Optical Transport Network Tributary Slot Division for Bandwidth Adaptation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing optical transport networks face low bandwidth utilization due to fixed rate limitations of Optical Channel Transport Units (OTUs), which cannot effectively meet the diverse and high-bandwidth requirements of emerging services like 5G mobile, 4K/8K video, and Virtual Reality, and lack programmability to customize transmission.

Innovation Solution

The method involves dividing the payload of an optical payload unit into first-granularity tributary slots, further subdividing them into second-granularity slots, and mapping client signals onto these slots to flexibly allocate bandwidth, allowing for mixed rate services and improved transmission efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If fixed rate OTUs are used for signal transmission, then system stability is maintained, but bandwidth utilization is low and cannot meet diverse service requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth adaptation capabilityVSAvoidsignal mapping complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the OTU payload into multiple tributary slots (TS), where each TS can independently carry different client signals with different rates. This segmentation allows flexible allocation of bandwidth to meet diverse service requirements while maintaining the overall fixed structure of OTU for system stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dynamic signal mapping mechanisms that allow the system to adaptively allocate tributary slots to different client signals based on their actual bandwidth requirements. The mapping relationship between client signals and tributary slots can be dynamically adjusted without changing the underlying fixed-rate OTU structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If fixed tributary slots are used, then system simplicity is maintained, but customization capability for different service rates is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice rate customizationVSAvoidbandwidth transmission efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by allowing different tributary slots to have different characteristics and allocations based on the specific requirements of client signals. Each tributary slot can be customized to match the bandwidth needs of specific services, while the overall system maintains a uniform fixed-rate structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables parameter changes by allowing the mapping between client signals and tributary slots to be adjusted according to service rate requirements. The system can change the allocation parameters of tributary slots dynamically to optimize bandwidth transmission efficiency for different service types and rates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If multiple client signals with different rates are mapped to fixed tributary slots, then system stability is preserved, but bandwidth utilization is inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth utilization efficiencyVSAvoidmapping control complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic mapping control that automatically adjusts the allocation of tributary slots to client signals based on their actual bandwidth requirements. This dynamic adjustment optimizes bandwidth utilization efficiency while the system maintains stability through automated control mechanisms that manage the complexity of multi-signal mapping.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3462647B1Method for transporting client signal in optical transport network, and transport device
Publication Date: 2022.09.28 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3462647B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3462647B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3462647B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for transmitting a client signal in an optical transport network, and an optical transport network device. The method includes: dividing a payload of an optical payload unit signal into m first-granularity tributary slots; dividing one of the m first-granularity tributary slots into n second-granularity tributary slots, where a rate of the first-granularity tributary slot is n times that of the second-granularity tributary slot, m is a positive integer, and n is a positive integer greater than 1; mapping a first client signal onto a payload in which one or more of the n second-granularity tributary slots are located; adding an overhead of the first-granularity tributary slot and an overhead of the second-granularity tributary slot for the optical payload unit signal, to generate an optical data unit signal; and sending the optical data unit signal. According to the embodiments of the present invention, bandwidth transmission efficiency is improved.