Identifying and monitoring connections in an optical system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022231780-A1
Application number	US-202217577049-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 17, 2022
Priority date	Jan 20, 2021
Publication date	Jul 21, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques are provided for identifying and monitoring connections in an optical system. A plurality of optical ports is configured to receive a plurality of optical links that couple with one or more remote optical devices. At least one light source generates identification (ID) signals. At least one optical element configured to direct the ID signals into transmission paths from the source optical device to the remote optical device/s over the plurality of optical links. The remote optical device/s include one or more optical elements that direct the ID signals through a set of WDM filters and returns the ID signals. At least one optical element directs returned ID signals to an optical channel monitor. At least one microprocessor configured to execute control instructions to generate the ID signals and process one or more outputs of the optical channel monitor in response to the returned ID signals to identify the plurality of optical links.

First claim

1 . A source optical device comprising:
a plurality of optical ports configured to receive a plurality of optical links that couple with one or more remote optical devices; a light source that generates monitor signals of a reference wavelength; at least one optical element configured to direct the monitor signals into transmission paths from the source optical device to the one or more remote optical devices over the plurality of optical links; wherein the one or more remote optical devices include one or more optical elements that return the monitor signals to the source optical device over a corresponding optical link of the plurality of optical links; a photodetector; at least one optical element configured to direct returned monitor signals received over the plurality of optical links to the photodetector; at least one microprocessor configured to execute control instructions to generate the monitor signals and process one or more outputs of the photodetector in response to the returned monitor signals to determine connectivity of the optical links.

2 . The source optical device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more remote optical devices are passive optical devices.

3 . The source optical device of claim 1 , wherein determining connectivity of the plurality of optical links comprises detecting a fiber disconnection or failure event on one or more optical links.

4 . The source optical device of claim 1 , wherein determining connectivity of the optical links comprises determining optical loss over one or more optical links based on baseline data for the light source.

5 . The source optical device of claim 1 :
wherein the one or more optical elements that return the monitor signals comprise a demultiplexer device in each transmission path from the source optical device and a multiplexer device in each receiving path to the source optical device; wherein the demultiplexer device and the multiplexer device direct the monitor signals through a bypass path between each transmission path and each receiving path.

6 . The source optical device of claim 1 :
wherein the one or more optical elements at the one or more remote optical devices include a reflector that returns the monitor signals over one or more transmission optical link components used by one or more transmission paths; wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to determine connectivity of the receiving optical link components.

7 . The source optical device of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one optical element configured to direct second monitor signals of the reference wavelength to the remote optical devices over one or more optical link components used by one or more receiving paths; wherein the one or more remote optical at the one or more remote optical devices include a second reflector that returns the second monitor signals over the one or more optical link components used by the one or more receiving paths; at least one optical element configured to direct returned second monitor signals to a second photodetector; wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to evaluate connectivity of the receiving optical link components based on an output of the second photodetector in response to the returned second monitor signals.

8 . The source optical device of claim 1 , further comprising a second photodetector, wherein determining connectivity of the optical links comprises determining optical loss over one or more optical links based on a current output of the light source as measured by the second photodetector.

9 . The source optical device of claim 1 , the optical system further comprising a light source that generates identification ID signals of a set of ID wavelengths;
at least one optical element configured to direct the identification signals into transmission paths from the source optical device to the one or more remote optical devices over the plurality of optical links; wherein the one or more remote optical devices include one or more optical elements that direct the ID signals through a set of WDM filters and returns the ID signals to the source optical device over a corresponding optical link of the plurality of optical links; an optical channel monitor; at least one optical element configured to direct returned ID signals received over the plurality of optical links to an optical channel monitor; electronic circuitry configured to identify the plurality of optical links based on an output of the optical channel monitor in response to the returned ID signals.

10 . The source optical device of claim 1 :
wherein the source optical device is a direction device at an OADM node; and wherein the one or more remote optical devices are add-drop group devices at the OADM node.

11 . A source optical device comprising:
a plurality of optical ports configured to receive a plurality of optical links that couple with one or more remote optical devices; a light source that generates identification (ID) signals of a set of ID wavelengths; at least one optical element configured to direct the ID signals into transmission paths from the source optical device to the one or more remote optical devices over the plurality of optical links; wherein the one or more remote optical devices include one or more optical elements that direct the ID signals through a set of WDM filters and returns the ID signals to the source optical device over a corresponding optical link of the plurality of optical links; an optical channel monitor; at least one optical element configured to direct returned ID signals received over the plurality of optical links to an optical channel monitor; at least one microprocessor configured to execute control instructions to generate the ID signals and process one or more outputs of the optical channel monitor in response to the returned ID signals to identify the plurality of optical links.

12 . The source optical device of claim 11 , wherein the one or more remote optical devices are passive optical devices.

13 . The source optical device of claim 11 , wherein identifying the plurality of optical links comprises identifying a particular input path and a particular output path associated with a particular wavelength.

14 . The source optical device of claim 11 , wherein identifying the particular optical link comprises identifying a particular bidirectional path associated with a particular wavelength.

15 . The source optical device of claim 11 , the optical system further comprising:
a light source that generates monitor signals of a reference wavelength; at least one optical element configured to direct the monitor signals into transmission paths from the source optical device to the one or more remote optical devices over the plurality of optical links; wherein the one or more remote optical devices include one or more optical elements that return the monitor signals to the source optical device over a corresponding optical link of the plurality of optical links; a photodetector at least one optical element configured to direct returned monitor signals received over the plurality of optical links to a photodetector; electronic circuitry configured to determine connectivity of the optical links based on an output of the photodetector in response to the returned monitor signals.

16 . The source optical device of claim 11 :
wherein the source optical device is a direction device at an OADM node; and wherein the one or more remote optical devices are add-drop group devices at the OADM node.

17 - 20 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Molex Llc

Inventors

• Gong Lifu
• Shi Chao Xiang
• Huang Bichang
• Liu Frank

Classifications

• G01M11/30 Primary

  Testing of optical devices, constituted by fibre optics or optical waveguides · CPC title

• H04J14/0258 Primary

  Wavelength identification or labelling · CPC title

• H04J14/0217

  Multi-degree architectures, e.g. having a connection degree greater than two · CPC title

• H04B10/0771

  Fault location on the transmission path · CPC title

• H04B10/0779

  Monitoring line transmitter or line receiver equipment · CPC title