Patent · US Expired

Automatic protection switching system in a network

US6760302B1 · kind B1 · utility

98Cited by
10References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 30, 1999
Grant dateJul 6, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 30, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L1/22
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method of automatic protection switching for a network (100) which protect against link or node failure. The protection fibers (119, 121) in the links are pre-arranged into protection cycles so that if a link failure occurs, protection switches in the network nodes (101, 107) connected in the failed link will switch the working fiber data path onto an alternate path comprised of protection fibers (119, 121). Data can then be transmitted through the protection cycle around the fault to reach the node on the other side of the failed link. The same protection fibers (119, 121) can be used to protect a priority connection against center switch failure in a network. The protection switches in each node (101, 107) which connect working fibers (115, 117) to protection fibers (119, 121) are very fast and their settings do not depend on the state of the network.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.