# US 9,438,370 B2 · Margin-based optimization systems and methods in optical networks to unblock superchannels > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,438,370 B2 - Document ID: US9438370B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/537,013 - Filed: 2014-11-10 - Published: 2015-11-19 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-05-19 - Assignees: Ciena Corporation - Applicants: Gerard L. Swinkels; David W. Boertjes; David Miedema; Kim B. Roberts - Inventors: Gerard L. Swinkels; David W. Boertjes; David Miedema; Kim B. Roberts - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438370B2 ## CPC - H04J 14/0227: {Operation, administration, maintenance or provisioning [OAMP] of WDM networks, e.g. media access, routing or wavelength allocation} - H04B 10/0795: {Performance monitoring; Measurement of transmission parameters} - H04B 10/572: Wavelength control - H04B 10/58: Compensation for non-linear transmitter output - H04J 14/0241: {Wavelength allocation for communications one-to-one, e.g. unicasting wavelengths} - H04J 14/0257: {Wavelength assignment algorithms} - H04L 1/0023: {characterised by the signalling} - H04B 10/00: Transmission systems employing electromagnetic waves other than radio-waves, e.g. infrared, visible or ultraviolet light, or employing corpuscular radiation, e.g. quantum communication - H04B 10/25: Arrangements specific to fibre transmission - H04B 10/2589: {Bidirectional transmission} - H04B 10/40: Transceivers - H04B 10/50: Transmitters - H04B 10/60: Receivers - H04J 14/0271: {Impairment aware routing} - 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) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Systems and methods of increasing the supportable capacity from a first point to a second point in an optical network, include identifying a first optical signal that occupies a first portion of optical spectrum from the first point to the second point; identifying a second optical signal that occupies a second portion of the optical spectrum from the first point to the second point, wherein the second portion is adjacent to the first portion; adjusting the second optical signal to minimize part of or remove all of the second portion that is adjacent to the first optical signal to provide a freed up portion of the second portion; and adjusting the first optical signal to occupy some or all of the freed up portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of increasing the supportable capacity from a first point to a second point in an optical network, the method comprising: identifying a first optical signal that occupies a first portion of optical spectrum from the first point to the second point in the optical network; identifying a second optical signal that occupies a second portion of the optical spectrum from the first point to the second point, wherein the second portion is adjacent to the first portion; performing a nonlinear optimization with excess margin in the optical network that models bit rate, Optical Signal to Noise Ratio (OSNR), and whether or not a wavelength can support additional capacity as real functions; adjusting the second optical signal to minimize or remove part of the second portion that is adjacent to the first optical signal to provide a freed up portion of the second portion; and adjusting the first optical signal to occupy some or all of the freed up portion, wherein the adjusting steps are in response to a result of the nonlinear optimization. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second optical signal co-propagates with the first optical signal through a first node of the optical network and separately propagates through a second node of the optical network. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the first optical signal is one of converting the first optical signal to a superchannel and increasing a modulation symbol rate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the second optical signal is one of moving all of the second optical signal to a disjoint portion of the spectrum from the first portion and reducing a spectral width of the second optical signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the second optical signal includes identifying a new path, increasing supported capacity on the new path, and transferring the freed up portion to the new path. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the increasing supported capacity on the new path comprises any one of reducing nonlinear effects, increasing spectral width, and increasing power. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the new path is partially disjoint with a route previously taken by the second optical signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting is simulated in an application prior to operation on nodes in the optical network. ### Claim 9 A controller for optimizing capacity of an optical network, through intentionally reducing margin on one or more wavelengths, the controller comprising: a processor communicatively coupled to a network interface; and memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to identify a first optical signal that occupies a first portion of optical spectrum from the first point to the second point in the optical network, identify a second optical signal that occupies a second portion of the optical spectrum from the first point to the second point, wherein the second portion is adjacent to the first portion, perform a nonlinear optimization with excess margin in the optical network that models bit rate, Optical Signal to Noise Ratio (OSNR), and whether or not a wavelength can support additional capacity as real functions; adjust the second optical signal to minimize or remove part of the second portion that is adjacent to the first optical signal to provide a freed up portion of the second portion, and adjust the first optical signal to occupy some or all of the freed up portion, wherein the first optical signal and the second optical signal are adjusted in response to a result of the nonlinear optimization. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The controller of claim 9, wherein the second optical signal co-propagates with the first optical signal through a first node of the optical network and separately propagates through a second node of the optical network. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The controller of claim 9, wherein the first optical signal is adjusted by one of converting the first optical signal to a superchannel and increasing a modulation symbol rate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The controller of claim 9, wherein the second optical signal is adjusted by one of moving all of the second optical signal to a disjoint portion of the spectrum from the first portion and reducing a spectral width of the second optical signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The controller of claim 9, wherein the second optical signal is adjusted by identifying a new path, increasing supported capacity on the new path, and transferring the freed up portion to the new path. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The controller of claim 13, wherein the increasing supported capacity on the new path comprises any of reducing nonlinear effects, increasing spectral width, and increasing power. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The controller of claim 9, wherein the new path is partially disjoint with a route previously taken by the second optical signal. ### Claim 16 An optical network, comprising: a plurality of nodes interconnected by a plurality of links; and a controller communicatively coupled to one or more of the plurality of nodes, wherein the controller is configured to identify a first optical signal that occupies a first portion of optical spectrum from a first node to a second node over some of the plurality of links, identify a second optical signal that occupies a second portion of the optical spectrum from the first point to the second point, wherein the second portion is adjacent to the first portion, perform a nonlinear optimization with excess margin in the optical network that models bit rate, Optical Signal to Noise Ratio (OSNR), and whether or not a wavelength can support additional capacity as real functions; adjust the second optical signal to minimize or remove part of the second portion that is adjacent to the first optical signal to provide a freed up portion of the second portion, and adjust the first optical signal to occupy some or all of the freed up portion, wherein the first optical signal and the second optical signal are adjusted in response to a result of the nonlinear optimization.