Sprint Communications Comapny L.p.

Charles William Norman

Mark Loyd Jones

A network transfers a first packet addressed to a first address and indicating a second address. The network routes the first packet through a first set of routers. The first routers transfer route priority messages indicating the second address to directly linked routers to lower their route priority to the first routers for the second address. The network transfers a second packet addressed to the second address and indicating the first address. The network routes the second packet through a second set of routers. The second routers transfer route priority messages indicating the first address to directly linked routers to lower their route priority to the second routers for the first address. The network routes a first packet flow addressed to the first address through the first routers and routes a second packet flow addressed to the second address through the second routers.

Internet protocol data transfer over diverse paths

A communication system comprises a first interface system and a second interface system. The first interface system receives a SONET signal including section overhead and line overhead in a transport overhead and including path overhead and user data in a payload. In response, the first interface system transfers the section overhead, line overhead, path overhead, and user data. The second interface system receives the section overhead, line overhead, path overhead, and user data. In response, the second interface system regenerates the SONET signal including the section overhead and line overhead in the first transport overhead and including the path overhead and user data in the payload. The second interface system transfers the regenerated SONET signal.

Overhead replication for SONET signals

A communication system comprises a first communication device coupled to a first optical switch by a first link, a second communication device coupled to a second optical switch by a second link, and a third link and back-up links coupling the first and second optical switches. During normal operation, the optical switches connect the third link to the first and second links. The back-up links have various costs and latencies. In response to a fault on the third link, the first optical switch and the second optical switch automatically select an available one of the back-up links having a lowest cost and an acceptable latency, and in response to the selection, automatically disconnect the first link and the second link from the third link and automatically connect the first link and the second link to the selected back-up link.

Communication system with cost based protection

A communication system includes an optical network, a first POP, and a second POP. The first POP receives user communications from a first user system and transfers the user communications to the optical network over a first optical wavelength. The optical network transfers first user communications to the second POP over the first optical wavelength. The second POP transfers the user communications to a second user system. Responsive to a problem with the transfer of the user communications over the first optical wavelength, the first POP transfers the user communications to the optical network over a second optical wavelength, and the optical network transfers the user communications to the second POP over the second optical wavelength.

POP-to-POP optical wavelength protection in a communication system

In an optical communication system, optical communications are transferred over a first ring and a second ring. A fault is detected on the first ring or the second ring. If the fault is detected on the first ring, a shared optical protect link is used for ring-based restoration of the first ring if the link is available, and restoration overhead for the first ring is transferred in an active location of the shared optical protect link. If the fault is detected on the second ring, the shared optical protect link is used for ring-based restoration of the second ring if the link is available, and restoration overhead for the second ring is transferred in the active location of the shared optical protect link.

Optical communication system having ring-based restoration using shared protect links

A first optical interface is coupled to a first IP service node and a first non-IP service node. A second optical interface is coupled to a second IP service node and a second non-IP service node. The first optical interface is coupled to the second optical interface by a first working link for the IP service nodes and by a second working link for the non-IP service nodes. The first optical interface is coupled to the second optical interface by a shared protect link. The first optical interface and the second optical interface replace either of the first working link or the second working link with the shared protect link.

Communication system that shares protect links among multiple services including an internet service

A communication system couples communication devices using optical switches and links. The optical switches provide OSI Layer 1 restoration in response to a fault. The communication devices provide OSI layer 2/3 restoration in response to the fault after OSI Layer 1 protection is complete.

Communication system with hybrid protection at multiple OSI layers

The method and system provide for transporting a secondary communication signal from a secondary carrier network with a primary communication signal from a primary carrier network. The method and system load the overhead from the secondary communication signal into unused bytes of the primary communication signal, thereby creating a transport overhead. The payload from each of the secondary communication signal and the primary communication signal are combined, thereby creating a transport payload. The transport payload is combined with the transport overhead to form a transport communication signal. The transport communication signal is sent to a destination where the transport communication signal is disassembled. The secondary communication signal's overhead and payload are removed from the transport communication signal and transmitted in a secondary communication signal to the secondary carrier network. Likewise, the primary communication signal's overhead and payload are removed from the transport communication signal and transmitted in a primary communication signal to the primary carrier network.

Method and system for transporting a secondary communication signal with a primary communication signal

A communication system includes nodes that exchange communications over optical fibers. In the event of a fault, the nodes implement ring protection for a first set of the communications and implement mesh protection for a second set of the communications. Ring protection may be used for two degree nodes and mesh protection may be used for higher degree nodes, or a customer may select between ring protection and mesh protection.

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Lenexa, KS, United States of America

Charles William Norman