Optical communication system

• US 20030194232A1
• Filed: 04/30/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Photonics Italy SRL (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Photonics Italy SRL (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Matrona, Piergiovanni, Brandao Sanches, Marcos Antonio, Loseto, Francesca, Tamburello, Mario, Arecco, Fulvio
• Granted Patent: US 7,231,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/2
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0283 WDM ring architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0291 Shared protection at the optical multiplex section (1:1, n:m)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0062 Network aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0069 using dedicated optical channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0081 Fault tolerance; Redundancy; Recovery; Reconfigurability
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0083 Testing; Monitoring

Abstract

Communicating a signal includes receiving the signal at a primary device of a switching system, where the primary device is associated with a primary path along which the signal is propagating. A primary overmodulation signal associated with the primary path is generated. The absence of the primary overmodulation signal is detected, and an operating signal is sent from the primary device to a secondary device of the switching system, where the secondary device is associated with a secondary path. The operating signal operates to initiate propagation of the signal along the secondary path.

Claims

1. A method for communicating a signal, comprising:

receiving a signal at a primary device of a switching system, the primary device associated with a primary path, the signal propagating along the primary path;

generating a primary overmodulation signal associated with the primary path;

detecting an absence of the primary overmodulation signal associated with the primary path; and

sending an operating signal from the primary device to a secondary device of the switching system, the secondary device associated with a secondary path, the operating signal operable to initiate propagation of the signal along the secondary path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary overmodulation signal comprises a first primary overmodulation signal associated with the primary path comprising a first primary path, and further comprising disabling a second primary overmodulation signal associated with a second primary path in response to detecting the absence of the primary overmodulation signal, the first primary path associated with a first propagation direction, the second primary path associated with a second propagation direction opposite to the first propagation direction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary path comprises one or more optical amplifiers.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a secondary overmodulation signal associated with the secondary path;

detecting an absence of the secondary overmodulation signal associated with the secondary path; and

providing a notification of the absence of the secondary overmodulation signal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

splitting the signal;

directing the signal to the primary path and the secondary path;

preventing the signal from propagating along the primary path in response to detecting the absence of the primary overmodulation signal; and

propagating the signal along the secondary path in response to the operating signal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising switching the signal from the primary path to the secondary path at a switch in response to detecting the absence of the primary overmodulation signal.

7. A system for communicating a signal, comprising:

an input of a primary device operable to receive a signal, the primary device associated with a primary path, the signal propagating along the primary path;

a primary modulation device coupled to the input and operable to generate a primary overmodulation signal associated with the primary path;

a primary detection device coupled to the primary modulation device and operable to detect an absence of the primary overmodulation signal associated with the primary path; and

a primary operating device coupled to the primary detection device and operable to send an operating signal from the primary device to a secondary device of the switching system, the secondary device associated with a secondary path, the operating signal operable to initiate propagation of the signal along the secondary path.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the primary overmodulation signal comprises a first primary overmodulation signal associated with the primary path comprising a first primary path; and

the primary operating device is further operable to disable a second primary overmodulation signal associated with a second primary path in response to detecting the absence of the primary overmodulation signal, the first primary path associated with a first propagation direction, the second primary path associated with a second propagation direction opposite to the first propagation direction.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the primary path comprises one or more optical amplifiers.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a secondary modulation device coupled to the primary operating device and operable to generate a secondary overmodulation signal associated with the secondary path;

a secondary detection device coupled to the secondary modulation device and operable to detect an absence of the secondary overmodulation signal associated with the secondary path; and

a secondary operating device coupled to the secondary detection device and operable to provide a notification of the absence of the secondary overmodulation signal.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the primary operating device is further operable to prevent the signal from propagating along the primary path in response to detecting the absence of the primary overmodulation signal; and

the secondary device is operable to propagate the signal along the secondary path in response to the operating signal.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising a switch operable to switch the signal from the primary path to the secondary path in response to detecting the absence of the primary overmodulation signal.

13. Logic for communicating a signal, the logic embodied in a medium and operable to:

receive a signal at a primary device of a switching system, the primary device associated with a primary path, the signal propagating along the primary path;

generate a primary overmodulation signal associated with the primary path;

detect an absence of the primary overmodulation signal associated with the primary path; and

send an operating signal from the primary device to a secondary device of the switching system, the secondary device associated with a secondary path, the operating signal operable to initiate propagation of the signal along the secondary path.

14. The logic of claim 13, wherein:

the primary overmodulation signal comprises a first primary overmodulation signal associated with the primary path comprising a first primary path; and

the logic is further operable to disable a second primary overmodulation signal associated with a second primary path in response to detecting the absence of the primary overmodulation signal, the first primary path associated with a first propagation direction, the second primary path associated with a second propagation direction opposite to the first propagation direction.

15. The logic of claim 13, wherein the primary path comprises one or more optical amplifiers.

16. The logic of claim 13, further operable to:

generate a secondary overmodulation signal associated with the secondary path;

detect an absence of the secondary overmodulation signal associated with the secondary path; and

provide a notification of the absence of the secondary overmodulation signal.

17. The logic of claim 13, further operable to:

split the signal;

direct the signal to the primary path and the secondary path;

prevent the signal from propagating along the primary path in response to detecting the absence of the primary overmodulation signal; and

propagate the signal along the secondary path in response to the operating signal.

18. The logic of claim 13, further operable to switch the signal from the primary path to the secondary path at a switch in response to detecting the absence of the primary overmodulation signal.

19. A system for communicating a signal, comprising:

means for receiving a signal at a primary device of a switching system, the primary device associated with a primary path, the signal propagating along the primary path;

means for generating a primary overmodulation signal associated with the primary path;

means for detecting an absence of the primary overmodulation signal associated with the primary path; and

means for sending an operating signal from the primary device to a secondary device of the switching system, the secondary device associated with a secondary path, the operating signal operable to initiate propagation of the signal along the secondary path.

20. A method for communicating a signal, comprising:

splitting a signal;

directing the signal to a primary path and a secondary path;

receiving the signal at a primary device of a switching system, the primary device associated with the primary path, the signal propagating along the primary path, the primary path comprising one or more optical amplifiers;

generating a primary overmodulation signal associated with the primary path, the primary overmodulation signal comprising a first primary overmodulation signal associated with the primary path comprising a first primary path;

detecting an absence of the primary overmodulation signal associated with the primary path;

disabling a second primary overmodulation signal associated with a second primary path in response to detecting the absence of the primary overmodulation signal, the first primary path associated with a first propagation direction, the second primary path associated with a second propagation direction opposite to the first propagation direction;

sending an operating signal from the primary device to a secondary device of the switching system, the secondary device associated with the secondary path, the operating signal operable to initiate propagation of the signal along the secondary path;

preventing the signal from propagating along the primary path in response to detecting the absence of the primary overmodulation signal, and propagating the signal along the secondary path in response to the operating signal, or switching the signal from the primary path to the secondary path at a switch in response to detecting the absence of the primary overmodulation signal;

generating a secondary overmodulation signal associated with the secondary path;

detecting an absence of the secondary overmodulation signal associated with the secondary path; and

providing a notification of the absence of the secondary overmodulation signal.