System and method for routing working and protect paths
OwnerEric Arthur Swansoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing an optical networking scheme that provides working and protect paths to address failures of optical lines and components, is provided. An optical sub-assembly has an optical signal separated into a first sub-band and a second sub-band. A working path propagates through the optical network. The working path operates only in the first sub-band. A protect path propagates through the optical network, operating only in the second sub-band. A first module disposed along the working path affects the working path, and a second module disposed along the protect path affects the protect path.
Claims28
An optical sub-assembly for processing an optical signal, the sub-assembly comprising:
- a working path of the optical network;
- a first sub-band of the optical signal carried only by the working path;
- a protect path of the optical network;
- a second sub-band of the optical signal carried only by the protect path;
- a first module disposed along the working path for affecting the working path;
- and
- a second module disposed along the protect path for affecting the protect path.
A method of processing an optical signal in an optical network, comprising the steps of:
- separating the optical signal into a first sub-band and a second sub-band;
- routing the first sub-band through a first module and routing the second sub-band through a second module of the same type as the first module;
- and
- recombining the first and second sub-bands.
An optical amplifier node for amplifying an optical signal, the amplifier node comprising:
- a first amplifier for amplifying only signals from a first sub-band of the optical signal, wherein the signals are carried only by a working path;
- and
- a second amplifier for amplifying only signals from a second sub-band of the optical signal, wherein the signals are carried only by a protect path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.