Method and apparatus for visually indicating connections between mult-wavelength interfaces and uni-wavelength interfaces

Abstract

A method and apparatus for visually indicating the connections between optical interfaces is provided. The optical interfaces may include multi-wavelength optical interfaces and uni-wavelength optical interfaces. The optical interfaces may reside within optical nodes contained within an optical network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a first multi-wavelength interface with a first multi-wavelength interface indicator capable of indicating a first state;   at least a second multi-wavelength interface with a second multi-wavelength interface indicator capable of indicating a second state; and   at least one uni-wavelength interface with a uni-wavelength interface indicator capable of indicating the first state and the second state,   wherein a connection between the at least one uni-wavelength interface and the first multi-wavelength interface is indicated by the uni-wavelength interface indicator indicating the first state, and wherein a connection between the at least one uni-wavelength interface and the at least second multi-wavelength interface is indicated by the uni-wavelength interface indicator indicating the second state.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first multi-wavelength interface indicator includes a first light emitting diode, and the second multi-wavelength interface indicator includes a second light emitting diode, and the uni-wavelength interface indicator includes a third light emitting diode. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first multi-wavelength interface indicator comprises a first alphanumeric display, and the second multi-wavelength interface indicator comprises a second alphanumeric display, and the uni-wavelength interface indicator comprises a third alphanumeric display. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first multi-wavelength interface indicator includes a first passive indicator, and the second multi-wavelength interface indicator includes a second passive indicator, and the uni-wavelength interface indicator includes an active indicator. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first multi-wavelength interface indicator comprises at least two light emitting diodes, and the second multi-wavelength interface indicator comprises at least two light emitting diodes, and the uni-wavelength interface indicator comprises at least two emitting diodes. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first state is indicated by a first color and the second state is indicated by a second color. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a connection between the at least one uni-wavelength interface and the first multi-wavelength interface, and the at least one uni-wavelength interface the at least second multi-wavelength interface is indicated by the uni-wavelength interface indicator alternating between the first state and the second state. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising at least a third multi-wavelength interface with a third multi-wavelength interface indicator capable of indicating a third state, wherein the uni-wavelength interface indicator is further capable of indicating the third state, and wherein a connection between the at least one uni-wavelength interface and the first multi-wavelength interface, and the at least one uni-wavelength interface the at least second multi-wavelength interface, and the at least one uni-wavelength interface the at least third multi-wavelength interface is indicated by the uni-wavelength interface indicator sequencing from the first state, to the second state, to the third state, and back to the first state. 
     
     
         9 . A method for indicating connections between interfaces comprising:
 indicating a first state with a first interface indicator of a first interface;   indicating a second state with a second interface indicator of a second interface; and   indicating the first state and the second state with a third interface indicator of a third interface,   wherein, the third interface indicator indicates a connection between the third interface and the first interface by indicating the first state, and wherein the third interface indicator indicates a connection between the third interface and the second interface by indicating the second state.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first interface is a first multi-wavelength interface, and second interface is a second multi-wavelength interface, and the third interface is a uni-wavelength interface. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first interface indicator includes a first light emitting diode, and the second interface indicator includes a second light emitting diode, and the third interface indicator includes a third light emitting diode. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first interface indicator comprises a first alphanumeric display, and the second interface indicator comprises a second alphanumeric display, and the third interface indicator comprises a third alphanumeric display. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first interface indicator includes a first passive indicator, and the second interface indicator includes a second passive indicator, and the third interface indicator includes an active indicator. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first interface indicator comprises at least two light emitting diodes, and the second interface indicator comprises at least two light emitting diodes, and the third interface indicator comprises at least two emitting diodes. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first state is indicated by a first color and the second state is indicated by a second color. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a connection between the third interface and the first interface, and the third interface and the second interface is indicated by the third interface indicator alternating between the first state and the second state. 
     
     
         17 . An optical node comprising:
 a first multi-wavelength interface with a first multi-wavelength interface indicator capable of illuminating with a first color;   at least a second multi-wavelength interface with a second multi-wavelength interface indicator capable of illuminating with a second color; and   at least one uni-wavelength interface with a uni-wavelength interface indicator capable of illuminating with the first color and the second color,   wherein a connection between the at least one uni-wavelength interface and the first multi-wavelength interface is indicated by illuminating the uni-wavelength interface indicator with the first color, and wherein a connection between the at least one uni-wavelength interface and the second multi-wavelength interface is indicated by illuminating the uni-wavelength interface indicator with the second color.   
     
     
         18 . The optical node of  claim 17 , wherein the optical node is capable of establishing an inter-node connection between the at least one uni-wavelength interface and a second uni-wavelength interface of a second optical node, wherein a problem with the inter-node connection is indicated by the uni-wavelength interface indicator by alternating between the first color and no color. 
     
     
         19 . The optical node of  claim 17 , wherein the optical node is capable of establishing a first inter-node connection between the at least one uni-wavelength interface and a second uni-wavelength interface of a second optical node through the first multi-wavelength interface, and wherein the optical node is capable of establishing at least a second inter-node connection between the at least one uni-wavelength interface and a third uni-wavelength interface of a third optical node through the at least second multi-wavelength interface, wherein the uni-wavelength interface indicator indicates the first inter-node connection and the at least second inter-node connection by alternating between the first color during a first time period and the second color during a second time period. 
     
     
         20 . The optical node of  claim 19 , wherein a problem with the first inter-node connection is indicated by the uni-wavelength interface indicator by alternating between the first color and no color during the first time period. 
     
     
         21 . The optical node of  claim 17 , further comprising at least one ROADM circuit pack comprising the first multi-wavelength interface and the first multi-wavelength interface indicator. 
     
     
         22 . The optical node of  claim 21 , wherein the ROADM circuit pack further comprises the at least second multi-wavelength interface and the second multi-wavelength interface indicator. 
     
     
         23 . The optical node of  claim 17 , further comprising at least one multiplexer and demultiplexer circuit pack comprising the at least one uni-wavelength interface and the uni-wavelength interface indicator. 
     
     
         24 . The optical node of  claim 23 , wherein the multiplexer and demultiplexer circuit pack further comprises a front panel comprising at least one optical connector for the at least one uni-wavelength interface, and a printed circuit board comprising the uni-wavelength interface indicator, wherein the printed circuit board is located directly behind the front panel, and wherein the at least one optical connector extends through the printed circuit board. 
     
     
         25 . The optical node of  claim 17 , further comprising at least one optical transponder having a second uni-wavelength interface indicator whose state matches the state of the uni-wavelength interface indicator.