Pair routing between undersea fiber optic cables

Abstract

An undersea fiber optic cable routing architecture including a branching unit coupled to three trunk cables capable of switching individual fibers in each fiber pair within a cable to either of the other two cables. The branching unit comprises a plurality of optical switches and a controller for receiving remote command signals and configuring the optical switches in accordance with the remote command signals.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer implemented method, comprising:
 selecting, using at least one processor, one or more fiber pairs in a plurality of fiber pairs in one or more cables for routing of at least one transmission, the one or more cables connecting one or more transmission sites;   assigning, using the at least one processor, at least one optical transmission path in one or more optical transmission paths to the selected one or more fiber pairs;   forming, using the at least one processor, an optical pathway using the selected one or more fiber pairs and the assigned at least one optical transmission path; and   transmitting, using the at least one processor, the at least one transmission using the optical pathway between the one or more transmission sites.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more cables include at least one of the following: one or more undersea cables, one or more land cables, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical transmission path includes one or more optical switches configured to be connected to each fiber pair in the selected one or more fiber pairs. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a remote command identifying the one or more fiber pairs for routing of the at least one transmission, wherein the at least one optical transmission path is selected based on the remote command. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising
 transferring, in response to the remote command, one or more optical signals associated with the at least one transmission from at least one transmission site in the one or more transmission sites to at least another transmission site in the one or more transmission sites along the at least one optical transmission path; and   maintaining, in response to the remote command, at least another optical transmission path in the one or more optical transmission paths in an inactive state.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more optical signals are transferred from at least one optical switch communicatively coupled to the at least one optical transmission path and associated with the at least one transmission site to at least another optical switch communicatively coupled to the at least another optical transmission path and associated with the at least another transmission site. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising
 transferring, in response to the remote command, one or more optical signals associated with the at least one transmission between the one or more transmission sites using all optical transmission paths in the one or more optical transmission paths.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more transmission sites include a first transmission site, a second transmission site and a third transmission site. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a branching unit is configured to be communicatively coupled to the first transmission site, the second transmission site and the third transmission site, the branching unit includes the one or more optical transmission paths. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more cables include
 one or more first cables communicatively coupled to the first transmission site and the branching unit, and include one or more first fiber pairs in the plurality of fiber pairs communicatively coupled to the one or more optical transmission paths of the branching unit;   one or more second cables communicatively coupled to the second transmission site and the branching unit, and include one or more second fiber pairs in the plurality of fiber pairs communicatively coupled to the one or more optical transmission paths of the branching unit, and   one or more third cables communicatively coupled to the third transmission site and the branching unit, and include one or more third fiber pairs in the plurality of fiber pairs communicatively coupled to the one or more optical transmission paths of the branching unit.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the selecting includes selecting at least two fiber pairs in each cable in the one or more cables for routing of the at least one transmission. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting including communicatively coupling at least two transmission sites in the one or more transmission sites using the optical pathway, while at least one transmission site in the one or more transmission sites is disconnected. 
     
     
         13 . A system, comprising:
 a branching unit configured to be communicatively coupled to one or more transmission sites, the branching unit including one or more optical transmission paths;   at least one controller communicatively coupled to the branching unit and including
 at least one processor; and 
 at least one non-transitory storage media storing instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to
 select one or more fiber pairs in a plurality of fiber pairs in one or more cables for routing of at least one transmission, the one or more cables connecting one or more transmission sites; 
 assign at least one optical transmission path in the one or more optical transmission paths to the selected one or more fiber pairs; 
 form an optical pathway using the selected one or more fiber pairs and the assigned at least one optical transmission path; and 
 transmit the at least one transmission using the optical pathway between the one or more transmission sites. 
 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more cables include at least one of the following: one or more undersea cables, one or more land cables, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one optical transmission path includes one or more optical switches configured to be connected to each fiber pair in the selected one or more fiber pairs. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive a remote command identifying the one or more fiber pairs for routing of the at least one transmission, wherein the at least one optical transmission path is selected based on the remote command. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to
 transfer, in response to the remote command, one or more optical signals associated with the at least one transmission from at least one transmission site in the one or more transmission sites to at least another transmission site in the one or more transmission sites along the at least one optical transmission path; and   maintain, in response to the remote command, at least another optical transmission path in the one or more optical transmission paths in an inactive state;   wherein the one or more optical signals are transferred from at least one optical switch communicatively coupled to the at least one optical transmission path and associated with the at least one transmission site to at least another optical switch communicatively coupled to the at least another optical transmission path and associated with the at least another transmission site.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to
 transfer, in response to the remote command, one or more optical signals associated with the at least one transmission between the one or more transmission sites using all optical transmission paths in the one or more optical transmission paths.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more transmission sites include a first transmission site, a second transmission site and a third transmission site;
 wherein the branching unit is configured to be communicatively coupled to the first transmission site, the second transmission site and the third transmission site, the branching unit includes the one or more optical transmission paths;   wherein the one or more cables include
 one or more first cables communicatively coupled to the first transmission site and the branching unit, and include one or more first fiber pairs in the plurality of fiber pairs communicatively coupled to the one or more optical transmission paths of the branching unit; 
 one or more second cables communicatively coupled to the second transmission site and the branching unit, and include one or more second fiber pairs in the plurality of fiber pairs communicatively coupled to the one or more optical transmission paths of the branching unit, and 
 one or more third cables communicatively coupled to the third transmission site and the branching unit, and include one or more third fiber pairs in the plurality of fiber pairs communicatively coupled to the one or more optical transmission paths of the branching unit; 
   wherein at least two fiber pairs in each cable in the one or more cables are selected for routing of the at least one transmission.   
     
     
         20 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one programmable processor, cause the at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising:
 selecting one or more fiber pairs in a plurality of fiber pairs in one or more cables for routing of at least one transmission, the one or more cables connecting one or more transmission sites;   assigning at least one optical transmission path in one or more optical transmission paths to the selected one or more fiber pairs;   forming an optical pathway using the selected one or more fiber pairs and the assigned at least one optical transmission path; and   
       transmitting the at least one transmission using the optical pathway between the one or more transmission sites.