# US 9,520,960 B2 · Optical multiplex level and optical channel layer server trails in wavelength switched optical networks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,520,960 B2 - Document ID: US9520960B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/164,435 - Filed: 2014-01-27 - Published: 2015-07-30 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2014-01-27 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Inventors: David Bianchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520960B2 ## CPC - H04J 14/0212: {using optical switches or wavelength selective switches [WSS]} - H04B 10/27: Arrangements for networking - H04J 14/0202: {Arrangements therefor} - H04J 14/0256: {at the optical channel layer} - H04J 14/0261: {at the optical multiplex section layer} - H04J 14/0279: {WDM point-to-point architectures} - 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 ## Abstract An optical network packet configured to transmit over an optical communication link from a first optical network having a first control plane to a second optical network having a second control plane is generated. Generating the optical network packet comprises generating the packet configured to be transmitted from the first optical network to the second optical network in the optical domain. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: generating an optical network packet configured to transmit over an optical communication link from a first optical network having a first control plane to a second optical network having a second control plane; wherein generating the network packet further comprises generating the packet configured to be transmitted from the first optical network to the second optical network in an optical multiplex section of an optical transport network domain without undergoing demultiplexing at an edge of the first optical network. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the optical network packet comprises generating the optical network packet configured to be transmitted over the optical communication link without re-amplification, reshaping or retiming of the optical network packet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein generating the optical network packet comprises generating the optical network packet configured to be transmitted in an optical channel layer of the optical network domain. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the optical communication link is an optical channel layer transmission link. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein generating the optical network packet comprises generating the optical network packet to be transmitted over the optical communication link without undergoing optical-to-electrical conversion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the optical network packet comprises transmitting the optical network packet from a trail termination unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the optical network packet comprises generating a packet configured to be transmitted from a first trail termination unit to a second trail termination unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the optical network packet comprises generating the optical network packet to be transmitted by a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the optical network packet comprises generating a Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching packet. ### Claim 10 A method comprising: establishing an optical transmission link between a first optical network having a first control plane and a second optical network having a second control plane; configuring the optical transmission link to transmit optical packets from the first optical network to the second optical network in an optical multiplex section transmission link of an optical domain; receiving an optical network packet in the optical domain from the first optical network; and transmitting the optical network packet to the second optical network in the optical domain without demultiplexing the optical packet. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein: receiving the optical network packet comprises receiving the optical network packet at a trail termination unit; and transmitting the optical network packet comprises transmitting the optical network packet from the trail termination unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein configuring the optical transmission link comprises configuring the optical transmission link as an optical channel layer transmission link. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting the optical network packet comprises transmitting the optical network packet without performing optical-to-electrical conversion of the optical network packet. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting the optical network packet comprises transmitting the optical network packet without re-amplification, reshaping or retiming (“3R Regeneration”) of the optical network packet. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting the optical network packet comprises transmitting optical network packet via a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer. ### Claim 16 An apparatus comprising: at least one input optical port; at least one output optical port; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: establish an optical transmission link between a first optical network having a first control plane and a second optical network having a second control plane; configure the optical transmission link to transmit optical packets from the first optical network to the second optical network in an optical multiplex section transmission link of an optical domain; cause an optical network packet in the optical domain to be received from the first optical network through the at least one input optical port; and cause the optical network packet to be transmitted to the second optical network in the optical domain through the output optical port without demultiplexing the optical network packet. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the optical network packet without re-amplificiation, reshaping or retiming (“3R Regeneration”) of the optical network packet. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the optical network packet without performing optical-to-electrical conversion of the optical network packet. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to configure the optical transmission link to transmit optical packets from the first optical network to the second optical network in the optical domain by configuring the optical transmission link as an optical channel layer transmission link. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is a trail termination unit.