Optical communication management systems
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A telecommunications system comprising:
- an optical medium between service provider equipment and a demarcation point, the service provider equipment providing service signals of one or more optical wavelengths on the optical medium toward customer line equipment coupled to the demarcation point;
an optical transmitter providing a management signal on a wavelength separate from the service wavelengths;
an optical multiplexer that multiplexes the management signal onto the optical medium;
an optical demultiplexer that demultiplexes the management signal after the management signal has passed through the optical medium; and
electronics for processing the demultiplexed management signal and providing management information based on the processing, the management information indicating a state of the optical medium independent of a state of the customer line equipment.
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Abstract
An optical medium, whether inside or outside an internet/telecommunications backbone, is managed using a management signal at a wavelength which is distinct from wavelengths of service signals. A multiplexer multiplexes the management signal onto the optical medium, after which a demultiplexer demultiplexes the management signal for analysis. Performance of customer channels may be inferred from performance of the management signal.
38 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A telecommunications system comprising:
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an optical medium between service provider equipment and a demarcation point, the service provider equipment providing service signals of one or more optical wavelengths on the optical medium toward customer line equipment coupled to the demarcation point; an optical transmitter providing a management signal on a wavelength separate from the service wavelengths; an optical multiplexer that multiplexes the management signal onto the optical medium; an optical demultiplexer that demultiplexes the management signal after the management signal has passed through the optical medium; and electronics for processing the demultiplexed management signal and providing management information based on the processing, the management information indicating a state of the optical medium independent of a state of the customer line equipment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus for customer access of a telecommunications network, comprising:
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an optical medium at an edge of the network between service provider equipment and a demarcation point, the service provider equipment providing customer service signals of one or more optical wavelengths on the optical medium to the demarcation point; an optical transmitter providing a management signal on a wavelength separate from the service wavelengths, the management signal formatted with an optical line protocol structured to have at least one error detection overhead field and at least one payload field; an optical multiplexer on the service provider side of the demarcation point which multiplexes the management signal onto the optical medium; an optical demultiplexer on the service provider side of the demarcation point which demultiplexes the management signal after the management signal has passed through the optical medium; and electronics that process the demultiplexed management signal and provide management information based on the processing, the management information indicating a state of the optical medium independent of a state of the customer line equipment. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An optical jack for providing management information relative to an optical medium carrying service signals of one or more wavelengths, the jack comprising:
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an optical transmitter modulating a management signal at a wavelength distinct from the service wavelengths, the management signal being formatted with an optical line protocol structured for error detection; an optical multiplexer which multiplexes the transmitted management signal onto the optical medium; an optical demultiplexer which demultiplexes a received management signal after the management signal has passed through the optical medium; an optical receiver demodulating the received management signal; and electronics that process the demodulated received management signal to provide management information relative to the optical medium using error rates in the received management signal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification