Patent · US Expired

Method and system for light path monitoring in an optical communication network

US7529480B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by
10References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 2, 2003
Grant dateMay 5, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 2, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04J14/0286
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for monitoring lightpaths in an optical network comprising nodes interconnected by wavelength-multiplexed links is disclosed. Each lightpath is identified by a respective optical signature. A node stores identifiers of optical signatures of lightpaths designated to traverse the node and identifiers of adjacent nodes. Each node also maintains a record of all optical signatures it detects. A command-line interface associated with a selected node tracks a selected lightpath, designated to traverse the selected node, by propagating messages in an upstream direction, a downstream direction, or both, requesting other nodes to provide information pertinent to the selected lightpath. The selected node may also send messages to all its neighboring nodes requesting each to indicated detection, or otherwise, of the selected lightpath. Thus, the method relies on localized information, maintained at each node, and cooperative exchange of data among nodes without interacting with a centralized network management facility.

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