# US 12,119,867 B2 · Transmission apparatus and transmission method

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- Number: US 12,119,867 B2
- Document ID: US12119867B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/632,589
- Filed: 2019-08-05
- Published: 2022-10-06
- Granted: 2024-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2019-08-05
- Assignees: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
- Applicants: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
- Inventors: Kei Kitamura; Fumikazu Inuzuka; Kengo Shintaku; Takuya Oda; Takafumi Tanaka; Masahito Tomizawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12119867B2

## CPC

- H04B 10/032: using working and protection systems {(H04J14/0287 takes precedence)}
- H04L 45/22: {Alternate routing}
- H04B 10/0795: {Performance monitoring; Measurement of transmission parameters}
- H04L 41/0663: Performing the actions predefined by failover planning, e.g. switching to standby network elements
- H04L 45/247: using M:N active or standby paths
- H04B: TRANSMISSION
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A transmission apparatus includes a control unit for carrying out processing to secure a resource for a standby system path in response to detection of a sign of failure in an active system path.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A transmission apparatus comprising:
a resource for an active system path;
a resource for a standby system path;
a controller configured to carry out processing to secure the resource for the standby system path in response to detection of a sign of failure in the active system path; and
a switch configured to connect a transmission path for a main signal to the resource for the active system path or the resource for the standby system path;
wherein, the resource for the active system path is an active system communicator,
the resource for the standby system path is a standby system communicator,
the resource for the standby system path is shared among a plurality of active system paths,
the number of resources for the active system path is more than the number of resources for the standby system path, and
the switch connects some of the active system paths and the resource for the standby system path, so that a duplicated main signal is transmitted to the standby system path from the active system path with the detected sign of failure,
a failure sign source information is used to detect the sign of failure, and
the failure sign source information includes at least one of:
first information indicating a warning occurring in the transmission apparatus, and
second information being about a processing performed, by an operator of a communication system, based on a network operation policy, and
upon detecting the sign of failure, a delay adjuster configured to adjust delay difference in the active system path and the standby system path substantially to zero, and after the delay difference is reduced to zero, when the sign of failure is still detected, switching between the active system path and the standby system path is performed.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a selector configured to receive a main signal received through the active system path and a main signal received through the standby system path and outputs one of the main signals.

### Claim 3

A transmission method comprising
providing a resource for an active system path, where the resource for the active system path is an active system communicator;
providing a resource for a standby system path, where the resource for the standby system path is a standby system communicator, and the resource for the standby system path is shared among a plurality of active system paths and the number of resources for the active system path is more than the number of resources for the standby system path;
providing a switch that connects a transmission path for a main signal to the resource for the active system path or the resource for the standby system path;
receiving, by a controller, a sign of failure in the active system path; and
in response to receiving the sign of failure in the active system path, connecting, by the controller, the resource for the standby system path and a subset of the active system paths in the plurality of active system paths via the switch, such that a duplicated main signal is transmitted to the standby system path from the active system path with the detected sign of failure, adjusting delay difference in the active system path and the standby system path substantially to zero;
wherein, after the delay difference is reduced to zero, when the sign of failure is still detected, switching between the active system path and the standby system path is performed; and
a failure sign source information is used to detect the sign of failure, and
the failure sign source information includes at least one of:
first information indicating a warning occurring in the transmission apparatus, and
second information being about a processing performed, by an operator of a communication system, based on a network operation policy.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The transmission method according to claim 3, further comprising receiving a main signal received through the active system path and a main signal received through the standby system path and outputting one of the main signals.