Granted Patent B1

US 7,237,035 · App. 10/086,273 · Granted Jun 26, 2007

Abstract

Claims (49)

1. A frame structure comprising:

super-channel information, wherein

said super-channel information comprises

information regarding a super-channel,

a super-channel identifier wherein said super-channel identifier identifies said super-channel, and

primary enable information, and

said super-channel comprises a plurality of sub-channels linking a first and second network element;

sub-channel information, wherein

said sub-channel information comprises a sub-channel identifier, and

said sub-channel identifier identifies a sub-channel; and

alternate super-channel information, wherein

said super-channel information comprises

an alternate super-channel identifier, and

alternate enable information, and

said alternate super-channel identifier identifies an alternate super-channel.

2. The frame structure of claim 1 , wherein

primary enable information is configured to indicate if said super-channel is operational, and

alternate enable information is configured to indicate if said alternate super-channel is operational.

3. The frame structure of claim 1 , wherein

primary enable information comprises primary LSP enable flags, and

alternate enable information comprises alternate LSP enable flags.

4. The frame structure of claim 3 , wherein

said primary LSP enable flags and said alternate LSP enable flags are configured to indicate which of said super-channel and said alternate super-channel should carry an LSP.

5. The frame structure of claim 4 , wherein

said primary LSP enable flags are configured to indicate if an LSP should be carried by said super-channel, and

said alternate LSP enable flags are configured to indicate if said LSP should be carried by said alternate super-channel.

6. The frame structure of claim 1 , wherein said super-channel information comprises:

a sub-channel bitmap, wherein each bit in said sub-channel bitmap represents an operational state of a corresponding sub-channel.

7. The frame structure of claim 6 , wherein said sub-channel bitmap comprises:

a bit corresponding to an operational state of said sub-channel.

8. The frame structure of claim 6 , wherein said super-channel information further comprises:

error condition flags, wherein said error condition flags include a forced/manual switch flag.

9. A frame structure comprising:

super-channel information, wherein

said super-channel information comprises

information regarding a super-channel,

a super-channel identifier wherein said super-channel identifier identifies said super-channel,

a sub-channel bitmap, wherein each bit in said sub-channel bitmap represents an operational state of a corresponding sub-channel, and

error condition flags, wherein said error condition flags include a forced/manual switch flag, and

said super-channel comprises a plurality of sub-channels linking a first and second network element; and

sub-channel information, wherein

said sub-channel information comprises a sub-channel identifier, and

said sub-channel identifier identifies a sub-channel.

10. The frame structure of claim 9 , wherein said sub-channel bitmap comprises:

a bit corresponding to an operational state of said sub-channel.

11. The frame structure of claim 9 , wherein said error condition flags further include a bit-error-rate flag, a loss-of-signal flag and a loss-of-frame flag.

12. The frame structure of claim 9 , further comprising:

sub-channel state information, wherein said sub-channel state information conveys a state of said sub-channel.

13. The frame structure of claim 12 , wherein said sub-channel state information conveys a state of a connection between a far-end transmitter and a near-end receiver over said sub-channel.

Assignments (9)