Dual-direction OTDR system for inter-node communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11777597-B2
Application number	US-202217806892-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2022
Priority date	Apr 1, 2021
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

Modules for optical time-domain reflectometry (OTDR) are connected via at least one fiber link of a fiber optic communication network. The modules can perform OTDR operations on the at least one fiber link. In addition, the modules can establish an inter-node communication channel between each other on the at least one fiber link. The channel allows the OTDR modules to synchronize their OTDR operations and to exchange information, such as OTDR traces, between each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method implemented at a first optical time-domain reflectometry (OTDR) module connected to at least one fiber link of a fiber optic communication network, the method comprising:
sending, from the first OTDR module, a first communication on the at least one fiber link;
receiving, at the first OTDR module, a response on the at least one fiber link having a second communication associated with a second OTDR module;
sending, from the first OTDR module, a confirmation communication on the at least one fiber link in response to the receipt of the second communication;
establishing, with the first OTDR module, a communication channel on the at least one fiber link with the second OTDR module; and
performing, with the first OTDR module, an OTDR operation on the at least one fiber link,
wherein
the first OTDR module is connected to a plurality of fiber spans of the at least one fiber link, and
sending the first communication on the at least one fiber link comprises:
defining an order of ports on the first OTDR module to be probed, each of the ports connected to one of the fiber spans; and
transmitting the first communication on one or more of the fiber spans associated with one or more of the ports selected in the defined order.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of sending the first communication to establish the communication channel is performed at a time outside of a standard operation for fiber-optic communication on the at least one fiber link, at a time outside of the OTDR operation, during power-up of the first OTDR module, or during reset of the first OTDR module.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
performing the OTDR operation comprises synchronizing scans of the at least one fiber link for the first OTDR module with the second OTDR module; or
performing the OTDR operation comprises:
obtaining, at the first OTDR module, an OTDR trace in a direction of the at least one fiber link;
decoding, at the first OTDR module, the OTDR trace; and
sending, from the first OTDR module, the OTDR trace on the established communication channel on the at least one fiber link.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the first communication further comprises listening for the response at the selected port for a defined period of time; retransmitting the first communication in response to termination of the defined period of time; and repeating for a predetermined number of times.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the first communication further comprises:
switching from a previous of the one or more ports to a next of the one or more ports in the defined order in response to a failure to receive the response at the previous port; and
transmitting the first communication on the fiber span associated with the next port.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending information from the first OTDR module on the established communication channel to the second OTDR module on the at least one fiber link, wherein the information is selected from the group consisting of first data to configure setup of nodes on the at least one fiber link, second data of a fault between nodes of the at least one fiber link, third data to synchronize the first OTDR module with the second OTDR module on the at least one fiber link; and an OTDR trace of the at least one fiber link decoded by the first OTDR module.

7. An apparatus connected to at least one fiber link, the apparatus comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit optical signals;
a receiver configured to receive optical signals;
a connection configured to couple the transmitter and the receiver to the at least one fiber link; and
a processing unit in operable communication with the transmitter and the receiver, the processing unit being configured to:
send, from the transmitter, a first communication on the at least one fiber link;
receive, at the receiver, a response on the at least one fiber link having a second communication associated with an OTDR module;
resend, from the transmitter, the first communication on the at least one fiber link in response to the receipt of the second communication;
establish, with the apparatus, a communication channel on the at least one fiber link with the OTDR module; and
perform, with the apparatus, an optical time-domain reflectometry (OTDR) operation on the at least one fiber link,
wherein the OTDR module is connected to a plurality of fiber spans of the at least one fiber link, and
wherein to send, from the apparatus, the first communication on the at least one fiber link to the OTDR module, the processing unit is configured to:
define an order of ports on the apparatus to be probed, each of the ports connected to one of the plurality of fiber spans; and
transmit the first communication on one or more of the plurality of fiber spans associated with one or more of the ports selected in the defined order.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processing unit is configured to send the first communication to establish the communication channel at a time outside of a standard operation for fiber-optic communication on the at least one fiber link, at a time outside of the OTDR operation performed by the apparatus, during power-up of the apparatus, or during reset of the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein to perform the OTDR operation,
the processing unit is configured to synchronize scans of the at least one fiber link between the apparatus and the OTDR module; or
the processing unit is configured to:
obtain a OTDR trace in a direction of the at least one fiber link;
decode the OTDR trace; and
send the OTDR trace on the established communication channel on the at least one fiber link.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein to transmit the first communication, the processing unit is further configured to listen for the response at the selected port for a defined period of time; retransmit the first communication in response to termination of the defined period of time; and repeat for a predetermined number of times.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein to transmit the first communication, the processing unit is configured to:
switch from a previous of the one or more ports to a next of the one or more ports in the defined order in response to a failure to receive the response at the previous port; and
transmit the first communication on the fiber span associated with the next port.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to send information on the established communication channel from the apparatus along the at least one fiber link, wherein the information is selected from the group consisting of first data to configure setup of nodes on the at least one fiber link, second data of a fault between nodes of the at least one fiber link, third data to synchronize the apparatus with the OTDR module on the at least one fiber link; and an OTDR trace of the at least one fiber link decoded by the apparatus.

13. A method implemented at a first optical time-domain reflectometry (OTDR) module connected to at least one fiber link, the method comprising:
receiving, at the first OTDR module, a first communication associated with a second OTDR module on the at least one fiber link;
sending, from the first OTDR module, a response on the at least one fiber link having a second communication of the first OTDR module;
receiving, at the first OTDR module, a resend of the first communication on the at least one fiber link in response to the sending of the second communication;
establishing, with the first OTDR module, a communication channel on t

Assignees

• Ii Vi Delaware Inc

Inventors

• Cahill Michael J L
• Gurusami Aravanan
• Zahnley Timothy K

Classifications

• H04B10/071 Primary

  using a reflected signal, e.g. using optical time domain reflectometers [OTDR] · CPC title

• H04B10/25

  Arrangements specific to fibre transmission · CPC title