Abstract: An asymmetrical network switch adapted to auto-discover and advertise into a traffic engineering, TE, domain a switch detailed connectivity matrix, SDCM, containing for each allowed switching combination of interfaces of said asymmetrical network switch at least one switch detailed connectivity matrix entry, SDCME, wherein each said SDCME represents an internal to said asymmetrical network switch potential connection interconnecting the interfaces of said interface switching combination, wherein a SDCME advertisement includes a switch detailed connectivity matrix entry cost vector, SDCME CV, which comprises a set of attributes describing cost penalties in terms of various service characteristics that a network service incurs if it selects a path or a tree traversing the asymmetrical switch in accordance with the SDCME.

Abstract: The invention relates to a directionless and colorless reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) for a number of clients comprising: an add/drop interface for optical signals of at least one optical network, wherein each received optical signal is split by at least one optical splitter into optical signals which are applied to a downstream cross connector distributing the split optical signals to wavelength selectors of different clients, wherein each wavelength selector performs a wavelength selection of at least one wavelength from the distributed optical signals, wherein an optical signal having a selected wavelength (?) is applied to a client transponder of a client.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for suppressing pump-mode optical beat interference noise in a Raman amplified fiber link of an optical network, wherein a wavelength of a laser beam generated by a first pump laser and a wavelength of a laser beam generated by a second pump laser of a pair of polarization multiplexed pump lasers are detuned with respect to each other to suppress the optical beat interference, OBI, noise in the Raman amplified fiber link of said optical network.

Abstract: A method for automatic confirmation of an optical network element optical modules each having multiple fibers; a fiber shuffle interconnector having ports to which said optical modules are connected; and a configuration unit which performs an automatic configuration of said optical network element by controlling all optical modules connected to said fiber shuffle interconnector to transmit a fiber identifier associated with a fiber of the respective optical module to the respective port of said fiber shuffle interconnector to which said optical module is connected, wherein said fiber shuffle interconnector forwards the received fiber identifier via another port of said fiber shuffle interconnector to another optical module of said optical network element which detects said forwarded fiber identifier being monitored by said configuration unit to generate a connectivity matrix indicating the connection of said optical modules to said fiber shuffle interconnector on the basis of the detected fiber identifiers.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a module injection mechanism and a method of using the same for mounting a module to a chassis, the module injection mechanism comprising an injection assembly secured to the module, comprising a lever, a screw affixed to the chassis, a sliding bushing, disposed between the module and the screw, wherein the screw is fixed to the chassis via the sliding bushing, the lever comprising a lever grabbing portion and a lower lever portion capable of connecting to the sliding bushing, wherein the injection assembly is secured to the module so that the injection assembly is capable to transfer a mechanical force applied to the lever grabbing portion to the sliding bushing so that the module is mounted to the chassis.

Abstract: Provided are methods and devices for determining the assignment of subsignals (S1, S2, S3, S4) transmitted by inverse multiplexing, particularly via an Optical Transport Network (OTN), to the transmission links (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) carrying said subsignals. After a synchronization for the correct assembly of the subsignals (S1, S2, S3, S4) into the digital reception signal (E), the signal transmission via at least one transmission link (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) is interrupted for a detection process in which the subsignal assigned to the interrupted link is determined. The process may be repeated to determine all subsignal assignments.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for modulation of an optical signal with a data signal, said apparatus (6) comprising a configurable digital encoding unit (8) encoding data of said data signal to provide an encoded modulation control signal (EMCS), and a signal modulation unit (9) modulating said optical signal with respect to its signal phase and/or signal amplitude in orthogonal polarization directions in response to said encoded modulation control signal (EMCS) to generate a multi-dimensional optical signal vector.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical network element, particularly an optical line terminal, OLT, for transmitting and receiving signals wire an optical network that comprises at least one optical fiber link and at least one further optical network element. The optical network element provides a primary optical pumping mean for emitting optical pump power to set at least one optical fiber link. The emitted optical pump power forms at least one gain medium outside the optical network element to provide optical pump power to the network for amplifying the singles to receive so that outside of the domain of the optical network element no electrical energy supply is needed.

Abstract: A Raman amplifier comprising a gain control unit adapted to control a pump power of an optical pump signal in response to at least one monitored optical feedback signal reflected back from a transmission line fiber connected to said pumped Raman amplifier.

Abstract: It is described an optical amplification device for receiving an optical input signal and transmitting an amplified optical output signal on the basis of the optical input signal comprising an optical amplifier that comprises an input and an output. An optical gain control unit is connected to the output path of the optical amplifier and the optical gain control unit is connected to the input path of the optical amplifier. The optical gain control unit is configured to control the gain of the optical output signal. Additionally, an electrical gain control unit is connected to the output path of the optical amplifier. The electrical gain control unit is also connected to the input path of the optical amplifier. The electrical gain control unit is configured to control the gain of the optical output signal. By providing both an electrical gain control unit and an optical gain control unit, a control characteristic can be improved.

Abstract: Provided is an optical network system and optical network unit (ONU) structure enabling a passive optical access network having a meshed structure with at least two central nodes and plurality of ONUs. One embodiment employs a partially or fully meshed structure of optical fibers between customer locations and multiple optical line terminal (OLT) locations creating a passive optical access network. The ONUs can communicate with a neighboring OLT or ONU using a symmetrical or asymmetrical TDM scheme, and convert between the different TDM schemes. For this purpose, the ONU structure includes two transceiver units, one connected to the western network port and the other to the eastern. The ONU can establish communication between either network port and a further ONU or an OLT, with the ONU controller adapted for passing through data, and converting TDM schemes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of operating an optical transmission system (100), wherein an optical signal (s, s1) is transmitted (200) through at least one component (102) of said optical transmission system (100) which exhibits spectral phase ripple, and wherein a phase of at least one frequency component of said optical signal (s, s1) is altered (210) by phase influencing means (110) to at least partly compensate for said phase ripple of said at least one component (102), whereby a phase ripple compensated signal (s2) is obtained.

Abstract: A modulation method, especially an optical modulation method, using the principle of discrete IQ modulation. The modulation method includes generating a carrier signal (Sc) and splitting the carrier signal at a splitting position in an I branch signal and a Q branch signal; modulating the amplitude of the I branch signal according to a first modulation signal and modulating the amplitude of the Q branch signal according to a second modulation signal, each of the first and second modulation signals being arranged to adopt a given number of values according to a given number of constellation points of a given modulation scheme; phase shifting the signal in the Q branch versus the signal in the I branch; and combining the signals in the I branch and Q branch at a combining position. The combined modulated signal (Stx,mod) is arranged to be transmitted over a transmission path.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical network element (100; 200), particularly an optical line terminal, OLT, for transmitting (540) and receiving (560) signals wire an optical network that comprises at least one optical fiber link (500) and at least one further optical network element (300; 400). The optical network element (100; 200) provides a primary optical pumping mean (166; 266) for emitting optical pump power to set at least one optical fiber link (500). The emitted optical pump power forms at least one gain medium outside the optical network element (100; 200) to provide optical pump power to the network for amplifying the singles to receive (560) so that outside of the domain of the optical network element (100) no electrical energy supply is needed.

Abstract: A method for providing an uplink over an access ring comprising access devices and at least one aggregation device, wherein each device of said access ring has ring interfaces connecting said device to neighboring devices in said access ring, wherein one access device of said access ring is configured as a ring master device which sends connectivity check messages on both its ring interfaces around said access ring to itself to detect a connectivity failure in said access ring, and wherein said ring master device changes a state of one of its ring interfaces depending on the detection result.

Abstract: A remote node architecture for a fiber-optic network, especially for low bit-rate data transmission, the fiber-optic network architecture comprises a central node and a plurality of remote nodes serially connected to each other or to the central node, respectively. The central node and the remote nodes are capable of communicating by means of digital optical signals created by the central node or a respective remote node, each digital optical signal comprising a data frame. The remote node comprises an optical connection network, a single transceiver device comprising an optical receiver unit and an optical transmitter unit, and an electronic controller device for controlling the transceiver device. The optical connection network defines a western optical connection port, an eastern optical connection port, an internal optical receiving port being connected to the optical receiver unit and an internal optical transmitting port being connected to the optical transmitter unit.

Abstract: An optical fiber transmission system adapted to provide a remote passive identification of components deployed in said transmission system, wherein each component comprises an associated passive optical identification unit adapted to provide identification of a component type of the respective component on the basis of a received optical identification signature carried in an optical identification signal to said component.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing network failure independent links in a multilayer network comprising a client layer and a server layer, wherein each link of said client layer is served by a connection provisioned in said server layer, wherein mutually disjoint paths for said connections which serve links in said client layer that belong to the same predetermined mutually disjoint link group are calculated.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for distortion compensation of signals transmitted via a bidirectional link between a client device and a host device, said method comprising the steps of performing a post-distortion-compensation for an upstream signal received by the host device on said bidirectional link by adjusting post-compensation parameters of a post-compensation unit of said host device and transforming the adjusted post-compensation parameters into pre-compensation parameters of a pre-compensation unit of said host device which performs a pre-distortion compensation for a downstream signal transmitted by said host device via said bidirectional link to said client device.

Abstract: A hybrid wavelength division multiplexing system wherein one or more intensity modulated signals generated by optical amplitude modulators are co-propagated with one or more phase modulated signals generated by optical phase modulators, wherein a drive voltage of said optical amplitude modulator is adapted to reduce an extinction ratio of the intensity modulated signal to minimize a cross-phase modulation impact on the co-propagating phase modulated signals.