USH2075HExpiredUtilityPatentIndex 92

Restorable architectures for fiber-based broadband local access networks

Assignee: AT & T CORPPriority: Oct 13, 1998Filed: Oct 13, 1998Granted: Aug 5, 2003

Est. expiryOct 13, 2018(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority

Inventors:GNAUCK ALAN H SALEH ADEL ABDEL MONEIM WOODWARD SHERYL LEIGH

H04Q 2011/0081H04B 10/032H04J 14/0282H04J 14/0286H04J 14/0291H04J 14/0283H04J 14/029H04Q 11/0062H04Q 11/0067

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Claims

Abstract

The present invention provides a local access network, having a switching node, a passive remote node connected to an optical network unit, a first optical fiber that provides a dedicated connection between the switching node and the passive remote node, and a second optical fiber that provides a dedicated connection between the switching node and the passive remote node. A first portion of a first fiber-optic cable containing the first optical fiber does not contain any part of the second optical fiber, such that there are independent paths from the switching node to the passive remote node.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified

What is claimed is:

1. A local access network, comprising:
a switching node;
a passive remote node connected to an optical network unit;
a first optical fiber that provides a dedicated connection between the switching node and the passive remote node; and
a second optical fiber that provides a dedicated connection between the switching node and the passive remote node;
wherein a first portion of a first fiber-optic cable containing the first optical fiber does not contain any part of the second optical fiber.

2. The local access network of claim 1 , wherein the switching node is a central office.

3. The local access network of claim 1 , wherein the passive remote node is an optical coupler.

4. The local access network of claim 1 , wherein the passive remote node is a wavelength-grating router.

5. The local access network of claim 1 , wherein:
the first optical fiber provides a direct connection between the switching node and the passive remote node; and
the second optical fiber provides a direct connection between the switching node and the passive remote node.

6. The local access network of claim 1 , wherein the second optical fiber is contained by a second fiber-optic cable.

7. The local access network of claim 1 , wherein the first fiber-optic cable forms a ring, and the second optical fiber is contained by a second portion of the first fiber-optic cable.

8. The local access network of claim 4 , wherein the optical network unit is adapted to transmit signals having different wavelengths.

9. The local access network of claim 1 , wherein the optical network unit is adapted to transmit signals that always have the same wavelength.

10. The local access network of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) the switching node has a switch adapted to select a path, between the switching node and the remote node, from the group consisting of:
(1) a first path including the first optical fiber, and
(2) a second path including the second optical fiber;
(b) the switching node is adapted to transmit to the optical network unit via the selected path; and
(c) the optical network unit is adapted to transmit to the switching node via the first path and the second path simultaneously, and the switching node is adapted to receive only via the selected path.

11. The local access network of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third optical fiber that provides a dedicated connection between the switching node and the passive remote node;
a fourth optical fiber that provides a, dedicated connection between the switching node and the passive remote node;
wherein a first portion of the first fiber-optic cable containing the third optical fiber does not contain any part of the fourth optical fiber.

12. The local access network of claim 11 , wherein:
(a) the switching node has a first switch adapted to select a path, between the switching node and the passive remote node, from the group consisting of:
(1) a first path including the first optical fiber, and
(2) a second path including the second optical fiber;
(b) the switching node has a second switch adapted to select a path, between the switching node and the passive remote node, from the group consisting of:.
(1) a third path including the third optical fiber, and
(2) a fourth path including the fourth optical fiber;
(c) the switching node is adapted to transmit to the optical network unit via the path selected by the first switch; and
(d) the optical network unit is adapted to transmit to the switching node via both the third path and the fourth path simultaneously, and the switching node is adapted to receive only via the path selected by the second switch.

13. A local access network, comprising:
a switching node;
a first passive remote node;
a first optical fiber connecting the switching node to the first passive remote node;
a second passive remote node;
a second optical fiber connecting the switching node to the second passive remote node;
an optical network unit;
a third optical fiber connecting the first passive remote node to the optical network unit;
a fourth optical fiber connecting the second passive remote node to the optical network unit;
wherein a first portion of a first fiber-optic cable containing the first optical fiber does not contain any part of the second optical fiber.

14. The local access network of claim 13 , wherein the switching node is a central office.

15. The local access network of claim 13 , wherein the first and second passive remote nodes are optical couplers.

16. The local access network of claim 13 , wherein the first and second passive remote nodes are wavelength-grating routers.

17. The local access network of claim 13 , wherein: the first optical fiber provides a direct connection between the switching node and the first passive remote node; and
the second optical fiber provides a direct connection between the switching node and the second passive remote node.

18. The local access network of claim 13 , wherein the second optical fiber is contained by a second fiber-optic cable.

19. The local access network of claim 13 , wherein the first fiber-optic cable forms a ring, and the second optical fiber is contained by a second portion of the first fiber-optic cable.

20. The local access network of claim 13 , wherein the optical network unit is adapted to perform switching.

21. The local access network of claim 13 , wherein the optical network unit is not adapted to perform switching.

22. The local access network of claim 13 , wherein:
(a) the switching node has a switch adapted to select a path, between the switching node and the optical network unit, from the group consisting of:
(1) a first path including the first optical fiber, the first passive remote node, and the third optical fiber, and
(2) a second path including the second optical fiber, the second passive remote node, and the fourth optical fiber;
(b) the switching node is adapted to transmit to the optical network unit via the selected path; and
(c) the optical network unit is adapted to transmit to the switching node via the first path and the second path simultaneously, and the switching node is adapted to receive only via the selected path.

23. The local access network of claim 13 , farther comprising:
a fifth optical fiber connecting the switching node to the first passive remote node;
a sixth optical fiber connecting the switching node to the second passive remote node;
a seventh optical fiber connecting the first passive remote node to the optical network unit;
an eighth optical fiber connecting the second passive remote node to the optical network unit;
wherein a first portion of the first fiber-optic cable containing the fifth optical fiber does not contain any part of the sixth optical fiber.

24. The local access network of claim 23 , wherein:
(a) the switching node has a first switch adapted to select a path, between the switching node and the optical network unit, from the group consisting of:
(1) a first path including the first optical fiber, the first passive remote node, and the third optical fiber, and
(2) a second path including the second optical fiber, the second passive remote node, and the fourth optical fiber;
(b) the switching node has a second switch adapted to select a path from the group consisting of:
(1) a third path including the fifth optical fiber, the first passive remote node, and the seventh optical fiber, and
(2) a fourth path including the sixth optical fiber, the second passive remote node, and the eighth optical fiber;
(c) the switching node is adapted to transmit to the optical network unit via the path selected by the first switch; and
(d) the optical network unit is adapted to transmit to the switching node via both the third path and the fourth path simultaneously, and the switching node is adapted to receive only via the path selected by the second switch.

25. A local access network, comprising:
a switching node;
an optical network unit;
a first optical fiber that provides a dedicated connection between the switching node and the optical network unit;
a second optical fiber that provides a dedicated connection between the switching node and the optical network unit;
wherein a first portion of a first fiber-optic cable containing the first optical fiber does not contain any part of the second optical fiber.

26. The local access network of claim 25 , wherein the second optical fiber is contained by a second fiber-optic cable.

27. The local access network of claim 25 , wherein the first fiber-optic cable forms a ring, and the second optical fiber is contained by a second portion of the first fiber-optic cable.

28. The local access network of claim 25 , wherein:
(a) the switching node has a switch adapted to select a path, between the switching node and the optical network unit, from the group consisting of:
(1) a first path including the first optical fiber, and
(2) a second path including the second optical fiber;
(b) the switching node is adapted to transmit to the optical network unit via the selected path; and
(c) the optical network unit is adapted to transmit to the switching node via the first path and the second path simultaneously, and the switching node is adapted to receive only via the selected path.

29. A local access network, comprising:
a first switching node;
a second switching node;
a passive remote node connected to an optical network unit;
a first optical fiber that provides a dedicated connection between the first switching node and the passive remote node;
a second optical fiber that provides a dedicated connection between the second switching node and the passive remote node;
wherein a first portion of a first fiber-optic cable containing the first optical fiber does not contain any part of the second optical fiber.

30. The local access network of claim 29 , further comprising an independent communication channel between the first switching node and the second switching node.

31. The local access network of claim 29 , wherein the second optical fiber is contained by a second portion of the first fiber-optic cable.

32. A local access network, comprising:
a first switching node;
a first passive remote node;
a first optical fiber connecting the first switching node to the first passive remote node;
a second switching node;
a second passive remote node;
a second optical fiber connecting the second switching node to the second passive remote node;
an optical network unit;
a third optical fiber connecting the first passive remote node to the optical network unit;
a fourth optical fiber connecting the second passive remote node to the optical network unit;
wherein a first portion of a first fiber-optic cable containing the first optical fiber does not contain any part of the second optical fiber.

33. The local access network of claim 32 , further comprising an independent communication channel between the first switching node and the second switching node.

34. The local access network of claim 32 , wherein the second optical fiber is contained by a second portion of the first fiber-optic cable.

35. A method of providing protection against loss of service in a local access network, comprising the steps of:
transmitting data between a switching node and a first passive remote node via a first dedicated connection, wherein the first dedicated connection includes a first optical fiber;
monitoring the first dedicated connection for a failure; and
if a failure is detected, transmitting data between the switching node and the first passive remote node via a second dedicated connection, wherein the second dedicated connection includes a second optical fiber;
wherein a first portion of a first fiber-optic cable containing the first optical fiber does not contain any part of the second optical fiber.

36. A method of providing protection against loss of service in a local access network, comprising the steps of:
transmitting data between a switching node and an optical network unit via a first dedicated connection, wherein the first dedicated connection includes a first optical fiber connecting the switching node to a first passive remote node;
monitoring the first dedicated connection for a failure; and
if a failure is detected, transmitting data between the switching node and the optical network unit via a second dedicated connection, wherein the second dedicated connection includes a second optical fiber connecting the switching node to a second passive remote node;
wherein a first portion of a first fiber-optic cable containing the first optical fiber does not contain any part of the second optical fiber.

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