Nortel Networks Corporation

Alcatel Lucent

Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.

Northern Telecom Limited

Lucent Technologies Inc.

Other

Accelink Technologies Co., Ltd.

Innovance, Inc.

Alan Glen Solheim

Kevan Peter Jones

Peter David Roorda

Greg Peter Friesen

Mark Stephen Wight

Kim Byron Roberts

Richard A Habel

Mohammed Ismael Tatar

Ronald Joseph Gagnon

David Wright Martin

Maurice Stephen O'Sullivan

David John Nicholson

John Peter Guy

Timothy James Armstrong

James St Harley

Matthew D Brown

Colin Geoffrey Kelly

Robert William Keys

Christian Scheerer

Mark R Hinds

Robert William Spagnoletti

Nigel Baker

Duncan John Forbes

Gregory Dean May

Ian Hardcastle

Giuseppe Bordogna

David John Danagher

Jingyu Zhou

Robert Au-Yang

Chris Knapton

Takis Hadjifotiou

Bipin Patel

Stephane St-Laurent

Azmina Somani

Lijie Qiao

Chengpeng Fu

Qinlian Bu

Loren Berg

Farideh Khaleghi

Peter Jeremy Anslow

Peter D Roorda

Weiqing Zhang

Frederick J Lalonde

Chris Wilhelm Barnard

Paul Edward Beer

Mei Du

Loren Scott Berg

Terry W Taraschuk

Mazoud Vaziri

Andreas Franz Ludwig Sizmann

An optical circuit includes: a multicast-and-select (MCS) switch and multiple optical selective devices coupled to output ports of the MCS switch. The selective devices may select a single optical channel by blocking some of wavelengths of light passing therethrough and passing at least one other wavelength. The selective devices may be wave blockers or tunable optical filters. The optical circuit further includes an optical amplifying array, wherein each amplifier has an input port optically coupled to one of the selective devices. At least some of the amplifiers have pump light ports for receiving at least a portion of the pump light from one or more laser pumps or from another of the optical amplifiers, wherein the pumps are capable of providing pump light sufficient to fully saturate all of the rare earth doped optical fibers in the array.

Add drop structure

In an automatically switched optical network operating according to a wavelength plan, the wavelengths are assigned to an optical path based on availability, performance and SRS wavelength coupling reduction. First, the wavelengths are grouped in static bins based on their reach versus cost performance, and each bin assumes a &#x394;Q of a middle wavelength. Then, the bins are moved into subsets of dynamic bins, constructed using bin constraints that account for the particulars of the respective optical path. The path is characterized taking into account the wavelength currently accessing at the end nodes, and the wavelength tandeming through the end nodes. Wavelength selection starts with the bins that satisfy the maximum number of constraints, and the wavelengths are checked sequentially against wavelength constraints; relaxed constraints are also applied when it is not possible to exactly satisfy one or more constraints.

Channel wavelength assignment with transient reduction

The path selection and wavelength assignment to a selected path are performed by mapping the wavelength reach to the demand distribution (agile reach) resulting in a 50-60% increase in the network reach. The network reach is further increased (about 2.2 times) when on-line measured performance data are used for path selection and wavelength assignment. The connections may be engineered/upgraded individually, by optimizing the parameters of the entire path or of a regenerator section of the respective path. The upgrades include changing the wavelength, adjusting the parameters of the regenerator section, controlling the launch powers, mapping a certain transmitter and/or receiver to the respective wavelength, selecting the wavelengths on a certain link so as to reduce cross-talk, increasing wavelength spacing, etc.

Wavelength assignment in an optical WDM network

A method for engineering of a connection in a WDM photonic network with a plurality of flexibility sites connected by links comprises calculating a physical end-to-end route between a source node and a destination node and setting-up a communication path along this end-to-end route. An operational parameter of the communication path is continuously tested and compared with a test threshold. The path is declared established whenever the operational parameter is above the margin tolerance. The established path is continuously monitored by comparing the operational parameter with a maintenance threshold. A regenerator is switched into the path whenever the operational parameter is under the respective threshold, or another path is assigned to the respective connection. An adaptive channel power turn-on procedure provides for increasing gradually the power level of the transmitters in the path while measuring an error quantifier at the destination receiver until a preset error quantifier value is reached. As the connection ages, the power is increased so as to maintain the error quantifier at, or under the preset value. The path operation is controlled using a plurality of optical power/gain control loops, each for monitoring and controlling a group of optical devices, according to a set of loop rules.

Method for engineering connections in a dynamically reconfigurable photonic switched network

A protocol independent multiplexer is described that allows for multiple different protocols that operate at different bit rates to be combined and output in a format that may have yet another bit rate. The multiplexer includes a series of inputting devices that are each coupled to a respective buffering device, a mapping device coupled to each of the buffering devices, and an outputting device coupled to the mapping device. Each of the inputting devices receive an input optical signal and forwards recovered data information to the corresponding buffering device. The buffering devices store the data information and output to the mapping device, the outputting being controlled by the mapping device to ensure that the buffering devices remain approximately half full. The mapping device formats the data information into individual data units and outputs the data units to the outputting device which subsequently multiplexes the data units. One key advantage of this protocol independent multiplexer is that only one piece of hardware is required for the operation of numerous different protocols.

Protocol independent sub-rate device

The is directed to extending wavelength routing on a metro network subtended off an optical agile network. Flexibility on the subtended metro network is obtained by either tuning the head-end transmitter on a metro wavelength that is the operating wavelength of the route to a specified tail-end node (tunable source, fixed wavelength-route dependency) or/and tuning a specified route to the metro wavelength (fixed source, tunable wavelength-route dependency). The routes may be tuned at one or both ends.

Wavelength routing on an optical metro network subtended off an agile core optical network

A wavelength exerciser is used for evaluating connections in an agile network. The exerciser operates at some or all switching nodes of the network, by first detecting the paths available between the respective node and all remaining nodes. For each available path, the exerciser selects some or all wavelengths that can carry the traffic all the way along the path. It can operate both during SLAT and/or during network normal operation. When the network carries live traffic, the wavelengths used on the test connections are wavelengths that are not used at the respective moment by the user traffic. The exerciser verifies the switch architecture and the access architecture, and also collects information about the performance of all paths, so as to speed-up the path-connection matching process and to increase the chances of successfully establishing the connection along the selected path.

Wavelength exerciser

The integrated photonic switch can be used in all-optical networks. incoming multiplexed signals from a number of input fiber ports are separated into their component wavelengths. Individual wavelengths are switched within the switch fabric towards the desired output, and the wavelengths are then multiplexed into WDM signals directed to the appropriate output ports. The multiplexer and demultiplexer are diffraction grating devices, integrated with the switch fabric. The switch fabric includes two matrices of 3-D MEMS mirrors arranged in the same plane, or in two parallel planes. The optical path between the input ports, the demultiplexer and the input matrix is pre-set so that each wavelength is incident on a certain mirror. Similarly, the geometry of the output matrix, the multiplexer and the output ports determines uniquely the wavelengths on a certain port. However, the position of the mirrors may be adjusted with a control system, so that the path of a wavelength within the switch fabric is adjustable, so that a wavelength input on a port may output the switch on any port.

Integrated photonic switch

Growing community of inventors

Kanata, Canada

Alan Glen Solheim