# US 10,375,460 B2 · Optical network management apparatus and method of allocating optical frequency band > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,375,460 B2 - Document ID: US10375460B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/078,103 - Filed: 2017-02-20 - Published: 2019-01-31 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-23 - Assignees: NEC Corporation - Applicants: NEC Corporation - Inventors: Hitoshi Takeshita; Shinsuke Fujisawa; Tomoyuki Hino; Akio Tajima - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375460B2 ## CPC - H04Q 11/0062: {Network aspects} - H04B 10/27: Arrangements for networking - H04J 14/0256: {at the optical channel layer} - H04J 14/0257: {Wavelength assignment algorithms} - H04J 14/0271: {Impairment aware routing} - H04J 14/0272: {Transmission of OAMP information} - H04Q 2011/0073: {Provisions for forwarding or routing, e.g. lookup tables} - H04Q 2011/0086: {Network resource allocation, dimensioning or optimisation} - H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04J: MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION (transmission in general H04B; peculiar to transmission of digital information H04L5/00; systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal H04N7/08; in exchanges H04Q11/00; stereophonic systems H04S) ## Abstract It is difficult to improve the usage efficiency of an optical communication network due to the passband narrowing effect in a wavelength selection process in an optical communication network using a wavelength division multiplexing system; therefore, an optical network management apparatus according to an exemplary aspect of the present invention includes wavelength selection information generating means for generating wavelength selection information on a wavelength selection process through which an optical path accommodating an information signal goes, with respect to each optical path; and wavelength selection information notifying means for notifying an optical node device through which the optical path goes of the wavelength selection information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical network management apparatus, comprising: a wavelength selection information generating section configured to generate wavelength selection information on a wavelength selection process through which an optical path accommodating an information signal goes, with respect to each optical path; and a wavelength selection information notifying section configured to notify an optical node device through which the optical path goes of the wavelength selection information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical network management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wavelength selection information is information, with respect to each optical path, on number of optical band pass filters through which the optical path goes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The optical network management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the wavelength selection information is information, with respect to each optical path, on a bandwidth of a protection band added to a frequency band for the information signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The optical network management apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a passband width determining section configured to determine a passband width in the wavelength selection process with respect to each optical path, based on the wavelength selection information, wherein the passband width is a bandwidth including a frequency band for the information signal and a protection band added to the frequency band. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The optical network management apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the passband width determining section calculates a bandwidth of a first protection band that becomes the protection band for a first optical path with a center wavelength equal to a first wavelength, calculates a bandwidth of a second protection band that becomes the protection band for a second optical path with a center wavelength equal to a second wavelength lying next to the first wavelength on a wavelength grid, and chooses one having a larger bandwidth as the protection band between the first protection band and the second protection band. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The optical network management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wavelength selection information is information, with respect to each optical path, on a bandwidth of a protection band added to a frequency band for the information signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The optical network management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a passband width determining section configured to determine a passband width in the wavelength selection process with respect to each optical path, based on the wavelength selection information, wherein the passband width is a bandwidth including a frequency band for the information signal and a protection band added to the frequency band. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The optical network management apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the passband width determining section calculates a bandwidth of a first protection band that becomes the protection band for a first optical path with a center wavelength equal to a first wavelength, calculates a bandwidth of a second protection band that becomes the protection band for a second optical path with a center wavelength equal to a second wavelength lying next to the first wavelength on a wavelength grid, and chooses one having a larger bandwidth as the protection band between the first protection band and the second protection band. ### Claim 9 An optical node device, comprising: a wavelength selection information receiving section configured to receive wavelength selection information from a wavelength selection information notifying section included in an optical network management apparatus; the optical network management apparatus including a wavelength selection information generating section configured to generate the wavelength selection information on a wavelength selection process through which an optical path accommodating an information signal goes, with respect to each optical path, and the wavelength selection information notifying section configured to notify an optical node device through which the optical path goes of the wavelength selection information; an optical band pass filter with a variable passband width; and a controller configured to set, based on the wavelength selection information, the passband width of the optical band pass filter with respect to each optical path, wherein the passband width is a bandwidth including a frequency band for the information signal and a protection band to be added to the frequency band. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The optical node device according to claim 9, wherein the wavelength selection information is information, with respect to each optical path, on number of optical band pass filters through which the optical path goes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The optical node device according to claim 10, wherein the wavelength selection information is information, with respect to each optical path, on a bandwidth of a protection band added to a frequency band for the information signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The optical node device according to claim 9, wherein the wavelength selection information is information, with respect to each optical path, on a bandwidth of a protection band added to a frequency band for the information signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The optical node device according to claim 9, further comprising a passband width determining section configured to determine a passband width in the wavelength selection process with respect to each optical path, based on the wavelength selection information, wherein the passband width is a bandwidth including a frequency band for the information signal and a protection band added to the frequency band. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The optical node device according to claim 9, wherein the passband width determining section calculates a bandwidth of a first protection band that becomes the protection band for a first optical path with a center wavelength equal to a first wavelength, calculates a bandwidth of a second protection band that becomes the protection band for a second optical path with a center wavelength equal to a second wavelength lying next to the first wavelength on a wavelength grid, and chooses one having a larger bandwidth as the protection band between the first protection band and the second protection band. ### Claim 15 A method of allocating optical frequency band, comprising: generating wavelength selection information that is information on a wavelength selection process through which an optical path accommodating an information signal goes, with respect to each optical path; and determining, based on the wavelength selection information, a passband width in the wavelength selection process with respect to each optical path. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of allocating optical frequency band according to claim 15, wherein the wavelength selection information is information, with respect to each optical path, on number of optical band pass filters through which the optical path goes. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of allocating optical frequency band according to claim 16, wherein the wavelength selection information is information, with respect to each optical path, on a bandwidth of a protection band added to a frequency band for the information signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of allocating optical frequency band according to claim 17, wherein the optical path includes a first optical path with a center wavelength equal to a first wavelength and a second optical path with a center wavelength equal to a second wavelength lying next to the first wavelength on a wavelength grid, and further comprising calculating a bandwidth of a first protection band that becomes the protection band for the first optical path, calculating a bandwidth of a second protection band that becomes the protection band for the second optical path, and choosing one having a larger bandwidth as the protection band between the first protection band and the second protection band. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of allocating optical frequency band according to claim 15, wherein the wavelength selection information is information, with respect to each optical path, on a bandwidth of a protection band added to a frequency band for the information signal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of allocating optical frequency band according to claim 19, wherein the optical path includes a first optical path with a center wavelength equal to a first wavelength and a second optical path with a center wavelength equal to a second wavelength lying next to the first wavelength on a wavelength grid, and further comprising calculating a bandwidth of a first protection band that becomes the protection band for the first optical path, calculating a bandwidth of a second protection band that becomes the protection band for the second optical path, and choosing one having a larger bandwidth as the protection band between the first protection band and the second protection band.