Lucent Technologies Inc.

Scott D Young

Robert D Feldman

David A Sadler

Heribert Joseph Blach

Carl A Caroli

Richard Adleman

Mile Radovanovic

Peter L Bartman

Janet M Greenberg

Mary Socratous

Embodiments of the invention generally provide a method for automatically detecting and provisioning new optical connections in a network element (NE). The detection of the optical connections is generally accomplished via optical scans, and in particular, an optical spectral analysis type scan, which may be conducted at specific times and at specific points within the NE in order to determine an association corresponding to a new connection through the NE. The automatic detecting in provisioning method of the invention may generally be implemented on connections in end terminals (ET), as well as connections in optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) NEs. As such, embodiments of the invention allow for automatic detection and provisioning of optical circuit packs in an optical line system (OLS) based upon optical scans configured to detect the presence of valid incoming client signals through the NE.

Method for automatically provisioning a network element

Optical signal power levels for selected optical channels processed within an add/drop node in a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) system are adjusted as a function of variations in signal power in an incoming WDM signal caused by gain ripple. In particular, a &ldquo;ripple fitting&rdquo; method is described whereby the optical signal power of individual optical channels being added at the add/drop node are adjusted to levels that correspond to the ripple profile of other optical channels being routed through the add/drop node. In this manner, the gain ripple in the WDM signal being output from the add/drop node approximately corresponds to the gain ripple in the incoming WDM signal at the node.

Method of controlling optical signal power at an add/drop node in a WDM optical communication system

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Holmdel, NJ, United States of America

Scott D Young