Apparatus, system and method for network monitoring

• US 9,118,414 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2012
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Storey, Jeffrey Kendall, Waters, John F. Jr., Dugan, Andrew, Paredes, Salvador, Ratterree, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hanh
• Application Number:
  US13/591,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20130129344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 398/33, 398/177, 398/31, 398/32, 398/38, 398/34, 398/16, 398/17, 398/19, 398/30, 398/158, 398/159, 398/3, 398/5, 398/181, 398/20, 398/4, 398/180, 398/25, 398/26, 398/27, 398/28, 398/29, 356/73.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29361 Interference filters, e.g. multilayer coatings, thin film filters, dichroic splitters or mirrors based on multilayers, WDM filters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/035 using loopbacks
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0773 Network aspects, e.g. central monitoring of transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0791 Fault location on the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/02 Wavelength-division multiplex systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0062 Network aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0066 Provisions for optical burst or packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0081 Fault tolerance; Redundancy; Recovery; Reconfigurability
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0083 Testing; Monitoring

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices are disclosed for monitoring optical communications between a managed location and a remote location. In particular, an optical signal is transmitted over an optical fiber and passed-through a test device. A portion of the optical signal is filtered from the original optical signal and passed to a monitoring unit. The monitoring unit may instruct one or more switches in the test device to loop the optical signal back toward the managed location. Subsequently, testing and monitoring may be performed at the managed location. The device may provide a test output or may transmit the information to the managed location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an optical signal at an optical test device, the optical test device comprising at least one monitoring device and a first switch;

receiving, at the monitoring device, a portion of the optical signal to detect a control signal within the optical signal, the control signal used to control the status of the optical test device, wherein detection of the control signal includes detecting a power level of the portion of the optical signal and comparing the detected power level of the portion of the optical signal with a threshold power level to determine if the signal is valid; and

altering the state of the optical test device from a first state to a second state when the control signal is detected at the optical test device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein altering the state of the optical test device comprises toggling the first switch from a first position to a second position to alter the state of the optical test device from the first state to the second state when the control signal is detected.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the control signal is an encoded signal in the optical signal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the encoded signal is a predetermined series of bits.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising altering the state of the optical test device to a pass-through state when the optical test device fails.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the first state is a pass-through state and the second state is a loop-back state.

7. A method of testing an optical connection between devices comprising:

receiving, at a remote device, a test signal on a particular wavelength of a plurality of wavelengths carried by a first optical fiber;

returning the test signal on a second optical fiber, the test signal returned on the particular wavelength;

providing for determining a characteristic of at least the first optical fiber or the second optical fiber at a second device

at the remote device, obtaining at least one characteristic of at least the first optical fiber from the test signal; and

creating a data signal representative of the at least one characteristic and transmitting the data signal on the second optical fiber.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

at the second device, receiving the test signal on the second optical fiber; and

determining at least one characteristic of at least one of the first optical fiber or the second optical fiber.