Optical add-drop multiplexer

• US 6,404,525 B1
• Filed: 07/28/1998
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Takeshita, Hitoshi, Shimomura, Hirofumi, Henmi, Naoya
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Leslie
• Application Number:
  US09/123,529
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 359/110.127, 359/128, 359/129, 359/130, 359/161
• US Class Current: 398/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/03 Arrangements for fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0771 Fault location on the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2210/071 using alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2210/072 using an overhead signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0212 using optical switches or wavelength selective switches [WSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0216 Bidirectional architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0227 Operation, administration, maintenance or provisioning [OAMP] of WDM networks, e.g. media access, routing or wavelength allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0241 Wavelength allocation for communications one-to-one, e.g. unicasting wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0245 for downstream transmission, e.g. optical line terminal [OLT] to ONU
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0249 for upstream transmission, e.g. ONU-to-OLT or ONU-to-ONU
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0278 WDM optical network architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0283 WDM ring architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0287 Protection in WDM systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0293 Optical channel protection

Abstract

An optical wavelength division coupler 11 wavelength-divides a wavelength multiplexed light to respective wavelength lights each of which is dropped to an optical gate switch 15-i (i=1˜n) and a light receiver 13-i by an optical coupler 12-i and supplied to an optical light fault monitor 14 through the light receiver 13-i. When the optical signal deterioration monitor 14 detects an optical loss of wavelength (OLOW), an optical loss of signal (OLOS) or an optical signal degrade (OSD) in wavelength lights processed by the optical coupler 12-i as a fault detection signal in an optical layer, a controller 19 controls the optical gate switch 15-i to cut off wavelength light passing therethrough and sends an optical alarm indication signal (AIS-O) to a downstream side. Therefore, when a loss of signal is detected by the light receiver 13-i, the optical signal deterioration monitor 14 can know the alarm indication signal (AIS) from the upstream side, removing the necessity of special hardware therefor.

Claims

1. An optical add-drop multiplexer comprising:

an optical wavelength division coupler for wavelength-dividing a wavelength multiplexed light input from one optical transmission line to a plurality of wavelength lights having different wavelengths;

a plurality of light receivers for receiving the respective wavelength different wavelengths output from said optical wavelength division coupler;

a plurality of optical gate switches each for on-off controlling a therethrough, a plurality of light transmitters provided correspondingly to the plurality of said light receivers, each said light transmitter transmitting a different one of the plurality of wavelength lights having different wavelengths constituting the wavelength multiplexed light;

an optical wavelength multiplexer coupler for receiving light outputs of said optical gate switches and light outputs of said light transmitters and sending a wavelength multiplexed tight to the other optical transmission line; and

an optical signal deterioration monitor means, wherein said optical signal deterioration monitor means comprises;

means for monitoring an optical signal fault by either detecting the optical loss of signal by determining presence or absence of a signal light on a basis of calculation of an optical S/N ratio from a ratio of intensity of light having wavelength within a wavelength range of a certain width including at least the signal light to intensity of spontaneously emitted light having wavelength within a different wavelength range of substantially the same width as the predetermined width or determining presence or absence of the signal light from intensity of light within a wavelength range of a certain width including the signal light, or detecting the optical loss of wavelength by monitoring wavelength deviation of the signal light from intensity of light within the wavelength range;

means for calculating an optical S/N ratio from a ratio of intensity of light within a wavelength range of a predetermined width including at least the signal light to intensity of spontaneously emitted light having wavelength within a different wavelength range of substantially the same width as the predetermined width and detecting the optical signal degrade when the optical S/N ratio becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value; and

means for converting a fault signal into the optical alarm indication signal in an optical layer by cutting off a signal output correspondingly to an input when said optical signal deterioration monitor means detects in the input the fault signal of either the optical loss of signal, the optical loss of wavelength or the optical signal degrade.

2. An optical signal deterioration monitor system comprising an optical add-drop multiplexer which is provided in each node of an optical network, for adding, dropping or passing a wavelength multiplexed optical signal, and monitors an optical signal fault within the optical network, said optical add-drop multiplexer comprising:

an optical wavelength division coupler for wavelength-dividing a wavelength multiplexed light input from one optical transmission line to a plurality of wavelength lights having different wavelengths;

a plurality of light receivers for receiving the respective wavelength different wavelengths output from said optical wavelength division coupler;

a plurality of optical gate switches each for on-off controlling a therethrough;

a plurality of light transmitters provided correspondingly to the plurality of said light receivers, each said fight transmitter transmitting a different one of the plurality of wavelength lights having different wavelengths constituting the wavelength multiplexed light;

an optical wavelength multiplexer coupler for receiving fight outputs of said optical gate switches and light outputs of said light transmitters and sending a wavelength multiplexed tight to the other optical transmission line; and

an optical signal deterioration monitor means comprising

means for monitoring an optical signal fault by either detecting an optical loss of signal by determining presence or absence of a signal light on a basis of calculation of an optical S/N ratio from a ratio of intensity of light within a wavelength range of a predetermined width including at least the signal light to intensity of spontaneously emitted fight having wavelength within a different wavelength range of substantially the same width as the predetermined width or determining presence or absence of the signal light from intensity of light within a wavelength range of a certain width including the signal light, or detecting the optical loss of wavelength by monitoring wavelength deviation of the signal fight from intensity of light within the wavelength range;

means for calculating an optical S/N ratio from a ratio of intensity of fight within a wavelength range of a predetermined width including at least the signal light to intensity of spontaneously emitted light having wavelength within a different wavelength range of substantially the same width as the predetermined width and detecting the optical signal degrade when the optical S/N ratio becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value; and

means for converting a fault signal into the optical alarm indication signal in an optical layer by cutting off a signal output correspondingly to an input when said optical signal deterioration monitor means detects in the input the fault signal of either the optical loss of signal, the optical loss of wavelength or the optical signal degrade and noticing the optical alarm indication signal to said nodes on the downstream side.

3. An optical signal deterioration monitor system as claimed in claim 2, wherein a signal reproducing repeater is arranged on an upstream side of a location of said optical add-drop multiplexer at which a network fault is detected, and at least one line terminator connected to said optical layer is arranged between said optical add-drop multiplexer and said signal reproducing repeater, and wherein the network fault is recovered by sending a monitor signal issued by said signal reproducing repeater to said line terminator so that an occurrence of the network fault is noticed from said signal reproducing repeater to said line terminator when said signal reproducing repeater detects the network fault.

4. An optical signal deterioration monitor system as claimed in claim 2, wherein a signal reproducing repeater is arranged on an upstream side of a location of said optical add-drop multiplexer at which a network fault is detected, and said signal reproducing repeater has an optical alarm indication signal issuing function in an optical layer, and wherein the network fault is recovered by an optical path switching performed by said optical add-drop multiplexer in said optical layer according to a notice of the network fault to at least one of said optical repeater/amplifier on the downstream side of said signal reproducing repeater and said optical add-drop multiplexer and by a notice of network fault performed by a transmission line connected to said optical layer from said optical layer to said transmission line by converting the optical loss of signal of the network fault in said optical layer into the optical alarm indication signal.

5. An optical signal deterioration monitor system as claimed in claim 2, wherein a network management information is assigned to a wavelength range different from a main signal wavelength range to be processed by said optical wavelength add-drop multiplexer to perform a network information communication between said nodes independently from framing format.

6. An optical signal deterioration monitor system including an optical network having;

an optical add-drop multiplexer for adding, dropping or passing a wavelength multiplexed optical signal;

an optical repeater/amplifier for amplifying and repeating a wavelength multiplexed light; and

a line terminator for terminating an optical signal and converting the optical signal into a signal of SONET/SDH standard, wherein each of said optical add-drop multiplexer and said optical repeater/amplifier comprises;

optical signal deterioration monitor means including means for monitoring an optical signal fault by either detecting the optical loss of signal by determining presence or absence of a signal light on a basis of calculation of an optical S/N ratio from a ratio of intensity of light having wavelength within a wavelength range of a predetermined width including at least the signal light to intensity of spontaneously emitted light having wavelength within a different wavelength range of substantially the same width as the predetermined width or determining presence or absence of the signal light from intensity of light having wavelength within a certain wavelength range including the signal light, or detecting the optical loss of wavelength by monitoring wavelength deviation of the signal light from intensity of light having wavelength within the wavelength range;

means for calculating an optical S/N ratio from a ratio of intensity of light having wavelength within a wavelength range of a predetermined width including at least the signal light to intensity of spontaneously emitted light having wavelength within a different wavelength range of substantially the same width as the predetermined width and detecting the optical signal degrade when the optical S/N ratio becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value; and

means for converting a fault signal into an optical alarm indication signal in an optical layer by cutting off a signal output correspondingly to an input when said optical signal deterioration monitor means detects in the input the fault signal of either the optical loss of signal, the optical loss of wavelength or the optical signal degrade and noticing the optical alarm indication signal to said nodes on the downstream side, wherein, in order to notice a network fault occurrence to said line terminator on the downstream side on the detection location of the network fault when the network fault is detected in a section layer of the SONET/SDH in said optical network, an optical signal cut-off fault in said network is monitored by at least one of the optical loss of signal and the optical alarm indication signal in said optical layer instead of an line alarm indication signal in the SONET/SDH layer output again to said line terminator to notice the network fault to said line terminator by reading in the line alarm indication signal assigned to a line overhead to identify the network fault.

7. An optical signal deterioration monitor system as claimed in claim 6, wherein, when a network fault occurs in said optical layer, said line terminator is forced to detect the loss of signal by converting the optical loss of signal into the optical alarm indication signal and noticing the network fault from said optical layer to the SONET/SDH layer.

8. An optical signal deterioration monitor system as claimed in claim 6, wherein a signal reproducing repeater of the SONET/SDH standard is arranged on the upstream side of the network fault detection location of said optical add-drop multiplexer and at least one line terminator of the SONET/SDH standard is arranged between said optical add-drop multiplexer and said signal reproducing repeater and wherein a recovery of the network fault is performed by activating an automatic protection system of the SONET/SDH standard by sending the line alarm indication signal issued by said signal reproducing repeater to said line terminator so that the occurrence of the network fault is noticed from said signal reproducing repeater to said line terminator of the SONET/SDH standard on the downstream side when the network fault is detected by said signal reproducing repeater.

9. An optical signal deterioration monitor system as claimed in claim 6, wherein a signal reproducing repeater of the SONET/SDH standard is arranged on the upstream side of the network fault detection location of said optical add-drop multiplexer and said signal reproducing repeater has an optical alarm indication signal issuing function in an optical layer, and wherein the network fault is recovered by either a switching of at least one of optical paths performed by said optical add-drop multiplexer in said optical layer according to a notice of the network fault to at least one of said optical repeater/amplifier and said optical wavelength add-drop multiplexer on the downstream side of said signal reproducing repeater or an automatic protection system of said SONET/SDR which is performed by a notice of the network fault from said optical layer to said SONET/SDH layer by converting the optical loss of signal of the network fault in said optical layer into the optical alarm indication signal to notify said line terminator the detection of the loss of signal.

10. An optical signal deterioration monitor system as claimed in claim 6, wherein a network management information is assigned to a wavelength range different from a main signal wavelength range to perform a network information communication between said optical add-drop multiplexers forming nodes and between said optical add-drop multiplexers and said line terminator.