Optical Network Sensing Routes for Instant Anomaly Localization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical network monitoring methods, such as OTDR, BER testers, and OSA, fail to detect various abnormal events like construction activities, landslides, and seismic events due to reliance on backscatter-based techniques that are hindered by optical amplifiers, and transmission-based sensing lacks localization capability.
Innovation Solution
Implement network-wide intelligent global planning of sensing routes with coordinated processing using forward transmission-based sensing, minimizing hardware and employing a heuristic algorithm to identify anomalies instantly and localize them in large-scale optical networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If backscatter-based DFOS/DVS/DAS techniques are used for anomaly detection, then abnormal events can be detected and localized, but optical amplifiers with isolators prevent their use in metro and longer optical networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the sensing approach by using forward transmission-based sensing instead of backscatter-based sensing. Optical signals are transmitted in the forward direction through the network, and anomalies are detected by analyzing changes in transmission characteristics, allowing compatibility with optical amplifiers that block backscatter signals.
Solution Approach 2:
The forward transmission sensing system serves multiple functions: it detects various abnormal events (construction activities, landslides, seismic events), works with optical amplifiers, and can be deployed in metro and long-haul networks. The same sensing infrastructure monitors entire optical networks with any topology, providing universal applicability.
2Reliability
If multiple sensing routes are deployed to monitor entire optical network, then anomaly detection coverage is improved, but transmission hardware requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensing routes into a coordinated network-wide monitoring system. By intelligently planning sensing routes and coordinating processing across multiple routes, the system achieves comprehensive network coverage while minimizing the total number of transmitters and receivers required compared to independent point-to-point monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary intelligent global planning of sensing routes before deployment. This optimization process determines the minimum set of routes needed to cover the entire network, preventing over-provisioning of hardware while ensuring complete monitoring coverage of all optical links.
3Measurement precision
If traditional monitoring methods (OTDR, BER tester, OSA) are used, then optical fiber cuts and abnormal fiber loss can be detected, but many other abnormal events cannot be detected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the measurement parameters from traditional attenuation, error rate, and spectrum to transmission-based sensing parameters such as phase, polarization, or intensity variations. These parameter changes enable detection of diverse events including construction activities, landslides, and seismic events that do not significantly affect fiber loss but cause physical disturbances detectable by the sensing system.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are systems, and methods providing optical network anomaly detection and localization based on forward transmission sensing and route optimization and network-wide global planning of sensing routes. Multiple sensing routes are selected to cover the entire network and each link in the network is guaranteed to contain a different combination of sensing routes. These routes are then monitored concurrently and analyzed centrally. When an anomalous event occurs at a specific link, receivers in the corresponding routes will detect optical characteristic changes. Since the sensing route combination is unique for each link, a global analysis of the optical characteristic change will indicate the exact link that causes the event.