The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 27, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 15, 1997
Gary B Davis, Rowlett, TX (US);
Reddy Urimindi, Plano, TX (US);
Andrew N Robison, Plano, TX (US);
Rainer R Iraschko, Palo Alto, CA (US);
George A Georgiou, Garland, TX (US);
Glen Wellbrock, Wylie, TX (US);
MCI Communications Corporation, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
Optical loop-back is provided within an optical restoration system of an optical communication network. According to one embodiment, an optical restoration system includes first and second spare optical links (also called restoration paths) optically coupled in parallel between first and second optical cross-connect switches. Each restoration path includes a light regenerator and an optical amplifier. First and second optical cross-connect switches are each switched to provide respective optical loop-back paths between the first and second restoration paths or spare links. In one example, the optical loop-back paths can be configured within the optical cross-connect switches. In another example, the optical cross-connect switches are configured to couple optical signals between an external loop-back coupler and the first and second restoration paths or spare links. According to another embodiment, the first and second optical cross-connect switches are each switched to provide respective optical loop-back paths between different WDM channels in a bidirectional restoration path or spare link. In one example, the optical loop-back paths can be configured within the optical cross-connect switches. In another example, the optical cross-connect switches are configured to couple optical signals for different WDM channels between an external loop-back coupler and the bi-directional restoration path or spare link. Through loop-back connections, optical signals from light regenerators can travel along an idle restoration paths to squelch false alarms by light regenerators and to keep the optical amplifiers stabilized. Through loop-back connections, optical signals from light regenerators can also travel along a working path to squelch false alarms by light regenerators and to stabilize optical amplifiers in the working path prior to normalization.