Abnormality monitoring for bidirectional optical link

Abstract

To provide a method for monitoring abnormality of a bidirectional optical link.SOLUTION: A method may include obtaining a first power profile estimate (PPE) for a first optical signal propagating through an optical link in a first direction. The method may include obtaining a second PPE for a second optical signal propagating through the optical link in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The method may also include generating an optical link analysis indicative of one or more locations along the optical link to apply one or more of a gain and a loss to the optical signal propagating through the optical link.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments described herein relate to the monitoring of anomalies in bidirectional optical links.

Background Art

[0002] Remote communication systems, cable television systems, and data communication networks transmit information between remote points using an optical network. In an optical network, information is transmitted in the form of optical signals via an optical link, such as one consisting of an optical fiber or other optical medium. The optical network may include various components configured to perform various operations within the optical network, such as amplifiers, dispersion compensators, multiplexer / demultiplexer filters, wavelength selective switches, couplers, transmitters, receivers, and the like. In some examples, bidirectional optical links may be used to reduce the number of optical links utilized within the optical network.

[0003] The power of an optical signal may vary along the length of the optical link (e.g., along the length of an optical fiber) due to various factors such as attenuation, dispersion, non-linear effects, and / or amplification. Monitoring of the optical link via power profile estimation corresponding to the optical link and the optical signal propagating thereon can be useful for system design, optimization, optical link monitoring, and performance evaluation.

[0004] The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve problems or operate only in the environments such as those described above. Rather, this description of the background art is provided only to illustrate an example of the technical area in which the embodiments described herein may be practiced.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one aspect of an embodiment, the operation may include obtaining a first power profile estimation (PPE) for a first optical signal propagating in an optical link in a first direction. The operation may also include obtaining a second PPE for a second optical signal propagating in the optical link in a second direction opposite to the first direction. Further, the operation may include generating an optical link analysis indicating one or more positions along the optical link at which one or more of gain or loss is applied to the optical signal propagating in the optical link.

[0006] The objectives and advantages of the embodiments will be realized and achieved by the elements, mechanisms, and combinations specifically pointed out at least in the claims. It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the claimed invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] Embodiment examples will be described and explained more specifically and in detail through the use of the accompanying drawings including the following figures.

Figure 1A

Figure 1B

Figure 1C

Figure 1D

Figure 2

Figure 3

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] An optical network can include nodes configured to communicate information with each other via optical signals propagating in an optical link (e.g., an optical fiber). Bidirectional optical signal propagation through a bidirectional optical link can be utilized to reduce the number of optical links that can be used within an optical network.

[0009] Also, the power distribution of an optical signal when propagating in an optical link can be affected by several contributing factors including attenuation, dispersion, non-linearity, other impairments, and / or enhancements such as amplification. Monitoring of an optical link can include using longitudinal power profile estimation (PPE) to estimate the power levels of optical signals at different positions along each optical link, which can help identify portions of the optical link that can affect optical signal propagation. However, for a bidirectional optical link, the PPE can vary depending on which side of the bidirectional optical link is used for transmission or reception of the optical signal used to determine a different PPE.

[0010] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a bidirectional PPE can be desirably used to analyze a bidirectional optical link. Using such bidirectional PPE, portions of the corresponding bidirectional optical link that can cause signal degradation and / or signal enhancement can be identified and desirably used to improve optical network performance.

[0011] Monitoring an optical signal using bidirectional PPE can include obtaining a first PPE for a first optical signal propagating through an optical link in a first direction, obtaining a second PPE for a second optical signal propagating through the optical link in a second direction opposite the first direction, and generating an optical link analysis based on the first PPE and the second PPE. The optical link analysis can indicate one or more positions along the optical link at which gain or loss is applied to the optical signal propagating through the optical link. The gain can include amplification of the optical signal. The loss (e.g., an abnormal loss) can include attenuation of the optical signal. The position of the loss can reasonably indicate which portion of the optical link may have an abnormality (e.g., a characteristic or feature that affects signal power, propagation performance, etc.). Thus, the use of bidirectional PPE can be used to monitor for abnormalities in a bidirectional optical link and identify portions of the bidirectional optical link that can affect signal propagation.

[0012] Such use of bidirectional PPE can result in more accurate optical link monitoring than other techniques. For example, some techniques suffer from limited resolution and are less suitable or inappropriate for detecting closely spaced impairments and / or enhancements. Some conventional hardware test devices are placed span by span, which can be time consuming and / or expensive. Also, some longitudinal PPE techniques can be plagued by noise when signal power decreases within an optical network due to fiber attenuation. The bidirectional PPE technique described herein can overcome concerns about noise because bidirectional PPE includes combining PPE for at least two signals propagating in opposite directions in the same optical link, which can allow the noisy portions of one PPE to be replaced and / or corrected by corresponding portions of the other PPE that are less noisy to generate a more accurate optical link analysis.

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] FIG. 1A shows an example of an embodiment of a bidirectional optical link analysis module 100 (“module 100”) configured to generate an optical link analysis 104 based on a power profile estimate 102 (“PPE102”) configured according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] In some embodiments, the optical link analysis 104 and the PPE102 may correspond to an optical link. The optical link may include any suitable combination of optical components through which an optical signal may propagate between an optical transmitter and an optical receiver. In these and other embodiments, the optical link may include a bidirectional optical link having optical transceivers at each end. The bidirectional optical link can allow optical signals to propagate in both directions through the same optical components. For example, in a bidirectional optical link, an optical signal can travel in both directions through the same optical fiber included in the bidirectional optical link.

[0016] The PPE102 may include any power profile estimate that may correspond to the optical link. In these and other embodiments, one or more of the PPE102 may be determined based on any longitudinal power profile estimation technique. For example, the PPE102 may include an estimate of the optical signal power based on non - linear interference noise (NLI noise) and cumulative wavelength dispersion at one or more positions along the optical link. In some embodiments, the PPE102 may be based on a minimum mean square error (MMSE) technique. Additionally, or alternatively, the PPE102 may be based on a correlation - based method (CM). In these and other embodiments, one or more of the PPE102 may be determined based on signal power, signal wavelength, signal modulation scheme (e.g., amplitude and / or phase), chromatic dispersion, signal polarization state, optical signal - to - noise ratio (OSNR), and / or any other information about the optical signal. For example, one or more of the PPE102 may be determined based on chromatic dispersion and non - linear interference noise. For example, one or more of the PPE102 may be determined based on the modal dispersion of different wavelengths of light when the optical signal propagates through the corresponding optical link.

[0017] In some embodiments, one or more of the PPEs 102 may be obtained by the module 100 determining such PPEs 102. For example, the module 100 may include, or alternatively be a part of, a computing system configured to generate an optical link analysis based on the PPEs 102. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more of the PPEs 102 may be obtained by the module 100 receiving such PPEs 102 from one or more other suitable devices configured to determine the PPEs 102 and communicatively coupled to the module 100. For example, the PPEs 102 may be generated by a computing system that receives information regarding one or more optical signals propagating through the optical link from one or more optical transceivers. In some embodiments, such a computing system may be able to determine one or more of the PPEs 102 based on such information and communicate the determined PPEs 102 to the module 100.

[0018] In some embodiments, the PPE 102 may be a bidirectional PPE. For example, the bidirectional PPE may include an estimation of the optical signal power of at least two optical signals propagating in opposite directions through the optical link for one or more positions along the optical link.

[0019] As an example, FIG. 1B shows an operating environment example 150 for obtaining a first PPE 160a and a second PPE 160b (collectively PPE 160). The first PPE 160a may correspond to the propagation of one or more optical signals in a first direction 156a from a first optical transceiver 154a to a second optical transceiver 154b via an optical link 152. The second PPE 160b may correspond to the propagation of one or more optical signals in a second direction 156b from the second optical transceiver 154b to the first optical transceiver 154a via the optical link 152. Thus, the first PPE 160a and the second PPE 160b may correspond to the same optical link 152, but may be based on optical signals propagating in opposite directions along the optical link 152. Additionally, or alternatively, the first PPE 160a and the second PPE 160b may be regarded as "bidirectional PPEs" with respect to each other.

[0020] In the example shown in FIG. 1B, the optical link 152 may include an anomaly 158. The anomaly 158 may be one or more characteristics or features of the optical link 152 and / or within the optical link 152 that affect optical signal power and / or propagation performance. For example, the anomaly 158 can be anything that can cause a bend and / or curvature in the optical link 152, a fiber cut, a fiber tap, and / or a sudden drop in signal power. In some embodiments, the first PPE 160a and / or the second PPE 160b may indicate that the optical signal propagating across the optical link 152 experiences a loss at a position along the optical link 152 where the anomaly 158 is present. The loss may attenuate the optical signal. The position of the loss within the first PPE 160a and / or the second PPE 160b may reasonably indicate which portion of the optical link 152 may have the anomaly 158.

[0021] In the example shown in FIG. 1B, the anomaly 158 is shown within the first PPE 160a by the arrow in the first PPE 160a and within the second PPE 160b by the arrow in the second PPE 160b. In some embodiments, due to the difference in the distance between the second optical transceiver 154b and the anomaly 158 compared to the distance between the first optical transceiver 154a and the anomaly 158, the position of the anomaly 158 within the optical link 152 may be shown in a different portion of the first PPE 160a compared to the second PPE 160b. For example, in FIG. 1B, along the optical link 152, since the anomaly 158 may be present at a position near the end of the optical link 152 on the opposite side from the first optical transceiver 154a, the anomaly 158 may be shown near the end of the first PPE 160a. As a further example, in FIG. 1B, along the optical link 152, since the anomaly 158 may be present at a position close to the second optical transceiver 154b, the anomaly 158 may be shown near the start of the second PPE 160b. Additionally, alternatively, the anomaly 158 may be shown within the first PPE 160a and / or the second PPE 160b based on increased noise. For example, the first PPE 160a and the second PPE 160b shown in FIG. 1B have an increase in noise in the corresponding portions after the anomaly 158 is shown within each of the first PPE 160a and the second PPE 160b.

[0022] Returning to FIG. 1A, as described above, the module 100 may be configured to obtain the PPE 102 and generate the optical link analysis 104 based on the PPE 102. In some embodiments, the module 100 generating the optical link analysis 104 based on the PPE 102 may include combining two or more subgroups of the PPE 102, each of which exhibits a greater optical signal power. Additionally, alternatively, the module 100 may be configured to generate the optical link analysis 104 based on one or more processing operations.

[0023] In some embodiments, module 100 may be included in and / or implemented by any suitable computing system. For example, module 100 may be implemented using hardware including one or more processors, central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), data processing units (DPUs), parallel processing units (PPUs), microprocessors (e.g., for performing or controlling one or more operations), programmable vision accelerators (PVAs) (which may include one or more direct memory access (DMA) systems and / or one or more vector or vision processing units (VPUs)), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), accelerators (e.g., deep learning accelerators (DLAs)), and / or other processor types. Additionally, or alternatively, module 100 may be implemented using a combination of hardware and software. In the present disclosure, the operations described as being performed by module 100 can include operations that module 100 may instruct one or more corresponding computing systems to perform. In these or other embodiments, module 100 may be implemented by one or more computing systems, such as those described in further detail with respect to FIG. 3, for example. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more computing systems in which module 100 may be disposed may include a digital signal processing system included in an optical transceiver.

[0024] In some embodiments, the optical link analysis 104 may include any form of data indicative of the performance of optical signal propagation in the optical link. For example, the optical link analysis 104 may indicate one or more anomalies in the optical link. For example, the optical link analysis 104 may be an anomaly detection signal representation configured to indicate one or more positions along the optical link that impart loss to the optical signal propagating through the optical link. In some embodiments, the loss may attenuate the optical signal. For example, the gain may correspond to amplification that may be caused by a doped fiber and / or some other type of optical amplifier. Additionally, alternatively, the loss may correspond to an attenuation that may be greater than the expected attenuation corresponding to the propagation distance. In some embodiments, the optical link analysis 104 may be a graphical representation corresponding to the optical link. For example, in an example where the optical link analysis 104 is a graphical representation, the shape (e.g., peaks, valleys, slopes, etc.) of the optical link analysis 104 may indicate where one or more anomalies are present within the optical link.

[0025] In these and other embodiments, an anomaly may be any behavior that deviates from the expected propagation of an optical signal in the optical link. For example, the anomaly may be a break and / or bend in the optical fiber.

[0026] In some embodiments, the optical link analysis 104 may generally be useful for improving the optical network. For example, one or more components of the optical link may be adjusted based on the optical link analysis 104. For example, the optical link analysis 104 may indicate that a component may need to be replaced. Also, one or more characteristics of the bidirectional optical signal transmitted may be adjusted based on the optical link analysis 104 to help cancel out the adverse effects experienced by the bidirectional optical signal and indicated by the optical link analysis 104.

[0027] In addition, the optical link analysis 104 can enable any anomalies that impart losses to the optical signals propagating in the optical link to be mitigated using some suitable technique. For example, in an optical link having a hybrid of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) and Raman amplification, in order to re-optimize the transmission performance, the output power and / or the pump power can be adjusted according to the type and / or position of the anomalies within the optical link. Thus, the robust and accurate optical link analysis 104 can help simplify the operation and troubleshooting of disaggregated optical networks.

[0028] FIG. 1C shows an illustrative example corresponding to processing operations that can be performed by the module 100 as part of and / or prior to generating one or more optical link analyses 164a, 164b, 164c (generally optical link analysis 164) in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The processing operations of FIG. 1C are described with respect to the first PPE 160a and the second PPE 160b of FIG. 1B for illustrative purposes. However, one or more of such operations can be applied to any applicable PPE.

[0029] In some embodiments, the module 100 can perform these one or more processing operations to determine which portions of the first PPE 160a and the second PPE 160b to use to generate the optical link analysis 164. For example, in some embodiments, the processing operations can include identifying a portion of the first PPE 160a (e.g., a portion with less optical noise) that more accurately represents how an optical signal propagates through the optical link at one or more positions along the optical link than the second PPE 160b. Additionally, alternatively, the processing operations can include identifying a portion of the second PPE 160b (e.g., a portion with less optical noise) that more accurately represents how an optical signal propagates through the optical link at one or more positions along the optical link than the first PPE 160a.

[0030] For example, as an optical signal propagates along an optical link, the overall power of the optical signal may attenuate, which can reduce non - linear interference noise and thus degrade the accuracy of the corresponding PPE. For example, as shown in graph 161 of FIG. 1C, a first PPE 160a can be greater than a second PPE 160b with respect to a position corresponding to the left side of the PPE intersection 163 of graph 161, where graph 161 shows the PPE as a function of the distance (e.g., position along the optical link) from a transmitter that transmits an optical signal propagating in a first direction corresponding to the first PPE 160a. Similarly, the second PPE 160b can be greater than the first PPE 160a with respect to a position corresponding to the right side of the PPE intersection 163 of graph 161.

[0031] Accordingly, in some embodiments, as part of the processing operation, a portion of the first PPE 160a corresponding to a position on the left side of the PPE intersection 163 can be identified as being more accurate than a portion of the second PPE 160b corresponding to a position on the left side of the PPE intersection 163. Similarly, in these and other embodiments, as part of the processing operation, a portion of the second PPE 160b corresponding to a position on the right side of the PPE intersection 163 can be identified as being more accurate than a portion of the first PPE 160a corresponding to a position on the right side of the PPE intersection 163.

[0032] For example, as shown in FIG. 1C, module 100 can combine a more accurate portion of the first PPE 160a (e.g., the portion of the first PPE 160a to the left of the PPE intersection 163 in graph 161) with a more accurate portion of the second PPE 160b (e.g., the portion of the second PPE 160b to the right of the PPE intersection 163 in graph 161) to generate an optical link analysis 164a. The location of an anomaly within the optical link can be indicated by the loss specified by the arrow in the optical link analysis 164a.

[0033] In these and other embodiments, the optical link analysis 164a may use the first PPE 160a, the second PPE 160b, and / or be based on the first PPE 160a or the second PPE 160b for any corresponding positions along an equal optical link between the first PPE 160a and the second PPE 160b (e.g., for positions corresponding to the PPE intersection 163). For example, the first PPE 160a and the second PPE 160b may be equal at the PPE intersection 163 shown in the graph 161, which, in some embodiments, may be the position where the first optical signal and the second optical signal have propagated halfway along the optical link. In some embodiments, the PPE intersection 163 may correspond to a position other than the position where the first optical signal and the second optical signal have propagated halfway along the optical link due to an anomaly within the optical link. For example, FIG. 1C shows that the module 100 may utilize either the first PPE 160a or the second PPE 160b to generate a portion of the optical link analysis 164a corresponding to the position of the PPE intersection 163 in order to generate the optical link analysis 164a.

[0034] In addition, or alternatively, as part of and / or prior to generating the optical link analysis 164, the module 100 may perform processing operations that may include applying one or more mathematical operations to the first PPE 160a and / or the second PPE 160b. For example, addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, combinations thereof, and / or linear regression, logarithmic transformation, differential transformation, and / or any other mathematical operations may be applied. The one or more mathematical operations may be designed to linearize, expand, shrink, clean, filter, and / or clarify the data within the PPE 160. In some embodiments, applying one or more mathematical operations to the first PPE 160a and / or the second PPE 160b can assist the user in interpreting the information conveyed by the PPE 160 indicating the position of an anomaly within the optical link. For example, applying a certain mathematical operation can make the change in optical signal power more visible (e.g., a peak within the graphical representation of the PPE 160), thus assisting in interpreting the PPE 160.

[0035] For example, as shown in FIG. 1C, one or more mathematical operations applied by module 100 may include taking the derivative of the first PPE 160a to obtain a first transformed PPE 162a, and taking the derivative of the second PPE 160b to obtain a second transformed PPE 162b. In some embodiments, to identify the PPE intersection 163 that may be represented in each of the first transformed PPE 162a and / or the second transformed PPE 162b, information regarding a more accurate portion of the first PPE 160a and / or the second PPE 160b (e.g., determined by which of the PPEs 160 shown in graph 161 is larger for one or more positions along the optical link) may be used. In these and other embodiments, module 100 may combine the first transformed PPE 162a and the second transformed PPE 162b to generate an optical link analysis 164. For example, module 100 may combine a more accurate portion of the first transformed PPE 162a (e.g., the portion of the first transformed PPE 162a that is to the left of the PPE intersection 163 as shown in the first transformed PPE 162a) with a more accurate portion of the second transformed PPE 162b (e.g., the portion of the second transformed PPE 162b that is to the right of the PPE intersection 163 as shown in the second transformed PPE 162b) to generate an optical link analysis 164b as shown in FIG. 1C. The location of an anomaly within the optical link may be indicated by a gain (e.g., a peak) specified by an arrow in the optical link analysis 164b.

[0036] Additionally, or alternatively, as part of and / or prior to generating the optical link analysis 164, module 100 may perform processing operations that may include applying one or more weighting factors to the first PPE 160a and / or the second PPE 160b. In some embodiments, the first weighting factor may include an average optical signal power calculation value that may be obtained by dividing the optical signal power of the first PPE 160a at one or more positions along the optical link by the combined optical signal power of the first PPE 160a and the second PPE 160b at the one or more positions along the optical link. In some embodiments, the second weighting factor may include an average optical signal power calculation value that may be obtained by dividing the optical signal power of the second PPE 160b at one or more positions along the optical link by the combined optical signal power of the first PPE 160a and the second PPE 160b at the one or more positions along the optical link.

[0037] As an example, in some embodiments, the first weighting factor "w1" may be represented using Equation (1) below, and the second weighting factor "w2" may be represented using Equation (2) below: (1) w1=sp1 / (sp1+sp2) (2) w2=sp2 / (sp1+sp2)

[0038] In Equations (1) and (2), "sp1" may represent the optical signal power of the first PPE 160a at one or more positions, and "sp2" may represent the optical signal power of the second PPE 160b at one or more positions.

[0039] In some embodiments, as part of and / or prior to generating the optical link analysis 164, module 100 may perform processing operations of applying one or more weighting factors to the first converted PPE 162a and / or the second converted PPE 162b. For example, in some embodiments, the optical link analysis 164 may be represented by "OLA" and may be obtained using Equation (3) below: (3) OLA=w1*TPPE1+w2*TPPE2

[0040] In the above formula (3), "w1" represents the first weighting coefficient obtained using formula (1), "w2" represents the second weighting coefficient obtained using formula (2), "TPPE1" may represent the first converted PPE162a, and "TPPE2" may represent the second converted PPE162b.

[0041] For example, FIG. 1C shows generating an optical link analysis 164c by combining a first converted PPE162a multiplied by a first weighting coefficient (e.g., the aforementioned first weighting coefficient) with a second converted PPE162b multiplied by a second weighting coefficient (e.g., the aforementioned second weighting coefficient). The location of an anomaly within the optical link can be indicated by a gain (e.g., a peak) specified by an arrow in the optical link analysis 164c.

[0042] In some embodiments, module 100 may perform one or more processing operations as part of and / or prior to the optical link analysis 164 to assist a user in monitoring where one or more anomalies are located within the optical link, for example, by making it easier to interpret, for example, the bidirectional PPE160. For example, as shown in FIG. 1C, the gains (e.g., peaks) indicating anomalies in the optical link analyses 164a, 164b, 164c are more readily distinguishable by viewing the first PPE160a, the first converted PPE162a, the second PPE160b, or the second converted PPE162b alone and / or by viewing some combination thereof without performing any processing operations than by monitoring where the anomalies are within the optical link.

[0043] FIG. 1D shows an example operating environment 170 corresponding to obtaining optical link analysis 184 based on a first PPE 180a and a second PPE 180b of an optical link 172 having one or more optical repeaters 178. The first PPE 180a may correspond to the propagation of one or more optical signals 176a in a first direction from a first optical transceiver 174a to a second optical transceiver 174b via the optical link 172. The second PPE 180b may correspond to the propagation of one or more optical signals 176b in a second direction from the second optical transceiver 174b to the first optical transceiver 174a via the optical link 172. Thus, the first PPE 180a and the second PPE 180b correspond to the same optical link 172 but may be based on optical signals propagating in opposite directions along the optical link 172. Additionally, or alternatively, the first PPE 180a and the second PPE 180b may be regarded as “bidirectional PPEs” with respect to each other. In some embodiments, additional optical components, such as an optical circulator, may be used to enable bidirectional transmission of optical signals in the optical repeaters along the optical link.

[0044] In some embodiments, the optical repeater 178 may amplify the first optical signal 176a and / or the second optical signal 176b. For example, the optical repeater 178 may include a solid-state amplifier, a doped fiber amplifier, a semiconductor optical amplifier, a Raman amplifier, an optical parametric amplifier, and / or any optical communication repeater that can regenerate or amplify an optical signal propagating in the optical link. The position of the gain within the first PPE 180a and / or the second PPE 180b may suitably indicate which portions of the optical link 172 may have the optical repeater 178.

[0045] In some embodiments, the first PPE 180a and / or the second PPE 180b can be used as described above with respect to FIGS. 1A-1C to generate an optical link analysis 184. For example, weighting factors and / or mathematical operations can be applied to the first PPE 180a and / or the second PPE 180b to generate the first converted PPE 182a and / or the second converted PPE 182b that can be used to generate the optical link analysis 184. In some embodiments, the optical link analysis 184 for the optical link 172 having the optical repeater 178 can include peaks (e.g., spikes) indicating the position of the optical repeater 178 along the optical link 172.

[0046] The optical link analysis 184 can use the first PPE 180a or the second PPE 180b for any corresponding positions along an optical link where the first PPE 180a is equal to the second PPE 180b, and / or can be based on the first PPE 180a or the second PPE 180b. For example, the optical repeater 178 can amplify an optical signal propagating through the optical link 172, which can result in a plurality of positions where the first PPE 180a is equal to the second PPE 180b.

[0047] Changes, additions, or omissions can be made to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, and / or 1D without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the anomaly 158 shown in FIG. 1B can be one or more anomalies. Additionally, or alternatively, other specific characteristics and / or operations described in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, and / or 1D can be different.

[0048] Figure 2 is a flowchart of an example method 200 for monitoring an optical link using a bidirectional PPE, according to at least one embodiment described in the present disclosure. The method 200 can be executed by any suitable system, apparatus, or device. By way of example, the module 100 described in FIG. 1A, or the computing system 300 of FIG. 3 (e.g., directed by the module 100 in some embodiments), can execute one or more of the operations associated with the method 200. Although shown as discrete blocks, the steps and operations associated with one or more of the blocks of the method 200 may be divided into further blocks, combined into fewer blocks, or removed, depending on the particular implementation.

[0049] At block 202, a first PPE for a first optical signal propagating in the optical link in a first direction can be obtained. In some embodiments, the first PPE described with respect to FIGS. 1A - 1C can be an example of the first PPE obtained at block 202. Also, obtaining the first PPE can include one or more operations described with respect to FIGS. 1A and 1B.

[0050] At block 204, a second PPE for a second optical signal propagating in the optical link in a second direction opposite the first direction can be obtained. In some embodiments, the second PPE described with respect to FIGS. 1A - 1C can be an example of the second PPE obtained at block 204. Also, obtaining the second PPE can include one or more operations described with respect to FIGS. 1A and 1B.

[0051] At block 206, in some embodiments, an optical link analysis based on the first PPE and the second PPE can be generated. In some embodiments, the optical link analysis can indicate one or more positions along the optical link where a gain or loss is applied to the optical signal propagating in the optical link. A gain can amplify the optical signal. A loss can attenuate the optical signal. In these and other embodiments, the optical link analysis can be generated as described above with respect to FIGS. 1A and 1C.

[0052] Generating the optical link analysis can include using the first PPE for the optical link analysis for portions of the optical link where the first PPE is greater than the second PPE, and using the second PPE for the optical link analysis for portions of the optical link where the second PPE is greater than the first PPE. Also, at one or more positions along the optical link where the first PPE is equal to the second PPE, either the first PPE or the second PPE can be used for the optical link analysis.

[0053] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, generating the optical link analysis can include applying weighting factors to the first PPE and / or the second PPE, for example, as described with respect to FIGS. 1A - 1C. Also, generating the optical link analysis can include applying mathematical operations to the first PPE and / or the second PPE. In some embodiments, the mathematical operations can include applying one or more derivatives to the first PPE and / or the second PPE.

[0054] Those skilled in the art will understand that in this and other processes, operations, and methods disclosed herein, the functions and / or operations performed may be implemented in a different order. Also, the functions and operations outlined are provided by way of example only, and some of those functions and operations may be optional, combined with fewer functions and operations, or extended with additional functions and operations without detracting from the essence of the disclosed embodiments. In some embodiments, method 200 can include additional blocks or fewer blocks.

[0055] FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of an example computing system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Computing system 300 can include a processor 302, a memory 304, a data storage 306, and / or a communication unit 308, all of which can be communicatively coupled. For example, module 100 of FIG. 1 can be implemented as a computing system that coincides with computing system 300.

[0056] Generally, processor 302 may include any suitable dedicated or general-purpose computer, computing entity, or processing device, including various computer hardware or software modules, and may be configured to execute instructions stored on some applicable computer-readable medium. For example, processor 302 may include a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other digital or analog circuitry configured to interpret and / or execute program instructions and / or process data.

[0057] Although shown as a single processor in FIG. 3, it is understood that processor 302 may include any number of processors distributed across any number of networks or physical locations configured to individually or collectively execute any number of the processes described in this disclosure. In some embodiments, processor 302 may be able to interpret and / or execute program instructions and / or process data regarding memory 304, data storage 306, or program instructions and / or data stored in memory 304 and data storage 306. In some embodiments, processor 302 may fetch program instructions from data storage 306 and load the program instructions into memory 304.

[0058] After program instructions are loaded into memory 304, such as instructions to cause computing system 300 to execute a portion of the processing of method 200 of FIG. 2, processor 302 may execute the program instructions. For example, computing system 300 may execute program instructions to obtain a first PPE, obtain a second PPE, and / or generate an optical link analysis.

[0059] Memory 304 and data storage 306 may include a computer-readable storage medium or one or more computer-readable storage media for storing computer-executable instructions or data structures. Such computer-readable storage media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer, such as processor 302. In some embodiments, computing system 300 may or may not include either memory 304 or data storage 306.

[0060] By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable storage media may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, flash memory devices (e.g., solid state memory devices), or other tangible or non-transitory computer-readable storage media that can be used to store the desired program code or data structures in the form of computer-executable instructions and that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. Combinations of the above may also be included within the scope of computer-readable storage media. Computer-executable instructions may include, for example, instructions and data configured to cause a particular process or a group of processes to be executed by processor 302.

[0061] The communication unit 308 can include any component, device, system, or combination thereof configured to transmit or receive information via a network. In some embodiments, the communication unit 308 can communicate with other devices at other locations or the same location, or can also communicate with other components within the same system. For example, the communication unit 308 can include a modem, a network card (wireless or wired), an optical communication device, an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device (such as an antenna, etc.), and / or a chipset (such as a Bluetooth® device, an 802.6 device (such as a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)), a WiFi® device, a WiMax® device, cellular communication equipment, or others, etc.), and / or the like. The communication unit 308 can enable the exchange of data with the networks and / or any other device or system described in this disclosure. For example, the communication unit 308 can enable the computing system 300 to communicate with other systems such as computing devices and / or other networks, etc.

[0062] After considering this disclosure, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes, additions, or omissions can be made to the computing system 300 without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, the computing system 300 can include more or fewer components than those explicitly illustrated and described.

[0063] The above disclosure is not intended to limit this disclosure to the exact forms disclosed or to a particular field of use. Accordingly, it is contemplated that various alternative embodiments and / or modifications to this disclosure are possible in light of this disclosure, whether explicitly described or implied herein. Although the embodiments of this disclosure have been described in this manner, it can be recognized that variations can be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Accordingly, this disclosure is limited only by the claims.

[0064] In some embodiments, the various components, modules, engines, and services described herein may be implemented as a plurality of objects or processes that execute on a computer system (e.g., as separate threads). Although some parts of the systems and processes described herein are generally described as being implemented in software (stored in and / or executed by general purpose hardware), specific hardware implementations, or combinations of software and specific hardware are also possible and contemplated.

[0065] The terms used in this disclosure and particularly in the appended claims (e.g., the body of the appended claims) are generally intended to be open terms (e.g., the term “comprising” should be interpreted as “including, but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “including” should be interpreted as “including, but not limited to,” and so forth).

[0066] Also, if a specific number of claim recitations is intended, such intent will be expressly recited in the claim. Absent such recitation, no such intent exists. For example, for purposes of illustration, the appended claims below may contain the use of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to limit any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only that one such recitation (e.g., “a” and / or “an” should be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”). The same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations.

[0067] Furthermore, even if the specific number of claim descriptions to be introduced is explicitly described, those skilled in the art should recognize that such a description should be interpreted to mean at least the number described (for example, a bare description of "two things" without other modifying phrases means at least two things, or two or more things). Also, in cases where traditional expressions similar to "at least one of A, B, and C" or "one or more of A, B, and C" are used, generally, such a syntax is intended to include only A, only B, only C, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B, and C together, and so on. Also, the use of the term "and / or" is intended to be interpreted as such.

[0068] Also, discrete terms or phrases presenting two or more other terms should be understood as intending to include one of those terms, any of those terms, or both terms, regardless of whether they are in the description of the embodiment, the claims, or the drawings. For example, the phrase "A or B" should be understood to include the possibility of "A" or "B" or "A and B", even if the term "and / or" is used elsewhere.

[0069] All examples and conditional language described in this disclosure are intended for educational purposes to assist the reader in understanding the disclosure and concepts provided by the inventors of this application to advance the technology, and should not be construed as limitations to the specifically described examples and conditions. Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, various modifications, substitutions, and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0070] Regarding the above description, the following additional remarks are disclosed. (Appendix 1) Obtain a first power profile estimation (PPE) for a first optical signal propagating in an optical link in a first direction, Obtain a second PPE for a second optical signal propagating in the optical link in a second direction opposite to the first direction, Generate an optical link analysis based on the first PPE and the second PPE, the optical link analysis indicating one or more positions along the optical link at which one or more of gain or loss is applied to the optical signal propagating in the optical link, A method comprising this. (Appendix 2) Generating the optical link analysis comprises Using the first PPE for the optical link analysis for a portion of the optical link where the first PPE is greater than the second PPE, Using the second PPE for the optical link analysis for a portion of the optical link where the second PPE is greater than the first PPE, The method according to Appendix 1, comprising this. (Appendix 3) At a position along the optical link where the first PPE is equal to the second PPE, one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE are used for the optical link analysis, the method according to Appendix 2. (Appendix 4) Generating the optical link analysis comprises applying a weighting factor to one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE, the method according to Appendix 1. (Appendix 5) The weighting factor is an average optical signal power calculated value having one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE for one or more positions along the optical link divided by the combined optical signal power of the first PPE and the second PPE for the one or more positions along the optical link, the method according to Appendix 4. (Appendix 6) Generating the optical link analysis comprises applying a mathematical operation to one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE, the method according to Appendix 1. (Appendix 7) Applying the mathematical operation comprises applying one or more derivatives to one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE, the method according to Appendix 6. (Appendix 8) At least a first transceiver configured to obtain a first power profile estimation (PPE) for a first optical signal propagating in an optical link in a first direction, at least a second transceiver configured to obtain a second PPE for a second optical signal propagating in the optical link in a second direction opposite to the first direction, a computing system configured to generate an optical link analysis based on the first PPE and the second PPE, the optical link analysis indicating one or more positions along the optical link at which one or more of gain or loss is applied to an optical signal propagating in the optical link, a computing system, A system having. (Appendix 9) The optical link analysis uses the first PPE for the optical link analysis for a portion of the optical link where the first PPE is greater than the second PPE, and the second PPE for the optical link analysis for a portion of the optical link where the second PPE is greater than the first PPE, the system according to Appendix 8, which is generated. (Appendix 10) At a position along the optical link where the first PPE is equal to the second PPE, one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE are used for the optical link analysis, the system according to Appendix 9. (Appendix 11) Generating the optical link analysis includes applying a weighting factor to one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE, the system according to Appendix 8. (Appendix 12) The weighting factor is an average optical signal power calculated value having one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE for one or more positions along the optical link divided by the combined optical signal power of the first PPE and the second PPE for the one or more positions along the optical link, the system according to Appendix 11. (Appendix 13) Generating the optical link analysis includes applying a mathematical operation to one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE, the system according to Appendix 8. (Appendix 14) The system according to Appendix 13, wherein applying the mathematical operation includes applying one or more derivatives to one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE. (Appendix 15) One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions that, in response to being executed by one or more processors, cause a system to perform operations including: Obtaining a first power profile estimation (PPE) for a first optical signal propagating in an optical link in a first direction; Obtaining a second PPE for a second optical signal propagating in the optical link in a second direction opposite to the first direction; Generating an optical link analysis based on the first PPE and the second PPE, the optical link analysis indicating one or more positions along the optical link at which one or more of gain or loss is applied to an optical signal propagating in the optical link. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having the above operations. (Appendix 16) Generating the optical link analysis includes: Using the first PPE for the optical link analysis for a portion of the optical link where the first PPE is greater than the second PPE; Using the second PPE for the optical link analysis for a portion of the optical link where the second PPE is greater than the first PPE. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media according to Appendix 15, including the above operations. (Appendix 17) At a position along the optical link where the first PPE is equal to the second PPE, one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE are used for the optical link analysis. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media according to Appendix 16. (Appendix 18) Generating the optical link analysis includes applying a weighting factor to one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media according to Appendix 15. (Appendix 19) The weighted coefficient is an average optical signal power calculation value having one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE for one or more positions along the optical link, divided by the combined optical signal power of the first PPE and the second PPE for the one or more positions along the optical link, as described in Appendix 18, one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media. (Appendix 20) Generating the optical link analysis includes applying a mathematical operation to one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE, as described in Appendix 15, one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media.

Claims

1. Obtaining a first power profile estimate (PPE) for a first optical signal propagating in the optical link in a first direction; obtaining a second PPE for a second optical signal propagating through the optical link in a second direction opposite to the first direction; generating an optical link analysis based on the first PPE and the second PPE, the optical link analysis indicating one or more locations along the optical link at which to apply one or more of a gain or a loss to optical signals propagating in the optical link; How to have that.

2. generating the optical link analysis using the first PPE for the optical link analysis for portions of the optical link where the first PPE is larger than the second PPE; using the second PPE for the optical link analysis for portions of the optical link where the second PPE is larger than the first PPE; The method of claim 1 , comprising:

3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein at locations along the optical link where the first PPE is equal to the second PPE, one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE are used for the optical link analysis.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the optical link analysis includes applying a weighting factor to one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE.

5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the weighting factor is a calculated average optical signal power value comprising one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE for one or more locations along the optical link divided by a combined optical signal power of the first PPE and the second PPE for the one or more locations along the optical link.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the optical link analysis comprises applying a mathematical operation to one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein applying the mathematical operation comprises applying one or more derivatives to one or more of the first PPE or the second PPE.

8. at least a first transceiver configured to obtain a first power profile estimate (PPE) for a first optical signal propagating in an optical link in a first direction; at least a second transceiver configured to obtain a second PPE for a second optical signal propagating through the optical link in a second direction opposite to the first direction; a computing system configured to generate an optical link analysis based on the first PPE and the second PPE, the optical link analysis indicating one or more locations along the optical link at which to apply one or more of a gain or a loss to an optical signal propagating in the optical link; A system having

9. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon that, in response to being executed by one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations, including: Obtaining a first power profile estimate (PPE) for a first optical signal propagating in the optical link in a first direction; obtaining a second PPE for a second optical signal propagating through the optical link in a second direction opposite to the first direction; generating an optical link analysis based on the first PPE and the second PPE, the optical link analysis indicating one or more locations along the optical link at which to apply one or more of a gain or a loss to optical signals propagating in the optical link; One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media.

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