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:
Nov. 20, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 24, 2001
Gary Duerksen, College Park, MD (US);
John Lynn Shanton, III, Middletown, MD (US);
Seneca Networks, Rockville, MD (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides a bidirectional wavelength division multiplexed optical communication network having a protection switching capability within a bidirectional optical waveguide. A bidirectional optical waveguide having plural optical nodes carries counterpropagating wavelength division multiplexed optical communication signals: M optical channels in a first direction and N optical channels in a second direction. The network includes the capacity to generate X+Y protect optical channels which respectively propagate in the first and second directions. Upon detecting loss of an optical signal means are provided for switching the affected M work optical channels to the Y protect optical channels and the affected N work channels to the X protect channels. In this manner, protection switching may be accomplished in a bidirectional optical network on a single bidirectional optical waveguide.