Dynamic wavelength service over a roadm optical network

• US 20100150558A1
• Filed: 12/11/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wisseman, Philip
• Granted Patent: US 8,126,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0212 using optical switches or wavelength selective switches [WSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0217 Multi-degree architectures, e.g. having a connection degree greater than two
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0284 WDM mesh architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0297 Optical equipment protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0062 Network aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0016 using wavelength multiplexing or demultiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0024 using space switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0052 Interconnection of switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0073 Provisions for forwarding or routing, e.g. lookup tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0086 Network resource allocation, dimensioning or optimisation

Abstract

A system and method for dynamically adding/dropping wavelengths in a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) transport network to form a wave division multiplexing virtual private network is disclosed. The system includes at least one optical transponder, a plurality of optical fan-out devices, each arranged to receive an input signal from a network degree and coupled to at least one of a plurality of optical fan-in devices, each optical fan-in device arranged to output a signal to a network degree, the optical fan-out devices comprising at least one wavelength selective switch and the optical fan-in devices comprising at least one wavelength selective switch, the optical fan-out devices and optical fan-in devices being connected so as to enable signals input from each of the plurality of network degrees to be switched to another network degree of the plurality of network degrees; a plurality of demultiplexers for locally dropping selected wavelengths; a plurality of multiplexers for locally adding selected wavelengths; and at least one customer-dedicated fiber switch interposed between the at least one optical transponder and the plurality of demultiplexers and multiplexers. The fiber switch is coupled to wavelengths and degrees that are allocated for a bandwidth-on-demand application. Other configurations include additional fan-in and fan-out devices interposed between a mux/demux assembly and the optical transponders to support wavelength redistribution applications.

Claims

1. A system for creating a wave division multiplexing virtual private network by dynamically adding/dropping wavelengths in a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) transport network having at least one optical transponder, comprising:

a plurality of optical fan-out devices, each arranged to receive an input signal from a network degree and coupled to at least one of a plurality of optical fan-in devices, each optical fan-in device arranged to output a signal to a network degree, the optical fan-out devices comprising at least one wavelength selective switch and the optical fan-in devices comprising at least one wavelength selective switch, the optical fan-out devices and optical fan-in devices being connected so as to enable signals input from each of the plurality of network degrees to be switched to another network degree of the plurality of network degrees;

a plurality of demultiplexers for locally dropping selected wavelengths;

a plurality of multiplexers for locally adding selected wavelengths; and

at least one customer-dedicated fiber switch interposed between the at least one optical transponder and the plurality of demultiplexers and multiplexers, the customer-dedicated fiber switch being coupled to wavelengths and degrees to reserve wavelengths for the customer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the multiplexers and demultiplexers have fixed-wavelength ports, and the at least one transponder is tunable to any wavelength supported by the ROADM.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one customer-dedicated fiber switch is a 2N×

2N fiber switch.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one customer-dedicated fiber switch comprises first and second fiber switches interposed between a plurality of optical transponders and the multiplexers and demultiplexers to provide at least one redundant path through the ROADM.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising at least one optical transponder having at least one protection port, the optical transponder with the at least one protection port being coupled to the first fiber switch and the second fiber switch.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising a pair of optical transponders respectively coupled to the first fiber switch and the second fiber switch, and a Y-splitter coupling the pair of optical transponders.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one fiber switch comprises first and second 1×

N fiber switches, the first fiber switch coupled to the plurality of multiplexers and the second fiber switch coupled to the plurality of demultiplexers, each multiplexer and demultiplexer comprising a wavelength selective switch, the first and second fiber switches further coupled to the at least one optical transponder.

8. A method for creating a wave division multiplexing virtual private network by dynamically adding/dropping wavelengths in a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) transport network comprising:

a plurality of optical fan-out devices, each arranged to receive an input signal from a network degree and coupled to at least one of a plurality of optical fan-in devices, each optical fan-in device arranged to output a signal to a network degree, the optical fan-out devices comprising at least one wavelength selective switch and the optical fan-in devices comprising at least one wavelength selective switch, the optical fan-out devices and optical fan-in devices being connected so as to enable signals input from each of the plurality of network degrees to be switched to another network degree of the plurality of network degrees;

a plurality of demultiplexers for locally dropping selected wavelengths; and

a plurality of multiplexers for locally adding selected wavelengths, comprising;

connecting at least one customer-dedicated fiber switch between at least one optical transponder and the plurality of demultiplexers and multiplexers, the customer-dedicated fiber switch being coupled to wavelengths and degrees to reserve wavelengths for the customer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the fiber switch is a 2N×

2N fiber switch.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one customer-dedicated fiber switch comprises first and second fiber switches and the method further comprises connecting the first and second fiber switches between a plurality of optical transponders and the multiplexers and demultiplexers to provide at least one redundant path through the ROADM.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one fiber switch comprises first and second 1×

N fiber switches, and the method further comprises connecting the first fiber switch to the plurality of multiplexers and the second fiber switch to the plurality of demultiplexers, each multiplexer and demultiplexer comprising a wavelength selective switch, connecting the first and second fiber switches to the at least one optical transponder.

12. A method for creating a wave division multiplexing virtual private network by dynamically adding/dropping wavelengths in a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) transport network comprising:

a plurality of optical fan-out devices, each arranged to receive an input signal from a network degree and coupled to at least one of a plurality of optical fan-in devices, each optical fan-in device arranged to output a signal to a network degree, the optical fan-out devices comprising at least one wavelength selective switch and the optical fan-in devices comprising at least one wavelength selective switch, the optical fan-out devices and optical fan-in devices being connected so as to enable signals input from each of the plurality of network degrees to be switched to another network degree of the plurality of network degrees;

a plurality of demultiplexers for locally dropping selected wavelengths; and

a plurality of multiplexers for locally adding selected wavelengths, comprising;

connecting pairs of 1×

N fiber switches between each of a plurality of optical transponders and the plurality of demultiplexers and multiplexers, each multiplexer and demultiplexer comprising a wavelength selective switch; and

provisioning a set of wavelengths for a customer by setting the wavelengths on ports of each 1×

N fiber switch and the multiplexers and demultiplexers.