Avanex Corporation

Other

Worldcom, Inc.

Mci Worldcom, Inc.

Avamex Corporation

Charles Mao

Guohua Xiao

Lintao Zhang

Frank A McKiel, Jr

Jin Xie

Gang Li

Niall Robinson

Xiaodong Duan

Simon Xiaofan Cao

Jialing Yang

Xiaofan Cao

Xiofan Cao

Jun Yu

Paul Hull

Dongqi Liu

An optical reconfigurable service ring (RSR) architecture based on a RSR channel and WDM channel plan matrix, and method for operation in a fiber network that provides WDM wavelength networking functionalities such as provisional wavelength services, optical circuit switching, optical layerpacket switching, optical storage switching, and optical layerpacket routing, are proposed. In one embodiment, sixteen wavelength are dynamically switching, routed, or distributed among five optical add/drop nodes using narrowly wavelength tunable transmitters and fixed optical add/drop multiplexer modules.

Reconfigurable service ring and method for operation in optical networks

An optical node and method for operation in an ultra long haul backbone network that provides DWDM optical transmission and wavelength networking functionalities are disclosed. The optical node is designed with capabilities for amplification, dispersion compensation, and add/drop functionalities. In one embodiment, three erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) are cascaded using low nonlinearity and low loss dispersion compensating module (DCM).

Optical node including three-stage optical amplifier with automatic gain and level control

A reliable and inexpensive method for deploying, operating and maintaining optical amplifiers in a variety of optical networks under a wide range of conditions using channel number reference tables. A preferred embodiment of the current invention may control one or more optical amplifiers or gain blocks operating in a variety of modes such as AGC mode, ALC mode and hybrid AGC/ALC mode without requiring the use of expensive channel counters. Channel number reference tables may be calculated based on initial input optical power output readings and a count of the number of channels initially served by the amplifier. According to the current invention, changes in the number of channels may be monitored and used to control a gain block by monitoring the gain block input optical power output, converting to a gain block voltage and referencing the channel number reference table.

Control methods for a metro optical amplifier

A method and apparatus performing fault management in an optical communications system including a polarization mode dispersion (PMD) compensator. The method and apparatus utilizes a controller receiving notifications indicative of PMD in the system, as well as at least one indicator from a system device providing an indication of an attribute of the communication system. Such system devices include a receiver providing a Q factor and a bit error rate (BER) of an optical signal, and a signal-to-noise ratio meter providing an SNR of the optical signal. The method intelligently provides fault management by correlating the PMD notifications and system indicators to distinguish between fiber failure, PMD-related degradations, and failure of monitoring equipment itself.

Fault isolation of an optical link by correlating PMD events with other measurements

The present invention provides a hybrid Raman/EDFA optical amplifier that utilizes a first optical detector that generates a first electrical or electronic signal that is proportional the combined optical power of the signal light and the leaked pump laser light, a second optical detector that generates a second electrical or electronic signal that is proportional to the power of the pump laser light and an electronic subtraction circuit that receives the first and second electrical or electronic signals and generates a difference signal that is proportional to only to the optical power of the signal light and insensitive to the power of the Raman pump laser light. The difference signal is utilized by an EDFA control circuit to control and/or adjust the operation of the EDFA based upon changes in the power of the input optical signal.

Apparatus and method for channel monitoring in a hybrid distributed Raman/EDFA optical amplifier

A reconfigurable AGC loop design for an optical amplifier with a software provisional switch in the AGC loop inside the optical amplifier is disclosed. On the input side, there is a 1&times;m switch for switching a first input to the input of an optical amplifier, or to route other external pins to the optical amplifier. On the output side, there is a 1&times;n switch for switching a first output to the output of an optical amplifier, or to route other external pins to the optical amplifier. The AGC loop inside an optical amplifier is available to operate with other external signals. This reconfigurability unleashes the AGC loop capability that is traditionally confined to individual optical amplifier, provides flexibility, and greatly simplifies the design of optical node.

Reconfigurable automatic gain control and method for optical amplifier

Growing community of inventors

Plano, TX, United States of America

Charles Mao