Method And Apparatus For Hardware Configured Network

• US 20160344508A1
• Filed: 05/20/2015
• Published: 11/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: II-VI Delaware, Inc. (Coherent Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Finisar Corporation (II-VI Incorporated)
• Inventors: DeAndrea, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,998,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0773 Network aspects, e.g. central monitoring of transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2210/074 using a superposed, over-modulated signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0212 using optical switches or wavelength selective switches [WSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0267 Optical signaling or routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0278 WDM optical network architectures

Abstract

An optical network element for a hardware configured optical network includes a first optical port that receives an input optical signal comprising receive control information from the hardware configured optical network. A demodulator optically coupled to the first optical port decodes the receive control information for configuring the optical network element. A modulator having an electrical modulation input that receives transmit control information imparts a modulation onto an optical carrier thereby generating a transmit optical control signal representing the transmit control information. A second optical port transmits the transmit optical control signal representing the transmit control information to the hardware configured optical network.

Claims

1. An optical network element for a hardware configured optical network, the optical network element comprising:

a) a first optical port that receives an input optical signal comprising receive control information from the hardware configured optical network;

b) a demodulator having an input that is optically coupled to the first optical port, the demodulator decoding the receive control information for configuring the optical network element;

c) a modulator having an electrical modulation input that receives transmit control information, the modulator imparting a modulation onto an optical carrier, thereby generating a transmit optical control signal representing the transmit control information; and

d) a second optical port that transmits the transmit optical control signal representing the transmit control information to the hardware configured optical network.

2. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein the optical carrier comprises at least one of client data traffic, dummy traffic, a CW optical signal, and amplified spontaneous emission.

3. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein the optical carrier comprises one of a plurality of wavelengths.

4. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein the optical carrier comprises a band of wavelengths.

5. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein the receive control information is amplitude modulated on the input optical signal.

6. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein the receive control information is phase modulated on the input optical signal.

7. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein the modulator imparts an amplitude modulation onto the optical carrier, thereby generating an amplitude modulated transmit optical control signal representing the electrical transmit control information.

8. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein the modulator imparts a phase modulation onto the optical carrier, thereby generating a phase modulated transmit optical control signal representing the electrical transmit control information.

9. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein a modulation frequency of the receive control information is less than a frequency of client data modulation on the optical signal.

10. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein a modulation frequency of the transmit optical control signal is less than a frequency of client data modulation on the optical signal.

11. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein the optical network element comprises a wavelength selective switch.

12. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein the optical network element comprises an optical channel monitor.

13. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein the optical network element comprises an optical amplifier.

14. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein the optical network element comprises a programmable filter.

15. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein the optical network element comprises a transceiver.

16. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein the optical network element comprises a wavelength multiplixer/demuliplexer.

17. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein the optical network element comprises a wavelength cross-connect.

18. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein the optical carrier is generated by the optical network element.

19. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein at least one of the receive and the transmit control information comprises digital diagnostic data.

20. The optical network element of claim 19 wherein the digital diagnostic data comprises at least one of transmitter channel identification numbers, receiver channel identification number, optical channel monitor calibration data, optical network element calibration data, and optical element alarm threshold data.

21. The optical network element of claim 1 wherein the first and the second optical port are the same optical port.

22. The optical network element of claim 1 further comprising an electronic port that receives the transmit control information for configuring the hardware configured network.

23. The optical network element of claim 1 further comprising a control processor that receives the decoded receive control information and that configures the optical network element in response to the decoded control information.

24. An optical network element for a hardware configured optical network, the optical network element comprising:

a) a first optical port that receives an input optical signal from the hardware configured optical network;

b) a modulator having an electrical modulation input that receives transmit control information, the modulator imparting a modulation onto the input optical signal, thereby generating a transmit optical control signal representing the transmit control information; and

c) a second optical port that transmits the transmit optical control signal representing the transmit control information to the hardware configured optical network.

25. The optical network element of claim 24 wherein the input optical signal comprises at least one of client data traffic, dummy traffic, a CW optical signal, and amplified spontaneous emission.

26. The optical network element of claim 24 wherein the input optical signal comprises one of a plurality of wavelengths.

27. The optical network element of claim 24 wherein the input optical signal comprises a band of wavelengths.

28. The optical network element of claim 24 wherein the modulator imparts an amplitude modulation onto the input optical signal, thereby generating an amplitude modulated transmit optical control signal representing the electrical transmit control information.

29. The optical network element of claim 24 wherein the modulator imparts a phase modulation onto the input optical signal, thereby generating a phase modulated transmit optical control signal representing the electrical transmit control information.

30. The optical network element of claim 24 wherein a modulation frequency of the transmit optical control signal is less than a frequency of client data modulation on the input optical signal.

31. The optical network element of claim 24 wherein the transmit control information comprises digital diagnostic data.

32. The optical network element of claim 31 wherein the digital diagnostic data comprises at least one of transmitter channel identification numbers, receiver channel identification number, optical channel monitor calibration data, optical network element calibration data, and optical element alarm threshold data.

33. A method of configuring an optical network element in a hardware configured optical network, the method comprising:

a) receiving an optical signal comprising receive control information from the hardware configured optical network;

b) demodulating the receive control information from the hardware configured optical network;

c) configuring the optical network element according to the demodulated receive control information;

d) modulating transmit control information onto an optical carrier, thereby generating a transmit optical control signal representing the transmit control information; and

e) transmitting the transmit optical control signal representing the transmit control information on the optical carrier to the hardware configured network.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the modulating the transmit control information onto the optical carrier comprises generating the optical carrier from at least one of dummy traffic, a CW optical signal, and amplified spontaneous emission.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the modulating the transmit control information onto the optical carrier comprises generating the optical carrier from one of a plurality of wavelengths.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein the modulating the transmit control information onto the optical carrier comprises generating the optical carrier from one of a plurality of wavelengths of the received optical signal.

37. The method of claim 33 wherein the receive control information from the hardware configured optical network is amplitude modulated.

38. The method of claim 33 wherein the receive control information from the hardware configured optical network is phase modulated.

39. The method of claim 33 wherein the modulating the transmit control information comprises amplitude modulating the transmit control information.

40. The method of claim 33 wherein the modulating the transmit control information comprises phase modulating the transmit control information.

41. The method of claim 33 wherein a modulation frequency of the receive control information from the hardware configured optical network is less than a frequency of client data modulation on the optical network.

42. The method of claim 33 further comprising amplifying the received optical signal and transmitting the amplified receive signal with at least one of receive control information and transmit control information to the hardware configured network.

43. The method of claim 33 further comprising monitoring a portion of the received optical signal and transmitting a remaining portion of the receive signal to the hardware configured network.

44. The method of claim 33 further comprising switching a wavelength of the received optical signal to a particular channel in the hardware configured network.

45. The method of claim 33 further comprising multiplexing/demultiplexing a wavelength of the received optical signal to a particular channel in the hardware configured network.

46. The method of claim 33 further comprising generating the optical carrier with the optical network element.

47. The method of claim 33 further comprising modulating digital diagnostic data onto the optical carrier.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein the digital diagnostic data comprises at least one of hardware identification numbers, optical channel monitor calibration data, optical network element calibration data, and optical element alarm threshold data.

49. A method of configuring an optical network element in a hardware configured optical network, the method comprising:

a) receiving an optical signal comprising receive control information from the hardware configured optical network;

b) demodulating the receive control information from the hardware configured optical network;

c) detecting error condition in the hardware configured optical network from the demodulated receive control information;

d) generating transmit control information comprising configuration information that remediates the error condition in the hardware configured optical network;

e) modulating transmit control information onto an optical carrier, thereby generating a transmit optical control signal representing the transmit control information comprising configuration information that remediates the error condition in the hardware configured optical network; and

f) transmitting the transmit optical control signal representing the transmit control information comprising configuration information that remediates the error condition in the hardware configured optical network on the optical carrier to the hardware configured network.

50. The method of claim 49 further comprising:

a) receiving the transmit optical control signal comprising configuration information that remediates the error condition in the hardware configured optical network at a second optical network element;

b) demodulating the received control information comprising the configuration information that remediates the error condition at a second optical network element; and

c) reconfiguring the second optical network element according to the demodulated receive control information configuration information that remediates the error condition, thereby remediating the error condition in the hardware configured optical network.

51. The method of claim 49 wherein error condition in the hardware configured optical network comprises a wiring error.