Abstract: The present invention provides a bidirectional wavelength division multiplexed optical communication system having bidirectional optical service channels. The bidirectional WDM optical communication system includes a bidirectional optical waveguide configured to carry a bidirectional optical communication signal comprising counterpropagating WDM optical signals. Each WDM optical signal includes plural optical channels and an optical service channel. A bidirectional optical add-drop multiplexer optically communicates with the waveguide. A first optical service channel selector optically communicates with the first bidirectional optical add-drop multiplexer input/output port.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for protection switching in a wavelength division multiplexed optical communication network including optical transponders within optical nodes. A work optical transponder receives a first work optical channel dropped by an optical add-drop multiplexer from an optical waveguide while a second work optical transponder adds a work optical channel to the optical add-drop multiplexer. Similarly, a first protect optical transponder is positioned to receive a protect optical channel dropped by the optical add-drop multiplexer while a second protect optical transponder is positioned to add a protect optical channel to the optical add-drop multiplexer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical network including a bridge for selectively transferring information from an optical channel carried on a first WDM optical waveguide to at least two optical channels on a second WDM optical waveguide. The first and second optical waveguides carry WDM optical signals each having plural optical channels. A bridge is interposed between the first and second optical waveguides which includes an optical add-drop multiplexer optically communicating with each waveguide. At least one optical channel having first and second data bits streams is dropped from the first waveguide. The first and second data bit streams are respectively encoded on two different optical channels which are then added to the second optical waveguide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bidirectional optical network including a bridge for selectively transferring information from an optical channel carried on a first bidirectional WDM optical waveguide to at least two optical channels on a second bidirectional WDM optical waveguide. The first and second bidirectional optical waveguides each carry two counter-propagating WDM optical signals each having plural channels. A bridge is interposed between the first and second bidirectional optical waveguides which includes an optical add-drop multiplexer optically communicating with each bidirectional waveguide. At least one optical channel having first and second data bits streams is dropped from the first bidirectional waveguide. The first and second data bit streams are respectively encoded on two different optical channels which are then added to the second bidirectional optical waveguide.

Abstract: The present invention provides a bidirectional wavelength division multiplexed optical communication system having bidirectional optical service channels. The bidirectional WDM optical communication system includes a bidirectional optical waveguide configured to carry a bidirectional optical communication signal comprising counterpropagating WDM optical signals. Each WDM optical signal includes plural optical channels and an optical service channel. A bidirectional optical add-drop multiplexer optically communicates with the waveguide. A first optical service channel selector optically communicates with the first bidirectional optical add-drop multiplexer input/output port.

Abstract: The present invention provides a bidirectional wavelength division multiplexed optical communication network having a protection switching capability within a bidirectional optical waveguide. A bidirectional optical waveguide having plural optical nodes carries counterpropagating wavelength division multiplexed optical communication signals: M optical channels in a first direction and N optical channels in a second direction. The network includes the capacity to generate X+Y protect optical channels which respectively propagate in the first and second directions. Upon detecting loss of an optical signal means are provided for switching the affected M work optical channels to the Y protect optical channels and the affected N work channels to the X protect channels. In this manner, protection switching may be accomplished in a bidirectional optical network on a single bidirectional optical waveguide.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for protection switching in a wavelength division multiplexed optical communication network including optical transponders within optical nodes. A work optical transponder receives a first work optical channel dropped by an optical add-drop multiplexer from an optical waveguide while a second work optical transponder adds a work optical channel to the optical add-drop multiplexer. Similarly, a first protect optical transponder is positioned to receive a protect optical channel dropped by the optical add-drop multiplexer while a second protect optical transponder is positioned to add a protect optical channel to the optical add-drop multiplexer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a flexible WDM optical communication system in which each optical channel of the WDM optical communication signal can simultaneously accept multiple data formats. In one embodiment, the WDM optical system includes an optical waveguide having an optical add-drop multiplexer to selectively add and/or drop one or more optical channels to/from the WDM signal carried on the waveguide. A first source of data imparts information onto a first optical channel in a packet format while a second source of data imparts information onto the first optical channel in a time division multiplexed format. Other data sources having other data formats may also be included. An optical network interface electrically communicates with the data sources, placing the data from these sources onto the first optical channel which is generated from an optical source such as a laser. An optical path carries the optical channel from the optical source to the optical add-drop multiplexer.