Private network link verification procedure in free space optical communication network

• US 20060233548A1
• Filed: 06/01/2006
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ThinkLogix, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Kiribati Wireless Ventures LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Shivnan, Aine
• Granted Patent: US 7,924,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0062 Network aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0083 Testing; Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0086 Network resource allocation, dimensioning or optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for verifying the integrity of a communication link in a wireless optical communication network. The system and method include monitoring the communication link on at least two levels and enabling or disabling signaling over the communication link appropriately depending on events reported through the system.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A method, comprising:

monitoring a physical level of a communication link; and

monitoring a second level of said communication link, wherein said monitoring of said second level is usable to detect content errors in data transmitted over said communication link;

enabling transmission of data over said communication link in response to determining that said physical level is stable and that said second level is operational.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said monitoring said physical level includes monitoring data transmitted optically.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said monitoring said physical level includes monitoring data transmitted via radio frequency.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein said monitoring said physical level includes monitoring data transmitted via microwave.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein said monitoring said physical layer includes monitoring data transmitted via a synchronous optical network.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said monitoring said synchronous optical network includes detecting changes in a section, line, or path of said synchronous optical network.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein said monitoring said physical level includes monitoring data transmitted via asynchronous transport mode.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said monitoring said data transmitted via said asynchronous transport mode includes detecting loss-of-cell delineation.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein said monitoring said physical level further includes monitoring a data switch.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein said monitoring said physical level includes monitoring data transmitted via an Ethernet protocol.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said monitoring said physical layer includes monitoring an Internet Protocol stack.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein said monitoring said physical layer includes monitoring data transmitted via an Internet protocol-based transport mechanism.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said Internet protocol-based transport mechanism is TCP/IP.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein said monitoring said physical layer includes monitoring an Internet protocol-based transport mechanism.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said Internet protocol-based transport mechanism is TCP/IP.

35. The method of claim 20, wherein monitoring said second level includes monitoring an optical device configured to receive data from a second optical device, and wherein monitoring said optical device includes detecting a data content error by determining that said optical device has received data from a device other than said second optical device.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said optical device and said second optical device are each optical transceivers.

37. The method of claim 20, wherein monitoring said second level includes monitoring an optical device configured to transmit data to a second optical device, and wherein said monitoring said optical device includes detecting a data content error by determining that said optical device has received data originally transmitted by said optical device.

38. The method of claim 20, wherein said determining that said physical level is stable includes determining a number of fluctuations in a status of said physical level.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said determining that said physical level is stable further includes comparing said determined number of fluctuations to a configurable threshold.

40. The method of claim 20, wherein said determining that said physical level is stable includes determining that a failure detected in said physical level exists for longer than a first amount of time.

41. The method of claim 20, wherein determining that said second level is operational includes determining that a failure detected in said second level exists for longer than a first amount of time.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein determining that said second level is operational includes determining that a failure detected in said second level exists for longer than a second amount of time.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein said first amount of time and said second amount of time are different.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said first amount of time and said second amount of time are configurable.

45. The method of claim 20, wherein said determining that said physical level is stable includes detecting that a failure in said physical level occurs more than a first number of times.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein said first number of times is configurable.

47. The method of claim 20, wherein determining that said second level is operational includes detecting that a failure in said second level occurs more than a first number of times.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein said first number of times is configurable.

49. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

monitoring one or more additional communication links, wherein said monitoring said one or more additional communication links includes monitoring a physical level and a second level of each of said one or more additional communication links, wherein said monitoring of said second level of a given one of said one or more additional communication links is usable to detect content errors in data transmitted over said given link; and

enabling transmission of data over those additional communication links that are determined to have a stable physical level and an operational second level.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein said communication link and said one or more additional communication links include two or more optical devices.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein said communication link and said one or more additional communication links include two or more freespace optical devices.

52. The method of claim 49, wherein said communication link and said one or more additional communication links include two or more freespace optical transceivers.

53. The method of claim 20, wherein said monitoring of said physical level includes monitoring a plurality of physical devices.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein said plurality of physical devices includes an optical device.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein said plurality of physical devices includes an optical transceiver.

56. The method of claim 53, wherein said plurality of physical devices includes a freespace optical transceiver.

57. The method of claim 53, further comprising:

detecting a failure by one of said plurality of physical devices; and

determining which of said plurality of physical devices generated said failure.

58. The method of claim 20, wherein said monitoring of said physical level includes monitoring a freespace optical device and a second device configured to operate as a backup to said freespace optical device.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein said second device is a radio frequency device.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein said second device is a microwave device.

61. An apparatus, comprising:

a first interface coupled to a first communication link, wherein said first communication link includes a physical level and a second level, wherein monitoring of said second level is usable to detect content errors in data transmitted over said first communication link; and

a processor configured to monitor said physical level and said second level of said first communication link;

wherein said processor is configured to enable transmission of data over said first communication link based at least in part on results of monitoring said physical level and said second level.

77. The apparatus of claim 61, further comprising one or more additional interfaces, each of which is coupled to a respective additional communication link, wherein each said additional communication link includes a physical level and a second level, wherein monitoring of said second level of a given said additional communication link is usable to detect a content error in data transmitted over said given link.

78. The apparatus of claim 77, wherein said first communication link and said additional communication links includes two or more optical communication links.

62. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein said processor is configured to enable transmission of data over said first communication link in response to said processor determining that said physical level is stable and said second level is operational.

63. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein said physical level includes an optical device.

64. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein said physical level includes an optical transceiver.

65. The apparatus of claim 64, wherein said optical transceiver is a freespace optical transceiver.

66. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein said physical level includes a microwave device.

67. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein said physical level includes a radio frequency device.

68. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein said physical level is configured to transmit data according to an Ethernet protocol.

69. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein said physical level is configured to transmit data according to an Internet protocol-based data transport mechanism.

70. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein said apparatus is configured to receive data from a first source device over said first communication link, and wherein said processor is configured to detect a content error in data transmitted over said communication link in response to receiving data from a device other than said first source device.

71. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein said processor is configured to detect a content error in data transmitted over said communication link in response to receiving data originally transmitted by said apparatus.

72. The apparatus of claim 71, wherein said physical level includes an optical transceiver, wherein said apparatus is configured to transmit data to a target device via said communication link, and wherein said processor is configured to detect a content error in data transmitted over said first communication link in response to said optical transceiver receiving data intended for said target transceiver.

73. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein said physical level includes a plurality of physical devices.

74. The apparatus of claim 73, wherein said plurality of physical devices includes a first device and a backup device to said first device.

75. The apparatus of claim 74, wherein said first device is an optical device.

76. The apparatus of claim 75, wherein said first device is a freespace optical device.

79. An apparatus, comprising:

an interface to a communication link, wherein said communication link includes a physical level and a second level, wherein monitoring of said second level is usable to detect content errors in data transmitted via said communication link.

a first means for monitoring a status said physical level of said communication link;

a second means for monitoring a status of said second level of said communication link;

a third means for enabling transmission of data via said communication link in response to said monitoring said status of said physical level and said monitoring said status of said second level.

80. A method for monitoring a status of a communication link, said method comprising:

monitoring a physical level of said communication link;

monitoring a second level of said communication link, wherein said monitoring of said second level is usable to detect content errors of data transmitted over said communication link;

disabling transmission of data over said communication link in response to detecting a failure of said communication link that exceeds a configurable threshold.

81. The method of claim 80, wherein said physical level includes an optical device.

82. The method of claim 80, wherein said monitoring of said second level includes monitoring an optical device configured to receive data from a second optical device, and wherein monitoring second level further includes detecting a content error in data transmitted via said communication link in response to determining that said optical device has received data from a device other than said second optical device.

83. The method of claim 80, wherein said failure is of a) said physical level, b) said second level or c) said physical level and said second level.

84. The method of claim 80, further comprising setting said configurable threshold to a received value.

85. The method of claim 84, wherein said received value is a time threshold, and wherein said disabling includes determining that said failure exists over a time period exceeding said time threshold specified by said received value.

86. The method of claim 80, wherein said configurable threshold corresponds to a failure of said physical level, and wherein said method further comprises disabling transmission of data over said communication link in response to detecting a failure of said second level that exceeds a second configurable threshold, and wherein said configurable threshold of said physical level and said second configurable threshold of said second level are set to different values.

87. A method for monitoring a communication link, comprising:

monitoring a physical level of said communication link;

monitoring a second level of said communication link, wherein said monitoring of said second level is usable to detect content errors of data transmitted over said communication link; and

enabling transmission of data over said communication link based at least in part on results of said monitoring of said physical level and said monitoring of said second level;

wherein said communication link uses an Internet-protocol data transport mechanism.

88. The method of claim 87, wherein said Internet-protocol data transport mechanism includes TCP/IP.

89. A method comprising:

determining that a physical level of a communication link has become operational;

in response to determining said physical level is operational, determining that a second level of said communication link is operational, wherein monitoring of said second level is usable to detect one or more content errors in data transmitted over said communication link;

in response to determining said second level is operational, determining whether said physical level is stable; and

in response to determining that said physical level is stable, enabling transmission of data over said communication link.