Method and system for multi-level power management in an optical network

• US 20040120712A1
• Filed: 08/12/2003
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent Canada Incorporated (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent Canada Incorporated (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ng, Eddie Kai Ho, McCloskey, Michael Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,289,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/41
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/077 using a supervisory or additional signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/07955 Monitoring or measuring power
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0221 Power control, e.g. to keep the total optical power constant
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/02216 by gain equalization

Abstract

A method and system for multi-level power management in an optical network is provided. They include three levels of power equalization. The first level of power management equalizes the powers of channels in a band of channels. The second level of power management equalizes the average powers of bands of channels on a fiber. The third level of control equalizes the powers of bands of channels on working and protection fibers for a path in the optical network. As a result, this multi-level power management in the network provides a dynamic, automatic method for the network to adjust to changing operating conditions and configurations and to maintain relatively stable network powers. Each level of power management may be implemented jointly or independently, and operates autonomously so that, for example, one modification comprises continuous first level control and only periodic second level control.

Claims

1. A method for automatic multi-level power management in an optical network, comprising the steps of:

(a) changing powers of channels in a band of channels in the optical network so as to provide that power variation between the channels in the band of channels is within a first predetermined power range around an average power selected for the band of channels;

(b) changing average powers of bands of channels on a fiber in the optical network so as to provide that variation of the average power between the bands of channels on the fiber is within a second predetermined power range around an average power selected for the fiber; and

(c) changing average powers of bands of channels on working and protection fibers for a path in the optical network so as to provide that variation of the average power between bands of channels on the working and protection fibers is within a third predetermined power range around an average power selected for the path.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the step (a) of changing powers of channels comprises changing powers of channels in the band so as to provide that all channels in the band have substantially equal power.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the step (b) of changing average powers of bands of channels on the fiber comprises changing average powers of bands of channels on the fiber so as provide that all bands on the fiber have substantially equal average power.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the step (c) of changing average powers of bands of channels on working and protection fibers for the path comprises changing average powers of bands of channels on the working and protection fibers so as to provide that they have substantially equal power and are equal to the selected average power for the path.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the step (a) of changing powers of channels comprises changing powers of channels continuously.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the step (b) of changing average powers of bands of channels on the fiber comprises changing the average powers of bands of channels on the fiber periodically.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the step (b) of changing average powers of bands of channels on the fiber comprises changing average powers of bands of channels on the fiber in response to a signal.

8. A method as described in claim 7, wherein the changing of average powers of bands in response to the signal comprises changing the average powers of bands in response to the signal, which is one of the following:

an automatically generated signal; and

a signal generated by a user.

9. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the step (c) of changing average powers of bands of channels on working and protection fibers for a path comprises changing the average powers of bands of channels on said fibers periodically.

10. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the step (c) of changing average powers of bands of channels on working and protection fibers for a path comprises changing the average powers of bands of channels on said fibers in response to a signal.

11. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the changing of average powers of bands on the working and protection fibers in response to the signal comprises changing the average powers of bands on the working and protection fibers in response to the signal, which is one of the following:

an automatically generated signal; and

a signal generated by a user.

12. A method as described in claim 2, wherein the step (a) of changing powers of channels comprises changing powers of channels so as to provide that power variation between the channels is within the first predetermined power range at the egress of a node.

13. A method as described in claim 12, wherein the step (b) of changing average powers of bands on the fiber comprises changing average powers of bands on the fiber so as to provide that variation of the average power between the bands on the fiber is within the second predetermined power range at the input to a broadband amplifier.

14. A method as described in claim 13, wherein the step (c) of changing average powers of bands on the working and protection fibers comprises changing average powers of bands on the working and protection fibers so as to provide that power variation between said average powers is within the third predetermined power range at the inputs to a switch between the working and protection fibers.

15. A method as described in claim 2, wherein the step (a) of changing powers of channels comprises changing powers of channels in the band so as to provide that the power of each channel is substantially equal to the initial average power of the band of channels.

16. A method as described in claim 3, wherein the step (b) of changing average powers of bands of channels on the fiber comprises changing average powers of newly added bands to the fiber so as to provide that the average power for each newly added band is substantially equal to the average power of existing bands on the fiber.

17. A method as described in claim 4, wherein the step (c) of changing average powers of bands on working and protection fibers comprises setting the average power selected for the path to be substantially equal to the lowest between the average power of bands on the working fiber and the average power of bands on the protection fiber.

18. A system for automatic multi-level power management in an optical network, comprising:

(a) means for changing powers of channels in a band of channels in the optical network so as to provide that power variation between the channels in the band of channels is within a first predetermined power range around an average power selected for the band of channels;

(b) means for changing average powers of bands of channels on a fiber in the optical network so as to provide that variation of the average power between the bands of channels on the fiber is within a second predetermined power range around an average power selected for the fiber; and

(c) means for changing average powers of bands of channels on working and protection fibers for a path in the optical network so as to provide that variation of the average power between bands of channels on the working and protection fibers is within a third predetermined power range around an average power selected for the path.

19. A system as described in claim 18, wherein:

the means (a) for changing powers of channels comprises means for changing powers of channels in the band so as to provide that all channels in the band have substantially equal power;

the means (b) for changing average powers of bands of channels on the fiber comprises means for changing average powers of bands of channels on the fiber so as provide that all bands on the fiber have substantially equal average power; and

the means (c) for changing average powers of bands of channels on working and protection fibers for the path comprises means for changing average powers of bands of channels on the working and protection fibers so as to provide that they have substantially equal power and are equal to the selected average power for the path.

20. A system as described in claim 19, wherein:

the means (a) for changing powers of channels comprises means for changing powers of channels so as to provide that power variation between the channels is within a predetermined power range at the egress of a node;

the means (b) for changing average powers of bands on the fiber comprises means for changing average powers of bands on the fiber so as to provide that variation of the average power between the bands on the fiber is within a predetermined power range at the input to a broadband amplifier; and

the means (c) for changing average powers of bands on the working and protection fibers comprises means for changing average powers of bands on the working and protection fibers so as to provide that power variation between said average powers is within a predetermined power range at the inputs to a switch between the working and protection fibers.