In-Line Optical Bandwidth Control for Dry Fiber Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing lack of means to monitor and control bandwidth in dry fiber solutions makes them unattractive to network providers, as they cannot charge users based on actual usage, leading to inefficient utilization and high pricing due to the inability to manage bandwidth effectively.
Innovation Solution
An in-line optical control device comprising a splitter, an optical switch, and a processing device that splits the input signal, analyzes its characteristics, and selectively connects it to the dry fiber line based on predetermined limits, allowing network providers to control and monitor bandwidth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If dry fiber solutions are used without active control or management, then the fiber's full bandwidth capacity can be utilized by users, but network providers cannot monitor or charge based on actual usage, leading to inefficient utilization and exorbitant pricing
Solution Approach 1:
An optical monitoring device is introduced as an intermediary component in the dry fiber system. This device taps into a portion of the optical signal to monitor bandwidth usage without blocking the main data transmission, enabling network providers to track actual usage while maintaining full fiber capacity utilization
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring device provides real-time feedback about bandwidth usage to network providers, creating a closed-loop system where usage information is continuously collected and made available for billing and management decisions, enabling pay-per-use pricing models
2Reliability
If network providers charge based on worst-case scenario bandwidth capacity, then they can cover potential maximum usage, but users are unwilling to pay exorbitant prices for unused bandwidth
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables dynamic pricing based on actual bandwidth usage parameters rather than fixed worst-case capacity pricing. The monitoring device measures real-time data transmission volumes, allowing providers to adjust charges according to actual consumption patterns, making pricing acceptable to users while ensuring revenue coverage
3Reliability
If DWDM services are used to provide individual circuits, then reliable data transport is achieved, but the cost is expensive when only a dry fiber line is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the electronic components from the fiber infrastructure, creating a pure optical dry fiber solution. By removing expensive electronics and network elements from the fiber line while adding a simple optical monitoring device, the system achieves reliable data transport at significantly lower cost compared to full DWDM services
Data Source
AI summary
An in-line optical control device, method, and computer-readable medium for controlling bandwidth in a dry fiber line are provided herein. The in-line optical control device includes a splitter, an optical switch, and a processing device. The splitter may be configured to split an input signal. The optical switch may be configured to receive and selectively connect a first portion of the split input signal to the dry fiber line. The optical switch may thereby control a rate of data transmitted over the dry fiber line. The processing device may be configured to control the optical switch based on whether a characteristic of the input signal conforms to a predetermined limit using a second portion of the split input signal. The processing device may thereby control bandwidth in the dry fiber line.