Abstract: An optical switching system and method that provide fault tolerant optical switching without duplicating the entire system. Two optical switches are provided, each of which receives a portion of a transmitted optical signal. Should one switch fail, the other switch is still able to perform the required optical routing of the optical signal to the desired receiving node. The two switches can be the same type of optical switch that have identical switching functionality, or each switch could have a distinct switching functionality. In one example, one switch could be a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) switch that has fast switching speed but uses more power, and the other switch could be a micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) switch that has slower switching speed but uses less power, thereby combining the benefits of fast switching and low power switching into a single architecture.

Abstract: Asymmetrical interleavers and deinterleavers. In one example embodiment, an asymmetrical deinterleaver includes first, second, third, fourth, and fifth filter cells interleaved with first, second, third, and fourth waveplates and followed by a fifth waveplate. The filter cells are configured to filter optical signals propagating on first and second legs of an optical loop. The asymmetrical deinterleaver also includes a retro reflector optically coupled with the filter cells and waveplates. The retro reflector is configured to reflect the optical signals between the first leg and the second leg to form the optical loop. The asymmetrical deinterleaver further includes a single-fiber collimator optically coupled to the first leg of the optical loop and a dual-fiber collimator optically coupled to the second leg of the optical loop.

Abstract: A technique for securing data transmission via an optical communication line comprising an optical fiber extending between a first network element and a second network element; the technique comprises conveying a first optical signal carrying data via the optical fiber from the first network element towards the second network element at a predetermined optical wavelength, and conveying a second optical signal at the same predetermined optical wavelength via the same fiber in the opposite direction to create within the optical fiber a combined optical signal such that combination of the first and second optical signals is adapted to hamper an unauthorized non-intrusive extraction of the first optical signal from the combined optical signal.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A programmable optical network architecture and associated components employing a two-level orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)/wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) mechanisms for bandwith virtualization.

Abstract: A method may include inputting parameters that characterize an optical network, inputting one or more demands to be routed, selecting routes, wavelengths, and wavelength translation nodes simultaneously for the one or more demands of the optical network based on the parameters, where each demand includes a working path and one or more protect paths, and configuring the optical network based on the selected routes, wavelengths, and wavelength translation nodes associated with the one or more demands.

Abstract: A packet transmitting method and apparatus in an optical transport network may be provided. The packet transmitting method may include sensing a request for transmitting a packet client signal of a predetermined capacity, during transmission operated based on an ODUflex(GFP) scheme, extending, to the predetermined capacity, a size of a connection link among a transmitting apparatus, a relay apparatus, and a receiving apparatus when the request is sensed, expanding, to the predetermined capacity, a bandwidth among the transmitting apparatus, the relay apparatus, and the receiving apparatus when the size of the connection link is extended, and transmitting the packet client signal by changing a transmission scheme from the ODUflex(GFP) scheme to an ODUk(GFP) scheme, when the bandwidth is expanded.

Abstract: Provided is an optical network unit saving power. The optical network unit may include a processor checking whether at least one downward physical block, the upward physical block and a data switching block operate in an idle mode, sequentially transiting at least one downward physical block, an upward physical block and a data switching block to a sleep mode according to the checking result and sequentially transiting an optical transmission-reception block and the medium access control block to a sleep mode by judging whether or not a medium access control block transits to a sleep mode.

Abstract: A method of transmitting an Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) message and of processing an error in a Passive Optical Network (PON) system is provided. Using an OAM packet format that may be used in common in the PON system, a process of transmitting or receiving an OAM message may be simplified, an efficiency of the process may be increased, and an Optical Network Unit (ONU) may be managed at a high speed.

Abstract: In an optical switch, fibers in a fiber array are arranged in a row. When a region where lights input into or output from the fibers in the fiber array intersect is taken as an intersecting position C, and an axis parallel to the fibers in the fiber array and passing through the intersecting position C is taken as a Z axis, then a distance ? between a core of a desired fiber among the fibers and an optical axis of a corresponding one of the lenses varies depending on a distance S of the desired fiber from the Z axis.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first node configured to forward a wavelength assignment message to a second node, wherein the wavelength assignment message comprises a wavelength set type-length-value (TLV), a wavelength assignment method selection TLV, a supplemental wavelength assignment information TLV, a traffic parameter TLV, or combinations thereof. Also included is a network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising obtaining a wavelength set data, a wavelength assignment method selection data, a supplemental wavelength assignment data, a traffic parameter data, or combinations thereof, and using at least one TLV to represent the obtained data. Also included is a method comprising obtaining a wavelength assignment information comprising a wavelength set, a supplemental wavelength assignment information, a wavelength assignment method selection, a traffic parameter, or combinations thereof, and forwarding the wavelength assignment information along a path.

Abstract: An optical packet switching system includes: an optical packet switching device configured to route and output an input optical packet signal; an optical amplifier device provided in a stage subsequent to the optical packet switching device; and a dummy packet insertion device configured to insert a dummy packet in an optical packet signal prior to input to the optical amplifier device. A dummy packet includes a flag indicating that the packet is a dummy packet.

Abstract: An optical packet switching system includes: an optical packet transmitter device configured to transmit an optical packet signal; and an optical packet switching device configured to route and output an input optical packet signal. The optical packet transmitter device is configured to adjust gap time between optical packets transmitted. The optical packet transmitter device adjusts the gap time to a fixed value defined by time required for switching in the optical packet switching device.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with digital communication method and system for use in telephone exchanges, wireless communication systems, satellite communication systems, and alike. In the present invention, wireless switches use modulated electron beams or alike; these electron beams are deflected to target a specific user according to a unique signature assigned to that user to make a communication link between two users. In one embodiment, the switch can concurrently process data from multiple users and supports half-duplex or full-duplex allowing receiving and transmitting data at the same time. The switch can concurrently communicate with other switches and/or with mobile stations. The switch acts as a multiplexer and demultiplexer to connect users in a communication system and/or to transfer data, video and audio signals to subscribers from wireless, satellite, and/or local area networks.

Abstract: An optical link power management scheme takes the best advantage of a dynamic connection environment, where ports may be connected and disconnected at any time, and where data flows may start and stop as needed by the applications using the high speed data links. Power consumption is optimized, eye safety standards are met, and robust connection detection is preserved.

Abstract: An optical fiber hub includes an upstream port for receiving a light signal from a upstream host, a light splitting element, N downstream ports, and a light converging element. The light splitting element is configured for splitting the light signal into N light beams. The N downstream ports are optically communicated with the light splitting element, and each of the downstream ports is used for receiving a corresponding one of the light beams and transmitting the corresponding light beam to a corresponding downstream peripheral, and receiving a light signal from the corresponding downstream peripheral, wherein N is an integer which is equal to or greater than 2. The light converging element is used for converging light signals from the N downstream ports and transmitting the converged light signals to the upstream port.

Abstract: A method and apparatus (80) are provided for routing entanglement building between a selected pairing of interface qubits (82). The qubits of the selected pairing of interface qubits (82) are separately entangled with at least one intermediate qubit (84) by interacting respective light fields with the interface qubits of the selected pairing and using an optical merge arrangement (83) to further interact the light fields with at least one intermediate qubit (84). Where there are multiple intermediate qubits (84) the intermediate qubits are entangled with each other. The or each entangled intermediate qubit (84) is then removed from entanglement.

Abstract: Systems and method of compensating for transmission impairment are disclosed. One such method comprises: receiving an optical signal which has been distorted in the physical domain by an optical transmission channel; and propagating the distorted optical signal backward in the electronic domain in a corresponding virtual optical transmission channel.

Abstract: An architecture is provided for a core network of a service provider. Intra-connect routers operate multiprotocol label switching under Internet protocol for packets. Network planes are coupled in parallel to the intra-connect routers to form the core network for the service provider. Each of the network planes is defined by a maximum optical load capacity of an optical switch.

Abstract: An optical packet switching apparatus includes (i) an optical packet switch for switching the route of an inputted optical packet signal and outputting the inputted optical packet signal, (ii) an input-side packet density monitoring unit for detecting the packet density of optical packet signals inputted to the optical packet switch, (iii) a first input-side optical amplifier provided on an input side of the optical packet switch, (iv) a first input-side variable optical attenuator (VOA) provided posterior to the optical amplifier, (v) a storage for storing the gain characteristics in relation to the packet density at the first input-side optical amplifier, and (vi) an input-side VOA control unit for controlling the attenuation by the first input-side VOA in such a manner as to compensate for the gain fluctuations due to the variations in the packet density at the first input-side optical amplifier, based on the packet density and the gain characteristics.

Abstract: A method of requesting reservation of a label switched path (LSP) for traffic of a type compatible with ITU-T G709 amendment 3, in an optical transport network by sending a RSVP-TE path message for the reservation of the requested LSP from an ingress node of the requested path, via intermediate nodes along the path to an egress node, and sending a RSVP-TE resv message from the egress node, to cause the nodes to reserve resources for the requested path. The path message has a signal type field having values assigned to indicate traffic types specified in G.709 amendment 3 beyond those specified by G.709 pre amendment 3, without reuse of values specified by G.709 pre amendment 3. Since the nodes along the path can still distinguish in the signal type field any values of the signal type field specified by G.709 pre amendment 3, new nodes can still work with legacy messages.

Abstract: Where add optical signals have k different bit rates, an add controller is connected to k (<N) of N input ports and sends the add optical signals to the k input ports to perform add control. A drop controller is connected to m (<M) of M output ports and performs drop control on optical signals from the m output ports. The k input ports of an N×M wavelength selective switch and the add controller are connected by k links (L1 to Lk) which have introduced therein dispersion compensators for compensating chromatic dispersions of the add optical signals with the respective bit rates. The add controller selects a link through which an add optical signal is to be passed for dispersion compensation, and sends the signal to the N×M wavelength selective switch via the selected link.

Abstract: The invention discloses a network protection method and device, the method comprises: initiating a protection configuration request through a control plane of an automatically switched optical network (ASON); and realizing a protection configuration on each node of the network according to the protection configuration request. A safe and reliable recovery capability; a reliable efficiency guarantee and an effective guarantee of the coordination of the switching and recovery are provided.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an electron beam crossbar switch for interconnection between communication units. The crossbar switch includes an array of electrically charged particle emitter source devices with an input connected to a slow wave structure coupled to the emitter source. An array of detectors is positioned relative to the array of emitter devices for receiving charged particles from various of the emitter devices. X and y deflection means are positioned adjacent each of the emitters for directing the charged particles from each of the emitters to at least one of the detectors to provide more signal output and a reduction in deflection accuracy.

Abstract: An in-line optical control device, method, and computer-readable medium for controlling bandwidth in a dry fiber line are provided herein. The in-line optical control device includes a splitter, an optical switch, and a processing device. The splitter may be configured to split an input signal. The optical switch may be configured to receive and selectively connect a first portion of the split input signal to the dry fiber line. The optical switch may thereby control a rate of data transmitted over the dry fiber line. The processing device may be configured to control the optical switch based on whether a characteristic of the input signal conforms to a predetermined limit using a second portion of the split input signal. The processing device may thereby control bandwidth in the dry fiber line.

Abstract: A method, device and system for automatically discovering optical fibre connection within a network element are provided. In the method, a destination board determines whether it is connected with a source single board for the first time according to a triple group message received within a predefined period and sent by the source single board, and if yes, sends a sextuple group message generated based on its triple group message to an ASON, and stores the sextuple group message in a local database; otherwise, it sends the sextuple group message stored in the local database and corresponding to the triple group message, to the ASON when timing is reached; when receiving the sextuple group message and determining that the sextuple group message is not stored locally, the ASON detects validity of a connection corresponding to the sextuple group message, and locally stores the sextuple group message if the connection is valid, otherwise, displays connection error information to a user.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system, apparatus and method to transport data across a network node, as part of a network infrastructure of an optical transmission system. According to the various embodiments of the disclosure, a base architecture is provided which includes interconnectivity providing high throughput, while mitigating factors which may lead to signal loss or signal degradation. The base architecture is easily expandable to accommodate additional traffic.

Abstract: A method for recovering an OTUk frame includes: receiving an optical signal sent by using a method of multi-lane distribution from the OTUk frame to an interface of an optical module; converting the optical signal into an electrical signal, performing electrical equalization and demodulation on the electrical signal, and recovering multi-lane data from the demodulated signal; aligning and rearranging the data on each lane, according to a lane sequence identifier included in an overhead frame header of the data on each lane; and recovering the OTUk frame according to the aligned and rearranged data. According to the present invention, lane rearrangement is performed by detecting the lane sequence identifier, and the recovery of the OTUk frame is achieved. Therefore, a training sequence overhead does not need to be additionally introduced, and the influence on the system performance is avoided.

Abstract: An optical wavelength multiplexing system includes transmission-side and reception-side optical wavelength multiplexers, and terminal devices, which are connected to each other by optical fiber cables. Optical wavelength converters in the transmission-side optical wavelength multiplexers are connected to ports respectively. The optical wavelength converter converts an input optical signal into an arbitrary preset wavelength to generate a converted optical signal. The port has a predetermined wavelength preset therein. Each optical power level of input converted optical signals is compared with each optical power level of optical signals of respective wavelengths set in the ports. When a difference is detected in the comparison result, it is determined that an optical wavelength converter is incorrectly connected to the port.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a protocol aware circuit for automatic test equipment, which includes a protocol generation circuit constructed to retrieve protocol unique data and format the protocol unique data with a selected protocol definition corresponding to a device under test for testing the device under test. The protocol generation circuit may be constructed to retrieve the selected protocol definition from a protocol definition table.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for a switch to assign proxy FCIDs to endpoint device so that the endpoint devices may achieve FCID mobility by retaining their originally assigned FCIDs. At a switch in a network, e.g., a Virtual Storage Area Network (VSAN), a fabric login request is received from a first endpoint device that is associated with a first FC identifier (FCID) that was previously assigned to the first endpoint device by another switch in the VSAN. The fabric login request is responded to with the first FCID. The first endpoint device is assigned a second FCID associated with a domain of the switch where the endpoint device is directly attached to, and the second FCID is used as a proxy FCID within the VSAN for the first endpoint device. A frame is received from the first endpoint device with a source FCID comprising the first FCID and a destination FCID comprising an FCID for a second endpoint device. The source FCID in the frame is overwritten with the second FCID.

Abstract: A wavelength selective switch utilizing aperture-shared optics and functionally distinct planes of operation that enables high fiber port counts, such as 1×41, and multiplicative expansion, such as to 1×83 or 1×145, by utilizing elements optimized for performance in one of the functionally distinct planes of operation without affecting the other plane.

Abstract: In an optical network design apparatus, a constraint setter sets a first constraint that one of alternative values given beforehand is selected as the dispersion compensation amount of each node, sets a first margin value that assumes a nonnegative value, sets a second constraint that the first margin value is equal to or greater than the difference between the residual dispersion and the lower bound of an allowable range, sets a second margin value that assumes a nonnegative value, and sets a third constraint that the second margin value is equal to or greater than the difference between the upper bound of the allowable range and the residual dispersion. A calculation controller generates an objective function including the first, second and third constraints and including a summation of the first and second margin values for all paths, and derives a solution that minimizes the objective function.

Abstract: Scheduling methods and apparatus for use with optical switches with hybrid architectures are provided. An exemplary distributed scheduling process achieves 100% throughput for any admissible Bernoulli arrival traffic. The exemplary distributed scheduling process may be easily adapted to work for any finite round trip time, without sacrificing any throughput. Simulation results also showed that this distributed scheduling process can provide very good delay performance for different traffic patterns and for different round trip times associated with current switches.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and an apparatus for migrating a Sub-Network Connection Protection (SNCP) service. The method comprises: receiving a migration request of an SNCP service, wherein the migration request comprises one of: Permanent Connection (PC) to Soft Permanent Connection (SPC) migration, SPC to PC migration; respectively setting cross status control bits of a current operation connection and a correlative connection thereof according to the received migration request, and performing collective migration of the current operation connection and the correlative connection thereof according to the set cross status control bits; respectively modifying the cross status control bits of the current connection and the correlative connection thereof according to the migration result. The consistency of cross management authorities of a working connection and a protection connection of the SNCP service migration can be ensured by the present invention.

Abstract: An optical packet switching apparatus includes an optical coupler, an optical switch unit, and an optical switch control unit. The optical switch control unit includes an optical-to-electrical converter, a serial/parallel converter, an arrangement detector, a rearrangement unit, a frame synchronization unit, a route detector, a control signal generator, and an adjustment unit for adjusting the timing with which to output an optical switch control signal to the optical switch unit, based on arrangement information on a frame synchronization pattern fed from the arrangement detector.

Abstract: A reconfigurable optical switching device comprising a Tunable Filters Array (TFA) unit incorporating tunable optical filters, wherein the arrangement is such that one and the same TFA unit is utilized both for performing a drop function of the device in a colorless and reconfigurable manner, and a through function of the device in a reconfigurable manner.

Abstract: In particular embodiments, providing signal reachability information to a network includes establishing signal reachability information at a network node of the network. The signal reachability information describes attributes that affect reachability of an optical signal. The signal reachability information is inserted into an advertisement, and the advertisement is sent to network nodes of the network.

Abstract: In a PON system in which communication is performed at a plurality of types of transmission rate (L, M, and H) in an upstream direction from a plurality of terminals connected to a station apparatus through optical fibers, within a discovery period for allowing an unregistered terminal to be recognized by station apparatus, the terminal makes a discovery response at one type of transmission rate (L). With this configuration, station apparatus can wait for a discovery response with a receive function being allowed to support transmission rate (L).

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for processing a delayed resource reservation request in an optical telecommunication network for transferring data between a source device and a destination device, wherein the control plane is different from the transfer plane. Upon a node device of the network receiving the resource reservation request sent from the source device to the destination device via a path including at least one node device, the request containing at least one first parameter relating to the start of the connection at the source device, the method includes the following steps: obtaining information relating to a signal transfer time via the path up to an upstream node device; updating the information by adding a signal transfer time at the intermediate equipment; and calculating a date for the start of the resource reservation at the node device using the value of the first received parameter and the information.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides improvements with respect to in-band control plane signaling, virtualized channels, and tandem connection monitoring in optical networks utilizing Synchronous Optical Network (SONET), Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH), Optical Transport Network (OTN), and the like. In an exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure includes an optical network operating a control plane with in-band signaling utilizing SONET/SDH path level overhead. In another exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure includes an optical network operating virtualized SONET/SDH or OTN channels with manually cross-connections at intermediate line terminating elements. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure includes a tandem connection monitoring selection method across multiple operator domains.

Abstract: A photonic-based distributed network switch is described that updates independent ports of the switch in parallel based on information that flows through the ports to and from a passive photonic broadcast star. Because each port sees the same information via the passive photonic broadcast star, each port can harvest information from the data flow in parallel and update itself based on the harvested information.

Abstract: An optical switching device the size and costs of which are reduced by decreasing the number of switching elements and which can flexibly accommodate the expansion of the number of ports. An optical demultiplexing section has 2n (n=1, 2, 3, . . . ) input ports and 2m (m>n) output ports and includes demultiplexing couplers for demultiplexing input optical packets. A switch fabric section includes optical gate elements for switching optical packets outputted from the optical demultiplexing section by switch drive control. An optical multiplexing section has 2m input ports and 2n output ports and includes multiplexing couplers for multiplexing the optical packets which pass through the optical gate elements. A scheduler exercises control over an entire optical packet switching process.

Abstract: An optical power information receiving unit receives optical power information transmitted from a power monitor. When it is judged that a new IT apparatus is connected to an optical switch, an optical switch control unit controls the optical switch to connect the IT apparatus and an optical switch control device. A control device port setting unit changes an IP address of an apparatus information acquiring port based on a control device setting address of an address information storing unit. An apparatus information acquiring unit acquires an IP address of the IT apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of network communications. An Optical Line Terminal (OLT) allocates a Pseudo Wire (PW) label of an access segment PW for a port, and establishes a corresponding relationship between the port information and the PW label; and carries the corresponding relationship between the port information and the PW label in a label management message, and sends the label management message to an Optical Network Unit (ONU) so that the ONU updates a forwarding table, in which the label management message adopts an access network management protocol. As a consequence, a problem of supporting Pseudo Wire Emulation Edge-to-Edge (PWE3) on a data plane of an access segment of an access network is solved under the conditions that device complexity of the ONU is not increased and a configuration of the ONU is slightly changed.

Abstract: A method for enabling Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) routing in a transport network. The method comprises defining a network segment template; instantiating a respective network segment template for each node+link segment of the transport network; and connecting the link area of a first template instance to the node area of a second template instance using a remote ABR. The network segment template comprises a node area for enabling OSPF routing between addresses within a node of the transport network; a link area for enabling OSPF routing between the node and an adjacent neighbour node in the transport network; and a host Area Boarder Router (ABR) connected to the node area and the link area. The host ABR is configured to generate summary Link State Advertisement (LSA) messages containing a summary of addresses in the node area, and forward the summary LSA messages through the link area.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for assigning and processing a label in an optical network. The method includes: learning that a label switched path is required to be established in an optical network; generating a label, in which the label is used for indicating that a first optical channel data unit is multiplexed to a second optical channel data unit; the label includes a tributary slot type indication field that is used for indicating a tributary slot type of the second optical channel data unit, and the label further includes a tributary slot assignment indication field that is used for indicating a tributary slot occupied in the second optical channel data unit into which the first optical channel data unit is multiplexed; and sending the label to a node on the label switched path by a signaling message of GMPLS.

Abstract: The present invention refers to a method for operating a coherent optical packet receiver comprising at least one linear physical impairment compensation filter wherein the settings of at least one linear physical impairment compensation filter applied on a received optical packet having at least one given travelling parameter are determined in function of previous settings determination of said at least one linear physical impairment compensation filter achieved on at least one optical packet having a similar at least one travelling parameter as said received optical packet.

Abstract: An optical packet switching apparatus includes an optical switch unit for switching the route of a received optical packet signal and output the received optical packet signal, and an optical switch control unit for extracting destination information from the received optical packet and generating a control signal for the optical switch unit according to the destination information. The optical switch control unit includes a clock generator for generating a plurality of local clocks of different phases, and a clock selector for selecting a local clock having the smallest phase difference with the received optical packet from the plurality of local clocks. The optical switch control unit generates the control signal using the local clock selected by the clock selector as an operation clock.

Abstract: In one aspect, a system includes one or more electrical switches to transfer data in a data network; one or more optical switching groups coupled to each electrical switch, each switching group having one or more server racks, each server rack coupled to a top of rack (TOR) switch and an optical transceiver coupled to the TOR switch; and an optical switching unit (OSU) coupled to the one or more optical switching groups.