/or deaggregate groups or bands of channel wavelengths. A wavelength selective switch (WSS) band aggregator may combine a plurality of channel band aggregate optical signals to produce a combined aggregate optical signal (i.e., a transmitted WDM or DWDM signal). The WSS band aggregator may also combine one or more spectral portions of broadband noise with the bands of channel wavelengths such that the spectral portion(s) of the broadband noise occupies unutilized channels in the combined aggregate optical signal. A WSS band deaggregator may separate a combined aggregate optical signal (i.e., a received WDM or DWDM signal) to produce a plurality of channel band aggregate optical signals. | 04-12-2012 |
20120114332 | RECONFIGURABLE OPTICAL ADD/DROP MULTIPLEXING DEVICE FOR ENABLING TOTALLY INRESISTANT COLORLESS - The present invention provides a reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexing device for enabling a totally inresistant colorless, wherein a dropping unit is configured to separate multi-wavelength optical signals which are among direction | 05-10-2012 |
20120128355 | WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE OPTICAL SWITCH DEVICE - In a wavelength selective optical switch device that disperses a WDM light beam according to their wavelengths. Dispersed light beams is applied to a wavelength selecting element. Incident light beams are separately reflected in different directions according to their wavelengths by use of the multi-level optical phased array. In the optical phased array, even when the number of multi levels is small, by setting the maximum phase shift amount of the phased array to be at least 1.5 π and less than 2.0 π, wavelength dependence is reduced, thereby reducing crosstalk. In this manner, the wavelength dependence, in turn, crosstalk can be reduced. | 05-24-2012 |
20120170931 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOCAL OPTIMIZATION OF AN OPTICAL TRANSMITTER - Consistent with the present disclosure, an optical receiver is paired with an optical transmitter in a transceiver card or module, for example. During normal operation, the optical transmitter supplies optical signals for downstream transmission on a first optical communication path, and the optical receiver receives additional optical signals from a second optical communication path. During a transmitter monitoring mode (or “loopback”), however, when monitoring of transmitter parameters is desired, an optical switch directs the output or portion thereof from the transmitter to the receiver. The receiver may then supply monitoring data or information to a control or processor circuit, which, in turn, may supply control signals to the transmitter. In response to such control signals, the performance of the transmitter may be optimized, for example, by reducing BER and/or OSNR to a desired level. The switch is then configured to block transmission of the transmitter output or portion and normal operation is commenced. Thus, consistent with the present disclosure, an optical receiver is provided to detect optical signals inbound on one optical communication path during normal operation is also used to receive optical signals directly from the transmitter during the monitoring mode. Accordingly, a dedicated monitoring receiver is not required and the system is rendered less expensive, power consumption may be minimized and space may be conserved. | 07-05-2012 |
20120170932 | Apparatus And Method For Scheduling On An Optical Ring Network - An example method includes receiving at a scheduling server status information concerning at least one transmit queue for a plurality of optical pass-through switches (OptSws). A schedule for transmissions to take place is determined based on the status information for the OptSws. A control message is forwarded to the plurality of OptSws in order that the schedule may be implemented. In an embodiment, a schedule is determined for a wavelength available to transmit a transmission by removing unsupportable transmissions from a candidate transmission list, determining a first transmission that is the one of the transmissions of the candidate transmission list which most preferably satisfies a given parameter, updating a usage list to reflect determination of the first transmission; and replacing the candidate transmission list with the residue set of the first transmission. The usage list reflects transmissions determined by the scheduler. | 07-05-2012 |
20120170933 | CORE-SELECTIVE OPTICAL SWITCHES - An optical device includes a substrate with first and second arrays of optical couplers located along a planar surface thereof. The optical couplers of the first array are laterally arranged along the surface to end-couple in a one-to-one manner to corresponding optical cores of a first multi-core fiber whose end is facing and adjacent to the first array. The optical couplers of the second array of optical couplers are laterally arranged along the surface to end-couple in a one-to-one manner to corresponding optical fiber cores of one or more optical fiber ends facing and adjacent to the second array. An optical switch network is optically connected to selectively couple some of the optical couplers of the first array to the optical couplers of the second array in a one-to-one manner. | 07-05-2012 |
20120183292 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRAFFICKING WAVELENGTHS OF DIFFERENT SPACINGS WITHIN AN OPTICAL NODE - Fiber optic links can be used to support optical communications using wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) with different legacy, current, and future (non-legacy) WDM systems being characterized by channel spacing. An example of a legacy system can include WDM that employs a large number of channels and uses relatively narrow spacing between the channels, having a channel spacing of 100 GHz whereas today's current WDM systems have a narrower channel spacing of 50 GHz. Current systems and standards cannot support multiplexing of signals from different legacy and non-legacy WDM systems within the same network element without causing signal interference. Example embodiments of the present invention overcome the current problems by allowing for the handling and interconnection of differently spaced wavelengths within the same network element by employing hybrid components. As a result, networks employing embodiments of the present invention have reconfigurable, scalable, low cost interoperability of legacy and non-legacy WDM systems. | 07-19-2012 |
20120183293 | OPTICAL PACKET SWITCHING DEVICE - An optical packet switching device ( | 07-19-2012 |
20120195592 | Minimizing Bandwidth Narrowing Penalties in a Wavelength Selective Switch Optical Network - This invention relates to provisioning wavelength-selective switches and reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers to minimize the bandwidth narrowing effect from the optical filters. Novel architectures and methods are disclosed that can significantly reduce bandwidth-narrowing on channels in a reconfigurable WDM network where a large number of optical filter elements are cascaded. Instead of blocking unused channels as in the prior art, unused channels are selectively provisioned depending on the state of their adjacent channels. Unused adjacent channels of an active channel are provisioned to follow the same path as the active channels. As each channels is deployed, the channel frequency is selected so as to minimize bandwidth narrowing. | 08-02-2012 |
20120195593 | SPECTRAL ALIGNMENT OF A WDM DEVICE TO A SPECIFIED FREQUENCY GRID - A WDM device having a controller that individually controls the operating parameters of tunable lasers and the temperatures of an optical multiplexer and etalon. The device employs a spectral analyzer to measure the spectral composition of the optical output signal produced by the device. Based on the analyses of the measured spectral composition, the controller sets the temperatures of the tunable lasers, optical multiplexer, and optical etalon to values that cause: (i) middle frequencies of transmission bands of the optical multiplexer to be spectrally aligned with the corresponding frequencies of the specified frequency grid, (ii) each laser line to be properly positioned within the corresponding transmission band, and (iii) transmission resonances of the optical etalon to be properly positioned with respect to the laser lines. | 08-02-2012 |
20120195594 | Optical Signal Transmission Device, Optical Signal Reception Device, Wavelength Division Multiplexing Optical Communication Device, and Wavelength Path System - Restrictions, due to wavelength paths which are non-alternative combinations of wavelengths and paths, are solved. An optical-signal-transmission device comprises M optical-output means outputting optical signals having different wavelengths; optical-switch means having M input ports respectively connected to the optical-output means and output ports, and switching connections between the input ports and the output ports; and wavelength-multiplexing means having M acceptance ports respectively connected to the output ports, N forward ports switchably connected to the acceptance ports corresponding to wavelengths of optical signals inputted to the acceptance ports and transmitting multiplexed-optical signals corresponding to the optical signals accepted by the acceptance ports, wherein when Y particular input ports of the input ports are connected to one particular output port of the output ports, the switch means combines Y optical signals inputted to the particular input ports to generate a combined signal, and outputs the combined signal to the particular output port. | 08-02-2012 |
20120213517 | OPTICAL-LAYER TRAFFIC GROOMING IN FLEXIBLE OPTICAL NETWORKS - Methods and systems for optical signal grooming that include providing one or more input signals, each having one or more modulated subcarriers, to a grooming processor; and grooming the input signals at a subcarrier level with the grooming processor to produce one or more output signals by arranging the modulated subcarriers in the output signals according to a grooming operation such that the modulated subcarriers are not demodulated or decoded prior to grooming. | 08-23-2012 |
20120219292 | OPTICAL SWITCH FOR IMPLEMENTING WAVE DIVISION MULTIPLEXING NETWORKS - Systems and methods for switching optical signals are disclosed. A switch may include a plurality of inputs, at least one coupling element operably connected to two or more of the plurality of inputs and a splitting element operably connected to the at least one coupling element. Each of the plurality of inputs may receive one of a plurality of input signals. The at least one coupling element may be configured to combine at least two of the input signals into a combined output signal. The splitting element may be configured to demultiplex the combined output signal to produce a plurality of demultiplexed output signals. | 08-30-2012 |
20120219293 | CONCATENATED OPTICAL SPECTRUM TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS AND METHODS - The present disclosure relates to concatenated optical spectrum transmission systems and methods that allocate optical spectrum of groups of channels to reduce or eliminate deadbands or guardbands (i.e., unused optical spectrum) between channels. The concatenated optical spectrum transmission systems and methods include various techniques for using optical spectrum such as over the C-band or any other frequency bands. In particular, the concatenated optical spectrum transmission systems and methods provide a balance between fixed channel systems such as provided for by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and a more flexible system enabled by coherent optical detection. In an exemplary embodiment, the concatenated optical spectrum transmission systems and methods may utilize a Wavelength Selective Switch (WSS) and a plurality of moderate Common Mode Rejection Ratio (CMRR) coherent receivers in combination to achieve a concatenated optical spectrum. | 08-30-2012 |
20120230688 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR GENERATION OF COHERENT SUBCARRIERS - A method and system for generating multi-subcarriers is disclosed. Re-circulating frequency shifters—based on the frequency shifting in two cascading phase modulators—are used to generate 112 subcarriers with stable architecture since there is no direct current bias in phase modulators. | 09-13-2012 |
20120230689 | Passive Optical Network Apparatus and Methods - A node of a wavelength division multiplexed passive optical network (WDM-PON) comprises wavelength division multiplexing optical line termination (OLT) apparatus. The OLT has an optical interface for interfacing with a plurality of remote optical network units in a passive optical network using a plurality of different wavelength channels (λ). The OLT has a plurality of electrical first ports corresponding to the optical wavelength channels (λ). A plurality of second ports interface with at least two operator networks. An electrical switching matrix interconnects the first ports and the second ports, allowing any operator to access any subscriber in a point-to-point manner. The apparatus at node can be formed as a plurality of modules. | 09-13-2012 |
20120237217 | Optically switched communication network - A large communication network suitable for nationwide or worldwide utilization. The present invention overthrows the conventional packet switching technologies with an all-optical network. The invention uses tunable laser sources to generate large number of highly stable narrow-band optical signals, each serving as a communication channel. With packet processing replaced by all-optical channels, the network become highly secure and scalable while harnessing the virtually unlimited capacity of fiber-optic. A large number of nodes (called area code nodes) are connected with all-fiber-optic links with all-optical switches. A routing algorithm provides one or more communication links from each area code node to every other area code node so that information never has to change carrier wavelength as it travels the network. Each area code node contains circuits that are provided to connect individual users to the network. | 09-20-2012 |
20120237218 | WAVELENGTH SWITCH SYSTEM USING ANGLE MULTIPLEXING OPTICS - Optical switches can include collimator elements that accommodate two or more optical ports. This increases the number of ports the switch can accommodate without having to increase the size of other optical components within the switch. Separate deflectors can be used to accommodate optical signals from two different groups of ports. In some embodiments cross-coupling of signals between the two groups can be accomplished through use of re-direction optics. | 09-20-2012 |
20120237219 | WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH AND OPTICAL TRANSMISSION APPARATUS - A wavelength selective switch includes a wavelength dispersing element, a wavelength converging element, multiple transmission control elements, and a controller. The wavelength dispersing element performs wavelength dispersion of input signal light. The transmission control element divides input signal light into wavelength bands within a channel band and transmits or cuts off the divided input signal light. The wavelength converging element converges signal light having respective wavelengths produced from the transmission control elements for output. The controller controls a transmittance of the transmission control element of at least one of the low and high frequency sides in a channel band. The wavelength selective switch sets as a cutoff band at least one of predetermined bands on the low and high frequency sides, narrows a transmission band of the input signal light to be wavelength-multiplexed, deletes an overlapped band of optical spectra, and outputs the transmission signal light, thereby suppressing crosstalk. | 09-20-2012 |
20120263463 | OPTICAL TRANSMISSION DEVICE AND OPTICAL SWITCH DEVICE - An optical transmission device includes a signal generator configured to generate a first signal corresponding to an amount of residual chromatic dispersion that occurs in a light signal transmitted from the optical transmission device to a downstream device, and a superimposer configured to superimpose the first signal on the light signal transmitted from the optical transmission device and transmit the light signal superimposed by the first signal to the downstream device. | 10-18-2012 |
20120301141 | WAVELENGTH REALLOCATION METHOD AND NODE DEVICE - A method for reallocating a wavelength in an optical wavelength multiplexer transmission system is disclosed. The method includes switching a supply of a first channel electric signal from a first optical transmitter device to a second optical transmitter device, the first optical transmitter device converting the first channel electric signal into an optical signal of a first wavelength, and the second optical transmitter device converting the first channel electric signal into an optical signal of a second wavelength differing from the first wavelength, and transmitting the optical signal of the second wavelength output from the second optical transmitter device. | 11-29-2012 |
20120301142 | Optical Superchannel Method and System - Optical superchannel methods and systems that couple two or more local oscillators into a single coherent receiver front end to receive multiple optical subcarriers are shown and described. With multiple local oscillators coupled into a single coherent receiver and appropriate optical selective filtering of the superchannel signal, non-neighboring subcarriers may be received by the single coherent optical receiver. | 11-29-2012 |
20120315038 | OPTICAL ACCESS NETWORK SYSTEM - In an optical access network system in which a relay station receives a wavelength multiplexed and time-division multiplexed optical signal (WDM optical signal) from an optical network, and the relay station transmits optical signals having specified wavelengths to subscriber units, the relay station demultiplexes the WDM optical signal into a plurality of groups with one group having a plurality of optical signals having a fixed wavelength interval between signals, then divides the optical signals of each group into k branches (k is the number of subscriber units) and inputs the signals to optical switches, and by turning ON/OFF the optical switches such that they are spaced in time, inputs the branched optical signals to the respective specified subscribers units. | 12-13-2012 |
20120321306 | OPTICAL TRANSPORT HAVING FULL AND FLEXIBLE BANDWIDTH AND CHANNEL UTLIZATION - Optical nodes in an optical network may provide directionless, colorless, contentionless, and gridless transmission, reception, and switching of optical signals in which a non-fixed number of optical channels and a non-fixed bandwidth for each optical channel is used. Optical nodes can use the full extent of the optical bandwidth due to the absence of channel spacing. | 12-20-2012 |
20120321307 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISTRIBUTING DIGITAL SIGNALS OVER LONG-DISTANCE SWITCHED OPTICAL TRANSPORT NETWORKS - The present invention relates to a system and method for distributing digital signals over wavelength-switched optical transport networks with long-distance optical multicasting capability comprising a transmitter module and a receiver module in the headend of primary network and in the local node, respectively, for multicasting IPTV channels with HDTV, UHDTV and 3DTV signals. The transmitter module comprises an Ethernet switch, three DPSK modulators and a DWDM optical multiplexer. The receiver module comprises an Ethernet switch, three DPSK demodulators and a DWDM optical demultiplexer. In a novel manner, both modules combine 2 Gbps digital transmission, RZ-DPSK modulation and optical multicasting over a wavelength-switched optical network, WSON. | 12-20-2012 |
20120328290 | QUANTUM COMMUNICATION NETWORK - A quantum communication system comprising a receiver and a plurality of transmitters, said receiver comprising a detector sub-system, each of said transmitters being configured to emit pulses of radiation, said detector subsystem comprising at least one detector, said detector being configured to detect said light pulses, the system comprising a timing control module, said timing control module being configured to control the number of light pulses received by the detector sub-system, such that just one light pulse from one transmitter reaches the detector sub-system at any one time, the timing control module also allowing the transmitter which sent said pulse to be identified. | 12-27-2012 |
20120328291 | Optical Wavelength Selective Switch Calibration System - Described herein are systems and methods of enhancing channel bandwidth in an optical system having a number of wavelength selective switching (WSS) devices. The method includes the steps of passing the optical signals through the WSS devices by: (i) spatially dispersing the wavelength channels of the optical signals; (ii) projecting the spatially dispersed channels onto corresponding predetermined regions of an optical manipulation matrix including a plurality of individually addressable manipulating elements; (iii) determining a modification function that specifies a state for each manipulating element within the predetermined region; and (iv) driving the elements of the corresponding regions at states specified by the function to selectively modify the channel band shape such that the received channel's bandwidth is substantially enhanced, and to spatially direct the wavelength channels to predetermined output ports of the WSS devices. | 12-27-2012 |
20130022354 | DEVICE AND A METHOD FOR MERGING OPTICAL COMPONENTS ASSOCIATED WITH ONE WAVELENGTH INTO A MERGED OPTICAL COMPONENT - A device and a method are provided for merging a plurality of optical components associated with one wavelength into an optical component associated with the wavelength. The merging device includes, for each optical component of the plurality of components for merging: an optical element arranged to switch to a blocking position for blocking the optical component for merging, as a function of a blocking signal; a duplication element arranged to duplicate the optical component for merging for sending to combination element. The combination element is arranged to obtain the blocking signal by combining the duplicated optical components of the plurality of components other than the optical component for merging. A merging element is arranged to merge the optical components output by the optical element. The merging device may be integrated in an optical combiner of optical signals. | 01-24-2013 |
20130022355 | METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING THE CAPACITY OF OPTICAL COMMUNICATION NETWORKS - The embodiments of the present invention describe a method for optimizing the capacity of an optical communication network that uses wavelength division multiplexing, wherein the spectral distribution of the signals intended to be transmitted over a plurality of channels is done dynamically through the use of a variable spectrum grid whose spectral spacings between two successive channels are determined based on the spectral width of said signals and in which dynamic filtering of said signals is carried out before their transmission in order to adjust their spectral width based on the available spectral space, and thereby reduce crosstalk between adjacent channels when the signals are transmitted. | 01-24-2013 |
20130039657 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DISTRIBUTING A NETWORK APPLICATION AMONG A PLURALITY OF NETWORK SITES ON A SHARED NETWORK - Presented is a system and method for distributing a network application across a plurality of geographically dispersed network sites. The system comprises a plurality of network sites connected by a shared network and interconnected by a dedicated non-blocking communication network. The system can use different interconnecting network topologies based on the number of sites to be interconnected. The method balances the network application load and resources across the interconnected network sites based on a distribution policy implemented without burdening the shared network. The method provides redundancy capabilities by detecting the loss of a network site and redistributing the network application load to the remaining network sites. | 02-14-2013 |
20130058650 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FLEXIBLE OPTICAL SIGNAL AGGREGATION AND TRANSMISSION - In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for spectrally spacing carrier waves comprises determining a frequency offset between a first frequency of a first optical carrier wave and a second frequency of a second optical carrier wave. The method further comprises adjusting the second frequency of the second optical carrier wave according to the frequency offset. The method additionally comprises combining a first optical signal associated with the first carrier wave and a second optical signal associated with he second carrier wave into a multi-frequency signal. | 03-07-2013 |
20130077969 | OPTICAL COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND PATH CONTROL METHOD - An optical communication apparatus of a wavelength division multiplexing transmission system has a transponder having a double-wavelength tunable transceiver and a transceiver including a switching controller, and a ROADM device having a device that copes with a colorless function and a directionless function and can operate in cooperation with the transponder. | 03-28-2013 |
20130077970 | Path Computation Element Protocol (PCEP) Operations to Support Wavelength Switched Optical Network Routing, Wavelength Assignment, and Impairment Validation - An apparatus comprising a path computation element (PCE) configured for at least partial impairment aware routing and wavelength assignment (RWA) and to communicate with a path computation client (PCC) based on a PCE protocol (PCEP) that supports path routing, wavelength assignment (WA), and impairment validation (IV). The PCEP comprises at least one operation selected from the group consisting of a new RWA path request operation and a path re-optimization request operation. Also disclosed is a network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising establishing a PCEP session with a PCC, receiving path computation information comprising RWA information and constraints from the PCC, and establishing impairment aware RWA (IA-RWA) based on the path computation information and a private impairment information for a vendor's equipment. | 03-28-2013 |
20130084066 | LAYER 1 FAST PROVISIONING AND RIGHT SIZING OF BANDWIDTH FOR LAYER 2/3 - Additional bandwidth is provisioned to layer 2/3 networks by initially provisioning optical wavelength channels to meet incremental needs for additional capacity. When bandwidth requirements grow large enough, a wavelength-sized channel is provisioned to meet the bandwidth needs, and the previously provisioned optical wavelength channels are freed up to be reused for additional growth. The optical wavelength channels may be channelized VLANs mapped to resizable optical channel data units such as ODUflex units. | 04-04-2013 |
20130084067 | OPTICAL REPEATER COMPLYING WITH REDUNDANT CONFIGURATION - An optical repeater formed in an optical passive component passively relays an incoming multiplexed optical signal. The repeater has an optical decoder decoding the multiplexed optical signal, and an optical encoder encoding an optical signal from a termination unit connected to the repeater. The repeater further includes a first optical path switch outputting an incoming multiplexed optical signal to the optical decoder and outputting the optical signal delivered from the optical decoder, a second optical path switch outputting the optical signal coming from the first optical path switch to the termination unit, and a third optical path switch outputting the optical signal coming from the second optical path switch to the encoder and outputting the optical signal delivered from the encoder. | 04-04-2013 |
20130094856 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT IN MULTI-MODE SWITCHING DWDM NETWORKS - A Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) multi-mode switching system and method and method provides concurrent switching in various switching modes including, but not limited to, an electronic packet switching (EPS) mode, optical circuit switching (OCS) mode, and optical burst switching (OBS) mode. Edge routers in the WDM multi-mode switching systems may provide a traffic management module that processes incoming data and routes the data for transmission in an electronic packet switching (EPS), optical burst switching (OBS), or optical circuit switching (OCS) modes via a WDM link. | 04-18-2013 |
20130101287 | Optical Interface Device for Wavelength Division Multiplexing Networks - A switch port device for transmitting and receiving optical bursts over an optical burst network. The switch port device includes a first end device interface configured to receive incoming data from a first end device and intended for a destination device, a processing device operably connected to the first end device interface and configured to control the modulation of the incoming data to a wavelength associated with the destination device to produce a modulated burst, an optical transmitter operably connected to the processing device and configured to transmit the modulated burst to an optical core, and an optical receiver operably connected to the processing device and configured to receive at least one incoming optical burst from the optical core. | 04-25-2013 |
20130108265 | ELEMENT OF A WAVELENGTH DIVISION MULTIPLEXING OPTICAL NETWORK | 05-02-2013 |
20130108266 | METHOD FOR OPTICAL SWITCH AND OPTICAL SWITCH | 05-02-2013 |
20130114957 | DUAL PATH WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH - An optical switching device with a switch-and-select architecture uses a single multi-port optical channel router, such as a wavelength selective switch, as a bidirectional switching device. The optical switching device includes the multi-port optical channel router and optical circulators coupled to the input/output ports of the multi-port optical channel router. The optical circulators couple one or more output ports and one or more input ports of the optical switching device to the input/output ports of the optical channel router so that the optical channel router provides symmetric, bi-directional switching at an optical network node. | 05-09-2013 |
20130121693 | OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SYSTEM, PUMP-LIGHT SUPPLY CONTROL METHOD, AND PUMP LIGHT SUPPLY APPARATUS - An optical transmission system for communicating between transmission devices includes a first pump light source that supplies a first pump light, a second pump light source that supplies a second pump light, an optical transmission line that propagates an optical signal between the transmission devices, and a plurality of couplers that form a plurality of zones in the transmission line, the first pump light source and the second pump light source being optically connected to different couplers of the plurality of couplers, the second pump light Raman-amplifying the first pump light in a zone in which the second pump light is input in the transmission line. | 05-16-2013 |
20130121694 | Open Shortest Path First Extensions in Support of Wavelength Switched Optical Networks - A network component comprising a generalized multiprotocol label switching (GMPLS) control plane controller configured to implement a method comprising transmitting a message to at least one adjacent control plane controller, wherein the message comprises a Type-Length-Value (TLV) indicating Routing and Wavelength Assignment (RWA) information, wherein the TLV comprises a Node Attribute TLV, a Link Set TLV, or both, and wherein the TLV further comprises at least one sub-TLV indicating additional RWA information. A method comprising communicating an open shortest path first (OSPF) link state advertisement (LSA) message comprising a TLV with at least one sub-TLV to a GMPLS control plane controller, wherein the TLV comprises a Node Attribute TLV, a Link Set TLV, or both, and wherein the TLV further comprises at least one sub-TLV indicating RWA information. | 05-16-2013 |
20130142510 | Apparatus and Method for Improved Distributed Compensation of Filtering Effects Mitigation in an Optical Network - The present disclosure describes a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer. The reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer includes a first optical equalizer to precompensate a received optical signal for optical filtering effects to produce a first compensated optical signal. A first interleaver, coupled to the first optical equalizer, separates the first compensated optical signal into an odd optical signal and an even optical signal. A plurality of wavelength selective switches processes the odd optical signal and the even optical signal. A second interleaver, combines the odd optical signal and the even optical signal to produce a combined optical signal. A second optical equalizer, coupled to the second interleaver, postcompensates the combined optical signal for optical filtering effects to produce an output optical signal. | 06-06-2013 |
20130156427 | AFDX NETWORK WITH A PASSIVE OPTICAL NETWORK - The present invention concerns an AFDX network which is extended by a passive optical network or PON. The AFDX network comprises an AFDX switch to which are connected a plurality of equipments. The AFDX switch constitutes the optical line termination and said equipments constitute the optical network terminations of the PON. The PON broadcasts over the downlink, to all said equipments, every AFDX frame output by said AFDX switch. It also multiplexes over the uplink the AFDX frames transmitted by the same equipments. The invention also concerns an μAFDX network using a PON. | 06-20-2013 |
20130170833 | OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM HAVING TUNABLE SOURCES - Pairs of distributed feedback (DFB) lasers are provided on a substrate. An arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) is also provided on the substrate having input waveguides, each of which being connected to a corresponding pair of DFB lasers. The wavelengths of optical signals supplied from each pair of DFB lasers may be spectrally spaced from one another by a free spectral range (FSR) of the AWG. By selecting either a first or second DFB laser in a pair and temperature tuning to adjust the wavelength, each pair of DFB lasers can supply optical signals at one of four wavelengths, pairs of which are spectrally spaced from one another by the FSR of the AWG. A widely tunable transmitter may thus be obtained. | 07-04-2013 |
20130183035 | Enhanced PON And Splitter Module And Associated Method - A splitter module for a PON (passive optical network) and method of operating same. An IW (interfering wavelength) is selectively distributed and multiplexed with a downstream PON signal. The ONU (optical network unit) measures and reports performance characteristics such as BER (bit error rate). The performance reporting can be used to identify splitter ports associated with particular ONUs. | 07-18-2013 |
20130188950 | WAVELENGTH PATH MULTIPLEXING/DEMULTIPLEXING APPARATUS AND WAVELENGTH PATH MULTIPLEXING/DEMULTIPLEXING METHOD - In order to connect a path and a transponder with low loss, reduce an apparatus cost, reduce an apparatus size, and improve a reliability of an apparatus, a wavelength path multiplexing/demultiplexing apparatus comprises multiplexing/demultiplexing unit having a multiplexing port through which a wavelength multiplexed light is inputted and outputted and a demultiplexing port in which the wavelength multiplexed light is demultiplexed into the lights included in the wavelength multiplexed light based on the wavelength and through which the light is inputted and outputted and first switch unit which have a first port to which the demultiplexing port is connected and a second port and connect the second port to one of the first ports; and the demultiplexing port is connected to the first port of each of the first switch unit and the first port is connected to the demultiplexing port of each of the multiplexing/demultiplexing unit. | 07-25-2013 |
20130195449 | Contentionless Add-Drop Multiplexer - An optical add/drop module of a reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer node includes a first set of optical switches configured to receive respective first optical signals, at respective channel receive ports, to be added to a first wave division multiplexed optical signal and to direct the first optical signals to, in a first state, at least one fully functional transmit degree port, and in a second state, to at least one partially functional transmit degree port; and a second set of optical switches configured to receive respective second optical signals to be dropped from a second wave division multiplexed signal via, in a first state, a fully functional receive degree port, and in a second state, via a partially functional receive degree port, and to direct the second optical signals to respective channel transmit ports. An auxiliary device can be used to make the partially functional ports fully functional. | 08-01-2013 |
20130209100 | SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE FOR OPTICAL SWITCH USING WAVELENGTH DIVISION MULTIPLEXING - A system for transmitting data on an optical burst network. The system includes an optical core configured to switch data bursts based upon a wavelength of the data bursts. The system also includes a plurality of switch port devices operably connected to the optical core, wherein at least one of the plurality of switch port devices is configured to transfer the data bursts to the optical core and at least one of the plurality of switch port devices is configured to receive the data bursts from the optical core. The system further includes at least one control plane processor operably connected to the plurality of switch port devices and configured to transmit scheduling information to at least one of the plurality of switch port devices configured to transfer the data bursts to the optical core. | 08-15-2013 |
20130216223 | Method and device for obtaining routing information of electro-optical multi-layer network - The present disclosure provides a method and device for obtaining the routing information of an electro-optical multi-layer network. The ports on which an optical transmitter and an optical receiver are located are determined, and the electro-optical conversion information is added to the routing information on a port of the optical layer node side or the electro layer node side on which the optical transmitter and the optical receiver are located. The electro-optical conversion information includes but is not limited to the wavelength tuning capability and signal processing capability. Through the extending of the current Multi-Layer Network (MLN) information model and Wavelength Switched Optical Network (WSON) information model, the present disclosure describes the routing information including the electro-optical conversion information of the present disclosure more accurately, and perfects the electro-optical multi-layer network information model, and improves the accuracy of the path calculation to reach the optimization. | 08-22-2013 |
20130230321 | Port Wavelength Restriction Encoding in Wavelength Switched Optical Network - An apparatus comprising a path computation element (PCE) coupled to a path computation client (PCC) and configured to perform a path computation using port wavelength restriction information for a network element (NE), wherein the port wavelength restriction information is encoded and received in a port wavelength restriction Type-Length-Value (TLV) that comprises a matrix identifier (ID), a restriction type, and the port wavelength restriction information. Also disclosed is a network component comprising at least one processor coupled to a memory and configured to receive a port wavelength restriction information TLV that corresponds to a NE, and obtain a restriction type and port wavelength restriction information based on the restriction type from the port wavelength restriction TLV, and use the port wavelength restriction information to calculate a path for the NE. | 09-05-2013 |
20130236174 | Method for Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching Routing to Support Wavelength Switched Optical Network Signal Characteristics and Network Element Compatibility Constraints - An apparatus comprising a network element (NE) configured to support routing-associated signal compatibility constraint information that is associated with the NE using Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching (GMPLS) and an open shortest path first (OSPF) routing protocol, wherein the signal compatibility constraint information comprises a modulation type list, a Forward Error Correction (FEC) type list, a bit rate range list, and an acceptable client signal list, and wherein the signal compatibility constraint information is associated with a resource block (RB) pool for a plurality of NEs. Also disclosed is a network component comprising a transmitter unit configured to transmit signal compatibility constraints via GMPLS OSPF routing, wherein the signal compatibility constraints comprise a modulation type list, a FEC type list, a bit rate range list, and an acceptable client signal list. | 09-12-2013 |
20130243430 | FRONT END DEVICE AND SUPERPOSING SIGNAL DETECTING DEVICE - A front end device includes: an optical filter configured to receive a WDM optical signal including a plurality of optical signals each having a superposing signal superposed thereon by frequency shift keying, with a transmittance being periodically changed with respect to a wavelength and a wavelength with which a peak of the transmittance appears being shifted according to an incident angle; an optical structure configured to guide the WDM optical signal to the optical filter so that the WDM optical signal enters the optical filter at a plurality of different angles; and an optical detector configured to convert an optical signal output from the optical filter to an electrical signal. | 09-19-2013 |
20130243431 | TRANSPONDER AND RELATED NETWORK NODE FOR AN OPTICAL TRANSMISSION NETWORK - In order to reduce power consumption in network equipment for optical transmission networks, it is proposed by reducing E/O conversion and signal processing in optical networks when not needed. A network node has two or more line cards. Each line card contains a receive side transponder section with a network side optical receiver, a first electrical section, and a client side optical transmitter and a transmit side transponder section with a network side optical transmitter, a second electrical section, and a client side optical receiver. The first electrical section has at least one intermediate electrical output the second electrical section has at least one intermediate electrical input. The intermediate electrical outputs and inputs lead to an electrical switch matrix, which controllably interconnects the intermediate electrical outputs and inputs. Preferably, the transponders can additionally contain second intermediate electrical outputs and inputs additionally bypassing a Forward-Error-Correction processing function in the line cards | 09-19-2013 |
20130251367 | CONTROL METHOD, OPTICAL TRANSMISSION DEVICE, AND CONTROL DEVICE FOR OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SYSTEM, AND OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SYSTEM - An optical transmission device includes: a controller that controllably extends a pass band of an optical transmission path for transmission of a known symbol sequence; and a transmission processing unit that provides the known symbol sequence after the controller controllably extends the pass band. | 09-26-2013 |
20130259473 | OPTICAL TRANSMISSION APPARATUS - In an optical transmission apparatus, a path information table stores paths set in a network and wavelength channel information on the paths. A controller searches for an apparatus which performs route switching of paths using a plurality of grouped wavelength channels, based on fault information on the network detected by the optical transmission apparatus, fault information on the network detected by other optical transmission apparatus, and the paths and wavelength channel information on the paths stored in the path information table. When determining that the number of operating paths is maximized by performing the route switching of the paths in the optical transmission apparatus, the controller performs the route switching of the paths. | 10-03-2013 |
20130259474 | TRANSPONDER AGGREGATOR-BASED OPTICAL LOOPBACK IN A MD-ROADM - The present principles are directed to a transponder aggregator-based optical loopback in a multi-degree colorless, directionless, contention-less, reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer. The multiplexer includes a reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer section for performing connect operations for wavelength division multiplexing signals among all degrees. The section has a plurality of subsections. Each of the subsections corresponds to a respective one of the degrees and has an optical separator at an input side and an optical combiner at an output side. The multiplexer further includes a transponder aggregator section having a split-and-select switch-based transponder aggregator. The multiplexer also includes an optical line loopback having a connection path between the optical separator at the input side and the optical combiner at the output side of at least one of the subsections. | 10-03-2013 |
20130259475 | RECONFIGURABLE BRANCHING UNIT FOR SUBMARINE OPTICAL COMMUNICATION NETWORKS - Methods and systems for optical communication in a submarine network are provided. An input signal is received from a terminal at a reconfigurable branching unit (BU), and the input signal is split into at least two parts, with one part being associated with one or more trunk terminals and another part being associated with one or more branch terminals. Each of one or more spectrum channels are selected and individually switched to one of a plurality of paths using at least one wavelength selective switch (WSS), with the at least one WSS being configured to transmit the one or more spectrum channels to their respective target output port and to combine signals switched to a specific port into a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) signal. Individual spectrum channels are filtered out using at least one wavelength blocker (WB). | 10-03-2013 |
20130266315 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING OPTICAL MEDIA ACCESS CONTROL - A method and systems for implementing an access control algorithm across an optical network are described. The network includes a plurality of switch port devices, each including a local control plane processor. The local control plane processors receive control information related to the plurality of switch port devices; determine destination devices to which each of the plurality of switch port devices can transmit data and availability to receive incoming bursts at the switch port devices; and determine a time during the transmission period when the data is to be transmitted to at least one destination. Optionally, a central control plane processor receives control information from the local control plane processors and determines a time during a transmission period when at least a portion of the data is to be transmitted from at least one of the switch port devices to a destination, thereby regulating traffic over the optical network. | 10-10-2013 |
20130266316 | METHOD FOR ROUTING AND SPECTRUM ASSIGNMENT - Methods and apparatus are disclosed for performing a spectrum assignment and route selection algorithm in an optical WDM network. The optical WDM is assigned an optical band of frequencies. In accordance to the present invention, a new spectrum assignment in the optical band always adjoins a spectrum assignment previously allocated. The very first spectrum assignment may be made to start with one end frequency in the optical band. Given a spectrum demand, one or more spectrum assignments are identified and one or more feasible routes are determined. Among the one or more feasible routes, an optimal route may be selected based on a set of pre-defined criteria. The spectrum assignment and route selection algorithm disclosed herein reduces computational complexities and improves spectrum efficiencies. | 10-10-2013 |
20130266317 | OPTICAL SWITCH AND PROTOCOLS FOR USE THEREWITH - A method of establishing a data connection between terminal switching nodes in a network involves switching nodes participating in a network layer wavelength routing (WR) protocol to determine the next hop switching node for every possible combination of terminal nodes based on the network topology. Switching nodes participate in a network layer wavelength distribution (WD) once the data connection is to be established. The WR protocol determines the path used through the network, while the WD protocol assigns wavelengths on each link between switching nodes. The wavelengths may be different on different optical links. The switching nodes include wavelength converters with an optical switch or optoelectronic converters with a digital electronic switch. Advantages of using potentially different wavelengths along various segments of a single end-to-end connection yields increased wavelength efficiency. | 10-10-2013 |
20130266318 | BROADBAND OPTICAL COMMUNICATION NETWORK HAVING OPTICAL CHANNEL PROTECTION APPARATUS - The present invention provides an improved optical communication network ( | 10-10-2013 |
20130272702 | OPTICAL SIGNAL REGENERATION AND AMPLIFICATION OF M-PSK AND M-QAM MODULATION FORMATS USING RECONFIGURABLE WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE PROCESSORS AND PHASE-SENSITIVE AMPLIFIERS - A method for regenerating optical signal includes determining a source optical signal to be regenerated, adding a first pump optical signal and a second pump optical signal to the source optical signal to yield an intermediate optical signal, creating a first conjugate optical signal and a second conjugate optical signal from the intermediate optical signal, and performing degenerate phase-sensitive amplification utilizing the first conjugate optical signal, the second conjugate optical signal and the source optical signal to yield an output optical signal. The source optical signal is modulated with a multilevel modulation format. Each conjugate optical signal has a phase that is a conjugate of a multiple of the phase of the source optical signal. | 10-17-2013 |
20130279908 | RECONFIGURABLE OPTICAL ADD/DROP MULTIPLEXER NETWORK ELEMENT FOR C-BAND AND L-BAND OPTICAL SIGNALS - A method for routing C-band and L-band optical signals, and a system, apparatus, and computer program that operate in accordance with the method. The method comprises selecting one or more C-band optical signals using one or more C-band components, resulting in one or more selected C-band optical signals. One or more L-band optical signals are selected using one or more L-band components, resulting in one or more selected L-band optical signals. The selected C-band and L-band optical signals are combined. | 10-24-2013 |
20130287396 | Passive Optical Network Arrangement and Method - This disclosure relates to wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) passive optical networks (PON), and the transmission of point-to-point and broadcast or multicast channels from an optical line transmitter (OLT) to an optical network unit (ONU). There is provided a WDM PON ( | 10-31-2013 |
20130302032 | OPTICAL MULTIPLEXER / DEMULTIPLEXER - An optical multiplexer/demultiplexer includes a first fiber unit having an MCF and a GRIN lens, a second fiber unit having an MCF and a GRIN lens, and an optical filter. The optical filter is disposed between the GRIN lens of the first fiber unit and the GRIN lens of the second fiber unit and makes transmitted light and reflected light emitted from a core of the MCFs incident on a core of the MCFs. A leading end of the MCF and one end of the GRIN lens are held in contact with each other in the first fiber unit, while a leading end of the MCF and one end of the GRIN lens are held in contact with each other in the second fiber unit. | 11-14-2013 |
20130308944 | BUTTERFLY OPTICAL NETWORK WITH CROSSING-FREE SWITCHES - In a multi-chip module (MCM), optical waveguides in a first plane convey modulated optical signals among integrated circuits (which are sometimes referred to as ‘chips’). Moreover, an optical-butterfly switch, optically coupled to the optical waveguides, dynamically allocates communication bandwidth among the integrated circuits. This optical-butterfly switch includes optical components in the first plane and a second plane, and optical couplers that couple the modulated optical signals to and from the first plane and the second plane. In this way, the MCM communicates the modulated optical signals among the integrated circuits without optical-waveguide crossings in a given plane. | 11-21-2013 |
20130308945 | OSPFTE EXTENSION TO SUPPORT GMPLS FOR FLEXIBLE GRID - A method and system are disclosed in which a link state advertisement message (LSA) conforming to a Generalized Multiprotocol Label Switching (GMPLS) routing protocol is generated and transmitted. The LSA is associated with a TE Link between a transmit node and a receive node in a network. The transmit node supplies a plurality of optical signals, each of which has a plurality of frequencies, the frequencies being allocated among a plurality of spectral portions such that the plurality of spectral portions are grouped into a plurality of frequency slots. The LSA may include information indicative of a number of spectral portions, e.g., spectral slices, which correspond to frequencies of selected ones of the plurality of optical signals, said selected ones of the plurality of optical signals being available to carry data from the transmit node to the receive node. | 11-21-2013 |
20130315589 | METHOD, SYSTEM, AND APPARATUS FOR WAVELENGTH SWITCHING ON MULTI-WAVELENGTH PASSIVE OPTICAL NETWORK - The present application provides a method for wavelength switching on a multi-wavelength passive optical network, including: duplicating, when an optical network unit needs to switch from a first wavelength channel to a second wavelength channel, downlink data to be sent to the optical network unit into multiple copies, and sending the multiple copies of the downlink data to the optical network unit separately through multiple wavelength channels, where the multiple wavelength channels include at least the first wavelength channel and the second wavelength channel; sending a downlink wavelength switching command to the optical network unit to instruct the optical network unit to switch a downlink receiving wavelength of the optical network unit to a downlink wavelength of the second wavelength channel; and stopping downlink data duplication and sending the downlink data to the optical network unit through the second wavelength channel. | 11-28-2013 |
20130315590 | Method and Apparatus for Analyzing the Spectrum of Radio-Frequency Signals Using Unamplified Fiber Optic Recirculation Loops - An apparatus for generating a frequency spectrum of an RF signal comprising a gate switch for generating a series of pulses from a laser of wavelength lambda modulated by an input RE signal, a first fiber optical loop for circulating a first percentage of a first pulse of the series of pulses from the gate switch, for a predetermined number of cycles n where each cycle takes time t | 11-28-2013 |
20130315591 | OPTICAL TRANSMISSION APPARATUS - An optical transmission apparatus according to the present invention includes: wave splitter ( | 11-28-2013 |
20130330077 | VIRTUAL WAVELENGTH NETWORKS - A computer implemented method provisions optical wavelength connections. A set of applications is grouped to form a set of application groups. A single optical connection having a bandwidth is established through a management plane for each of the set of application groups. A set of persistent upper layer connections is then established for each of the set of application groups. The underlying optical connection is adjusted while preserving the state of the upper layer protocols. | 12-12-2013 |
20130343758 | WAVELENGTH DIVISION MULTIPLEXER, OPTICAL SWITCH DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD OF OPTICAL SWITCH - The present invention provides a WDM which includes three ports, the three ports each include an optical fiber array and a micro lens array matching the optical fiber array; an optical signal is transmitted to a filter after passing through a corresponding micro lens in a first micro lens array of the common port; transmitted light of the optical signal enters a corresponding micro lens in a second micro lens array of the pass port after passing through the filter, and then the light is output by a corresponding optical fiber in a second optical fiber array of the pass port; reflected light of the optical signal enters a corresponding micro lens in a third micro lens array of the reflection port after being reflected by the filter, and the light is output by a corresponding optical fiber in a third optical fiber array of the reflection port. | 12-26-2013 |
20140003810 | RECONFIGURABLE OPTICAL NETWORKS | 01-02-2014 |
20140016931 | METHOD AND APPARATUS PROVIDING WAVE DIVISION MULTIPLEXING OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM WITH ACTIVE CARRIER HOPPING - A wave division multiplexing (WDM) system is disclosed which accommodates shifts in the resonant frequency of optical modulators by using at least two carriers per optical communications channel and at least two resonant modulator circuits respectively associated with the carriers within each optical modulator. A first resonant modulator circuit resonates with a first carrier and a second resonates with a second carrier when there is a shift in resonance frequency of the at least two resonant optical modulator circuits. A switch circuit controls which carrier is being modulated by its respective resonant modulator circuit. | 01-16-2014 |
20140016932 | HIGH-BANDWIDTH OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS RELAY PAYLOAD - A free space optical communication system ( | 01-16-2014 |
20140016933 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONVERTING AN INPUT LIGHT SIGNAL INTO AN OUTPUT LIGHT SIGNAL - A method and device for converting an input light signal into an output light signal, in an optical component is described. An input light signal, at a first wavelength, and a first light beam which may be at a second wavelength, are received at the component. The input light signal and the first light beam interfere in the component to form an interference pattern, which modifies a reflectivity spectrum of the component to increase the reflectivity of the component in a portion of the reflectivity spectrum. A second light beam, having a second wavelength corresponding with a wavelength within the portion of the reflectivity spectrum, is also received at the component and is then reflected from the component, in dependence upon the portion of the reflectivity spectrum, to generate the output light signal at the second wavelength. This enables conversion of light signals to signals at a different wavelength. | 01-16-2014 |
20140023364 | ESTABLISHING CONNECTIONS IN A MULTI-RATE OPTICAL NETWORK - An optical transmission network comprises nodes which support a plurality of different wavelength channels and support at least a first bitrate traffic type and the second bitrate traffic type on respective wavelength channels. A connection of the second bitrate traffic type is established on an available wavelength, if the wavelength offers an acceptable quality of transmission using a first quality of transmission calculation. Alternatively, a connection of the second bitrate traffic type is established on a wavelength which is spaced, by a guard band, from wavelengths used for connections of the first bitrate traffic type, if the wavelength offers an acceptable quality of transmission using a second quality of transmission calculation. The second quality of transmission calculation is less stringent than the first quality of transmission calculation, and can ignore the effects of interference due to cross-phase modulation. The guard band is a wavelength spacing at which the interference between a connection of the first bitrate traffic type and a connection of the second bitrate traffic type is less than a predetermined amount. | 01-23-2014 |
20140029942 | OPTICAL TERMINATING APPARATUS FOR OPTICAL PATH NETWORK - An optical signal terminating apparatus for an optical path network includes: a variable filter selecting an optical signal of a predetermined wavelength path making up any one of a plurality of wavebands included in one wavelength division multiplexing light selected from a plurality of wavelength division multiplexing lights respectively transmitted in parallel via a plurality of optical fibers to a relay node in the optical path network, the variable filter dropping the optical signal to an electric layer, the variable filter including a waveband separator separating the wavelength division multiplexing light into a plurality of wavebands, a waveband selector selecting one waveband from a plurality of wavebands separated by the waveband separator, a wavelength separator separating one waveband selected by the waveband selector into wavelengths, and a drop wavelength selector. | 01-30-2014 |
20140037288 | OPTICAL UNIT FOR WAVELENGTH SELECTING SWITCH AND WAVELENGTH SELECTING SWITCH - An optical unit for a wavelength-selecting switch according to the present invention comprises: an input port; a dispersion section that produces wavelength dispersion of input light that is input from the input port; a light-collecting element that collects the light dispersed by the dispersion section; an output port; an optical path correction section that shifts the light that is dispersed by the dispersion section; an adjustment section that changes the amount of shift produced by the optical path correction section; and a casing that hermetically seals the input port, dispersion section, light-collecting element, output port, and optical path correction section. The casing has an optically transparent section in a location onto which the light that is collected by the light-collecting element is directed. The adjustment section is arranged outside the casing. The optical path correction section can be controlled from outside the casing by the adjustment section. | 02-06-2014 |
20140072301 | Minimizing Bandwidth Narrowing Penalities in a Wavelength Selective Switch Optical Network - This invention relates to provisioning wavelength-selective switches and reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers to minimize the bandwidth narrowing effect from the optical filters. Novel architectures and methods are disclosed that can significantly reduce bandwidth-narrowing on channels in a reconfigurable WDM network where a large number of optical filter elements are cascaded. Instead of blocking unused channels as in the prior art, unused channels are selectively provisioned depending on the state of their adjacent channels. Unused adjacent channels of an active channel are provisioned to follow the same path as the active channels. As each channels is deployed, the channel frequency is selected so as to minimize bandwidth narrowing. | 03-13-2014 |
20140072302 | OPTICAL SWITCH - An optical switch includes light input/output ports, each having a port group of inputting/outputting a light, an optical path manipulation unit having optical path switching units of switching an optical path of a light from an input port in the port group to an optical path toward an output port in the same port group according to each of the light input/output ports, and a condenser lens condensing light from the light input/output ports on the optical path switching units corresponding to the port groups and optically-couples the light input/output ports with the optical path manipulation unit. The input/output optical paths of the light input/output ports with respect to the condenser lens are parallel to each other between the ports in the same port group and are unparallel to each other between the ports in the different port groups as seen from a direction perpendicular to a port arrangement direction. | 03-13-2014 |
20140086582 | COHERENT OPTICAL RECEIVER AND LOCAL LIGHT SWITCHING METHOD - In order to promptly switch a wavelength of local light in conjunction with switching of a wavelength of signal light, a coherent optical receiver includes a signal light divergence unit for causing signal light to diverge to first signal light and second signal light; a local oscillation light source for generating local oscillating light (local light); an optical phase hybrid unit for causing the first signal light to interfere with the local light and outputting interference light; and a wavelength detection unit for receiving the second signal light, detecting a wavelength of the signal light on the basis of the second signal light, and thereby controlling a wavelength of the local light generated by the local oscillation light source. | 03-27-2014 |
20140093240 | NONLINEAR COMPENSATION IN WDM SYSTEMS - A compensator device may include a selection switch to receive a first optical signal and provide first and second groups of channels associated with the first optical signal; a polarization beam splitter to receive the first channels, and provide first and second components; a photodiode that provides an electrical signal indicative of an intensity of the first group of channels; a first modulator to receive the electrical signal and the first components and to modulate the first components to form first modulated channels; a second modulator to receive the electrical signal and the second components to modulate the second components to form second modulated channels; a polarization beam combiner to receive the first and second modulated channels to form combined modulated channels; and a coupler to receive the combined modulated channels and the second group of channels to form a second optical signal. | 04-03-2014 |
20140099108 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HETERODYNE COHERENT DETECTION WITH OPTIMAL OFFSET - A heterodyne optical signal detector and method performed thereby, the signal detector including an optical signal spectrum shaper operable to modify the shape of the frequency spectrum of a received optical signal, a laser local oscillator (LO), and polarization beam splitters (PBSs) to divide the signal and the LO into orthogonal components, waveguides in which intermediate frequency (IF) signals are formed, balanced photodetectors (BPDs) arranged to receive the IF signals and operable to convert the IF signals into electric signals, and analog to digital converters (ADCs) that digitize the electric signals. In embodiments, the ADCs have a predetermined bandwidth, the received signal has a spectrum which, if not shaped, would produce IF signals with a bandwidth greater than that of the ADCs, the spectrum shaper modifies the received signal spectrum to produce IF signals that have a bandwidth substantially equal to half the bandwidth of the ADCs, the laser frequency is adjusted produce IF signals in the waveguides having a frequency spectrum centered at the midpoint of the ADCs' bandwidth. | 04-10-2014 |
20140099109 | SERVICE SENSITIVE RESILIENT IPoWDM NETWORK AND METHOD OF OPERATION - A network and method of operating the network, the network comprising a transport layer that includes first and second disjoint but topologically substantially identical subnetworks A and B, each having a plurality of optical switch nodes and/or reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) nodes, and a routing layer wherein each router is coupled to at least one node in A and at least one node in B. The network is operable to provide a plurality of classes of services providing corresponding Quality of Service, and the routing layer or routing/transport interface can differentiate between traffic having different classes of service and schedule the traffic based on its service class. In the case either of the subnetworks becomes inoperable, all of the traffic is transferred to the other subnetwork, and the QoS of the classes of service is maintained by scheduling traffic to increase the delay experienced by delay-tolerant traffic. | 04-10-2014 |
20140105600 | Service Edge Hub Device and Methods in an Optical Network Node - The present invention relates to a node of an optical network, methods and service edge hub devices attachable to an optical network carrying data traffic comprising data information on a number of optical wavelength channels in one or more optical fibres. said hub device comprising one or more optical ports connectable to one or more service equipment arrangements for digital processing the received data information, the hub comprising a wavelength switching means configured to connect each channel to the ports, wherein the wavelength switching means comprises an optical splitter arrangement for spreading and directing the channels to the different ports, in one direction, and network ports, in the other direction. | 04-17-2014 |
20140105601 | OPTICAL MODULE USED IN OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, METHOD OF UPDATING FIRMWARE OF OPTICAL MODULE USED IN OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, AND TROUBLE TRACING SYSTEM - An optical module includes: an optical device driven by a driving voltage; an arithmetic processing chip including an arithmetic processing circuit that operates according to predetermined firmware and generates an electrical control signal indicating a magnitude of the driving voltage; a voltage generating unit provided outside the arithmetic processing chip, and including an input terminal that receives the control signal from the arithmetic processing chip and an output terminal that provides the driving voltage of a magnitude corresponding to the control signal to the optical device; and a voltage holding unit that holds an output voltage from the output terminal of the voltage generating unit at a constant voltage regardless of an operation state of the arithmetic processing circuit, when the firmware is updated. | 04-17-2014 |
20140119728 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPLEMENTING A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL OPTICAL CIRCUIT SWITCHING FABRIC - An optical switching system is described. The system includes a plurality of interconnected wavelength selective switching units. Each of the wavelength selective switching units is associated with one or more server racks. The interconnected wavelength selective switching units are arranged into a fixed structure high-dimensional interconnect architecture comprising a plurality of fixed and structured optical links. The optical links are arranged in a k-ary n-cube, ring, mesh, torus, direct binary n-cube, indirect binary n-cube, Omega network or hypercube architecture. | 05-01-2014 |
20140119729 | Bandwidth Provisioning for an Entangled Photon System - A quantum key distribution system is deployed in an optical fiber network transporting classical data traffic. A source of entangled photon pairs is used to generate quantum keys. Classical data traffic is typically transported over channels in the C-band. If a pair of channels for transport of quantum data is available within the C-band, then the source of entangled photon pairs is tuned to emit in a pair of channels in the C-band. If a pair of channels for transport of quantum data is not available within the C-band, then the source of entangled photon pairs is tuned to emit in a pair of channels in a combined S-band and L-band. When a periodically-poled lithium niobate waveguide pumped with a laser is used for the source of entangled photon pairs, the output spectral properties are tuned by varying the temperature of the waveguide. | 05-01-2014 |
20140126903 | TRANSMISSION DEVICE AND TRANSMISSION METHOD - A transmission device includes: optical transmitters configured to transmit optical signals of different wavelengths; optical couplers configured to multiplexing the optical signals transmitted from the optical transmitters; and a wavelength selective switch configured to multiplex multiplexed optical signals obtained by multiplexing by the couplers, wherein optical signals, a wavelength interval between which is less than a predetermined value, are transmitted to separate optical couplers of the optical couplers, among the optical signals. | 05-08-2014 |
20140126904 | ADD AND DROP SWITCH/AGGREGATOR FOR OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS - An apparatus for an optical communications network comprising a demultiplexer, a plurality of add/drop optical switches for adding and dropping wavelength channels. The add/drop optical switches arranged in a matrix with a number of rows corresponding to a number of output ports of the demultiplexer and a number of columns corresponding to a number of transponders. Each drop optical switch has an express input port associated with an output port of the demultiplexer, a drop output port associated with an individual transponder, and an express output port. Each add optical switch has an express input port, an add input port associated with an individual transponder, and an express output port. The apparatus also comprises a multiplexer with a plurality of input ports associated with express output ports of the add/drop optical switches. | 05-08-2014 |
20140126905 | MULTI-FLOW OPTICAL TRANSCEIVER, MULTI-FLOW OPTICAL TRANSPONDER AND MULTI-FLOW OPTICAL NODE - A multi-flow optical transceiver provided with a plurality of wavelength-tunable light sources, a plurality of optical modulation units which modulates light with an input signal, an optical multiplexing/demultiplexing switch which couples light from at least one of the wavelength-tunable light sources to at least one of the optical modulation units with any power, and an optical coupling unit which couples a plurality of lights, modulated by a plurality of the optical modulation units, to at least one waveguide. | 05-08-2014 |
20140126906 | Extending Routing Protocols to Accommodate Wavelength Switched Optical Networks - A network component comprising a control plane controller configured to implement a method comprising transmitting routing and wavelength assignment (RWA) information to at least one adjacent control plane controller, wherein the RWA information is transmitted using an interior gateway protocol (IGP). Included is a method comprising communicating a message comprising RWA information to at least one adjacent control plane controller, wherein the message comprises an indication whether the RWA information is static or dynamic. Also included is an apparatus comprising a control plane controller configured to communicate data to at least one adjacent control plane controller, wherein the data comprises RWA information, and wherein the data comprises an indicator that indicates whether the RWA information is associated with a node, a link, or both. | 05-08-2014 |
20140140695 | COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK - A communications network wherein first and second optical signals can be launched into an optical fiber in respective first and second regions of a transmission window such that controllable filters can be used to selectively recover the first and second optical signals. This partitioning of the transmission window allows two incompatible optical signals to coexist in the same optical fiber. | 05-22-2014 |
20140161447 | System and Method for an Agile Cloud Radio Access Network - In one embodiment, a cloud radio access network (C-RAN) includes a first plurality of antennas and a first plurality of radio remote units (RRUs) coupled to the plurality of antennas. The C-RAN also includes a first plurality of broadband base units (BBUs) and a first photonic switch optically coupled between the first plurality of RRUs and the first plurality of BBUs. | 06-12-2014 |
20140161448 | TRANSMISSION DEVICE, TRANSMISSION SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING PASSBAND - A transmission device includes: a wavelength detector configured to detect a first wavelength of a first optical signal; a wavelength selective switch to which the first optical signal is input; and a controller configured to detect a direction toward which a central wavelength of a passband of the wavelength selective switch is shifted from the first wavelength detected by the wavelength detector and to control the wavelength selective switch so as to increase a width of the passband toward an opposite direction of the direction toward which the central wavelength of the passband is shifted from the first wavelength. | 06-12-2014 |
20140186036 | OPTICAL SWITCH AND PROTOCOLS FOR USE THEREWITH - A method of establishing a data connection between terminal switching nodes in a network and switching nodes for implementing the method. The method involves switching nodes participating in a network layer wavelength routing (WR) protocol to determine the next hop switching node for every possible combination of terminal nodes based on the network topology. The method also involves the switching nodes participating in a network layer wavelength distribution (WD) once the data connection is to be established. The WR protocol determines the path used through the network, while the WD protocol assigns wavelengths on each link between switching nodes. The wavelengths may be different on different optical links. The switching nodes include wavelength converters with an optical switch or optoelectronic converters with a digital electronic switch. A digital electronic switch can also provide signal reformatting. Advantages of using potentially different wavelengths along various segments of a single end-to-end connection yields increased wavelength efficiency. | 07-03-2014 |
20140205288 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PRE-RESERVATION TIMER ADAPTATION IN PCE BASED NETWORKS - The method updating the status of a network by means of a protocol of the control plane of said network and in response to a path request from at least a path computation client (PCC) pre-reserving during a reserved period of time (T | 07-24-2014 |
20140205289 | METHOD AND APPARATUS PROVIDING WAVE DIVISION MULTIPLEXING OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM WITH ACTIVE CARRIER HOPPING - A wave division multiplexing (WDM) system is disclosed which accommodates shifts in the resonant frequency of optical modulators by using at least two carriers per optical communications channel and at least two resonant modulator circuits respectively associated with the carriers within each optical modulator. A first resonant modulator circuit resonates with a first carrier and a second resonates with a second carrier when there is a shift in resonance frequency of the at least two resonant optical modulator circuits. A switch circuit controls which carrier is being modulated by its respective resonant modulator circuit. | 07-24-2014 |
20140205290 | OPTICAL SWITCH AND PROTOCOLS FOR USE THEREWITH - A method of establishing a data connection between terminal switching nodes in a network and switching nodes for implementing the method. The method involves switching nodes participating in a network layer wavelength routing (WR) protocol to determine the next hop switching node for every possible combination of terminal nodes based on the network topology. The method also involves the switching nodes participating in a network layer wavelength distribution (WD) once the data connection is to be established. The WR protocol determines the path used through the network, while the WD protocol assigns wavelengths on each link between switching nodes. The wavelengths may be different on different optical links. The switching nodes include wavelength converters with an optical switch or optoelectronic converters with a digital electronic switch. A digital electronic switch can also provide signal reformatting. Advantages of using potentially different wavelengths along various segments of a single end-to-end connection yields increased wavelength efficiency. | 07-24-2014 |
20140205291 | OPTICAL SWITCH - The discloser provides a multi-input and multi-output optical switch capable of switching over all WDM wavelengths. An optical switch according to one embodiment includes: an optical demultiplexing element ( | 07-24-2014 |
20140212134 | AUTOMATIC ADJUSTMENT OF LOGICAL CHANNELS IN A FIBRE CHANNEL NETWORK - One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates automatic adjustment of logical channels in a Fibre Channel (FC) network. During operation, the system receives FC data frames. A respective data frame is associated with a logical channel. The bandwidth on an FC link can be allocated into a plurality of logical channels, and a respective logical channel is associated with a dedicated buffer and can transport a plurality of data flows with data frames of variable length. The system then identifies a slow data flow in a first logical channel. Next, the system assigns the slow data flow to a second logical channel, thereby preventing the slow data flow from slowing down other data flows in the first logical channel. The system subsequently forwards the data frames in the slow data flow on the second logical channel onto an outgoing link. | 07-31-2014 |
20140241717 | Dynamic Wavelength Virtualization and/or On-Demand Flow Provisioning in Optical Networks - A network apparatus used in an optical network is disclosed. The network apparatus includes one or more first tunable and temperature controlled (TTC) lasers, one or more transmitters each of which is connected to one of said one or more TTC lasers, one or more second TTC lasers, one or more digital signal processing (DSP) transponders (TPNDs) each of which is connected to one of said one or more second TTC lasers, one or more receivers, and a controller to control said one or more transmitters and said one or more DSP TPNDs, wherein said one or more transmitters defragment an optical access spectrum, and said one or more DSP TPNDs exploit a newly available spectrum. Other apparatuses, systems, and methods also are disclosed. | 08-28-2014 |
20140241718 | Optical Transceiver Device - An optical transceiver device is provided, including an O/E transceiver module, an optical switching module and a switching control module, for providing network communication services for a first and a second optical fiber network equipment. The O/E transceiver module is an integrated chip having multiple transceiver units integrated therein. The switching control module is connected to an in-line equipment and the optical switching module for controlling the optical switching module to execute corresponding optical path switching operation according to an optical path switching control signal output from the inline equipment. In comparison with conventional optical transceiver devices, the invention is advantageous of simple structure, smaller volume and more flexible optical path switching. | 08-28-2014 |
20140241719 | WAVELENGTH PATH SWITCHING METHOD, OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, OPTICAL COMMUNICATION DEVICE, OPTICAL RELAY DEVICE, AND NETWORK MANAGEMENT DEVICE - At least one of a first device, a second device, and a relay device compensates for wavelength dispersion in a first optical wavelength path. The first or second device changes a wavelength dispersion compensation amount at the first or second device so that wavelength dispersion in a second optical wavelength path is compensated. The relay device changes a wavelength dispersion compensation amount at the relay device so that a total amount of wavelength dispersion of the signal light compensated in the first optical wavelength path does not change substantially with the change in the wavelength dispersion compensation amount at the first or second device. The first optical wavelength path is switched to the second optical wavelength path after the wavelength dispersion compensation amount at the first or second device is changed to a value that can compensate for the wavelength dispersion in the second optical wavelength path. | 08-28-2014 |
20140270765 | PLUGGABLE OPTICAL HOST AND NETWORK I/O OPTOELECTRONIC MODULE - In an embodiment, a pluggable optical host and network I/O optoelectronic module (hereinafter “module”) includes a first optical-electrical-optical (OEO) converter and a second OEO converter. The first OEO converter is configured to convert N inbound optical signals to M inbound optical signals and includes N network-side optical receivers, first signal processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the N network-side optical receivers, and M host-side optical receivers communicatively coupled to the first signal processing circuitry. The second OEO converter is configured to convert M outbound optical signals to N outbound optical signals and includes M host-side optical receivers, second signal processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the M host-side optical receivers, and N network-side optical receivers communicatively coupled to the second signal processing circuitry. | 09-18-2014 |
20140270766 | Upgradeable Passive Optical Fiber Circuit - Optical equipment for 1G-EPON, 10G-EPON, and CWDM services are joined together using a novel combination of optical power splitters and multiplexers. This combination of splitters and multiplexers can be disposed in a single housing, which reduces the size of the combination and improves performance, since jumpers between multiple, separately packaged, optical components can be avoided. One example of the inventive techniques and circuits disclosed herein is a combiner/separator circuit for combining and separating 1G-EPON and 10G-EPON signals. In the example application detailed herein, where EPON equipment is combined with CWDM equipment, an important advantage of this optical circuit is its ability to provide return wavelength isolation for EPON systems that have separate ports for 1G and 10G services. | 09-18-2014 |
20140286637 | WAVELENGTH-MULTIPLEXED OPTICAL TRANSMISSION DEVICE, WAVELENGTH-MULTIPLEXED OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SYSTEM, WAVELENGTH-MULTIPLEXED OPTICAL TRANSMISSION METHOD - Provided is a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical transmission device which is suitable of performing splitting, wavelength multiplexing, switching, and routing on an optical WDM signal in which optical signals having a spectrum close to a rectangle are arranged with a high density, and efficiency of spectral usage is ultimately high in units of wavelengths. A WDM optical transmission device according to the present invention is configured to cause flat portions of adjacent transmission bands on a wavelength spectrum overlap each other. | 09-25-2014 |
20140294383 | Apparatus and Method For an Optical Network - An optical network is configured to provide an optical reroute over a backup path ( | 10-02-2014 |
20140334817 | NETWORK SPECIFIC ROUTING AND WAVELENGTH ASSIGNMENT FOR OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS - To facilitate routing and wavelength assignment (RWA) in an optical communications network having a given topology of associated nodes and links, a set of system characteristics associated with operating the optical communications network may be determined. Different sets of values may be selected for one or more parameters of an RWA algorithm defined for operating a set of services on the optical communications network, and associated sets of routes and wavelengths that may be assigned to the set of services via the RWA algorithm in accordance with the different sets of values and the set of system characteristics may be determined. The different sets of routes and wavelengths may be compared based on one or more fitness criteria and thereby selected between. A path computation engine of the optical communications network may then be provisioned with the selected set of values for the one or more parameters. | 11-13-2014 |
20140341572 | Routing and Bandwidth Assignment for Flexible Grid Wavelength Switched Optical Networks - Routing and bandwidth assignment of new paths of different bandwidths, occupying different numbers of adjacent frequency slots in a wavelength switched optical network, involves selecting a route, and assigning a set of adjacent frequency slots. The assignment can place wider bandwidth ones of the new paths at an opposite end of a spectrum of the available frequency slots, to an end where narrower bandwidth ones are placed. A size of sets of available adjacent slots remaining after the assignment is likely to be increased, compared to a conventional first fit assignment. A wider subsequent new path can sometimes be accommodated along all or some of the route and thus the blocking probability can be lowered. The selecting of which of the possible routes to use can be made dependent on which has more sets of available adjacent frequency slots, or which has a wider gap between occupied slots. | 11-20-2014 |
20140341573 | Optical Switching Architectures for Nodes in WDM Mesh and Ring Networks - Switching architectures for WDM mesh and ring network nodes are presented. In mesh networks, the switching architectures have multiple levels—a network level having wavelength routers for add, drop and pass-through functions, an intermediate level having device units which handle add and drop signals, and a local level having port units for receiving signals dropped from the network and transmitting signals to be added to the network. The intermediate level device units are selected and arranged for performance and cost considerations. The multilevel architecture also permits the design of reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers for ring network nodes, the easy expansion of ring networks into mesh networks, and the accommodation of protection mechanisms in ring networks. | 11-20-2014 |
20140355984 | COLORLESS, RECONFIGURABLE, OPTICAL ADD-DROP MULTIPLEXER (ROADM) APPARATUS AND METHOD - A colorless, reconfigurable, optical add-drop multiplexer (a colorless ROADM) is disclosed. The ROADM may include a de-interleaver, a diffraction grating, and a lens. The de-interleaver may separate an input signal into a first output signal, comprising odd channels, and a second output signal, comprising even channels. The diffraction grating may receive the first and second output signals from the de-interleaver. The diffraction grating may separate each of the first and second output signals into individual channels. The lens may collimate the individual channels received from the diffraction grating. | 12-04-2014 |
20140363160 | FLEXIBLE INTERCONNECTION OF SCALABLE SYSTEMS INTEGRATED USING OPTICAL NETWORKS FOR DATACENTERS - A network capable of being used in a datacenter is described. In some embodiments, the network can comprise a set of optical fiber rings, wherein each optical fiber ring carries data traffic on one or more wavelengths, and wherein each optical fiber ring is partitioned into multiple sectors. A reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) can be coupled to at least one optical fiber in each of at least two sectors. An electro-optical-switch can be coupled to each ROADM in each of the at least two sectors. A set of switches can be coupled to each electro-optical-switch in each of the at least two sectors. The set of switches can comprise a first layer of aggregation switches that is coupled to a second layer of edge switches, wherein the edge switches can be coupled to servers in a datacenter. | 12-11-2014 |
20140363161 | OPTICAL SIGNAL SWITCHING DEVICE AND OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SYSTEM - An optical signal switching device includes: first through third input ports; first through third output ports; first through third optical splitters: first through third optical couplers; first through third short wavelength pass filters respectively configured to pass the first wavelength band; and first through third long wavelength pass filters respectively configured to pass the second wavelength band. Each of the optical splitters splits a WDM optical signal input through a corresponding input port to be guided to a corresponding short wavelength pass filter and a corresponding long wavelength pass filter. Each of the optical couplers combines an output optical signal of a corresponding short wavelength pass filter and an output signal of a corresponding long wavelength pass filter to be guided to a corresponding output port. | 12-11-2014 |
20140376911 | METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR SIGNAL TRANSMISSION AND COMPENSATION OF BACK REFLECTIONS IN OPTICAL ACCES PON SYSTEMS - In a network terminal (ONU) of an optical network near end crosstalk (NEC) is compensated by a digital generated cancellation signal. To establish a connection with another terminal (OLT) signals avoiding NEC are transmitted and the compensation is performed while the power of the transmitted signal is increased in steps. | 12-25-2014 |
20150010304 | MODULATION FORMAT CHANGE AND LICENSE UPDATING - One or more servers may receive an instruction to change a modulation format, associated with one or more optical channels, from a first modulation format to a second modulation format; provide the instruction to change the modulation format to a network device, associated with the one or more optical channels, to cause the network device to change the modulation format, associated with the one or more optical channels, from the first modulation format to the second modulation format; and determine that a license repository is to be updated based on receiving the instruction to change the modulation format. The license repository may store one or more licenses. The one or more servers may generate a license update instruction to update the license repository based on determining that the license repository is to be updated and output the license update instruction to cause the license repository to be updated. | 01-08-2015 |
20150010305 | Optical Network Unit (ONU) Wavelength Self-Tuning - A remote node (RN) comprises a downstream port, a wavelength multiplexer (WM) coupled to the downstream port and comprising ports for passing optical waves, an optical rotator coupled to the WM, and a mirror coupled to the optical rotator, wherein the WM, the optical rotator, and the mirror are part of a wavelength tuning scheme. An apparatus comprises a tunable transmitter, a polarization beam splitter (PBS) coupled to the tunable transmitter, a filter coupled to the PBS, a receiver coupled to the filter, a photodiode (PD) coupled to the PBS, and a processor coupled to the tunable transmitter and the PD. An apparatus comprises a tunable transmitter configured to transmit a first optical wave, a filter configured to receive a first reflected optical wave associated with the first optical wave, and a processor configured to tune the tunable transmitter based on the first reflected optical wave. | 01-08-2015 |
20150023662 | WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME - An light input/output unit has at least three first ports, including a first input port for inputting light and a first output port for outputting light; at least three second ports, including a second input port for inputting light and a second output port for outputting light; and an alignment port for inputting and outputting alignment light. An optical axis of the input/output light of the first port and an optical axis of the input/output light of the second port differ from each other. The dispersive element changes the optical axes of input/output lights of the first and second ports by an angle corresponding to a wavelength. The light deflective element has a first part for directing the light from the first input port to the first output port and a second part for directing the light from the second input port to the second output port. | 01-22-2015 |
20150030327 | WAVELENGTH SELECTION SWITCH SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING WAVELENGTH SELECTION SWITCH - A wavelength selection switch system includes a wavelength selection switch including an input port and an output port, a nonvolatile memory in which configuration information for controlling an operation of the wavelength selection switch is stored, a high-speed memory in which reading and writing can be performed at a higher speed than in the nonvolatile memory and that stores a copy of the configuration information stored in the nonvolatile memory, and a control unit that controls an operation of the wavelength selection switch based on the configuration information read from the high-speed memory, wherein the control unit periodically reads the configuration information stored in the nonvolatile memory and writes a copy of the read configuration information to the high-speed memory. | 01-29-2015 |
20150037029 | WAVELENGTH AUTO-NEGOTIATION - An apparatus includes a bank of optical detectors, an input optical filter and a selector. The optical detectors are configured to output respective detection indications in response to detecting a presence of an optical signal. The input optical filter is configured to receive an input optical signal having an input wavelength, and to route the input optical signal to one of the optical detectors in the bank depending on the input wavelength. The selector is configured to select an output wavelength based on the detection indications of the optical detectors, and to cause generation and transmission of an output optical signal at the selected output wavelength. | 02-05-2015 |
20150037030 | Optical Switching Devices Including Phase Transition Materials - An optical switching device includes a substrate having an optical waveguide thereon, and a phase transition pattern in or on a portion of the optical waveguide. The phase transition pattern includes a material that is configured to be switched between insulating and conductive states responsive to a stimulus. At least one conductive element on the substrate directly contacts the phase transition pattern to provide the stimulus to the phase transition pattern. Related fabrication methods are also discussed. | 02-05-2015 |
20150037031 | WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH AND WAVELENGTH SELECTION METHOD - A wavelength selective switch and a wavelength selection method are provided. The wavelength selective switch comprises an input port, through which a light beam, including a plurality of optical signals having different wavelengths, is incident; a wavelength separation apparatus, including a Blue Phase Liquid Crystal (BPLC) device and configured to separate at least one optical signal from the light beam through the BPLC device; and at least one output port, configured to output the at least one optical signal separated by the wavelength separation apparatus respectively. With the wavelength selective switch and the wavelength selection method, a polarization-independent phase modulation can be realized without a depolarization device disposed in an optical path, which thereby simplifies an optical path, reduces an insertion loss, and lowers costs of the wavelength selective switch and even the entire optical communication system. | 02-05-2015 |
20150043911 | Network Depth Limited Network Followed by Compute Load Balancing Procedure for Embedding Cloud Services in Software-Defined Flexible-Grid Optical Transport Networks - A Network Depth Limited Network Followed by Compute Load Balancing (ND-NCLB) can embed more cloud demands than the existing solutions. The inventive ND-NCLB, partitions the physical network into many sub-networks, and limits the mapping of cloud demands within one of the sub-networks to avoid over provisioning of resources. | 02-12-2015 |
20150043912 | OUT-OF-BAND MANAGEMENT OF FIBER OPTICS SYSTEMS AND DEVICES - A communication network including a master switch and one or more local switches is provided with a loop-back test device for in line loop-back testing. The local switches convey communication traffic between one another using one or more channels of a transmission medium and configuration information using an out-of-band channel of the transmission medium that is separate from the channels used to convey the communication traffic. The master switch includes an application that generates configuration information including loop-back connection information for configuring the out-of-band channel using at least one loop-back test device, transmits the generated configuration information to the loop-back test device using the out-of-band channel of the transmission medium, and conducts loop-back testing using the out-of-band channel. | 02-12-2015 |
20150055952 | INTRANODAL ROADM FIBER MANAGEMENT APPARATUSES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS - An intranodal reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) fiber management apparatus, and a system employing the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a plurality of ingress optical ports, a plurality of egress optical ports, and a plurality of optical interconnections interposed between ones of the plurality of ingress optical ports and ones of the plurality of egress optical ports. Each of the plurality of ingress optical ports corresponds to one of the plurality of egress optical ports. Each one of the plurality of ingress optical ports is optically coupled by way of the optical interconnections to at least one of the plurality of egress optical ports. Each one of the plurality of egress optical ports is optically coupled by way of the optical interconnections to at least one of the plurality of ingress optical ports. | 02-26-2015 |
20150055953 | Channel Wavelength Assignment With Transient Reduction - In an automatically switched optical network operating according to a wavelength plan, the wavelengths are assigned to an optical path based on availability, performance and SRS wavelength coupling reduction. First, the wavelengths are grouped in static bins based on their reach versus cost performance, and each bin assumes a ΔQ of a middle wavelength. Then, the bins are moved into subsets of dynamic bins, constructed using bin constraints that account for the particulars of the respective optical path. The path is characterized taking into account the wavelength currently accessing at the end nodes, and the wavelength tandeming through the end nodes. Wavelength selection starts with the bins that satisfy the maximum number of constraints, and the wavelengths are checked sequentially against wavelength constraints; relaxed constraints are also applied when it is not possible to exactly satisfy one or more constraints. | 02-26-2015 |
20150063800 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONETIZING A CARRIER NETWORK - Methods and apparatus for monetizing a carrier network are provided. In an example, a wavelength service is captured from deployed network assets in a carrier network. A revenue factor (R), a capital expenditure factor (C), an operational expenditure factor (O), and a service level agreement factor (S) are selected from an analytic profile of the carrier network based on the wavelength service requirements. The R, C, O, and S factors are hexadecimal numbers, and can be weighted relative to each other. An index is calculated by concatenating the R, C, O, and S factors a prioritized order and converting the resultant hexadecimal number into a decimal number. The calculated index is assigned to the wavelength service. The index can be displayed, along with indices for other wavelengths on other paths, to a user in a graphical form. | 03-05-2015 |
20150063801 | OPTICALLY FUNCTIONAL DEVICE, AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - An optical functional device equivalent to a 2×2 Mach-Zehnder optical switch is produced by forming two 3 dB couplers and input/output waveguides on a substrate. Two optical phase modulation paths are formed on corresponding waveguides between 3 dB couplers. A channel region having an opposite electric polarity is formed between source and drain regions, having the predetermined electric polarity, formed on the substrate. The optical phase modulation path is insulated from the surrounding area and disposed above the channel region. Additionally, a control electrode (i.e. a gate region) subjected to high-density doping is formed above the optical phase modulation path. By applying an electric voltage having the predetermined polarity to the control electrode, the source region, and the drain region, it is possible to generate hot carriers, in proximity to the optical phase modulation path, so as to accumulate charges and change a refractive index, thus setting a desired light-wave input/output path. | 03-05-2015 |
20150078748 | WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH - A wavelength selective switch includes a wavelength dispersive element that divides a beam input from an input port, a beam director that deflects a wavelength component, and a free space optical system that optically couple a input/output unit, the wavelength dispersive element, and the beam director. The free space optical system converts a shape of the beam such that a size extending in a second plane is relatively smaller than a size extending in a first plane, and to have a long axis and a short axis in a third plane. The long axis is inclined with respect to the first direction. The beam director includes a beam directing region in which a plurality of beam directing elements are arranged. The beam directing region deflects the respective wavelength components toward the predetermined output port. The beam directing region is provided to correspond to the shape of the beam. | 03-19-2015 |
20150093110 | OPTICAL NETWORK SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE - Optical devices in optical network exchange signals at a plurality of wavelengths via a plurality of pathways. Each of the optical devices is associated with a corresponding wavelength and includes multiple optical inputs/outputs (I/Os) to exchange signals at the corresponding wavelength via the plurality of pathways. During maintenance or failure of one of the optical I/Os in an optical device associated with a wavelength, communications are maintained in the optical network by switching communications at a same wavelength to another a different pathway and/or reforming the optical network using other wavelengths. For example, an optical network unit (ONU) may identify an error in a first wavelength associated with a first optical device included in an optical line terminal (OLT) and may forward data using a second wavelength associated with the other optical device included in the OLT. | 04-02-2015 |
20150093111 | SECURE WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH-BASED RECONFIGURABLE BRANCHING UNIT FOR SUBMARINE NETWORK - Systems and methods for method for data transport using secure reconfigurable branching units, including receiving signals from a first trunk terminal and a second trunk terminal by branching units. Broadcasting is prevented for secure information delivery by dividing, within the branching units, the signals from the first trunk terminal and the second trunk terminal into three or more sections. Signals may be received from a branch terminal by one or more branching units using a single branch fiber pair, and the signals from the branch terminals may be divided into three or more groups of optical channels, wherein at least e of the channels includes dummy light. The divided signals from the first trunk terminal, the second trunk terminal, and dummy light from the branch terminal may be merged, and the merged signal sent to the branch terminal. | 04-02-2015 |
20150098699 | PLANNING OF OPTICAL CONNECTIONS IN A WDM OPTICAL NETWORK - An exemplary technique is provided for planning a plurality of optical connections as a function of a plurality of traffic demand. In a routing step, a loopless network path is allocated to each traffic demand. Each traffic demand is allocated to a candidate optical connection or chain of candidate optical connections selected to carry the capacity of the traffic demand along the loopless network path allocated to the traffic demand. In an optimization step, a reduced set of candidate optical connections is defined by withdrawing the candidate optical connection to be withdrawn. A candidate optical connection or a chain of candidate optical connections is determined to be re-used among the reduced set of candidate optical connections. The traffic demand is re-allocated to the candidate optical connection or chain of candidate optical connections to be re-used. | 04-09-2015 |
20150098700 | Distributed Optical Switching Architecture for Data Center Networking - A system has a first rack with a first set of servers and a first top of rack switch and a second rack with a second set of servers and a second top of rack switch. A first optical switch is connected to the first top of rack switch. A second optical switch is connected to the second top of rack switch and the first optical switch. The first optical switch and the second optical switch each employ wavelength selective switching. | 04-09-2015 |
20150098701 | OPTICAL UNIT AND OPTICAL DEVICE - A signal processing element that modulates beam from an input/output unit, an optical substrate mounting the signal processing element, and a temperature controller that controls a temperature of the signal processing element are included, the signal processing element includes an incidence surface on which the beam is incident, a modulation layer that modulates the beam from the incidence surface, and a driving substrate for controlling the modulation of the beam arranged on the opposite side of the incidence surface, the temperature controller is arranged opposite the driving substrate, the incidence surface is connected to the optical substrate by a first connection portion, the driving substrate is connected to the temperature controller by a second connection portion, and an area on the temperature controller side of the second connection portion is more greatly deformed than that on the driving substrate side according to change in volume of the temperature controller. | 04-09-2015 |
20150104170 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC TOPOLOGY DISCOVERY IN WAVELENGTH DIVISION MULTIPLEXING (WDM) NETWORK - A method for automatic topology discovery implemented in a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) network is disclosed. The WDM network contains a number of wavelength switching devices, and the method starts with selecting an unassigned wavelength between a pair of wavelength switching devices. For a first port of a first wavelength switching device, a pass through state is configured between the first port and a coupling port of the first wavelength switching device, and a first probing signal is sent at the unassigned wavelength to the first wavelength switching device. The method continues with detecting iteratively the first probing signal at the unassigned wavelength through each of a set of ports of a second wavelength switching device during a time period, and recording a connection between the first port of the first wavelength switching device and a port of the second wavelength switching devices when the first probing signal is detected. | 04-16-2015 |
20150104171 | Burst Switching System Using Optical Cross-Connect as Switch Fabric - A switching system includes one or more line card for input processing, forwarding, queuing, and scheduling data, the line card having a tunable laser to select a wavelength according to the packets' destination for a given burst of packets, so that the burst is switched to a desired destination and sent all-optically to a connected interface; an all-optical switch fabric coupled to the line card to perform wavelength switching; and a centralized arbitrator that resolves the contention from different input ports. | 04-16-2015 |
20150131992 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPTICAL SIGNAL CONTROL USING FILTER IN MULTICASTING RING NETWORK NODE AND PROTECTION SWITCHING IN OPTICAL MULTIPLEX SECTION - A method and apparatus for optical signal control using a filter in a multicasting ring network node and protection switching in an optical multiplex section is disclosed, in which a multicasting ring network node extracts or passes a wavelength from a node requiring optical signal wavelength extraction, transmits the passed optical signal to a neighboring node through control as necessary, and readily performs protection switching on an optical multiplex section signal. | 05-14-2015 |
20150139642 | WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH AND WAVELENGTH SELECTION METHOD - A wavelength selective switch and a wavelength selection method are provided. The wavelength selective switch comprises a plurality of input ports, via which a plurality of light beams are input respectively, each light beam including at least one optical signal of a predetermined wavelength; at least one output port; and a wavelength separation apparatus including a wavelength separation device and a micro-mirror group, the wavelength separation device being configured to separate at least one optical signal from a light beam input via a predetermined one of the plurality of input ports, and the micro-mirror group being configured to adjust a propagation direction of the at least one optical signal, so that the at least one optical signal is output via a predetermined one of the at least one output port. | 05-21-2015 |
20150139643 | METHOD FOR AUTO-CONFIGURATION OF A WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH IN AN OPTICAL NETWORK - The invention relates to a method for auto-configuring a wavelength selective switch (WSS) device having an output port and a plurality of input ports and coupled to a WSS controller. When connected to a WDM optical network, the WSS controller is programmed to utilize one or more optical channel monitors (OCM) coupled to the input and/or output ports to detect which of the wavelengths are present at the input ports. Wavelengths that are not detected on any input port are blocked by the WSS. Any wavelength detected as present at one and only one input port is switched by the WSS to the output port. If a wavelength is detected at two or more input ports, it is either blocked by the WSS at each of the input ports until user intervention, or is blocked at all but one of the input ports as defined by assigned port priorities. | 05-21-2015 |
20150147058 | NETWORK PROTECTION AGAINST ROGUE TRANSMITTER - A desired characteristic associated with a signal generated by a programmable transmitter is determined. The signal may be combined with other signals to form a combined signal, and sub-optical monitoring may be performed on the combined signal to determine an optical characteristic associated with the signal. The optical characteristic may be evaluated to determine if the programmable transmitter is operating improperly. For example, if the optical characteristic does not conform to a desired range of values, it is determined whether the optical characteristic is intentionally set outside of the desired range. A tuning instruction to reconfigure the programmable transmitter may be generated if the programmable transmitter is operating improperly. | 05-28-2015 |
20150147059 | Remote Optical Demarcation Point Protection - The invention is directed to apparatus, systems and methods enabling a service provider to establish an optical demarcation point located at or within equipment controlled at least in part by a customer's domain such that the service provider's domain is able to directly control access of an optical signal to their domain, while simultaneously offering one or more of equipment redundancy for the remote optical demarcation control equipment located at the service provider's edge node, equipment redundancy for transceiver equipment providing hot-standby optical signal origination, or hot-standby facility redundancy where one end of said facility redundancy is located at said service provider's edge node. | 05-28-2015 |
20150147060 | HYBRID ELECTRO-OPTICAL DISTRIBUTED SOFTWARE-DEFINED DATA CENTER ARCHITECTURE - A hybrid electro-optical data center system includes multiple tiers. A bottom tier has one or more bottom tier instances, with each bottom tier instance including one or more racks, an electro-optical switch corresponding to each rack, and a first bottom tier optical loop providing optical connectivity between the electro-optical switches of the respective bottom tier instance. At least one server within each rack is electrically connected to the respective electro-optical switch and at least one super-server within each rack is electrically and optically connected to the respective electro-optical switch. A top tier includes electro-optical switches, each electrically connected to an electro-optical switch in a respective bottom tier instance, a first top tier optical loop providing optical connectivity between the electro-optical switches of the top tier, and one or more optical add/drop modules providing optical connectivity between the first bottom tier optical loop and the first top tier optical loop. | 05-28-2015 |
20150304064 | Distributed Optical Combining: OBI Free, Power Free - Implementing a laser into a system that uses a remote powered combiner or an aggregating combiner (AC) with one or more in-range contributing combiners may provide power to the downstream contributing combiners (CC). The power may be provided on the same fiber that downstream signals and the upstream signals traverse. | 10-22-2015 |
20150312657 | Data Center Network and Method for Deploying the Data Center Network - A data center network and a method for deploying the data center network. The data center network includes one core switch group, m cyclic arrayed waveguide grating (CAWG) groups, and m edge switch groups, where the core switch group includes k core switches; each CAWG group includes 2*Y N*N CAWGs, where the 2*Y CAWGs include Y uplink CAWGs and Y downlink CAWGs, the Y uplink CAWGs are connected to each core switch in the core switch group separately using an optical uplink, and the Y downlink CAWGs are connected to each core switch in the core switch group separately using an optical downlink; and each edge switch of an edge switch group is connected to an uplink CAWG and a downlink CAWG in a corresponding CAWG group separately. The present invention can reduce the number of optical fibers in a data center network. | 10-29-2015 |
20150318947 | FREQUENCY CONVERSION DEVICE, WAVELENGTH MULTIPLEX DEVICE AND FREQUENCY CONVERSION METHOD - A frequency conversion device includes: an optical convertor configured to convert a source modulated light into an unmodulated light; and a frequency convertor configured to use the unmodulated light converted by the optical convertor as a reference light and convert the source modulated light into a modulated light that has a desirable frequency. | 11-05-2015 |
20150326337 | OPTICAL SYSTEM, AND DYNAMIC WAVELENGTH BANDWIDTH ALLOCATION METHOD FOR OPTICAL SYSTEM - When dynamic wavelength bandwidth allocation using a fixed cycle such as a multiple request method is realized in wavelength tunable WDM/TDM-PON, there is required a wavelength switching method that can suppress a transmission delay of an uplink signal and an increase in burst characteristics, that is, suppress an increase in an allocation cycle to a minimum. | 11-12-2015 |
20150333835 | OPTICAL TRANSMITTER, OPTICAL RECEIVER, AND OPTICAL TRANSMISSION METHOD - An optical transmitter includes: a plurality of optical modulators, each and a driver by which a modulation format is variable; and a wavelength selection unit configured to selectively outputs modulation optical signals generated by the optical modulators to a first output port corresponding to a first optical transmission degree and a second output port corresponding to a second optical transmission degree in a unit of wavelength. | 11-19-2015 |
20150334475 | WAVELENGTH DIVISION MULTIPLEXER ARRAY - In an example embodiment, a WDM array includes an optical filter, N common ports, N reflection ports, and N pass ports. The N common ports may be positioned to a first side of the optical filter. N may be greater than or equal to two. The N reflection ports may be positioned to the first side of the optical filter. The N pass ports may be positioned to a second side of the optical filter opposite the first side. | 11-19-2015 |
20150350754 | Optical Module And Optical Device Applicable To Optical Module - An optical module and an optical device applicable to the optical module, wherein the optical module includes a laser emission unit, a laser reception unit, a video detector and an optical assembly, the optical assembly including: a band-pass device F | 12-03-2015 |
20150358699 | WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH - A wavelength selective switch includes a dispersion optical system dispersing wavelength multiplexing light obtained by multiplexing the plurality of frequency components to the plurality of frequency components by giving a dispersion angle having nonlinear frequency dependency to each of a plurality of frequency components; a light deflection element deflecting the plurality of frequency components; a condensing element condensing the plurality of frequency components on the light deflection element; and a prism optical system optically coupled to the dispersion optical system and the condensing element, and adapting spatial positions of the frequency components incident on the light deflection element to change linearly for frequencies by linearizing the frequency dependency of the dispersion angles and making incident the plurality of frequency components on the condensing element. | 12-10-2015 |
20150373430 | FRAME CONVERSION-BASED MID-SPAN EXTENDER, AND METHOD OF FRAME CONVERSION-BASED MID-SPAN EXTENDER FOR SUPPORTING G-PON SERVICE IN XG-PON LINK - A frame conversion-based mid-span extender includes: a 10-Gigabit-capable Optical Network Unit (XG-ONU) optical module configured to transmit and receive a wavelength signal of a 10-Gigabit-capable Optical Line Terminal (XG-OLT); a frame converter configured to perform conversion between a 10-Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Network (XG-PON) frame and a Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Network (G-PON) frame; and an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) enabled to transmit and receive a wavelength of an Optical Network Unit (ONU). | 12-24-2015 |
20150373431 | Split Spectrum Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography - A spectral domain optical coherence tomography apparatus for measuring a sample. The spectral domain optical coherence tomography includes a broadband light source, that supplies broadband light to the sample and a reference. The spectral domain optical coherence tomography apparatus includes a wavelength selective switch that receives mixed light that is a combination of the broadband light that is reflected off the sample and the reference. The spectral domain optical coherence tomography apparatus includes a sensor that includes a plurality of pixels. The wavelength selective switch guides a first portion of the mixed light that is within a first wavelength and a second wavelength to the sensor during a first period of time. The wavelength selective switch guides a second portion of the mixed light that is within a third wavelength and a fourth wavelength to the sensor during a second period of time. | 12-24-2015 |
20150381304 | MINIMIZING BANDWIDTH NARROWING PENALTIES IN A WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH OPTICAL NETWORK - This invention relates to provisioning wavelength-selective switches and reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers to minimize the bandwidth narrowing effect from the optical filters. Novel architectures and methods are disclosed that can significantly reduce bandwidth-narrowing on channels in a reconfigurable WDM network where a large number of optical filter elements are cascaded. Instead of blocking unused channels as in the prior art, unused channels are selectively provisioned depending on the state of their adjacent channels. Unused adjacent channels of an active channel are provisioned to follow the same path as the active channels. As each channels is deployed, the channel frequency is selected so as to minimize bandwidth narrowing. | 12-31-2015 |
20150382087 | INTER-CHANNEL SPECTRAL SHAPING IN OPTICAL RING NETWORKS - A method and system for inter-channel spectral shaping in optical ring networks may involve selectively applying an attenuating notch filter at a spectral boundary between adjacent wavelength slots passed by a wavelength selective switch (WSS). In this manner, instability from net loop gain values exceeding unity may be prevented in the optical ring network. | 12-31-2015 |
20160006608 | CHANNEL MAP FOR OPTICAL NETWORK UNIT ACTIVATION AND ROGUE BEHAVIOR PREVENTION - A multi-wavelength passive optical network (MW-PON) includes an optical distribution network (ODN), a plurality of optical line terminations (OLTs) and an optical network unit (ONU). The ODN includes a trunk fiber, one or more branching elements, and a plurality of distribution fibers. Each OLT is associated with an individual bi-directional wavelength channel using a corresponding single downstream wavelength and a corresponding single upstream wavelength, and supporting a specific downstream line rate and one or more distinct upstream line rates. The ONU is communicatively coupled to a respective distribution fiber, being tunable over a specific range of downstream wavelengths and a specific range of upstream wavelengths, and supporting a specific downstream line rate and a specific upstream line rate. The OLT is configured to assemble a broadcast management message conveying information about bi-directional wavelength channels in said MW-PON system and transmit said message downstream over the associated bi-directional wavelength channel. | 01-07-2016 |
20160021436 | OPTICAL MULTIPLEXOR SWITCH FOR FREE SPACE OPTICAL COMMUNICATION - Device and method for optically switching a plurality of optical input signals include: receiving the plurality of optical input signals, wherein one or more of the optical input signals represent multiple channels at different channel frequencies; collimating the received plurality of optical input signals; removing noise between the channels by a comb filter; dispersing the collimated optical signals so that signals of different wavelength are separated by different angles; focusing the optical signals separated by different angles on a light switch device having a plurality of micromirrors; and controlling the light switch by a control signal to direct one or more of the optical signals separated by different angles to one or more output fibers for multicasting of the optical input signals. | 01-21-2016 |
20160033849 | Fast optical switch and its applications in optical communication - A fast optical switch can be fabricated/constructed, when vanadium dioxide (VO | 02-04-2016 |
20160043825 | FLEXIBLE OPTICAL SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Flexible optical spectrum management systems and methods in an optical network including a plurality of interconnected network elements include determining an associated frequency/wavelength center and one or more bins for each of one or more traffic carrying channels on each of a plurality of optical fibers in the optical network; and managing the one or more traffic carrying channels on the plurality of optical fibers using the one or more bins of bins and the associated frequency/wavelength center, wherein at least one of the one or more traffic carrying channels comprises a coherent optical signal occupying a flexible spectrum on the plurality of optical fibers. | 02-11-2016 |
20160066071 | RECEIVING DEVICE AND OPTICAL SWITCHING FABRIC APPARATUS - The present invention provides a receiving device and an optical switching fabric apparatus, where the receiving device includes: multiple selecting modules, a fast optical switch connecting to each selecting module, an output module connecting to all the fast optical switches, and a receiver connecting to the output module, where the selecting module is configured to receive a multiwavelength optical signal, select and filter a first optical signal of a preset time segment in the multiwavelength optical signal; the fast optical switch is configured to select a second optical signal from the first optical signal filtered by the selecting module; the output module is configured to combine optical signals separately selected by all the fast optical switches into one optical burst signal; and the receiver is configured to perform optical-to-electrical conversion on the optical burst signal, and extract service data from an electrical signal. | 03-03-2016 |
20160077330 | OPTICALLY-CONTROLLED MICROMIRROR DEVICE - Technologies are generally described for using different wavelengths and/or using different frequencies of light to encode each of information data and control data in a beam of light and to use the encoded control data to route the encoded information data through a network. Routing may be effected using optical switches configured with transmissive and reflective properties, which may allow transmission of certain encoded control data and may allow reflection of certain information data, depending upon the routing for the travel of the light through the network. | 03-17-2016 |
20160080085 | EXTREMELY HIGH FREQUENCY (EHF) DISTRIBUTED ANTENNA SYSTEMS, AND RELATED COMPONENTS AND METHODS - Extremely High Frequency (EHF) distributed antenna systems and related components and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a base unit for distributing EHF modulated data signals to a RAU(s) is provided. The base unit includes a downlink data source input configured to receive downlink electrical data signal(s) from a data source. The base unit also includes an E-O converter configured to convert downlink electrical data signal(s) into downlink optical data signal(s). The base unit also includes an oscillator configured to generate an electrical carrier signal at a center frequency in the EHF band. The base unit also includes a modulator configured to combine the downlink optical data signal(s) with the electrical carrier signal to form downlink modulated optical signal(s) comprising a downlink optical data signal(s) modulated at the center frequency of the electrical carrier signal. The modulator is further configured to send the downlink modulated optical signal to the RAU(s). | 03-17-2016 |
20160088375 | METHOD AND MANAGEMENT NODE FOR DECIDING PORTS SUITABLE TO BE COMMUNICATIVELY CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER IN A COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK - A method and management node for deciding ports suitable to be communicatively connected to each other in a communications network. The communications network comprises an available port communicatively connected to the communications network, and a discovered port that is discovered as being communicatively connected to the communications network. The management node obtains Information associating at least the available port and the discovered port with respective one or more attributes and with a respective attribute identifier identifying the respective one or more attributes. The management node receives, from a port discovering network node, a message comprising the attribute identifier associated with the discovered port. The management node decides that the available port is suitable to be communicatively connected with the discovered port based on that the respective one or more attributes are considered matching. | 03-24-2016 |
20160112776 | OPTICAL RECEIVER USING WAVELENGTH TUNABLE FILTER - An optical receiver that can tune a selected wavelength using a wavelength tunable filter transmitting a plurality of wavelengths. The optical receiver is a wavelength tunable optical receiver that includes: a wavelength tunable filter ( | 04-21-2016 |
20160149663 | Low Cost Secure Submarine ROADM Branching Unit Using Bidirectional Wavelength-Selective Switch - A reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) unit includes a first optical circulator coupled to a first terminal; a second optical circulator coupled to a second terminal; a third optical circulator coupled to a third terminal; a fourth optical circulator coupled to a fourth terminal; a first wavelength-selective switch (WSS), coupled to the first, second, and third optical circulators; a second WSS coupled to the first, second, and fourth optical circulators, wherein the first and second WSSes are bidirectional operated; a first 1:2 coupler positioned between the first circulator and the first and second WSSes; a second 1:2 coupler positioned between the second circulator and the first and second WSSes. | 05-26-2016 |
20160165324 | WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH - A wavelength selective switch includes: N input ports, an input-side fiber array, an input-side collimator array, an input-side beam deformation and polarization conversion component, an input-side wave-demultiplexing component, an input-side switching engine, a focusing transformation lens group, an output-side switching engine, an output-side wave-combining component, an output-side beam deformation and polarization conversion component, an output-side collimator array, an output-side fiber array, and M output ports. The focusing transformation lens group includes two identical aspheric convex lenses that are placed in parallel, where a curvature from a center to an edge of a surface of the aspheric convex lens changes continuously. A spatial position of the focusing transformation lens group and the curvature from the center to the edge of the surface are so set that light with different wavelengths from the input-side switching engine is focused to a corresponding position of the output-side switching engine respectively. | 06-09-2016 |
20160165326 | CONFIGURING A COMPUTER NETWORK TO SATISFY MULTICAST DISPERSION AND LATENCY REQUIREMENTS USING AFFINITY AND NETWORK TOPOLOGIES - Systems and methods of affinity modeling in data center networks that allow bandwidth to be efficiently allocated within the data center networks, while reducing the physical interconnectivity requirements of the data center networks. Such systems and methods of affinity modeling in data center networks further allow computing resources within the data center networks to be controlled and provisioned based at least in part on the network topology and an application component topology, thereby enhancing overall application program performance. Using an affinity topology describing requirements for communications between applications and a network topology, network nodes are configured to satisfy multicast dispersion and latency requirements associated with communications between applications. | 06-09-2016 |
20160173201 | PROVIDING DIGITAL DATA SERVICES IN OPTICAL FIBER-BASED DISTRIBUTED RADIO FREQUENCY (RF) COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS, AND RELATED COMPONENTS AND METHODS | 06-16-2016 |
20160173223 | MULTIPLEXING TWO SEPARATE OPTICAL LINKS WITH THE SAME WAVELENGTH USING ASYMMETRIC COMBINING AND SPLITTING | 06-16-2016 |
20160173964 | HYBRID OPTICAL SWITCH FOR SOFTWARE-DEFINED NETWORKING | 06-16-2016 |
20160191188 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LOCAL INTERCONNECTION OF OPTICAL NODES - A local interconnection carries one or more local interconnect optical channels between optical nodes at a site. The optical nodes include reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADMs). The local interconnect optical channels are switched by the ROADMs in the optical nodes for transmission over the local interconnection. In addition, modules within an optical node are operable to communicate using an LI optical channel that is switched over a local interconnection by a ROADM of the optical node. | 06-30-2016 |
20160191189 | WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH (WSS) BASED MULTIPLEXING ARCHITECTURE - An apparatus may include a plurality of wavelength selective switches (WSSs). The apparatus may include a plurality of transmitters. The transmitters may transmit a plurality of super-channels. The apparatus may include a plurality of passive power splitters corresponding to the plurality of transmitters. The plurality of passive power splitters may receive the plurality of super-channels. The plurality of passive power splitters may generate a respective set of power-split super-channels for each super-channel of the plurality of super-channels. The plurality of passive power splitters may transmit each power-split super-channel of the respective set of power-split super-channels to a corresponding WSS of the plurality of WSSs. A WSS, of the plurality of WSSs, may receive a plurality of power-split super-channels, of the respective sets of power-split super-channels, from the plurality of passive power splitters. The WSS may selectively route a portion of the plurality of power-split super-channels toward a receiver. | 06-30-2016 |
20160191190 | REDUCTION OF WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH (WSS) FILTER-BASED IMPAIRMENT USING DIFFERENTIATED CHANNEL BAUD RATES - A method may include transmitting, by an optical device, a first set of channels using a first baud rate. The first set of channels may be attenuated during transmission by a filter associated with a wavelength selective switch. Transmitting, by the optical device, a second set of channels using a second baud rate. The second set of channels may be attenuated during transmission by the filter associated with the wavelength selective switch. The first set of channels and the second set of channels may be included in a super-channel. The first baud rate may be selected based on a first signal quality factor associated with attenuation by the filter associated with the wavelength selective switch. The second baud rate may be selected based on a second signal quality factor associated with attenuation by the filter associated with the wavelength selective switch. | 06-30-2016 |
20160191191 | REDUCTION OF WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH (WSS) FILTER-BASED IMPAIRMENT USING SELECTIVE SUBCARRIER ADJUSTMENT - A method may include transmitting, by an optical device, a first channel. The first channel may have a first set of subcarriers. The first channel may be attenuated during transmission by a filter associated with a wavelength selective switch. The method may further include transmitting, by the optical device, a second channel. The second channel may have a second set of subcarriers. The second channel may be attenuated during transmission by the filter associated with the wavelength selective switch. The first channel and the second channel being included in a super-channel. The first set of subcarriers may be selected based on a first signal quality factor associated with attenuation of the first set of subcarriers by the filter. The second set of subcarriers may be selected based on a second signal quality factor associated with attenuation of the second set of subcarriers by the filter. | 06-30-2016 |
20160192042 | REDUCTION OF WAVELENGTH SELECTIVE SWITCH (WSS) FILTER-BASED IMPAIRMENT USING DIFFERENTIATED CHANNEL MODULATION FORMATS - A method may include transmitting, by an optical device, a first set of channels using a first modulation format. The first set of channels may be attenuated during transmission by a filter associated with a wavelength selective switch. The method may further include transmitting, by the optical device, a second set of channels using a second modulation format. The second set of channels may be attenuated during transmission by the filter associated with the wavelength selective switch. The first set of channels and the second set of channels may be included in a super-channel. The first modulation format may be selected based on a first signal quality factor associated with attenuation by the filter associated with the wavelength selective switch. The second modulation format may be selected based on a second signal quality factor associated with attenuation by the filter associated with the wavelength selective switch. | 06-30-2016 |
20160204892 | Optical Switch, Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer, Communication Network Node and Communication Network | 07-14-2016 |
20160205451 | MULTI-FLOW OPTICAL TRANSCEIVER, MULTI-FLOW OPTICAL TRANSPONDER AND MULTI-FLOW OPTICAL NODE | 07-14-2016 |
20160255424 | OPTICAL SWITCH AND PROTOCOLS FOR USE THEREWITH | 09-01-2016 |
20160255426 | OPTICAL SWITCH AND PROTOCOLS FOR USE THEREWITH | 09-01-2016 |
20160255427 | OPTICAL SWITCH AND PROTOCOLS FOR USE THEREWITH | 09-01-2016 |
20190149236 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MULTIBAND DELTA SIGMA DIGITIZATION | 05-16-2019 |