Abstract: A system includes a hybrid mobile network/television antenna and a routing device connected to the antenna. The hybrid mobile network/television antenna receives content via a broadcast television network and receives content via a mobile network. The routing device includes a first communication interface that connects to the hybrid mobile network/television antenna, and a second communication interface that connects to a user device and receives a request for content from the user device. The routing device selects a network from the broadcast television network or the mobile network. The first communication interface receives the requested content via the selected network, and the routing device forwards the requested content to the user device via the second communication interface.

Abstract: Systems described herein provide antenna elements, each of which contains an antenna array and electronics, built into a fiber optic aerial cable to form a hybrid cable. The hybrid cable has a fiber buffer tube including one or more fiber cores, an outer sheath surrounding the fiber buffer tube, and a distributed array of antenna elements integrated along a length of the hybrid fiber optic cable. Each of the antenna elements includes an antenna and control electronics for the antenna.

Abstract: An optical node may include an optical switch and an optical add drop multiplexer (OADM). The optical switch may receive, via a space-division multiplexing (SDM) link that carries optical signals via multiple SDM elements, an optical signal to be switched from a first SDM element to a second SDM element. The multiple SDM elements may include multiple cores of a multi-core fiber, multiple modes of a multi-mode fiber, or multiple fibers of a fiber bundle. The optical switch may switch the optical signal from the first SDM element to the second SDM element. The OADM may add optical signals to an optical network or drop optical signals from the optical network via one or more SDM links that include the SDM link.

Abstract: An optical path system includes a first block that further includes multiple first fiber optic guides, arranged in a first configuration to receive multiple first optical fibers, with one fiber in each guide. The optical path system further includes a second block comprising multiple second fiber optic guides, arranged in a second configuration to receive multiple second optical fibers, with one fiber in each guide, wherein a first face of the second block abuts a first face of the first block and wherein the first block is movable relative to the second block. The optical path system also includes micro-position adjusting mechanisms configured to move the first block relative to the second block to align the multiple first optical fibers with the multiple second optical fibers.

Abstract: An optical device includes a light source and diffuser, such as non-linear material, to form a supercontinuum of light energy of different wavelengths. An optical channel generator forms channels from the supercontinuum and forwards a multiplexed signal carrying the channels. The signal travels to an optical receiver through an optical fiber. The optical receiver identifies a non-linear penalty associated with forwarding the multiplexed signal on the optical fiber. The optical receiver modifies attributes of the received channels, such as increasing the magnitude of one of the channels, to cancel out the non-linear penalty.

Abstract: An optical device includes a light source and diffuser, such as non-linear material, to form a supercontinuum of light energy of different wavelengths. An optical channel generator forms channels from the supercontinuum and forwards a multiplexed signal carrying the channels. The signal travels to an optical receiver through an optical fiber. The optical receiver identifies a non-linear penalty associated with forwarding the multiplexed signal on the optical fiber. The optical receiver modifies attributes of the received channels, such as increasing the magnitude of one of the channels, to cancel out the non-linear penalty.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for approaches for troubleshooting optical networks, particularly ROADM-based networks is described. The method includes designating a first port, of an optical communication node of a transport network, as an ingress for a loop-back optical signal to troubleshoot the transport network, designating a second port, of the optical communication node, as an egress for the loop-back optical signal, and establishing a loop-back connection between the first port and the second port to transport the loop-back optical signal.

Abstract: A first reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADM) and a second ROADM are connected by a primary light path and a protection light path. The first ROADM includes a first direction and a second direction, and the second ROADM includes a third direction and a fourth direction. The primary light path is coupled between the first direction and the third direction, and the protection light path is coupled between the second direction and the fourth direction. Transmissions on the primary light path are monitored, and when a problem is detected on the primary light path, the first and third directions are deactivated and the second and fourth directions are activated so that additional light signals are sent on the protection light path and not on the primary light path.

Abstract: An optical network is configured to optimize network resources. The optical network includes multiple optical nodes, light paths between the multiple optical nodes, and a network monitoring device. The network monitoring device monitors the optical network to identify a failure in the optical network. When the failure is a fiber failure, light paths are re-routed around the fiber failure while maintaining the required bandwidth for the optical network. When the failure is a transponder card failure within one of the multiple nodes, a floating spare card may be provisioned to service a particular light path associated with the transponder card failure. When the failure is a node failure, transponder cards in some of the multiple optical nodes are provisioned to reconfigure some of the plurality of light paths to route traffic around the failed node.

Abstract: A system includes an optical transmitter and an optical receiver. The optical transmitter includes a first comb light source, a second comb light source, an optical switch configured to selectively switch either the first comb light source or the second comb light source through to an output of the optical switch, and optical modulators configured to apply differential phase modulation, to channels associated with the switched first comb light source or with the second comb light source, to generate modulated light output signals. The optical receiver includes coherent receivers configured to receive the modulated light output signals from the optical transmitter, and detect and process the received, modulated light output signals to generate corresponding digital signals. The optical receiver further includes a digital signal processor configured to apply forward error correction to the digital signals to generate forward error corrected digital signals.

Abstract: A system includes an optical transmitter and an optical receiver. The optical transmitter includes a first comb light source, a second comb light source, an optical switch configured to selectively switch either the first comb light source or the second comb light source through to an output of the optical switch, and optical modulators configured to apply differential phase modulation, to channels associated with the switched first comb light source or with the second comb light source, to generate modulated light output signals. The optical receiver includes coherent receivers configured to receive the modulated light output signals from the optical transmitter, and detect and process the received, modulated light output signals to generate corresponding digital signals. The optical receiver further includes a digital signal processor configured to apply forward error correction to the digital signals to generate forward error corrected digital signals.

Abstract: An optical device includes a first optical port connected to a first optical fiber, and a second optical port connected to a second optical fiber. The optical device further includes first optical components that switch first optical traffic carried via a first set of optical channels from the first optical port to the second optical port, and second optical components that switch second optical traffic carried via a second set of optical channels from the second optical port to the first optical port. The second set of optical channels includes different optical channels than the first set of optical channels. The optical device also includes a receiver that coherently detects portions of the first optical traffic and the second optical traffic, and converts the detected portions of the first and second optical traffic to electrical signals for delivery to a node or network external to the optical device.

Abstract: One or more management systems coordinate wavelength configuration patterns of a plurality of multi-wavelength optical transport nodes in an optical network for a first transport period. The one or more management systems determine data traffic demand changes in the optical network; and coordinate wavelength configuration patterns of the plurality of multi-wavelength optical transport nodes in the optical network for a second transport period, that is subsequent to the first transport period, based on the determined data traffic demand changes.

Abstract: A network management device monitors an optical network that is configured for a required bandwidth. The optical network includes multiple optical nodes and a plurality of light paths between the multiple optical nodes. The multiple optical nodes include transport cards with a majority of the transport cards provisioned as active cards to receive a traffic load of up to full capacity of the transport cards, and with a minority of the transport cards provisioned as floating spare cards for the active cards. The network management device identifies an unused first floating spare card and an unused second floating spare card in a pair of the multiple optical nodes and automatically provisions, by the network management device, the first floating spare card and the second floating spare card to service a light path for best-effort traffic between the pair of the multiple optical nodes.

Abstract: One or more management systems coordinate wavelength configuration patterns of a plurality of multi-wavelength optical transport nodes in an optical network for a first transport period. The one or more management systems determine data traffic demand changes in the optical network; and coordinate wavelength configuration patterns of the plurality of multi-wavelength optical transport nodes in the optical network for a second transport period, that is subsequent to the first transport period, based on the determined data traffic demand changes.

Abstract: An optical fiber patch panel rack includes a first shelf. The first shelf further includes a first platform having a rectangular shape orientated horizontally within the rack, wherein the first platform includes a first vertical pivot mechanism configured to enable the first platform to pivot vertically about a first vertical pivot point. The first shelf also includes a first elongated strip including a first horizontal pivot mechanism at a first end of the strip configured to enable the first elongated strip to pivot horizontally about a first horizontal pivot point on the first platform, wherein a second end of the first elongated strip includes a first optical adaptor configured to receive and connect a first optical fiber connector with a second optical fiber connector.

Abstract: An optical fiber patch panel rack includes a first shelf. The first shelf further includes a first platform having a rectangular shape orientated horizontally within the rack, wherein the first platform includes a first vertical pivot mechanism configured to enable the first platform to pivot vertically about a first vertical pivot point. The first shelf also includes a first elongated strip including a first horizontal pivot mechanism at a first end of the strip configured to enable the first elongated strip to pivot horizontally about a first horizontal pivot point on the first platform, wherein a second end of the first elongated strip includes a first optical adaptor configured to receive and connect a first optical fiber connector with a second optical fiber connector.

Abstract: A transport management system receives a request for a planned interruption in an optical network, and identifies transport equipment of the optical network affected by the planned interruption. The transport management system selectively sends a notification, from the network device, the identified transport equipment affected by the planned interruption, including a scheduled time of the planned interruption and a duration associated with the planned interruption, where the notification enables the notified transport equipment to buffer data to be transmitted on links affected by the planned interruption for the notified duration of the planned interruption.

Abstract: An optical path system includes a first block that further includes multiple first fiber optic guides, arranged in a first configuration to receive multiple first optical fibers, with one fiber in each guide. The optical path system further includes a second block comprising multiple second fiber optic guides, arranged in a second configuration to receive multiple second optical fibers, with one fiber in each guide, wherein a first face of the second block abuts a first face of the first block and wherein the first block is movable relative to the second block. The optical path system also includes micro-position adjusting mechanisms configured to move the first block relative to the second block to align the multiple first optical fibers with the multiple second optical fibers.

Abstract: An optical device includes a first optical port connected to a first optical fiber, and a second optical port connected to a second optical fiber. The optical device further includes first optical components that switch first optical traffic carried via a first set of optical channels from the first optical port to the second optical port, and second optical components that switch second optical traffic carried via a second set of optical channels from the second optical port to the first optical port. The second set of optical channels includes different optical channels than the first set of optical channels. The optical device also includes a receiver that coherently detects portions of the first optical traffic and the second optical traffic, and converts the detected portions of the first and second optical traffic to electrical signals for delivery to a node or network external to the optical device.