Method of and apparatus for detecting and reporting faults in an all-optical communications system
AssigneeMCI Communications Corporation
InventorsJohn A. Fee, Laszlo I. Szerenyi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of and system for detecting and reporting faults in an all-optical communications system. The system monitors each of the optical fibers and uses the optical supervisory channel system to detect and report faults. Whenever the system detects a fault in any of optical fibers, the system forms a message identifying the fault and transmits the message in the optical supervisory channel carried by at least one of the optical fibers.
Claims27
A method of detecting and reporting faults in an all-optical communications system that includes a plurality of optical fibers and a plurality of optical amplifiers, each of said optical fibers being adapted to carry a plurality of wavelength division multiplexed traffic channels and an optical supervisory channel, which comprises the steps of:
- detecting a fault in one of said optical fibers;
- forming a message identifying said fault;
- and, transmitting said message in the optical supervisory channel carried by at least one of said optical fibers.
A method of detecting and reporting faults in an all-optical communications system that includes a plurality of optical fibers and a plurality of optical amplifiers, each of said optical fibers being adapted to carry a plurality of wavelength division multiplexed traffic channels and an optical supervisory channel, which comprises the steps of:
- monitoring each of said optical fibers for faults;
- in response to detection of a fault in any of said optical fibers, forming a message identifying said fault;
- and,
- transmitting said message in the optical supervisory channel carried by at least one of said optical fibers.
A system for detecting and reporting faults in an all-optical communications system that includes a plurality of optical fibers and a plurality of optical amplifiers, each of said optical fibers being adapted to carry a plurality of wavelength division multiplexed traffic channels and an optical supervisory channel, which comprises:
- means for monitoring each of said optical fibers for faults;
- means, responsive to detection of a fault in any of said optical fibers, for forming a message identifying said fault;
- and,
- means for transmitting said message in the optical supervisory channel carried by at least one of said optical fibers.
A system for detecting and reporting faults in an all-optical communications system that includes a plurality of optical fibers and a plurality of optical amplifiers, each of said optical fibers being adapted to carry a plurality of wavelength division multiplexed traffic channels and an optical supervisory channel, said system comprising:
- a local area network;
- a line supervisory module associated with at least one of said optical amplifiers, each line supervisory module including:
- a filter in the optical fiber upstream of the associated optical amplifier for separating said optical supervisory channel from said traffic channels;
- a receiver for converting the optical supervisory channel from an optical signal to an electrical signal;
- a controller connected to said receiver, said controller including means for detecting a fault in said electrical signal;
- an interface for connecting said controller to said local area network;
- a transmitter for converting data from an electrical signal to an optical signal in the wavelength of said optical supervisory channel;
- and,
- a coupler in said optical fiber downstream of said optical amplifier for placing said converted signal onto the optical supervisory channel of said optical fiber;
- an element manager connected to said local area network, said element manager including means for processing detected faults, forming messages identifying said faults, transmitting said messages to said line supervisory modules.
A system for detecting and reporting faults in an all-optical communications system that includes an optical cable including a plurality of optical fibers and a plurality of amplification stations located at spaced apart points along said optical cable, each of said amplification stations including a plurality of optical amplifiers, each of said optical fibers being adapted to carry at least one wavelength division multiplexed traffic channel and an optical supervisory channel, said system for detecting and reporting faults comprising:
- a local area network at each of said amplification stations;
- a line supervisory module connected to said local area network and associated with at least one of said optical amplifiers at each of said amplification stations, each line supervisory module including means for separating said optical supervisory channel from said traffic channel, means for converting the separated optical supervisory channel from an optical signal to an electrical signal, means for detecting a fault in said electrical signal, means for converting data from an electrical signal to an optical signal in the wavelength of said optical supervisory channel, and means for placing said converted signal onto the optical supervisory channel of an optical fiber;
- and,
- an element manager connected to said local area network at each of said amplification stations, said element manager including means for processing faults detected by said line supervisory modules, forming messages identifying the nature and location of said faults, and transmitting said messages to said line supervisory modules, whereby a fault detected at any one of said amplification stations in said all-optical communications system is reported on each of said fibers connected served by a line supervisory module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.