Optical communication system to automatically configure remote optical nodes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9832166-B1
Application number	US-201615148318-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 6, 2016
Priority date	May 6, 2016
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

An optical communication system to automatically configure remote optical nodes. The optical communication system comprising a core router configured to transmit a control optical signal at a control transmit wavelength. The optical communication system further comprising one or more remote optical nodes configured to receive the control optical signal at the control transmit wavelength and to transmit an attach request at the control transmit wavelength to the core router. The core router is further configured to receive the attach request and to assign an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a data transmit wavelength, and a mode to the remote optical nodes. The remote optical node are further configured to tune to the assigned data transmit wavelength and operate in the assigned mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating an optical communication system comprising:
a core router transmitting a control optical signal at a control transmit wavelength;
one or more cell site routers receiving the control optical signal at the control transmit wavelength;
the one or more cell site routers transmitting an attach request at the control transmit wavelength to the core router;
the core router receiving the attach request and assigning an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a data transmit wavelength, and a mode to the one or more cell site routers; and
the one or more cell site routers tuning to the assigned data transmit wavelength and operating in the assigned mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cell site router comprises an aggregate router and the mode comprises aggregate mode.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cell site router comprises a base station router and the mode comprises base station mode.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attach request indicates a Domain Name Server (DNS) and the IP address is assigned based on a DNS lookup.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the cell site router is coupled to the optical communication system over two optical fibers.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the cell site router is coupled to the optical communication system over four optical fibers.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assigned data transmit wavelength comprises a connection between two cell site routers.

8. An optical communication system comprising:
a core router configured to transmit a control optical signal at a control transmit wavelength;
one or more cell site routers configured to receive the control optical signal at the control transmit wavelength and to transmit an attach request at the control transmit wavelength to the core router;
the core router configured to receive the attach request and assign an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a data transmit wavelength, and a mode to the one or more cell site routers; and
the one or more cell site routers configured to tune to the assigned data transmit wavelength and operating in the assigned mode.

9. The optical communication system of claim 8 , wherein the cell site router comprises an aggregate router and the mode comprises aggregate mode.

10. The optical communication system of claim 8 , wherein the cell site router comprises a base station router and the mode comprises base station mode.

11. The optical communication system of claim 8 , wherein the attach request indicates a Domain Name Server (DNS) and the IP address is assigned based on a DNS lookup.

12. The optical communication system of claim 8 , wherein the cell site router is coupled to the optical communication system over two optical fibers.

13. The optical communication system of claim 8 , wherein the cell site router is coupled to the optical communication system over four optical fibers.

14. The optical communication system of claim 8 , wherein assigned data transmit wavelength comprises a connection between two cell site routers.

15. A method of operating an optical communication system comprising:
a core router transmitting a control optical signal at a control transmit wavelength;
one or more aggregate routers receiving the control optical signal at the control transmit wavelength;
the one or more aggregate routers transmitting an aggregate attach request at the control transmit wavelength to the core router;
the core router receiving the aggregate attach request and assigning an aggregate Internet Protocol (IP) address, an attach transmit wavelength, and an aggregate mode to the one or more aggregate routers;
the one or more aggregate routers operating in aggregate mode and transmitting an attach optical signal at the assigned attach transmit wavelength;
one or more base station routers receiving the attach optical signal at the attach transmit wavelength;
the one or more base station routers transmitting a base station attach request at the attach transmit wavelength to one of the one or more aggregate routers;
the one of the one of more aggregate routers transmitting the base station attach request to the core router;
the core router receiving the base station attach request and assigning a base station IP address, a data transmit wavelength, and a base station mode to the one or more base station routers; and
the one or more base station routers tuning to the assigned data transmit wavelength and operating in base station mode.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
the one or more base station routers transmitting the base station attach request at the control transmit wavelength to the core router.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the attach request indicates a Domain Name Server (DNS) and the IP address is assigned based on a DNS lookup.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the cell site router is coupled to the optical communication system over two optical fibers.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the cell site router is coupled to the optical communication system over four optical fibers.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the assigned optical signal wavelength comprises a connection between two base station routers.

Assignees

• Sprint Communications Co Lp

Inventors

• Butler Robert Keith
• James William Alexander
• Bertz Lyle T

Classifications

• H04Q11/0005

  Switch and router aspects · CPC title

• H04L61/1511

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04Q2011/0041

  Optical control · CPC title

• H04Q2011/0016

  using wavelength multiplexing or demultiplexing · CPC title

• H04L61/2007 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic