WAVELENGTH MULTIPLEXER, AND METHOD AND PROGRAM FOR IDENTIFYING FAILED PORTION

• US 20150215687A1
• Filed: 07/11/2013
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Aono, Yoshiaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,654,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0797 Monitoring line amplifier or line repeater equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0799 Monitoring line transmitter or line receiver equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25 Arrangements specific to fibre transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/00 Optical multiplex systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/02 Wavelength-division multiplex systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0204 Broadcast and select arrangements, e.g. with an optical splitter at the input before adding or dropping
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0205 Select and combine arrangements, e.g. with an optical combiner at the output after adding or dropping
• 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: H04Q 11/0003 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0015 using splitting combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0016 using wavelength multiplexing or demultiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1301 Optical transmission, optical switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13295 Wavelength multiplexing, WDM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13367 Hierarchical multiplexing, add-drop multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/52 using static devices in switching stages, e.g. electronic switching arrangements

Abstract

To provide a wavelength multiplexing device and the like that can effectively identify whether impairment occurs at a location before or after a separation and switching module, a wavelength multiplexing device (100) is connected to one or more optical fiber line systems and to one or more optical transceiver systems and is disposed between the optical fiber lines and optical transceivers so as to input and output optical signals, and is provided with the following: first optical switches (12a-12c) that output an optical signal input from an optical line to an optical transceiver; second optical switches (12d-12f) that output an optical signal input from an optical transceiver to an optical fiber line; and a local optical loopback circuit (13) that feeds back and outputs an optical signal input from an optical transceiver (21-23) to that optical transceiver.

Claims

1. A wavelength multiplexer connected with and provided between a plurality of systems or a single system of optical fiber lines and a plurality of systems or a single system of optical transponders, and inputting and outputting an optical signal to and from the optical fiber lines and the optical transponders, the wavelength multiplexer comprising:

a first optical switch that outputs an optical signal input from the optical fiber lines to the optical transponders;

a second optical switch that outputs an optical signal input from the optical transponders to the optical fiber lines; and

a local optical loopback circuit that loops back and outputs an optical signal input from any of the optical transponders to the side of that optical transponder.

2. The wavelength multiplexer according to claim 1, wherein

the first optical switch has a function of selectively outputting the optical signal received from the optical fiber lines or the optical signal looped back by the local optical loopback circuit to the optical transponders by an external switching operation, and

the second optical switch has a function of selectively outputting the optical signal received from the optical transponders to one system of the optical fiber lines or the local optical loopback circuit by an external switching operation.

3. The wavelength multiplexer according to claim 2, further comprising:

first optical couplers that each branch an optical signal received from a corresponding one of the optical fiber lines and output the resultant signal to each first optical switch; and

second optical couplers that each multiplex an optical signal received from a corresponding one of the second optical switch and output the resultant signal to each optical fiber line.

4. The wavelength multiplexer according to claim 2, further including a module inspection unit that operates in accordance with an external operational instruction, wherein

the module inspection unit has a function of controlling switching of the first optical switch so as to output the optical signal looped back by the local optical loopback circuit to the optical transponders,

the module inspection unit has a function of, at the same time, controlling switching of the second optical switch so as to output the optical signal received from the optical transponders to the local optical loopback circuit, and

the module inspection unit has a function of then causing the optical transponders to emit the optical signal and determining whether the optical transponders have received the optical signal looped back by the local optical loopback circuit.

5. The wavelength multiplexer according to claim 2, further comprising a remote optical loopback circuit that loops back and outputs an optical signal input from any of the optical fiber lines to the side of that optical fiber line, wherein

the first optical switch has a function of selectively outputting the optical signal received from the optical fiber lines or the optical signal looped back by the local optical loopback circuit to the optical transponders or the remote optical loopback circuit by an external switching operation, and

the second optical switch has a function of selectively outputting the optical signal received from the optical transponders or the remote optical loopback circuit to any one system of the optical fiber lines or the local optical loopback circuit by an external switching operation.

6. A method for identifying a failed portion executed by a module inspection unit included in a split-and-select module included in a wavelength multiplexer, the split-and-select module being connected with a plurality of systems of optical fiber lines and optical transponders and inputting and outputting an optical signal to and from the optical fiber lines and the optical transponders,

the split-and-select module comprising:

a local optical loopback circuit that loops back and outputs an optical signal input from any of the optical transponders to the side of the side of that optical transponder;

first optical switches that selectively output the optical signal received from the optical fiber lines or the optical signal looped back by the local optical loopback circuit to the optical transponders by an external switching operation;

second optical switches that selectively output the optical signal received from the optical transponders to one system of the optical fiber lines or the local optical loopback circuit by an external switching operation; and

the module inspection unit that operates in accordance with an external operational instruction, the method comprising;

controlling switching of the first optical switches so as to output the optical signal looped back by the local optical loopback circuit to the optical transponders;

at the same time, controlling switching of the second optical switches so as to output the optical signal received from the optical transponders to the local optical loopback circuit; and

then causing the optical transponders to operate and emit the optical signal and determining whether the optical transponders have received the optical signal looped back by the local optical loopback circuit.

7. (canceled)

8. A wavelength multiplexer connected with and provided between a plurality of systems or a single system of optical fiber lines and a plurality of systems or a single system of optical transponders, and inputting and outputting an optical signal to and from the optical fiber lines and the optical transponders, the wavelength multiplexer comprising:

first optical switching means for outputting an optical signal input from the optical fiber lines to the optical transponders;

second optical switching means for outputting an optical signal input from the optical transponders to the optical fiber lines; and

local optical loopback means for looping back and outputting an optical signal input from any of the optical transponders to the side of that optical transponder.