Method and apparatus for network diagnostics in a passive optical network
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- an optical switch having a first input, a second plurality of inputs, and a plurality of outputs;
an optical wavelength division multiplexer having at least two inputs and with an output, wherein the output of the optical wavelength division multiplexer is coupled to the first input of the optical switch;
a plurality of primary optical transmitters connected to the second plurality of inputs of the optical switch;
a backup optical transmitter connected to one input of the wavelength division multiplexer;
a second optical device connected to the second input of the wavelength division multiplexer, wherein the second optical device operates at a different optical wavelength than a wavelength of the backup optical transmitter;
a plurality of optical splitters connected to the plurality of optical switch outputs, wherein each optical splitter has one or more inputs and a plurality of optical outputs.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are described for allowing diagnostics of a Passive Optical Network without significant loss of service to active customer sites. A plurality of primary transmitters operating at a first wavelength band are coupled to an optical switch of an optical network operating at a first wavelength band. A backup transmitter operating at the first wavelength band is coupled to a first input of a wavelength division multiplexer. An optical device operating at a second wavelength band is coupled to a second input of the wavelength division multiplexer. An output of the wavelength division multiplexer is coupled to an input of the optical switch. Outputs of the optical switch are coupled to a plurality of optical splitters. Each splitter has a plurality of optical outputs. The optical switch is reconfigured such that one of the optical switch outputs that was carrying traffic from one of the primary transmitters carries traffic from the backup transmitter after reconfiguring the optical switch.
140 Citations
15 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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an optical switch having a first input, a second plurality of inputs, and a plurality of outputs; an optical wavelength division multiplexer having at least two inputs and with an output, wherein the output of the optical wavelength division multiplexer is coupled to the first input of the optical switch; a plurality of primary optical transmitters connected to the second plurality of inputs of the optical switch; a backup optical transmitter connected to one input of the wavelength division multiplexer; a second optical device connected to the second input of the wavelength division multiplexer, wherein the second optical device operates at a different optical wavelength than a wavelength of the backup optical transmitter; a plurality of optical splitters connected to the plurality of optical switch outputs, wherein each optical splitter has one or more inputs and a plurality of optical outputs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method comprising:
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coupling a plurality of primary transmitters operating at a first wavelength band to a plurality of inputs of an optical switch of an optical network operating at a first wavelength band; coupling a backup transmitter operating at the first band to one input of a wavelength division multiplexer; coupling an optical device operating at a second wavelength band to a second input of the wavelength division multiplexer; coupling an output of the wavelength division multiplexer to an input of the optical switch; coupling outputs of the optical switch to a plurality of optical splitters, each splitter having a plurality of optical outputs; reconfiguring the optical switch such that one of the optical switch outputs that was carrying traffic from one of the primary transmitters carries traffic from the backup transmitter after reconfiguring the optical switch. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification