METHOD OF MONITORING AND CONTROLLING THE BIT ERROR RATE (BER) IN AN OPTICAL COMMUNICATION NETWORK
Granted: May 31, 2007
Application Number:
20070122148
A method is disclosed for monitoring and controlling the bit error rate (BER) in an optical communication network where an optical receiver in the optical transmission network. The method includes the steps of decombining a combined channel signal received from the network and then monitoring a real time bit error rate (BER) of a decombined channel signal. The determined BER is then communicated, such as through an optical service channel (OSC) to an optical transmitter source that is…
CONSISTENCY OF STATE MODEL VISUALIZATION ACROSS DIFFERENT STANDARD ATTRIBUTES
Granted: May 3, 2007
Application Number:
20070100887
A system, apparatus and method are described for displaying multiple attributes relative to objects in a network management program. In one embodiment, multiple attributes from a plurality of different standards are coalesced together and the coalesced attributes are displayed by a user interface. These coalesced attributes may be shown in such a manner so that inconsistencies between attributes of objects from different standards are reduced or obviated.
WAVELENGTH LOCKING AND POWER CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR MULTI-CHANNEL PHOTONIC INTEGRATED CIRCUITS (PICs)
Granted: April 26, 2007
Application Number:
20070092177
A transmissive active channel element is provided in each signal channel of a monolithic multi-channel TxPIC where each channel also includes a modulated source. The active channel element functions both as a power control element for both monitoring and regulating the output channel signal level of each signal channel and as a modulator for channel wavelength tagging or labeling to provide for wavelength locking the modulated sources. The power regulating function is also employed to…
OPTICAL AUTODISCOVERY FOR AUTOMATED LOGICAL AND PHYSICAL CONNECTIVITY CHECK BETWEEN OPTICAL MODULES
Granted: April 26, 2007
Application Number:
20070092197
Optical autodiscovery is provide between two optical modules to insure that when an optical signal is coupled between the two optical module, the optical signal from a first module does not interfere with operation of a second module. The autodiscovery is implemented by sending an optical identification signal from the first optical module via the coupling to the second optical module from which signal, the second optical module can verify and determined acceptance of the coupled first…
Tilted combiners/decombiners and photonic integrated circuit (PIC) employing the same
Granted: April 19, 2007
Application Number:
20070086702
A monolithic optical transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TXPIC) comprises a plurality of integrated modulated sources which, when all operated at constant current, display a power output that varies as a function of array position similar to a quadratic-shaped curve and, further, forming an array of signal channels each having a different wavelength output. An optical combiner/decombiner is integrated in the circuit and has at least one free space region with a plurality of ordered…
VIRTUAL LOCAL AREA NETWORK CONFIGURATION FOR MULTI-CHASSIS NETWORK ELEMENT
Granted: January 25, 2007
Application Number:
20070019642
A system, apparatus, and method for providing a plurality of internal VLANs within a networking element/node are described. Internal VLAN topologies are provisioned so that a particular VLAN(S) communicate traffic to corresponding applications. This segregation of internal traffic across a VLAN topology reduces the amount of interference between the traffic. Redundancy across the VLAN topology is provided so that traffic may be switched to another path in the event of a failure.
Method tuning optical components integrated in a monolithic photonic integrated circuit (PIC)
Granted: January 25, 2007
Application Number:
20070019901
A method of tuning optical components integrated on a monolithic semiconductor chip having a plurality of first optical components integrated on the chip with each fabricated to approximate an emission wavelength along a given wavelength grid and together forming a first optical component wavelength grid. A second optical component is integrated on the chip with and optically coupled to the group of first optical components. The second optical component has a second optical component…
Discovery Of An Adjacent Network Element Within A Network Data Plane
Granted: January 25, 2007
Application Number:
20070019954
The present invention provides a system, apparatus and method for discovery of network elements, which are adjacent within the network data plane but may or may not be adjacent in the network control plane. In one embodiment of the present invention, digital network elements, with a plurality thereof having a lambda switching capability (hereinafter “LSC”) interface, is provided. A digital network element with an LSC interface originates and sends a local advertisement to its…
OPTICAL TRANSMITTER
Granted: January 18, 2007
Application Number:
20070014509
An optical transmitter comprises an array of modulated sources having different operating wavelengths approximating a standardized wavelength grid and providing signal outputs of different wavelengths. Signal outputs of the modulated sources are optically coupled to inputs of the wavelength selective combiner to produce a combined signal output from the combiner. The wavelength selective combiner has a wavelength grid passband response approximating the wavelength grid of the…
Automated Optical Link Power Control
Granted: January 4, 2007
Application Number:
20070002430
A system, apparatus and method are described for controlling the gain across one or more amplifier nodes within an optical span. In one embodiment, a fast local amplifier constant gain control loop is provided that maintains a constant gain across an amplifier node for each of the channels within an optical signal. A slow link level gain setting control loop is provided to set and/or adjust the target gain on the amplifier node(s). A gain adjust sequence is performed by the slow link…
MULTI-CHASSIS INTERCONNECT
Granted: January 4, 2007
Application Number:
20070005968
The present invention provides a system, apparatus and method for providing point-to-point inter-chassis connections within chassis systems and/or network nodes. Multi-chassis systems within a network employ a protocol wherein a peer discovery process is initiated and the discovered neighbors are authentically verified before establishing an active state between point-to-point inter-chassis links.
ACTIVE CONTROL LOOP FOR POWER CONTROL OF OPTICAL CHANNEL GROUPS
Granted: January 4, 2007
Application Number:
20070003281
A system, apparatus and method are described for deployment of a control loop between optical or electro-optical modules and a multiplexing module to provide a desired power profile of banded optical channel groups. The power output characteristics of the optical or electro-optical modules, the properties of the transmission paths of the banded optical channel groups, and other factors may be analyzed to allow the control loop to achieve the desired power profile on the banded optical…
INTRA-NODE FAULT RECOVERY WITHIN A MULTI-STAGE SWITCHING ARCHITECTURE
Granted: January 4, 2007
Application Number:
20070002731
A system, apparatus and method for dynamic intra node rerouting is described. In one embodiment of the invention, a multi-stage architecture within a network node is provided in which various module cards, including intermediary module cards, are interconnected within a chassis. A connection is established between a first module card and a second module card through an intermediate module card so that traffic may flow internally within the chassis. Failure detection and intra-node…
Recovery of Client Clock Without Jitter
Granted: January 4, 2007
Application Number:
20070001722
The present invention provides a system, apparatus and method for recovering a client signal clock. The present invention is able to more effectively remove jitter within a clock signal by providing a phase shifting element in the feedback of a PLL system to compensate for sudden changes in an input reference clock. The PLL system provides flexible clock recovery so that it can accommodate various payload types because it extracts a client clock signal independent of a corresponding…
XML OVER TCP MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL WITH TUNNELED PROXY SUPPORT AND CONNECTION MANAGEMENT
Granted: December 21, 2006
Application Number:
20060288092
Network elements, which are network nodes in a transmission network, implement a proprietary XML agent which supports an XML over TCP network management protocol. The protocol permits tunneling of proxy management traffic, with connection management support, to a privately addressed subtending network element. This tunneling is performed via a publicly addressable gateway network element device without the need for configuration at the element management system software application…
Method of manufacturing and apparatus for a transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TXPIC) chip
Granted: October 12, 2006
Application Number:
20060228067
A monolithic photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chip where the active waveguide cores of the modulated sources of the PIC are multiple quantum wells (MQWs) and the passive waveguide cores of an optical combiner are a bulk layer or material. The cores of the waveguide cores may be a quaternary such as InGaAsP or InAlGaAs.
METHOD AND APPARATUS OF MONITORING AND CONTROLLING THE EMISSION WAVELENGTHS OF A PLURALITY OF LASER SOURCES INTEGRATED ON THE SAME CHIP OR IN THE SAME PHOTONIC INTEGRATED CIRCUIT (PIC)
Granted: August 17, 2006
Application Number:
20060182441
A method and apparatus operates an array of laser sources as an integrated array on a single substrate or as integrated in an optical transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) maintaining the emission wavelengths of such integrated laser sources at their targeted emission wavelengths or at least to more approximate their desired respective emission wavelengths. Wavelength changing elements may accompany the laser sources to bring about the change in their operational or emission…
Optical combiner/decombiner with reduced insertion loss
Granted: June 29, 2006
Application Number:
20060138433
A photonic integrated circuit that includes a plurality of active and passive components on a substrate where one of the components is an optical combiner/decombiner having at least one free space coupler region and a plurality of longitudinal ridge waveguides each extending in the circuit from a first region of the waveguide and coupled at a second region of the waveguide at the free space coupler region. A first dielectric layer formed over the ridge waveguides and the free space…
Formation of cleaved grooves in a passivation layer formed over a surface of a wafer prior to wafer singulation
Granted: June 29, 2006
Application Number:
20060140574
Cleaved grooves, also referred to herein as “cleave streets”, are formed exclusively in a wafer passivation layer overlaying a wafer to provide for correctly aligned and sharp cleaves prior to singulation of the wafer into separate die or chips. The deployment of cleave streets is applicable to both Group III-V-base wafers, such as InP-based wafers with photonic integrated circuits (PICs), and silicon-based wafers with integrated circuits where such wafers utilize a passivating layer
Method of reducing insertion loss in a transition region between a plurality of input or output waveguides to a free space coupler region
Granted: June 29, 2006
Application Number:
20060141649
A method for reducing insertion loss in a transition region between a plurality of input or output waveguides to a free space coupler region in a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) includes the steps of forming a passivation layer over the waveguides and region and forming the passivation overlayer such that it monotonically increases in thickness through the transition region to the free space coupler region.
