Cisco Technology, Inc.

Corning O.t.i. Inc.

Corning Photonic Technologies Inc.

Lorenzo Ghioni

Maurizio Gazzola

Stefano Piciaccia

Ronald Johnson

Alberto Arnaldo Tanzi

Mario Martinelli

Guido Alberto Maier

Achille Pattavina

Luca Della Chiesa

Mauro Rudi Casanova

Walid Wakim

Sushin Suresan Adackaconam

Enrico Self

Andrea Marchio

A network controller controls optical nodes configured to communicate with each other at multiple line rates using different tuples of [bits/symbol, symbol rate] for each line rate. The network controller determines multiple paths between two optical nodes, selects a desired line rate at which to communicate between the two optical nodes, and accesses a path database that indicates an available optical bandwidth and an available optical signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) along each path. The network controller determines feasible paths among the paths. To do this, the network controller, for each path, searches the different tuples of the desired line rate for a tuple for which a desired optical bandwidth and a desired optical SNR are accommodated by the available optical bandwidth and the available optical SNR of the path, respectively. The network controller programs optical nodes of one of the feasible paths with a tuple found in the searching.

Path selection in optical network for optical nodes with flexible baud rate and modulation format

Techniques for automatic bandwidth optimization of an optical communication channel in an optical network are provided. In one embodiment, a method of automatically optimizing bandwidth includes receiving, at a first optical network element, a first signal transmission transmitted according to a first set of transmission parameters over an optical communication channel established between the first optical network element and a second optical network element. The method includes determining a first quality of signal parameter associated with the first signal transmission and determining whether the first quality of signal parameter is worse than a predetermined quality of signal value. Upon determining that the first quality of signal parameter is not worse than the predetermined value, the method further includes transmitting a second set of transmission parameters to the second optical network element to further optimize the bandwidth of the optical communication channel.

Automatic bandwidth optimization for optical networks

An optical amplifier may comprise a first gain stage and a second gain stage. Each of the first and second gain stages may comprise a laser pump and an active fiber. A liquid crystal device may be coupled between an output of the first gain stage and an input of the second gain stage. A control unit may be coupled to the first and second gain stages, liquid crystal device and configured to control the first and second gain stages, and the liquid crystal device to provide a switchable gain. Light may pass through the first and second gain stages and be amplified by the first and second gain stages. The light amplified by the first gain stage may pass through the liquid crystal device and may be filtered by the liquid crystal device.

Optical amplifiers with liquid crystal device

A scalable, modular optical mesh patch panel includes a multi-slot receptacle configured to receive at least one of a first modular optical interconnect block and a second modular optical interconnect block that enable connectivity among one or more add-drop modules and/or respective degrees of a reconfigurable optical add drop multiplexer node (ROADM).

Modular optical patch panel

An apparatus includes a first optical switching complex, a second optical switching complex in optical communication with the first optical switching complex, and an optical add/drop module in optical communication with the first optical switching complex and the second optical switching complex. At least one of the optical switching complexes includes a wavelength selective switch that is configured to be arranged in a cascaded configuration that, when so configured, results in an increase in a number of available transmit and receive ports available per degree of the apparatus.

Scalable reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer

A reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) with a multiplexer, demultiplexer, and a wavelength cross-connect unit provides directionless capabilities. The ROADM allows a signal not to be limited to a particular direction when added at an optical network node, for example. The signal can be sent to other directions of the optical network node. Furthermore, the ROADM allows the wavelengths of add and drop signals to be changed and hence is 'colorless.'

Directionless reconfigurable optical add and drop mesh node

Various example embodiments are disclosed. According to an example embodiment, a method may include determining that a transmission of a data signal over a path of a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical network using a group of optical subcarriers is not optically feasible; determining that the transmission of the data signal over the path using a subset of the group of optical subcarriers is optically feasible; activating subcarriers for the subset of optical carriers while deactivating one or more optical subcarriers of the group, at least one deactivated subcarrier provided between at least two activated subcarriers of the group; and transmitting the data signal over at least a portion of the path using the activated subcarriers of the group.

Use of subcarrier deactivation in a multi-subcarrier channel to improve reach in an optical network

According to one general aspect, an interconnection node may be configured to dynamically provide interconnection access between a first optical network (e.g., a core optical network) and at least either a second optical network (e.g., an access optical network) or a third optical network (e.g., another access optical network) in a purely optical fashion. The interconnection node may include a first network portion and a second and third network portions. The first network portion may be coupled with the first network that includes a first pair of wavelength cross-connect (WXC) units coupled between a first transmission path of the first network, and providing a plurality of add and drop ports, and a second pair of wavelength cross-connect (WXC) units coupled between a second transmission path of the first network, and providing a plurality of add and drop ports. The second network portion may be coupled with the second network and the first network portion of the interconnection node such that optical signals may be routed between the second network and the first network. The third network portion may be coupled with the third network and the first network portion of the interconnection node such that optical signals may be routed between the third network and the first network.

Innovative architecture for fully non blocking service aggregation without O-E-O conversion in a DWDM multiring interconnection node

At a WDM add/drop node of an optical fiber, an add/drop multiplexer system with opto-electric components in the through channel path has an optical switch connected in parallel with an add/drop multiplexer. Upon a power loss to the add/drop multiplexer, the optical switch bypasses the add/drop multiplexer so that WDM channel signals pass through the WDM add/drop node without interference from the unpowered add/drop multiplexer. Loss of through channels at the node is prevented. Upon a return of power, the optical switch reroutes the WDM signals on the optical fiber to the add/drop multiplexer but after the add/drop multiplexer is fully operational.

Through channel loss prevention at a WDM node

Optical device for processing a sequence of bits

An optical device comprises an input for an input optical impulse and an optical beam splitting element for supplying, from the input optical impulse, a first pair and a second pair of optical impulses. Also included is a first optical delay element to delay, by a predetermined time, at least one of the first pair of optical impulses and a second optical delay element to delay, by a predetermined time, at least one of the second pair of optical impulses. A first optical processing element supplies a first output optical signal to a first output when commanded by the first pair of optical impulses and a second optical processing element supplies a second output optical signal to a second output when commanded by the second pair of optical impulses.

Growing community of inventors

Casalmaiocco, Italy

Lorenzo Ghioni