Coriant Operations, Inc.

Tellabs Operations, Inc.

Bradley Ronald Kangas

Yajun Wang

Julia Y Larikova

Mark A Richmond

Anoop John Mathew

Jai Harpalani

Kenneth S Mizialko

James N Turner

Richard Y Younce

Mark E Boduch

Kimon Papakos

Eric L Chan

Chris R Zettinger

Robert D Gatze

Peigang Hu

David J Womac

Larry J DeeWaard, Ii

Embodiments including methods, systems, and apparatuses for distributing, processing, and reacting to path information distributed via a service-agnostic packet fabric for the purpose of enabling path selection are disclosed. By configuring two ingress line cards to send path quality words to each other via the switch fabric, compare the path quality words, and determine whether to transmit traffic to an egress line card via the switch fabric based on the comparison of the path quality words, the embodiments enable a central switch fabric to be unaware of the paths that it carries, and enable both ingress and egress bandwidth of the switch fabric to be sized according to the facilities for which it is terminating. The switch fabric does not need to support working and protection paths simultaneously in some embodiments, allowing it to be scaled appropriately to termination facilities.

Methods and apparatuses for path selection in a packet network

Example embodiments are in a form of a system, corresponding electronics card (or apparatus), or corresponding method. Some embodiments include a multi-channel optical layer system. According to some embodiments, the system may include a network interface layer, an adapter layer, and an optical function layer. The adapter layer may learn functions and/or corresponding specifications from the function layer. The adapter layer may configure the adapter layer itself to interoperate between the network interface layer and the optical function layer. The adapter layer may provide flexibility in the size of configured functionality. The adapter layer may reduce cost of configuration (or reconfiguration) because functions may be discretized. New markets may be reached because of this reduced cost, as well as due to smaller size configurations (of hardware and software), reduced electronics, reduced power, and improved thermal cooling requirements for lesser-developed network configurations.

Method and apparatus for modular ROADM and remote DWDM wavelength add/drop

An intranodal reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) fiber management apparatus, and a system employing the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a plurality of ingress optical ports, a plurality of egress optical ports, and a plurality of optical interconnections interposed between ones of the plurality of ingress optical ports and ones of the plurality of egress optical ports. Each of the plurality of ingress optical ports corresponds to one of the plurality of egress optical ports. Each one of the plurality of ingress optical ports is optically coupled by way of the optical interconnections to at least one of the plurality of egress optical ports. Each one of the plurality of egress optical ports is optically coupled by way of the optical interconnections to at least one of the plurality of ingress optical ports.

Intranodal ROADM fiber management apparatuses, systems, and methods

A system, apparatus, and procedure for controlling a fan module. The system comprises a chassis having a backplane, at least one fan module arranged in the chassis, and a profile switch. In one embodiment, the profile switch is arranged in the chassis. Each fan module includes at least one fan and a fan module controller arranged to receive a control signal from a shelf controller. The profile switch is arranged to signal the fan module controller so as to control the at least one fan based on operating profiles corresponding to selected switch positions of the switch.

Field configurable fan operational profiles

Example embodiments include an optical networking system (e.g., apparatus) and corresponding method. According to some embodiments, a plurality of shelves may be interconnected to form a daisy chain, each shelf including unpowered passive optical modules and the daisy chain including an active module having a passive power communication source. The passive power communication source may distribute passive power to memory devices on the one unpowered passive optical networking modules. The memory devices may provide respective communication as a function of interconnections of the daisy chain and passive power distributed by the passive power communication source. Advantages include unique identification of the memory devices without requiring active power to their corresponding modules, and continuous discovery and inventory of such memory devices. Such embodiments may also help network planners better manage and end-to-end optical circuit which may reduce amplification or regeneration nodes creating a more cost efficient solution.

Apparatus and method for inventory of passive module

A network element includes first and second multiplexers, first and second interfaces, and first and second selecting units. The multiplexers are communicatively coupled. The first interface is communicatively coupled to the first multiplexer and configured to receive multiplexed signals. The second interface is communicatively coupled to the second multiplexer and configured to receive multiplexed signals. The first selecting unit is communicatively coupled to the first and second multiplexers and configured to select between a signal received from the first multiplexer and a signal received from the second multiplexer. The second selecting unit is also communicatively coupled to the first and second multiplexers and configured to select between a signal received from the first multiplexer and a signal received from the second multiplexer.

Apparatuses, systems, methods, and computer program products for add-drop multiplexing

An embodiment of the invention may comprise pairing a first switching module with a second switching module such that the first switching module is enabled to switch signals received via its first input ports and its second input ports to its first output ports and second output ports, wherein the signals received by the first input ports of the first switching module are communicated from the first output ports of the second switching module, and the signals communicated by the first output ports of the second switching module are signals received by the second input ports of the second switching module and forwarded to the first output ports of the second switching module.

Method and apparatus for an expandable switching element

An embodiment of the invention comprises a reconfigurable chassis with one or more multi-functionality card slots, where each multi-functionality card slot is capable of being populated with at least one of a plurality of different types of cards, including port cards and switch cards. In a first configuration, the port card slots and the multi-functionality card slots are populated with port cards. In a second configuration, a first set of multi-functionality card slots is populated with switch cards and a second set of multi-functionality card slots is populated with port cards. In a third configuration, the first set of multi-functionality card slots and the second set of multi-functionality card slots are populated with switch cards.

Growing community of inventors

Saint Charles, IL, United States of America

Bradley Ronald Kangas