COMMUNICATION DEVICE, COMMUNICATION CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM

Abstract

Provided is a communication device (1) that is capable of ascertaining the communication quality state in an optical communication network. This communication device (1) comprises: an acquisition unit (2) that acquires a plurality of measured values related to communication quality information in an optical communication network; a calculation unit (3) that calculates, on the basis of the plurality of measured values, an average value of the measured values in each first time interval, determines the variance of the measured values in each first time interval, and determines, on the basis of the average value and the variance, a reference quality value that is an index value indicating the communication quality in the optical communication network; and a decision unit (4) that decides, on the basis of the reference quality value, whether the communication quality satisfies a required quality value.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication device, a communication control method, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium. [Background technology]

[0002] In optical communication systems, quality information is used, for example, for fault monitoring and parameter measurement in a transmission path (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3). Patent Document 1 discloses an optical signal monitoring system that performs fault and quality monitoring by analog monitoring of noise degradation and waveform distortion of an optical signal in an optical layer. Patent Document 2 discloses a network control device that corrects acquired signal quality based on acquired transmission characteristics and detects fluctuations in the corrected signal quality to predict the occurrence of a fault in an optical transmission system in advance. Patent Document 3 discloses a measurement device that measures parameters of a transmission path based on a delay time in the transmission path. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2001-217775 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2018-007058 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2013-197668 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, in recent years, in optical communication systems, the number of communication carriers that manage communication infrastructure has been diversifying. Due to the diversification of communication carriers that manage communication infrastructure, it has become necessary to consider not only communication quality but also communication capacity. In order to secure communication capacity in the communication infrastructure, it is necessary to change the communication settings. On the other hand, when changing the communication settings, it is necessary to consider not only communication capacity but also communication quality. Therefore, the communication carrier changes the communication settings after grasping the communication quality situation before and after the change of the communication settings. However, in optical communication networks, the communication quality situation is not always constant, so a lot of verification time is required to grasp the communication quality situation. Therefore, the communication carrier has a problem that it is difficult to grasp the communication quality situation in the optical communication network.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems, one of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide a communication device, a communication control method, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium that are capable of grasping the communication quality status in an optical communication network. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A communication device according to the present disclosure includes: An acquisition means for acquiring a plurality of measurement values ​​related to communication quality information in an optical communication network; a calculation means for calculating an average value of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval based on the plurality of measurement values, determining a variance of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval, and determining a reference quality value that is an index value indicating communication quality in the optical communication network based on the average value and the variance; The communication quality control unit further comprises a determination unit which determines whether or not the communication quality satisfies a required quality value based on the reference quality value.

[0007] The communication control method according to the present disclosure includes: Obtaining a plurality of measurements related to communication quality information in an optical communication network; calculating an average value of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval based on the plurality of measurement values, determining a variance of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval, and determining a reference quality value that is an index value indicating communication quality in the optical communication network based on the average value and the variance; and and determining whether the communication quality satisfies a required quality value based on the reference quality value.

[0008] The non-transitory computer readable medium according to the present disclosure comprises: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a communication device to execute a communication control method, The communication control method includes: Obtaining a plurality of measurements related to communication quality information in an optical communication network; calculating an average value of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval based on the plurality of measurement values, determining a variance of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval, and determining a reference quality value that is an index value indicating communication quality in the optical communication network based on the average value and the variance; and determining whether the communication quality meets a required quality value based on the reference quality value. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a communication device, a communication control method, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium capable of grasping the communication quality status in an optical communication network. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a communication device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the communication device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an optical communication system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a communication device according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining calculation of an average value and determination of a variance. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining calculation of an average value and determination of a variance. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating a margin value. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a communication device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the optical communication system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the optical communication system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a communication device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a communication device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a communication device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart showing an operation example of a communication device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a communication device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 16] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a communication device according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 17] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a communication device according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of a communication device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description and drawings are omitted and simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation. In addition, in the following drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0012] (Considerations leading to the embodiment) First, before describing the embodiments, the considerations that led to the embodiments will be described. In order to provide communication services to many users, networks are becoming larger in scale and more sophisticated in order to efficiently multiplex many communications. In optical communications, efficient use of the frequency resources of optical communication signals in fibers has long been an issue. For this reason, communication methods that partition (divide) optical signal frequency resources into short time periods are being considered as future optical communications methods. Such communication methods are called optical path switches, optical packet switches, etc. It is expected that these communication methods will be able to turn optical communication signals on and off at very short time granularities.

[0013] In addition, in the optical communication network according to the related art as in the above-mentioned patent documents, it is assumed that the telecommunications carrier (operator) knows all the optical communication devices and their settings. Therefore, the telecommunications carrier performs careful operation verification and quality verification for each combination of optical communication devices and settings. However, in recent years, the telecommunications carriers have begun to demand that they use optical communication devices that are more in line with their own requirements and that their settings be flexibly changed.

[0014] Thus, in order to obtain the best communication settings in future optical communication networks, carriers need to dynamically adjust settings to obtain the best communication performance in the presence of unknown signal quality fluctuations. On the other hand, in order to maximize the communication capacity of the entire network, carriers should provide fully optimized settings for each communication device so that each communication device does not increase its transmission output unnecessarily.

[0015] However, in communication methods such as optical path switches and optical packet switches, unlike optical communications according to related technologies, optical communication signals are not constantly generated, but communication signals are transmitted only during communication. In other words, in communication methods such as optical path switches and optical packet switches, optical packets are generated intermittently. In this way, the time for transmitting communication signals is limited, and in an environment in which communication quality changes dynamically, quality measurement and adjustment of communication settings may not be fully considered. Therefore, in the present disclosure, a configuration is realized in which a communication carrier can grasp the communication quality status in an optical communication network, in order to enable communication settings that correspond to unknown fluctuations while grasping the basic characteristics of communication quality, even in an unknown optical communication network.

[0016] (First embodiment) A configuration example of a communication device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a communication device according to the first embodiment. The communication device 1 is a communication device constituting an optical communication system. The communication device 1 may be called, for example, an optical transmission device. The communication device 1 includes an acquisition unit 2, a calculation unit 3, and a determination unit 4.

[0017] The acquiring unit 2 acquires a plurality of measurement values ​​related to communication quality information in the optical communication network. The communication quality information may be a bit error rate (BER) indicating an error rate before error correction, or a Q value indicating an optical quality value. The BER may be a BER based on bits included in a data unit generated from an optical communication signal transmitted through the optical communication network, or a BER based on a recovery rate of a data unit generated from an optical communication signal.

[0018] The calculation unit 3 calculates an average value of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval based on the multiple measurement values ​​acquired by the acquisition unit 2. The calculation unit 3 determines a variance of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval based on the multiple measurement values ​​acquired by the acquisition unit 2. In this specification, the variance may be referred to as the degree of variation, degree of variation, and fluctuation range of the measurement values. In other words, the calculation unit 3 calculates the degree of variation of the measurement values ​​based on the acquired measurement values.

[0019] The first time interval is a time interval for determining an average value of the measurement values. The length of the first time interval may be any value equal to or greater than the minimum measurement interval at which the communication quality information can be measured. The length of the first time interval may be, for example, 50 milliseconds to 5 seconds, and in optical packet communication, may be a time required to transfer a packet that is approximately the same as a switching time. The calculation unit 3 calculates the variance of the communication quality information in consideration of the fluctuation state of the acquired measurement values ​​(characteristics of the measurement values). The calculation unit 3 may determine the variance for each first time interval based on the average value for each first time interval. Alternatively, the calculation unit 3 may determine the variance for each first time interval based on the analysis result of frequency analysis on a plurality of measurement values.

[0020] The calculation unit 3 determines a reference quality value, which is an index value indicating the communication quality in the optical communication network, based on the calculated average value and the determined variance. The reference quality value may be, for example, a value of communication quality information at which the cumulative probability becomes a predetermined value in a cumulative distribution function of the communication quality information. The predetermined value may be a value arbitrarily set by a communication carrier.

[0021] The determination unit 4 determines whether the communication quality satisfies the required quality value based on the reference quality value determined by the calculation unit 3. The required quality value may be the minimum communication quality information value that the communication carrier can tolerate as the communication quality. In other words, the required quality value may be, for example, a communication quality information value that must not fall below in order to satisfy the constraint of the error rate.

[0022] Next, an operation example of the communication device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the communication device according to the first embodiment. The acquiring unit 2 acquires a plurality of measurement values ​​for communication quality information in an optical communication network (step S1).

[0023] The calculation unit 3 calculates an average value of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval based on the multiple measurement values ​​acquired by the acquisition unit 2 (step S2). The calculation unit 3 determines the variance of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval based on the multiple measurement values ​​acquired by the acquisition unit 2 (step S3).

[0024] The calculation unit 3 determines a reference quality value, which is an index value indicating the communication quality in the optical communication network, based on the average value and the variance (step S4). The determining unit 4 determines whether or not the communication quality in the optical communication network satisfies a required quality value based on the reference quality value (step S5).

[0025] As described above, the communication device 1 calculates an average value obtained in a short time for each first time interval in an optical communication system in which optical packet communication occurs intermittently. The communication device 1 determines a variance for each first time interval based on a plurality of measurement values. In optical packet communication that occurs intermittently, it is expected that communication quality will temporarily fluctuate, so the communication device 1 determines the variance of communication quality information, for example, by considering the fluctuation state of the acquired measurement value (characteristics of the measurement value). Then, the communication device 1 determines whether or not the communication quality satisfies a required quality by combining the calculated average value and variance. Therefore, according to the communication device 1 according to the first embodiment, a communication carrier can grasp the communication quality in an optical communication network by combining the variance and an average value obtained in a short time.

[0026] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described, which is a more detailed version of the first embodiment. <Example of optical communication system configuration> A configuration example of an optical communication system 100 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an optical communication system according to the second embodiment. The optical communication system 100 includes communication devices 101 to 104, optical packet switches (OPS) 105 and 106, and terminal devices 107 and 108.

[0027] The communication device 101 corresponds to the communication device 1 according to the first embodiment. The communication device 101 transfers communication between the terminal device 107 and the terminal device 108 via the optical communication network N1. Specifically, the communication device 101 transfers communication between the terminal device 107 and the terminal device 108 via the optical packet switch 105, the optical communication path P2, and the optical packet switch 106 included in the optical communication network N1. The communication of the communication device 101 is performed intermittently. The communication device 101 receives an optical communication signal transmitted from the communication device 102. The communication device 101 measures communication quality information in the optical communication network N1 and obtains a plurality of measurement values. Based on the plurality of measurement values, the communication device 101 executes control of communication settings via the communication device 102 so that the communication quality of the optical communication network N1 becomes close to a target communication quality. Note that the communication device 102 may receive a plurality of measurement values ​​from the communication device 101, and the communication device 102 may execute control of communication settings. In addition, in the following description, the term “optical communication signal” may be simply referred to as “communication signal.” In other words, in the following description, the term “communication signal” means “optical communication signal.”

[0028] The communication quality information may be a BER indicating an error rate before error correction, or a Q value indicating an optical quality value. The BER may be a BER based on bits included in a data unit generated from a communication signal transmitted through the optical communication network N1, or a BER based on a recovery rate of a data unit generated from the communication signal.

[0029] The communication device 102 transfers communication between the terminal device 107 and the terminal device 108 via the optical communication network N1. Specifically, the communication device 102 transfers communication between the terminal device 107 and the terminal device 108 via the optical packet switch 105, the optical communication path P2, and the optical packet switch 106, which are included in the optical communication network N1. The communication of the communication device 102 is performed intermittently.

[0030] The communication devices 103 and 104 transfer communication of a terminal device (not shown) through the optical communication network N1. The communication devices 103 and 104 communicate independently of the communication devices 101 and 102. In other words, the communication devices 103 and 104 communicate intermittently at a timing not recognized by the communication devices 101 and 102. The communication signals transmitted from the communication devices 103 and 104 are merged with the communication signals transmitted from the communication devices 101 and 102 in the optical packet switches 105 and 106, and are transmitted through the optical communication path P2. Note that the communication of the communication device 103 is performed intermittently, and when a communication signal is transmitted simultaneously with the communication devices 101 to 103, the communication signals interfere with each other and become noise in the communication of the communication devices 101 to 103. Furthermore, communication by the communication device 104 is performed intermittently. When optical communication signals are transmitted simultaneously to the communication devices 101, 102, and 104, they interfere with each other and become noise in the communication of the communication devices 101, 102, and 104.

[0031] The optical packet switches 105 and 106 are connected to each other via an optical communication path P2 and communicate with each other via the optical communication path P2. The optical communication path P2 is configured, for example, by an optical cable such as an optical fiber that is laid on the ocean floor. The optical packet switches 105 and 106 transfer communications between the communication devices 101 to 104 to a destination communication device. The optical packet switches 105 and 106 support a WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) system and transmit data transmitted and received over the optical communication path P2 to the opposing optical transmission device via multiple communication channels configured in multiple wavelength bands. Each communication channel may be referred to as an optical spectrum.

[0032] The terminal devices 107 and 108 are, for example, communication devices installed on land. The terminal devices 107 and 108 may be end user terminals managed by end users, or may be relay devices or the like installed between the end user terminals and the communication devices 102 and 101, respectively. The terminal devices 107 and 108 communicate with each other via the communication devices 101 and 102 and the optical communication network N1. The line between the terminal device 107 and the communication device 102, and the line between the terminal device 108 and the communication device 101 may be access lines.

[0033] <Example of communication device configuration> Next, a configuration example of the communication devices 101 and 102 will be described. First, a configuration example of the communication device 101 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the communication device according to the second embodiment. The communication device 101 includes a communication unit 111, an acquisition unit 112, a calculation unit 113, a determination unit 114, a control unit 115, and a storage unit 116.

[0034] The communication unit 111 communicates with the communication device 102 and the terminal device 108. The communication unit 111 receives a communication signal from the communication device 102 via the optical communication network N1, and restores a data unit based on a bit string included in the communication signal. The communication unit 111 extracts a communication frame from the data unit and transmits it to the terminal device 108. The communication unit 111 receives a communication frame from the terminal device 108. The communication unit 111 stores the received communication frame in a data unit and converts the data unit into a communication signal. The communication unit 111 transmits the communication signal to the communication device 102 via the optical communication network N1. The communication unit 111 transmits the control content determined by the control unit 115 to the communication device 102.

[0035] The acquisition unit 112 corresponds to the acquisition unit 2 in the first embodiment. The acquisition unit 112 acquires a plurality of measurement values ​​related to communication quality information in the optical communication network N1. The acquisition unit 112 acquires a plurality of measurement values ​​by performing measurements on the communication quality information in the optical communication network N1. Each measurement value is associated with a value of the communication quality information and a time of measurement. The acquisition unit 112 outputs the acquired plurality of measurement values ​​to the calculation unit 113. The acquisition unit 112 stores the acquired plurality of measurement values ​​in the memory unit 116.

[0036] The communication quality information may be a BER indicating an error rate before error correction, or a Q value indicating an optical quality value. The BER may be a BER based on bits included in a data unit generated from a communication signal transmitted through the optical communication network N1, or a BER based on a recovery rate of a data unit generated from the communication signal.

[0037] When the communication quality information is a BER based on bits included in a data unit generated from a communication signal transmitted through the optical communication network N1, the acquiring unit 112 measures a bit string included in the data unit restored by the communication unit 111. The acquiring unit 112 may calculate a BER of the measured bit string, and acquire the calculated BER as a measurement value.

[0038] When the communication quality information is a BER based on a recovery rate of a data unit generated from a communication signal, the acquisition unit 112 measures the number of attempts made by the communication unit 111 to recover the data unit and the number of successes or failures in recovering the data unit by the communication unit 111. The acquisition unit 112 may calculate a BER based on the number of attempts and the number of successes or failures, and acquire the calculated BER as a measurement value.

[0039] When the communication quality information is a Q value, the Q value can be calculated by logarithmizing the above-mentioned BER, so the acquisition unit 112 may calculate the BER and logarithmize the calculated BER to calculate the Q value. In the following description, the communication quality information will be described as a Q value.

[0040] The calculation unit 113 corresponds to the calculation unit 3 in the first embodiment. The calculation unit 113 calculates an average value of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval based on the multiple measurement values ​​acquired by the acquisition unit 112. The first time interval is a time interval for calculating the average value of the measurement values. The length of the first time interval may be any value equal to or greater than the minimum measurement interval at which the Q value can be measured. The length of the first time interval may be, for example, 50 milliseconds to 5 seconds, and in optical packet communication, may be a time to transfer a packet that is approximately the same as a switching time.

[0041] Furthermore, the calculation unit 113 determines the variance of the Q factor for each first time interval, based on the multiple measurement values ​​acquired by the acquisition unit 112. In other words, the calculation unit 113 determines the degree of variation in the Q factor for each first time interval, based on the acquired measurement values.

[0042] The calculation unit 113 determines a reference quality value, which is an index value indicating the communication quality in the optical communication network N1, based on the calculated average value and the determined variance. The reference quality value may be a Q value whose cumulative probability becomes a predetermined value ETT in a cumulative distribution function of the Q value. The predetermined value ETT may be a value determined by communication quality information (Q value) arbitrarily set by a communication carrier.

[0043] Here, as described above, in communication methods such as optical path switches and optical packet switches, it is assumed that the time during which a communication signal is transmitted is more limited than in optical communication systems according to related techniques, so that communication carriers need to determine the reference quality value immediately. In this embodiment, in order to easily and immediately determine the reference quality value, a margin value M is introduced, and the reference quality value is easily and immediately determined by using the margin value M. The margin value M is a value indicating the difference between the average value of the Q value and the Q value whose cumulative probability is a predetermined value ETT in the cumulative probability distribution of the Q value. In this embodiment, the calculation unit 113 determines the margin value M based on the measurement values ​​acquired up to a certain time. Then, the calculation unit 113 determines the reference quality value using the average value and the margin value M based on the measurement values ​​acquired after the margin value M is determined.

[0044] <Determination process of margin value M> The process of determining the margin value M by the calculation unit 113 will be described below. The calculation unit 113 calculates an average value for each first time interval for the measurement values ​​acquired up to a certain time. The calculation unit 113 determines a variance for each first time interval based on the average value for each first time interval. The calculation unit 113 determines a set T indicating a time for determining a variance for each first time interval based on the average value for each first time interval, and determines a variance for each first time interval based on the measurement values ​​included in the set. The set T is a set of first time intervals, and is a set of first time intervals selected from a plurality of first time intervals based on the calculated average value.

[0045] Calculation unit 113 compares the average value in the first time interval to be determined within the first time interval with the average value in the first time interval to be compared immediately before the first time interval to be determined. When the difference between the average value in the first time interval to be determined and the average value in the first time interval to be compared is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, calculation unit 113 determines set T such that the first time interval to be determined is included in set T. In other words, calculation unit 113 adds the first time interval to be determined to set T when the average value in the first time interval to be determined is approximately equal to the average value in the first time interval to be compared.

[0046] The calculation unit 113 determines the variance of the Q value based on the measurement values ​​acquired in the first time interval included in the set T. The calculation unit 113 calculates the variance of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval included in the set T based on the measurement values ​​acquired in the first time interval included in the set T, and determines the average value of the calculated variances as the variance of the Q value for each first time interval. The calculation unit 113 stores the calculated average value and variance in the storage unit 116.

[0047] Here, an example of the measurement value acquired by the acquisition unit 112 and the calculation of the average value and the determination of the variance performed by the calculation unit 113 will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining the calculation of the average value and the determination of the variance.

[0048] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the measurement values ​​acquired by the acquisition unit 112. The vertical axis indicates the value of the Q value, and the horizontal axis indicates time. In Fig. 5, one black dot represents one measurement value. Fig. 5 shows the time fluctuation of the measurement values ​​of the Q value acquired over a measurement time of about 60 minutes.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 5, the measured Q value fluctuates up and down in a short cycle, and its average value also fluctuates with time. In the optical communication system according to the related technology, since optical communication signals are constantly transmitted and received during operation, it is not expected that the average value will fluctuate with time. In contrast, in a communication method such as an optical path switch and an optical packet switch, communication signals are not constantly generated, and communication signals are transmitted only during communication. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, it is expected that the Q value fluctuates in a short cycle, and its average value also fluctuates with time. In addition, in a communication method such as an optical path switch and an optical packet switch, the time during which a communication signal is transmitted is more limited than in the optical communication system according to the related technology. Therefore, in order to estimate the communication quality even when the optical communication system corresponds to a communication method such as an optical path switch and an optical packet switch and the measurement results (measurement values) of communication quality information are not constantly generated, the calculation unit 113 processes the measurement values ​​as shown in FIG. 6.

[0050] Next, a description will be given of Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the processing contents performed by the calculation unit 113 on the measurement values ​​described in Fig. 5. First, the calculation unit 113 calculates an average value of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval. In Fig. 6, times t1 to t9 each represent a first time interval, and the calculation unit 113 classifies the acquired measurement values ​​for each first time interval, and calculates average values ​​a1 to a9 of the measurement values ​​based on the measurement values ​​acquired in the classified times t1 to t9. In Fig. 6, white circles with diagonal lines represent the average values ​​a1 to a9. In optical communication, as shown in Fig. 5, the calculation unit 113 utilizes a feature that the average can be calculated relatively quickly even if there is a large or small variation (dispersion) in the measurement values, and calculates an average value for each first time interval, which is a short time granularity.

[0051] Next, the calculation unit 113 determines a set T for calculating the variance based on the average values ​​a1 to a9 in the first time interval. Since the communication quality information including the Q value varies in a short cycle and the average value also varies over time, for example, if the variance is calculated in a time corresponding to a short time granularity such as the first time interval, there is a possibility that the variance cannot be calculated with high accuracy. Therefore, the calculation unit 113 determines whether the characteristics of the variance of the measurement value are maintained in the optical communication system, and determines the variance based on the measurement value in the first time interval in which this is maintained, thereby determining the variance with high accuracy. In other words, the calculation unit 113 determines a set T corresponding to time granularity 2, which is a time granularity longer than time granularity 1, taking into account the fluctuation state of the measurement value (characteristics of the measurement value), and determines the variance.

[0052] The calculation unit 113 determines whether a difference between an average value in a first time interval to be determined among a plurality of first time intervals and an average value in a first time interval immediately preceding the first time interval to be determined is within a predetermined threshold value. If the difference is equal to or smaller than the predetermined threshold value, the calculation unit 113 determines a set T such that the first time interval to be determined is included in the set T.

[0053] To generalize the above, the calculation unit 113 calculates the first time interval t i The average value a i and the first time interval t i-1 The average value a i-1If the difference between the first time interval t i is added to the set T. This can be expressed as equation (1), so the calculation unit 113 determines the set T according to equation (1). Note that the predetermined threshold may be an arbitrarily set threshold.

number

[0054] 6, the average value a2 is approximately equal to the average value a1, the average value a7 is approximately equal to the average value a6, and the average value a8 is approximately equal to the average value a7. Therefore, the calculation unit 113 adds the times t2, t7, and t8, which are the first time interval in which the average values ​​a2, a7, and a8 were obtained, to the set T. In other words, the calculation unit 113 determines the set T as T={t2, t7, t8}.

[0055] Next, the calculation unit 113 determines the variance of the Q value in the first time interval based on the measurement values ​​included in the determined set T. Specifically, the calculation unit 113 calculates the variance based on the measurement values ​​in the first time interval included in the set T, and determines the average value of the calculated variances as the variance of the Q value in the first time interval.

[0056] To generalize the above, the first time interval t i The variance of the measured values ​​in i The variance of the measurement values ​​determined by the calculation unit 113 is expressed as variance

number

number

[0057] To explain this using an example shown in FIG. 6, the set T indicating the second time interval is T={t2, t7, t8}, so the calculation unit 113 calculates the variance of the measurement values ​​in the first time interval as follows:

number

number

[0058] The calculation unit 113 calculates the average value for each first time interval and determines the variance for each first time interval, and estimates a cumulative distribution function for the Q value based on the average value and the variance. The calculation unit 113 estimates a cumulative distribution function for the Q value based on the measured values ​​for each first time interval included in the set T based on the calculated average value and the determined variance. The calculation unit 113 estimates the cumulative distribution function by fitting to a Gaussian distribution based on the calculated average value and the determined variance. The calculation unit 113 estimates a cumulative distribution function for the Q value based on the measured values ​​for each first time interval by setting the calculated average value for each first time interval included in the set T as the Q value with a cumulative probability of 0.5 and obtaining a cumulative distribution function according to a Gaussian distribution based on the determined variance.

[0059] The calculation unit 113 estimates a cumulative probability distribution of the Q value based on the measurement value for each first time interval included in the set T, and calculates a margin value M i The calculation unit 113 calculates the margin value M calculated based on the measurement values ​​of all the first time intervals included in the set T. i The average value of these is determined (calculated) as the final margin value M.

[0060] Here, a method for calculating the margin value M by the calculation unit 113 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the method for calculating the margin value. The calculation unit 113 estimates a cumulative distribution function for the Q value based on the calculated average value and the determined variance for each first time interval included in the set T. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a specific example using an average value a2 at time t2 in the first time interval included in the set T. A curve L1 shown in FIG. 7 indicates the cumulative distribution function for the Q value. The calculation unit 113 sets the calculated average value a2 to a value at which the cumulative probability is 0.5, and the determined variance

number

[0061] Next, the calculation unit 113 obtains a Q value corresponding to the value ETT whose cumulative probability is a predetermined value in the cumulative probability distribution. As shown in FIG. 7, in the probability distribution shown by the curve L1, the Q value corresponding to the value ETT whose cumulative probability is a predetermined value is the value Q ref2 Then, the calculation unit 113 calculates the value Q ref2 The calculation unit 113 calculates the average value a2 and the value Q ref2 The calculation unit 113 calculates the difference between the average value a7 and a8 as the margin value M2 for the first time interval corresponding to the average value a2. The calculation unit 113 also estimates a cumulative distribution function for the average values ​​a7 and a8 in the first time interval included in the set T, and calculates the margin values ​​M7 and M8. After calculating the margin values ​​M7 and M8, the calculation unit 113 calculates the average value of the margin values ​​M2, M7, and M8, and determines it as the final margin value M. The calculation unit 113 stores the determined margin value M in the storage unit 116. The calculation unit 113 updates the final margin value M as needed, using the measurement values ​​acquired by the acquisition unit 112. The final margin value M may be calculated by determining a moving average of the margin values ​​M2, M7, and M8.

[0062] To generalize the above, the first time interval t iThe margin value at M i and a function indicating the cumulative probability distribution is a function f, the calculation unit 113 calculates the margin value M i is calculated using the following formula (3). i is the first time interval t i The calculation unit 113 calculates the margin value M i The average value is calculated and the calculated average value is determined as the final margin value M.

number

[0063] <Determination process of reference quality value> Next, the process of determining the reference quality value will be described. After determining the margin value M, the calculation unit 113 determines a reference quality value using the margin value M while updating the margin value M in the same manner as described above based on the acquired measurement values. For example, when a measurement value is acquired in a first time interval after determining the margin value M, the calculation unit 113 calculates an average value of the measurement values ​​in the first time interval based on the measurement values ​​in the first time interval. The calculation unit 113 determines a value obtained by subtracting the margin value M from the calculated average value as the reference quality value. In this way, after determining the margin value M, the calculation unit 113 can determine the reference quality value based on the average value in the first time interval and the margin value M, and therefore can easily and immediately determine the reference quality value.

[0064] Returning to FIG. 4, the determination unit 114 will be described. The determination unit 114 corresponds to the determination unit 4 in the first embodiment. Based on the reference quality value determined by the calculation unit 113, the determination unit 114 determines whether the communication quality in the optical communication network N1 is equal to or exceeds a required quality value Q w.Err Determine whether the required quality value Q is satisfied. w.Err may be the minimum communication quality information value that a communication carrier can tolerate as communication quality. In other words, the required quality value Q w.Err may be, for example, a value of the communication quality information that must not fall below in order to satisfy the error rate constraint.

[0065] If the reference quality value exceeds the required quality value, the determining unit 114 determines that the communication quality in the optical communication network N1 satisfies the required quality value. On the other hand, if the reference quality value does not exceed the required quality value, the determining unit 114 determines that the communication quality in the optical communication network N1 does not satisfy the required quality value.

[0066] The control unit 115 changes the communication settings in the optical communication network N1 so that the communication quality satisfies the required quality value based on the determination result of the determination unit 114. When the control unit 115 determines the control content, it transmits it to the communication device 102 via the communication unit 111, and changes the communication settings in the optical communication network N1 via the communication device 102.

[0067] When the reference quality value is greater than the required quality value, the control unit 115 performs control to increase the communication speed of the communication signal transmitted in the optical communication network N1. Specifically, the control unit 115 performs control to reduce the strength of the error correction code of the communication signal, or to reduce the transmission output of the communication device 102 that transmits the communication signal.

[0068] When the reference quality value does not exceed the required quality value, the control unit 115 performs control to reduce the communication speed of the communication signal transmitted in the optical communication network N1. Specifically, the control unit 115 performs control to increase the strength of the error correction code of the communication signal, or to increase the transmission output of the communication device 102 that transmits the communication signal. Note that, when the transmission output is increased, the total amount of transmission output is often limited, but the communication amount per transmission output is reduced, so the communication speed can be reduced.

[0069] The storage unit 116 stores the measurement values ​​acquired by the acquisition unit 112. The storage unit 116 stores the average value for each first time interval calculated by the calculation unit 113 and the calculated variance. The storage unit 116 stores the margin value M determined by the calculation unit 113.

[0070] Next, a configuration example of the communication device 102 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the communication device according to the second embodiment. The communication device 102 includes a communication unit 121 and a control unit 122.

[0071] The communication unit 121 communicates with the communication device 101 and the terminal device 107. The communication unit 121 receives a communication signal from the communication device 101 via the optical communication network N1, and restores a data unit based on a bit string included in the communication signal. The communication unit 121 extracts a communication frame from the data unit and transmits it to the terminal device 107. The communication unit 121 receives a communication frame from the terminal device 107. The communication unit 121 stores the received communication frame in a data unit and converts the data unit into a communication signal. The communication unit 121 transmits the communication signal to the communication device 101 via the optical communication network N1. The communication unit 121 receives the control content determined by the control unit 115 from the communication device 101, and transmits it to the control unit 122.

[0072] The control unit 122 receives the control content determined by the control unit 115 from the communication unit 121. The control unit 122 executes control according to the control content determined by the control unit 115, and changes the communication settings in the optical communication network N1.

[0073] <Example of optical communication system operation> Next, an operation example of the optical communication system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 are flowcharts showing an operation example of the optical communication system according to the second embodiment.

[0074] First, the overall operation of the optical communication system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The operation shown in Fig. 9 is executed in the communication devices 101 and 102. The communication device 101 calculates a margin value (step S11). Details of step S11 will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0075] The acquisition unit 112 acquires the measurement value (step S12). The calculation unit 113 determines a reference quality value (step S13). The calculation unit 113 calculates an average value for each first time interval based on the acquired measurement values. The calculation unit 113 determines a reference quality value based on the calculated average value and the margin value calculated in step S11. The calculation unit 113 determines a value obtained by subtracting the margin value from the calculated average value as the reference quality value. Note that in step S13, the calculation unit 113 updates the margin value based on the acquired measurement values, and determines the reference quality value using the updated margin value.

[0076] The determination unit 114 determines whether the reference quality value is greater than the required quality value (step S14). By determining whether the reference quality value is greater than the required quality value, the determination unit 114 determines whether the communication quality in the optical communication network N1 satisfies the required quality value.

[0077] If the reference quality value is greater than the required quality value (YES in step S14), the decision unit 114 decides that the communication quality in the optical communication network N1 satisfies the required quality value, and the control unit 115 executes step S15.

[0078] On the other hand, if the reference quality value is not greater than the required quality value (NO in step S14), the decision unit 114 decides that the communication quality in the optical communication network N1 does not satisfy the required quality value, and the control unit 115 executes step S16.

[0079] In step S15, the control unit 115 increases the communication speed (step S15). The control unit 115 performs control to increase the communication speed by lowering the strength of the error correction code of the communication signal transmitted in the optical communication network N1 or by performing control to reduce the transmission output of the communication device 102 that transmits the communication signal. The control unit 115 transmits the control content of the control to the communication device 102 via the communication unit 111. The control unit 122 changes the communication settings in the optical communication network N1 based on the control content received from the communication device 101.

[0080] In step S16, the control unit 115 reduces the communication speed (step S16). The control unit 115 controls to reduce the communication speed by increasing the strength of the error correction code of the communication signal transmitted in the optical communication network N1 or by controlling to increase the transmission output of the communication device 102 that transmits the communication signal. The control unit 115 transmits the control content of the control to the communication device 102 via the communication unit 111. The control unit 122 changes the communication settings in the optical communication network N1 based on the control content received from the communication device 101.

[0081] When the communication devices 101 and 102 execute steps S15 and S16, the process ends. Note that, although Fig. 9 shows a flowchart in which the process ends when step S15 or S16 is executed, the communication devices 101 and 102 may return to step S12 and continue the process when the execution of step S15 or S16 is completed. Alternatively, the communication devices 101 and 102 may execute the flowchart shown in Fig. 9 again when the execution of step S15 or S16 is completed.

[0082] Next, step S11 in Fig. 9 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 10. The operation shown in Fig. 10 is executed in the communication device 101. The acquiring unit 112 acquires a plurality of measurement values ​​related to the Q factor in the optical communication network N1 (step S21). The calculation unit 113 calculates an average value of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval based on the multiple measurement values ​​acquired by the acquisition unit 112 (step S22).

[0083] The calculation unit 113 determines the variance of the Q-value for each first time interval based on the multiple measurement values ​​acquired by the acquisition unit 112 (step S23). The calculation unit 113 determines a set T for determining the variance based on the average value for each first time interval. When the difference between the average value in the first time interval to be judged and the average value in the first time interval to be compared is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the calculation unit 113 determines the set T such that the first time interval to be judged is included in the set T. The calculation unit 113 calculates the variance of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval included in the set T based on the measurement values ​​for each first time interval included in the set T, and determines the average value of the calculated variances as the variance of the Q-value in the first time interval.

[0084] The calculation unit 113 calculates the margin value M (step S24). The calculation unit 113 estimates a cumulative distribution function for the Q value based on the calculated average value and the determined variance for each first time interval. The calculation unit 113 estimates the margin value M based on the calculated average value and the determined variance for each first time interval included in the set T. i The calculation unit 113 calculates the margin value M i The average value is calculated and the calculated average value is determined as the final margin value M.

[0085] As described above, the calculation unit 113 calculates the average value of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval. The calculation unit 113 determines the variance for each first time interval based on the average value of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval, taking into account the fluctuation state of the acquired measurement values ​​(characteristics of the measurement values), and determines a reference quality value. The determination unit 114 uses the reference quality value to determine whether or not the communication quality in the optical communication network N1 satisfies a required quality value. Therefore, according to the communication device 101 according to the second embodiment, the communication carrier can grasp the communication quality in the optical communication network.

[0086] Furthermore, the calculation unit 113 calculates a margin value M for determining whether or not the communication quality satisfies the required quality by combining the average value and the variance. After determining the margin value M, the calculation unit 113 calculates an average value for each first time interval, and can determine a reference quality value by subtracting the margin value M from the average value. Therefore, according to the communication device 101 according to the second embodiment, the communication quality in the optical communication network can be easily and immediately determined. Furthermore, since the calculation unit 113 can easily and immediately determine the reference quality value using the margin value M, the determination unit 114 can also easily and immediately determine whether the communication quality satisfies the required quality value using the reference quality value.

[0087] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment differs from the second embodiment in the process of determining the distribution of the Q value for each first time interval. Note that the configuration of the optical communication system according to the third embodiment is simply a replacement of the communication device 101 in the second embodiment with a communication device 201 described later. Therefore, in this embodiment, the description of the configuration of the optical communication system will be omitted as appropriate, and an example of the configuration of the communication device 201 will be described while omitting the contents common to the second embodiment as appropriate.

[0088] <Example of communication device configuration> A configuration example of a communication device 201 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a communication device according to the third embodiment. The communication device 201 includes a communication unit 111, an acquisition unit 112, a calculation unit 213, a determination unit 114, a control unit 115, and a storage unit 116. In the configuration of the communication device 201, the calculation unit 113 of the communication device 101 according to the second embodiment is replaced with the calculation unit 213. The configurations of the communication unit 111, the acquisition unit 112, the determination unit 114, the control unit 115, and the storage unit 116 are similar to those of the second embodiment, and therefore will not be described as appropriate.

[0089] The calculation unit 213 performs frequency analysis on the acquired measurement values, and determines the length of the first time interval based on the results of the frequency analysis. The calculation unit 213 acquires the acquired measurement values ​​from the storage unit 116, performs a discrete Fourier transform on the acquired measurement values, and identifies the period of the waveform that constitutes the acquired measurement values ​​from the calculated frequency components. When the result of the frequency analysis indicates that the acquired multiple measurement values ​​are composed of a waveform that varies with multiple periods, the calculation unit 213 selects one of the multiple periods, and determines the length of the first time interval based on the selected period.

[0090] When the acquired multiple measurement values ​​are composed of a waveform that varies with multiple periods, the minimum period among the multiple periods is assumed to be stationary noise that is difficult to remove in current optical communication. Therefore, when the acquired multiple measurement values ​​are composed of a waveform that varies with multiple periods, the calculation unit 213 selects the second smallest period and determines the length of the first time interval based on the selected period. By selecting the second smallest period, the calculation unit 213 mitigates fluctuations in periods equal to or greater than the selected period, which are assumed to be due to the influence of noise generated in a communication device or the like. In other words, the calculation unit 213 selects the second smallest period in order to mitigate the influence of noise generated in a communication device or the like. Note that the calculation unit 213 may select the third or subsequent smallest period among the identified multiple periods.

[0091] The calculation unit 213 determines the first time interval in consideration of a sampling period that can sample the waveform of the selected period. The calculation unit 213 may determine, for example, ¼ of the selected period as the first time interval. If the first time interval can be divided into shorter intervals, the obtained variance becomes smaller, and the margin value M can be reduced. However, if the first time interval is made too short, the control speed that can be followed may be limited, and therefore, it is preferable to determine the first time interval in consideration of this.

[0092] Assume that the acquisition unit 112 measures the Q value with a period of, for example, 1 second. Assume that the calculation unit 213 performs a discrete Fourier transform on the waveform based on the acquired measurement value and detects that the acquired measurement value is composed of waveforms that fluctuate with periods of, for example, 2 seconds, 13 seconds, and 35 seconds. The calculation unit 213 determines that it is difficult to remove the waveform fluctuating with a period of 2 seconds, which is the detected waveform with the smallest period, by control. The calculation unit 213 selects the period of 13 seconds, which is the second shortest period, from among the waveforms that fluctuate with periods of 13 seconds and 35 seconds, and aims to control following the fluctuation of the period. The calculation unit 213 determines, for example, 3.25 seconds, which is 1 / 4 of the selected period of 13 seconds, as the first time interval. Note that the calculation unit 213 may round up or down the decimal point to set the first time interval to 3 seconds.

[0093] The calculation unit 213 calculates the average value and variance for each first time interval based on the measurement values ​​for each first time interval according to the determined length for the measurement values ​​stored in the storage unit 116. That is, the calculation unit 213 adjusts the length of the first time interval, and determines the variance based on the measurement values ​​for the first time interval of the adjusted length as the variance for the first time interval.

[0094] The calculation unit 213 estimates a cumulative distribution function for the Q value based on the measurement value for each first time interval, based on the average value and variance for each first time interval. The calculation unit 213 estimates the cumulative distribution function by fitting to a Gaussian distribution based on the average value and variance for each first time interval. The calculation unit 213 estimates the cumulative distribution function for the Q value by fitting to a Gaussian distribution in which the average value for each first time interval is the Q value with a cumulative probability of 0.5, and the variance is the variance of the Gaussian distribution.

[0095] The calculation unit 213 calculates the average value a for each first time interval by using a cumulative distribution function of the Q value based on the average value and variance for each first time interval. i The margin value M is calculated by calculating the difference between the cumulative probability and the Q value at which the cumulative probability becomes a predetermined value ETT in the cumulative distribution function. iThe calculation unit 213 calculates the margin value M i Calculating the margin value M i The average value of these is determined (calculated) as the final margin value M.

[0096] After determining the margin value M, the calculation unit 213 calculates an average value and a variance for each first time interval based on the acquired measurement values, and updates the margin value M based on the average value and the variance for each first time interval. The calculation unit 213 also determines a reference quality value using the margin value M. For example, when a measurement value is acquired in the first time interval after determining the margin value M, the calculation unit 213 calculates an average value based on the measurement value in the first time interval. The calculation unit 213 determines a value obtained by subtracting the margin value M from the calculated average value as the reference quality value.

[0097] <Example of communication device operation> Next, an operation example of the communication device 201 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the communication device according to the third embodiment. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing detailed operations of S11 in Fig. 9 described in the second embodiment. The communication device 201 executes the operations shown in Fig. 12 in S11 in Fig. 9. Note that, also in the third embodiment, the communication devices 201 and 102 execute the flowchart shown in Fig. 9. Among the operations shown in Fig. 12, the same reference symbols are assigned to operations similar to those in Fig. 10, and explanations common to Fig. 10 will be omitted as appropriate.

[0098] The acquiring unit 112 acquires a plurality of measurement values ​​related to the Q factor in the optical communication network N1 (step S21). The calculation unit 213 performs frequency analysis on the measurement value acquired by the acquisition unit 112, and determines the length of the first time interval based on the result of the frequency analysis (step S31). The calculation unit 213 acquires the acquired measurement value from the storage unit 116, performs a discrete Fourier transform on the measurement value, and identifies the period of the waveform that constitutes the acquired measurement value. When the acquired multiple measurement values ​​are configured by a waveform that varies with multiple periods, the calculation unit 213 selects the second smallest period. The calculation unit 213 determines the first time interval in consideration of a sampling period that can sample the waveform of the selected period.

[0099] Calculation unit 213 calculates an average value for each first time interval based on the measurement values ​​for each determined first time interval for the measurement values ​​stored in storage unit 116 (step S22), and calculates a variance for each first time interval (step S32). Calculation unit 213 calculates a variance based on the measurement values ​​in the first time interval of the adjusted length, and determines the calculated variance as the variance in the first time interval.

[0100] The calculation unit 213 calculates the margin value M (step S33). The calculation unit 213 estimates a cumulative distribution function for the Q value based on the measurement value for each first time interval, based on the average value and variance for each first time interval. The calculation unit 213 estimates a cumulative distribution function for the Q value based on the measurement value for each first time interval, based on the average value and variance for each first time interval. i The margin value M is calculated by calculating the difference between the cumulative probability and the Q value at which the cumulative probability becomes a predetermined value ETT in the cumulative distribution function. i The calculation unit 213 calculates the margin value M i Calculating the margin value M i The average value of these is determined (calculated) as the final margin value M.

[0101] As described above, the calculation unit 213 can determine the reference quality value by using the margin value M, similarly to the calculation unit 113 according to the second embodiment. Therefore, according to the communication device 201 according to the third embodiment, similarly to the second embodiment, the communication quality in the optical communication network can be easily and immediately determined, and the communication carrier can grasp the communication quality in the optical communication network.

[0102] Furthermore, the calculation unit 213 performs frequency analysis on the acquired measurement values ​​to determine the length of the first time interval, and determines the reference quality value using the average value and variance based on the measurement values ​​in the first time interval according to the determined length. That is, unlike the second embodiment, the calculation unit 213 can determine the margin value M using the average value and variance based on all the measurement values. Therefore, the communication device 201 according to the third embodiment can determine the margin value M more accurately than the second embodiment. Therefore, the communication device 201 according to the third embodiment can allow the communication carrier to accurately and appropriately grasp the communication quality in the optical communication network more accurately than the second embodiment.

[0103] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. The fourth embodiment is an improved example of the second and third embodiments. The fourth embodiment will be described using the second embodiment.

[0104] <Example of communication device configuration> A configuration example of a communication device 301 according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a communication device according to the fourth embodiment. The communication device 301 includes a communication unit 111, an acquisition unit 312, a calculation unit 313, a determination unit 114, a control unit 115, and a storage unit 116. In the configuration of the communication device 301, the acquisition unit 112 of the communication device 101 according to the second embodiment is replaced with the acquisition unit 312, and the calculation unit 113 is replaced with the calculation unit 313. The configurations of the communication unit 111, the acquisition unit 112, the determination unit 114, the control unit 115, and the storage unit 116 are the same as those of the second embodiment, and therefore the description will be omitted as appropriate. Note that, in the configuration of the optical communication system according to the fourth embodiment, the communication device 101 in the second embodiment is simply replaced with the communication device 301. Therefore, the description of the configuration of the optical communication system according to the fourth embodiment will be omitted. In the following description, an example of the configuration of the communication device 301 will be described while omitting parts common to the second embodiment as appropriate.

[0105] The acquisition unit 312 acquires a plurality of measurement values ​​related to the Q value, which is communication quality information in the optical communication network N1. Based on the communication settings in the optical communication network N1, the acquisition unit 312 identifies a first group corresponding to the communication settings in the optical communication network N1 from at least one first group based on the setting values ​​of the communication settings. The first group is a group prepared in advance based on possible setting values ​​for the communication settings in the optical communication network N1. In other words, the first group is a group prepared in advance based on candidate setting values ​​for the communication settings in the optical communication network N1. The acquisition unit 312 classifies the acquired plurality of measurement values ​​into the identified first group. That is, the acquisition unit 312 classifies the acquired plurality of measurement values ​​into the first group corresponding to the communication settings in the optical communication network N1.

[0106] The acquiring unit 312 acquires communication setting information related to communication settings in the optical communication network N1 from, for example, the communication device 102 or a network monitoring device (not shown) that monitors and controls the optical communication network N1. The acquiring unit 312 identifies a first group corresponding to the communication settings in the optical communication network N1 from among at least one first group based on the communication setting information, and classifies the acquired measurement values ​​into the identified first group.

[0107] Examples of communication settings include a QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) setting and a PCS (Probabilistic Constellation Shaping) setting. The QAM setting and the PCS setting are settings related to modulation of a communication signal in the optical communication network N1.

[0108] For example, in the case of 16QAM, the variance of the Q value is expected to be larger than that of the QPSK. In this way, it is expected that the variance of the Q value will be changed by changing the order of QAM. In other words, it is expected that the variance of the Q value will be changed by changing the distance between modulation symbols.

[0109] The PCS setting is used in conjunction with the QAM setting, and is a setting related to a process of reducing the frequency of using symbols located far from the center on the outside in a constellation corresponding to the QAM, and increasing the frequency of using symbols located on the inside close to the center. When a symbol located far from the center is used in a constellation, the error rate increases. Therefore, by changing to a PCS setting that reduces the occurrence probability of the symbol, the communication speed decreases, but the error rate decreases and the Q value variance is expected to decrease. Also, by changing to a PCS setting that increases the occurrence probability of symbols located far from the center, the communication speed increases, but the error rate also increases, so the Q value variance is expected to increase.

[0110] In this embodiment, at least one first group is prepared in advance based on the QAM order as the QAM setting and the occurrence probability of a symbol located far from the center on the constellation as the PCS setting. In other words, in this embodiment, at least one first group is prepared in advance based on the value (setting value) of the QAM order and the value (setting value) of the occurrence probability of a symbol located far from the center on the constellation. Then, the acquisition unit 312 identifies a first group corresponding to the communication setting in the optical communication network N1 from among the at least one first group based on the communication setting information, and classifies the acquired measurement values ​​into the identified first group.

[0111] The calculation unit 313 calculates an average value for each first time interval based on the measurement values ​​included in the first group corresponding to the communication setting in the optical communication network N1, and determines a variance for each first time interval, in the same manner as in the second embodiment. In other words, the calculation unit 313 calculates an average value for each first time interval based on the measurement values ​​included in the first group identified by the acquisition unit 312, and determines a variance for each first time interval, in the same manner as in the second embodiment.

[0112] <Example of communication device operation> Next, an operation example of the communication device 301 according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the communication device according to the fourth embodiment. Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing the detailed operation of S11 in Fig. 9 described in the second embodiment. The communication device 301 executes the operation shown in Fig. 14 in S11 in Fig. 9. Note that, in the fourth embodiment, the communication devices 301 and 102 also execute the flowchart shown in Fig. 9. Among the operations shown in Fig. 14, the same reference symbols are used for operations similar to those in Fig. 10, and explanations common to Fig. 10 will be omitted as appropriate.

[0113] The acquisition unit 312 acquires a plurality of measurement values ​​related to the Q factor in the optical communication network N1 (step S21). The acquiring unit 312 classifies the plurality of measurement values ​​into a first group corresponding to the communication setting in the optical communication network N1 from among at least one first group based on the setting value of the communication setting, based on the communication setting in the optical communication network N1 (step S41). The acquiring unit 312 acquires communication setting information related to the communication setting in the optical communication network N1. The acquiring unit 312 identifies a first group corresponding to the communication setting in the optical communication network N1 from among the at least one first group, based on the communication setting information. The acquiring unit 312 classifies the plurality of acquired measurement values ​​into the identified first group.

[0114] The calculation unit 313 calculates an average value for each first time interval based on the measurement values ​​included in the first group corresponding to the communication setting in the optical communication network N1 (step S42). The calculation unit 313 calculates an average value for each first time interval based on the measurement values ​​included in the first group identified by the acquisition unit 312 in the same manner as in the second embodiment.

[0115] The calculation unit 313 determines the variance for each first time interval based on the measurement values ​​included in the first group corresponding to the communication setting in the optical communication network N1 (step S43). The calculation unit 313 determines the variance for each first time interval based on the measurement values ​​included in the first group identified by the acquisition unit 312 in the same manner as in the second embodiment. The calculation unit 313 calculates the margin value M (step S33). The calculation unit 313 calculates the margin value M in the same manner as in the second embodiment. i Calculate the margin value M i The average value of these is determined as the margin value M.

[0116] As described above, it is assumed that the variance of the measurement value differs depending on the communication setting of the optical communication network N1. Therefore, the acquisition unit 312 classifies the acquired measurement value into a first group corresponding to the communication setting in the optical communication network N1 among the first groups based on the setting value of the communication setting based on the communication setting in the optical communication network N1. Then, the calculation unit 313 obtains the average value and variance for each first time interval based on the measurement value included in the first group corresponding to the communication setting in the optical communication network N1, and determines the margin value M. That is, the calculation unit 313 can accurately determine the variance and the margin value M based on the measurement value having a similar variance. Therefore, according to the communication device 301 according to the fourth embodiment, it is possible to determine the reference quality value using a more accurate margin value M than the second and third embodiments. Therefore, according to the communication device 301 according to the fourth embodiment, the communication carrier can grasp the communication quality in the optical communication network more accurately than the second and third embodiments.

[0117] (Modification) In the above-described fourth embodiment, a second group based on a reference average value and a reference variance may be further used so that the margin value M can be calculated with high accuracy. Specifically, at least one second group may be prepared in advance based on a combination of a reference average value indicating an average value that the calculation unit 313 can calculate and a reference variance value indicating a variance that the calculation unit 313 can determine. Based on the calculated average value and the determined variance, the calculation unit 313 may specify a second group that includes a reference average value similar to the calculated average value and a reference variance value similar to the determined variance from among the at least one second group. The calculation unit 313 classifies the calculated average value and the determined variance into the specified second group. The calculation unit 313 may calculate the margin value M using the average value and variance included in the classified second group, and calculate a reference quality value based on the calculated average value and the margin value M.

[0118] As in this modification, by using not only the first group but also the second group, not only can the variance be determined based on the measurement values ​​assumed to have similar variances, but also the margin value M can be determined with high accuracy by using similar average values ​​and variances. Therefore, by modifying the fourth embodiment as in this modification, it is possible to determine the margin value M and reference quality value with higher accuracy than in the fourth embodiment.

[0119] Fifth embodiment Next, a fifth embodiment will be described. The fifth embodiment is an improved example of the second to fourth embodiments, and differs from the second to fourth embodiments in the content of the control performed by the control unit. The fifth embodiment will be described using the second embodiment.

[0120] <Example of communication device configuration> A configuration example of the communication device 401 according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 15. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the communication device according to the fifth embodiment. The communication device 401 includes a communication unit 111, an acquisition unit 112, a calculation unit 113, a determination unit 114, a control unit 415, and a storage unit 116. In the configuration of the communication device 401, the control unit 115 of the communication device 101 according to the second embodiment is replaced with the control unit 415. The configurations of the communication unit 111, the acquisition unit 112, the calculation unit 113, the determination unit 114, and the storage unit 116 are the same as those of the second embodiment, and therefore the description will be omitted as appropriate. In addition, in the configuration of the optical communication system according to the fifth embodiment, the communication device 101 in the second embodiment is simply replaced with the communication device 401. Therefore, the description of the configuration of the optical communication system according to the fifth embodiment will be omitted. In the following description, the configuration example of the communication device 401 will be described while omitting the contents common to the second embodiment as appropriate.

[0121] The control unit 415 changes the communication settings in the optical communication network N1 so that the communication quality satisfies the required quality value based on the determination result of the determination unit 114. After determining the control content, the control unit 415 transmits it to the communication device 102 via the communication unit 111, and changes the communication settings in the optical communication network N1 via the communication device 102.

[0122] The control unit 415 acquires the acquired measurement value from the storage unit 116, and performs a discrete Fourier transform on the acquired measurement value to perform a frequency analysis. The control unit 415 identifies the period of the waveform constituting the acquired measurement value from the frequency components calculated by the discrete Fourier transform. Note that, as in the third embodiment, when the calculation unit 113 executes a frequency analysis, the control unit 415 may use the analysis result of the executed frequency analysis.

[0123] The control unit 415 uses frequency analysis to determine whether the multiple measurement values ​​are composed of a waveform that fluctuates at a period greater than a predetermined period. The predetermined period may be, for example, a period that is considered to be stationary noise. Alternatively, the predetermined period may be a first stabilization time described later, a time obtained by multiplying the first stabilization time by a predetermined coefficient, or a time determined based on the first stabilization time.

[0124] When the multiple measurement values ​​are configured by a waveform that fluctuates at a period larger than a predetermined period, the control unit 415 executes at least one of the first control and the second control based on the period corresponding to the waveform. The first control is a control in which a stabilization time from execution of the control until the communication quality is stabilized is a first stabilization time, and the second control is a control in which a stabilization time is a second stabilization time longer than the first stabilization time. The first stabilization time and the second stabilization time may be determined in consideration of a control period indicating a controllable period. The first stabilization time and the second stabilization time may each be determined as a time several times the control period. When the control period of the second control is, for example, 4 seconds, the second stabilization time may be determined as, for example, 16 seconds, which is four times the control period of the second control.

[0125] The control unit 415 executes the second control when the multiple measured values ​​are constituted by a waveform that fluctuates with a period greater than a predetermined period and the period corresponding to the waveform is longer than the second stabilization time. The control unit 415 executes the first control when the multiple measured values ​​are constituted by a waveform that fluctuates with a period greater than a predetermined period and the period corresponding to the waveform is shorter than the second stabilization time.

[0126] For example, when the multiple measurement values ​​are composed of waveforms that vary with periods of 2 seconds, 13 seconds, and 35 seconds, and the predetermined period is 2 seconds, the control unit 415 determines that the multiple measurement values ​​are composed of waveforms that vary with periods of 13 seconds and 35 seconds. When the first stabilization time is, for example, 8 seconds and the second stabilization time is, for example, 16 seconds, the control unit 415 executes the second control on the waveform that varies with a period of 35 seconds, thereby executing control so that the reference quality value satisfies the required quality value. The control unit 415 also executes the first control on the waveform that varies with a period of 13 seconds, thereby executing control so that the reference quality value satisfies the required quality value.

[0127] The first control may include, for example, control to change at least one of the QAM setting and the PCS setting. The QAM setting and the PCS setting can be changed in about a few seconds. Therefore, when the multiple measurement values ​​are configured with a waveform that fluctuates with a period larger than a predetermined period, and the period corresponding to the waveform is shorter than the second stabilization time, the control unit 415 changes at least one of the QAM setting and the PCS setting as the first control.

[0128] When the reference quality value is greater than the required quality value, the control unit 415 performs control to increase the communication speed of the communication signal transmitted in the optical communication network N1. The control unit 415 changes the QAM setting so that the order of QAM becomes higher. The control unit 415 changes the PCS setting so that the occurrence probability of symbols located far from the center in the constellation becomes higher.

[0129] When the reference quality value does not exceed the required quality value, the control unit 415 performs control to reduce the communication speed of the communication signal transmitted in the optical communication network N1. The control unit 415 changes the QAM setting so that the order of QAM becomes smaller. The control unit 415 changes the PCS setting so that the occurrence probability of symbols located far from the center in the constellation becomes smaller.

[0130] The second control may include control to change at least one of the frequency, amplification power, and optical switch setting of the communication signal in the optical communication network N1. The frequency, amplification power, and optical path setting of the communication signal in the optical communication network N1 may require changing of multiple communication devices, and therefore may take longer to change than the QAM setting and the PCS setting. Therefore, when the multiple measurement values ​​are configured by a waveform that fluctuates with a period larger than a predetermined period, and the period corresponding to the waveform is longer than the second stabilization time, the control unit 415 executes the second control. That is, the control unit 415 changes at least one of the frequency, amplification power, and optical path setting of the communication signal in the optical communication network N1 as the second control.

[0131] If the reference quality value is greater than the required quality value, the control unit 415 changes the frequency of the communication signal to be closer to the frequency of the adjacent channel. Changing the frequency of the communication signal to be closer to the frequency of the adjacent channel increases the error rate, but the communication signal becomes denser, the communication capacity per communication line increases, and the communication speed can be increased.

[0132] When the reference quality value exceeds the required quality value, the control unit 415 changes the amplification power of the repeaters (optical packet switches 105 and 106) in the optical communication network N1 so as to reduce the amplification power of the optical path. In long-distance communication, the amount of power supply may be limited, and the amplification power of the optical path should be reduced to the extent that communication quality can be ensured. Reducing the amplification power of the repeaters increases the error rate at the signal receiving end, but allows for power saving.

[0133] When the reference quality value exceeds the required quality value, the control unit 415 changes the optical switch settings so as to shorten the optical path change period. In the optical switch, for example, by shortening the time for changing the optical path route setting, the error rate increases because quality fluctuations increase in a period shorter than the time for changing the communication setting, but the capacity of communication signals increases and large-capacity communication becomes possible. Note that when the reference quality value exceeds the required quality value, the control unit 415 may change the optical switch settings so as to shorten the frame length of the optical packet switch.

[0134] If the reference quality value does not exceed the required quality value, the control unit 415 changes the frequency of the communication signal so that it becomes farther from the frequency of the adjacent channel. If the reference quality value does not exceed the required quality value, the control unit 415 changes the amplification power of the repeaters (optical packet switches 105 and 106) in the optical communication network N1 so that the amplification power of the optical path becomes larger. If the reference quality value does not exceed the required quality value, the control unit 415 changes the optical switch settings so that the optical path changing period becomes longer. Note that if the reference quality value does not exceed the required quality value, the control unit 415 may change the optical switch settings so that the frame length of the optical packet switch becomes longer.

[0135] <Example of communication device operation> Next, an operation example of the communication device 401 according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 16 and 17. Figs. 16 and 17 are flowcharts showing an operation example of the communication device according to the fifth embodiment. Figs. 16 and 17 correspond to the flowchart of Fig. 9 described in the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the communication devices 401 and 102 execute the flowcharts shown in Figs. 16 and 17. Note that in Figs. 16 and 17, the same operations as those shown in Fig. 9 are denoted by the same reference symbols, and the description of operations common to the second embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0136] The communication device 401 calculates a margin value (step S11). In step S11, the communication device 401 executes the operation described with reference to FIG.

[0137] The acquisition unit 112 acquires the measurement value (step S12), and the calculation unit 113 determines a reference quality value (step S13).

[0138] The control unit 415 performs a frequency analysis on the acquired multiple measurement values ​​(step S51). The control unit 415 executes a discrete Fourier transform on the acquired measurement values, and identifies the period of the waveform that constitutes the acquired measurement values ​​from the calculated frequency components.

[0139] The control unit 415 determines whether or not there is a waveform with a period greater than a predetermined period (step S52). The control unit 415 determines whether or not the multiple measurement values ​​are configured from a waveform that fluctuates with a period greater than a predetermined period.

[0140] If a waveform with a period greater than the predetermined period exists (YES in step S52), the determination unit 114 executes step S14. In other words, if the multiple measured values ​​are constituted by a waveform that fluctuates with a period greater than the predetermined period, the determination unit 114 executes step S14.

[0141] On the other hand, if there is no waveform with a period greater than the predetermined period (NO in step S52), the communication device 401 ends the process. In other words, if the multiple measured values ​​are not configured with a waveform that fluctuates with a period greater than the predetermined period, the communication device 401 ends the process.

[0142] In step S14, the determination unit 114 determines whether the reference quality value is greater than the required quality value (step S14). If the reference quality value is greater than the required quality value (YES in step S14), control unit 415 executes step S53. If the reference quality value is not greater than the required quality value (NO in step S14), control unit 415 executes step S54.

[0143] In step S53, the control unit 415 executes a first control to increase the communication speed of a communication signal transmitted in the optical communication network N1 (step S53). The control unit 415 changes the QAM setting so that the order of QAM becomes higher. The control unit 415 changes the PCS setting so that the occurrence probability of a symbol located far from the center in a constellation becomes higher. When the control unit 415 determines the control content for changing at least one of the QAM setting and the PCS setting as described above, it transmits it to the communication device 102 via the communication unit 111. The control unit 122 changes the communication setting in the optical communication network N1 by changing at least one of the QAM setting and the PCS setting based on the control content received from the communication device 101.

[0144] In step S54, the control unit 415 executes a first control to reduce the communication speed of the communication signal transmitted in the optical communication network N1 (step S54). The control unit 415 changes the QAM setting so that the order of QAM becomes smaller. The control unit 415 changes the PCS setting so that the occurrence probability of a symbol located far from the center in the constellation becomes smaller. When the control unit 415 determines the control content for changing at least one of the QAM setting and the PCS setting as described above, it transmits it to the communication device 102 via the communication unit 111. The control unit 122 changes the communication setting in the optical communication network N1 by changing at least one of the QAM setting and the PCS setting based on the control content received from the communication device 101.

[0145] In step S55, control unit 415 determines whether a waveform having a period longer than the second stabilization time is included (step S55). When the multiple measurement values ​​are configured with a waveform that fluctuates with a period longer than a predetermined period, control unit 415 determines whether the period corresponding to the waveform is included with a period longer than the second stabilization time.

[0146] When a waveform having a period longer than the second stabilization time is included (YES in step S55), the determination unit 114 executes step S56. If the waveform does not include a period longer than the second stabilization time (NO in step S55), the communication device 401 ends the process.

[0147] In step S56, the determination unit 114 determines whether the reference quality value is greater than the required quality value (step S56). As in step S14, the determination unit 114 determines whether the reference quality value is greater than the required quality value, thereby determining whether the communication quality in the optical communication network N1 satisfies the required quality value.

[0148] If the reference quality value is greater than the required quality value (YES in step S56), control unit 415 executes step S57. If the reference quality value is not greater than the required quality value (NO in step S56), control unit 415 executes step S58.

[0149] In step S57, the control unit 415 executes the second control so that the reference quality value becomes lower (step S57). The control unit 415 changes the frequency of the communication signal so that it becomes closer to the frequency of the adjacent channel. The control unit 415 changes the amplification power by the repeaters (optical packet switches 105 and 106) in the optical communication network N1 so that the amplification power of the optical path becomes smaller. The control unit 415 changes the optical switch setting so that the change period of the optical path becomes shorter. When the control unit 415 determines the control content for changing at least one of the frequency, amplification power, and optical switch setting of the communication signal in the optical communication network N1 as described above, it transmits it to the communication device 102 via the communication unit 111. The control unit 122 changes the communication setting in the optical communication network N1 by changing at least one of the frequency, amplification power, and optical switch setting of the communication signal in the optical communication network N1 based on the control content received from the communication device 101.

[0150] In step S58, the control unit 415 executes the second control so that the reference quality value becomes higher (step S58). The control unit 415 changes the frequency of the communication signal so that it becomes farther from the frequency of the adjacent channel. The control unit 415 changes the amplification power of the repeaters (optical packet switches 105 and 106) in the optical communication network N1 so that the amplification power of the optical path becomes larger. The control unit 415 changes the optical switch setting so that the change period of the optical path becomes longer. When the control unit 415 determines the control content for changing at least one of the frequency, amplification power, and optical switch setting of the communication signal in the optical communication network N1 as described above, it transmits it to the communication device 102 via the communication unit 111. The control unit 122 changes the communication setting in the optical communication network N1 by changing at least one of the frequency, amplification power, and optical switch setting of the communication signal in the optical communication network N1 based on the control content received from the communication device 101.

[0151] After executing step S57 or step S58, the communication device 401 ends the process. The communication device 102 also ends the process. Note that, although the flowcharts in Fig. 16 and Fig. 17 show that the process ends when step S57 or S58 is executed, the communication devices 401 and 102 may return to step S12 and continue the process when the execution of step S57 or S58 is completed. Alternatively, the communication devices 401 and 102 may execute the flowcharts shown in Fig. 16 and Fig. 17 again when the execution of step S57 or S58 is completed.

[0152] The communication device 401 executes control to change at least one of the first control and the second control based on the period of the waveforms constituting the multiple measurement values, thereby enabling optimal control for each of the waveforms constituting the multiple measurement values. In this way, the communication device 401 according to the fifth embodiment can efficiently select optimal control to improve communication quality in an optical communication network by combining the first control and the second control. Therefore, the communication device 401 according to the fifth embodiment can execute control corresponding to more diverse and complicated communication environments, so that the communication carrier can optimize the communication quality of the optical communication network.

[0153] (Other embodiments) Fig. 18 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the communication devices 1, 101, 102, 201, 301, and 401 (hereinafter referred to as communication device 1, etc.) described in the above-mentioned embodiments. Referring to Fig. 18, the communication device 1, etc. includes a network interface 1201, a processor 1202, and a memory 1203. The network interface 1201 is used to communicate with other communication devices included in the optical communication system.

[0154] The processor 1202 reads out and executes software (computer programs) from the memory 1203 to perform the processing of the communication device 1 and the like described using the flowcharts in the above-mentioned embodiments. The processor 1202 may be, for example, a microprocessor, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 1202 may include multiple processors.

[0155] The memory 1203 is configured by a combination of volatile memory and non-volatile memory. The memory 1203 may include storage located remotely from the processor 1202. In this case, the processor 1202 may access the memory 1203 via an I / O (Input / Output) interface (not shown).

[0156] 18, the memory 1203 is used to store software modules. The processor 1202 reads out and executes the software modules from the memory 1203, thereby performing the processing of the communication device 1 and the like described in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0157] As described with reference to FIG. 18, each of the processors included in the communication device 1 etc. executes one or more programs including a group of instructions for causing a computer to execute the algorithm described with reference to the drawing.

[0158] In the above examples, the program includes instructions (or software code) that, when loaded into a computer, cause the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, the computer-readable medium or tangible storage medium includes random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray® disk or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage device. The program may be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, the transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium includes electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0159] In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the present disclosure may be implemented by appropriately combining the respective embodiments.

[0160] Furthermore, some or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes. (Appendix 1) An acquisition means for acquiring a plurality of measurement values ​​related to communication quality information in an optical communication network; a calculation means for calculating an average value of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval based on the plurality of measurement values, determining a variance of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval, and determining a reference quality value that is an index value indicating communication quality in the optical communication network based on the average value and the variance; and determining means for determining whether the communication quality satisfies a required quality value based on the reference quality value. (Appendix 2) The communication device described in Appendix 1, wherein the calculation means estimates a cumulative distribution function for the communication quality information based on the average value and the variance, calculates a margin value indicating the difference between the average value and a value of the communication quality information at which a cumulative probability in the cumulative distribution function becomes a predetermined value, and determines the reference quality value based on the average value and the margin value. (Appendix 3) 3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the calculation means determines a set indicating a time for determining the variance based on the average value, and determines the variance based on measurement values ​​included in the set. (Appendix 4) The communication device according to claim 3, wherein the calculation means determines the set such that the second time interval is included in the set of first time intervals when a difference between an average value in a second time interval among the plurality of first time intervals and an average value in a third time interval immediately preceding the second time interval is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold. (Appendix 5) 3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the calculation means performs a frequency analysis on the plurality of measurement values, determines a length of the first time interval based on a result of the frequency analysis, and determines the variance based on the measurement values ​​for each first time interval according to the determined length. (Appendix 6) The communication device described in Appendix 5, wherein when a result of the frequency analysis indicates that the multiple measurement values ​​are composed of a waveform that fluctuates over multiple periods, the calculation means selects one of the multiple periods, and determines a length of the first time interval based on the selected period. (Appendix 7) The communication device according to claim 6, wherein the calculation means selects the second smallest period from the plurality of periods. (Appendix 8) The acquiring means classifies the plurality of measurement values ​​into at least one first group based on a setting value of a communication setting in the optical communication network, the first group corresponding to the communication setting in the optical communication network; The communication device according to any one of appendices 1 to 7, wherein the calculation means calculates the average value and determines the variance based on measurement values ​​included in a first group corresponding to the communication setting. (Appendix 9) The communication device described in Appendix 8, wherein the calculation means classifies the mean value and the variance into at least one second group based on a combination of a reference mean value and a reference variance value that is similar to the mean value and the reference variance value that is similar to the variance, based on the mean value and the variance, and calculates the reference quality value using the mean value and the variance included in the classified second group. (Appendix 10) The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a control unit that changes a communication setting in the optical communication network so that the communication quality satisfies the required quality value. (Appendix 11) The communication device described in Appendix 10, wherein the control means, when the communication quality satisfies the required quality value, reduces the strength of an error correction code of a communication signal transmitted in the optical communication network, or reduces the transmission output of another communication device transmitting the communication signal. (Appendix 12) The communication device described in Appendix 10, wherein the control means changes the communication settings by executing at least one of a first control in which the time from when the control is executed until the communication quality stabilizes is a first stabilization time, and a second control in which the time from when the control is executed until the communication quality stabilizes is a second stabilization time that is longer than the first stabilization time. (Appendix 13) The communication device described in Appendix 12, wherein the control means determines whether the multiple measurement values ​​are composed of a waveform that fluctuates with a period larger than a predetermined period by frequency analysis of the multiple measurement values, and if the multiple measurement values ​​are composed of a waveform that fluctuates with a period larger than a predetermined period, executes at least one of the first control and the second control based on the period corresponding to the waveform. (Appendix 14) 14. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the control means executes the second control when a period corresponding to the waveform is longer than the second stabilization time, and executes the first control when a period corresponding to the waveform is shorter than the second stabilization time. (Appendix 15) The communication device according to any one of appendixes 12 to 14, wherein the first control includes control to change at least one of a QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) setting and a PCS (Probabilistic Constellation Shaping) setting. (Appendix 16) 16. The communication device according to any one of appendices 12 to 15, wherein the second control includes control to change at least one of a frequency of a communication signal in the optical communication network, an amplification power, and an optical switch setting. (Appendix 17) Obtaining a plurality of measurements related to communication quality information in an optical communication network; calculating an average value of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval based on the plurality of measurement values, determining a variance of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval, and determining a reference quality value that is an index value indicating communication quality in the optical communication network based on the average value and the variance; and determining whether the communication quality satisfies a required quality value based on the reference quality value. (Appendix 18) A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a communication device to execute a communication control method, The communication control method includes: Obtaining a plurality of measurements related to communication quality information in an optical communication network; calculating an average value of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval based on the plurality of measurement values, determining a variance of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval, and determining a reference quality value that is an index value indicating communication quality in the optical communication network based on the average value and the variance; and determining whether the communication quality meets a required quality value based on the reference quality value. [Explanation of symbols]

[0161] 1, 101, 102, 103, 104, 201, 301, 401 Communication equipment 2, 112, 312 acquisition part 3, 113, 213, 313 Calculation section 4, 114 Judgment section 100 Optical communication system 105, 106 Optical packet switch 107, 108 Terminal equipment P2 optical communication path N1 Optical Communication Network 111, 121 Communications Department 115, 122, 415 Control section 116 Storage section

Claims

1. An acquisition means for acquiring a plurality of measurement values ​​related to communication quality information in an optical communication network; a calculation means for calculating an average value of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval based on the plurality of measurement values, determining a variance of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval, and determining a reference quality value that is an index value indicating communication quality in the optical communication network based on the average value and the variance; A communication device comprising: a determination means for determining whether or not the communication quality satisfies a required quality value based on the reference quality value.

2. 2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the calculation means estimates a cumulative distribution function for the communication quality information based on the average value and the variance, calculates a margin value indicating a difference between the average value and a value of the communication quality information at which a cumulative probability in the cumulative distribution function becomes a predetermined value, and determines the reference quality value based on the average value and the margin value.

3. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the calculation means determines a set indicating a time for determining the variance based on the average value, and determines the variance based on measurement values ​​included in the set.

4. 4. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein the calculation means determines the set such that the second time interval is included in the set of first time intervals when a difference between an average value in a second time interval among the plurality of first time intervals and an average value in a third time interval immediately preceding the second time interval is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold.

5. 3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the calculation means performs a frequency analysis on the plurality of measurement values, determines a length of the first time interval based on a result of the frequency analysis, and determines the variance based on the measurement values ​​for each first time interval according to the determined length.

6. 6. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein when a result of the frequency analysis indicates that the plurality of measurement values ​​are constituted by a waveform that varies over a plurality of periods, the calculation means selects one of the plurality of periods and determines a length of the first time interval based on the selected period.

7. The communication device according to claim 6 , wherein the calculation means selects a second smallest period from among the plurality of periods.

8. The acquiring means classifies the plurality of measurement values ​​into at least one first group based on a setting value of a communication setting in the optical communication network, the first group corresponding to the communication setting in the optical communication network, and The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the calculation means calculates the average value and determines the variance based on measurement values ​​included in a first group corresponding to the communication setting.

9. Obtaining a plurality of measurements related to communication quality information in an optical communication network; calculating an average value of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval based on the plurality of measurement values, determining a variance of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval, and determining a reference quality value that is an index value indicating communication quality in the optical communication network based on the average value and the variance; and determining whether the communication quality satisfies a required quality value based on the reference quality value.

10. A program for causing a communication device to execute a communication control method, The communication control method includes: Obtaining a plurality of measurements related to communication quality information in an optical communication network; calculating an average value of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval based on the plurality of measurement values, determining a variance of the measurement values ​​for each first time interval, and determining a reference quality value that is an index value indicating communication quality in the optical communication network based on the average value and the variance; and determining whether the communication quality satisfies a required quality value based on the reference quality value.

Images