Granted Patent B2

US 8,285,148 · App. 12/462,443 · Granted Oct 9, 2012

Assignee: Alcatel Lucent

Abstract

Claims (209)

1. A coherent optical receiver comprising

a coherent optical reception unit, operable to receive an optical signal sent by a corresponding optical transmitter over a first optical transmission channel of an optical transmission network;

an optical-to-digital converter, operable to convert the optical signal into a digital signal; and

a digital post-processing unit operable to

perform linear equalization of distortions incurred by the optical signal during transmission over the first channel;

provide measured data by measuring the inverse signal-to-noise ratio of the first channel for a plurality of input power levels used by the first channel and a second optical transmission channel of the optical transmission network, which is affecting the first channel;

determine a contribution of the second channel to the inverse signal-to-noise ratio of the first channel based on the measured data; and

determine the input power level to the second channel, such that an overall throughput of the first and second channel is maximized.

2. The receiver of claim 1 , wherein the digital post-processing unit is operable to provide the measured data by measuring the inverse signal-to-noise ratio of the first channel:

at a first value of the input power used by the first channel, while the input power used by the second channel is at a second value, yielding a measured data m 0 of the inverse signal-to-noise ratio;

at the first value increased by a value 10·lg(k) of the input power used by the first channel, while the input power used by the second channel is at the second value, yielding a measured data m 1 of the inverse signal-to-noise ratio; wherein k is a positive real number; and

at the first value of the input power used by the first channel, while the input power used by the second channel is at the second value increased by the value 10·lg(k), yielding a measured data m 2 of the inverse signal-to-noise ratio.

3. The receiver of claim 2 , wherein the digital post-processing unit is further operable to determine a contribution of

self phase modulation to the inverse signal-to-noise ratio; and

amplified spontaneous emission to the inverse signal-to-noise ratio.

4. The receiver of claim 3 , wherein the contribution of amplified spontaneous emission, the contribution of self phase modulation and the contribution of the second channel add up to the inverse signal-to-noise ratio of the first channel.

5. The receiver of claim 4 , wherein

the contribution of the second channel is given by

N

XPM

S

=

m

2

-

m

0

k

2

-

1

;

the contribution of self phase modulation is given by

N

SPM

S

=

-

k

⁢

⁢

m

0

+

k

⁡

(

k

+

1

)

⁢

m

1

-

m

2

(

k

+

1

)

⁢

(

k

3

-

1

)

;

and

the contribution of amplified spontaneous emission is given by

N

ASE

S

=

m

0

-

N

SPM

S

-

N

XPM

S

.

6. The receiver of claim 1 , further comprising:

an interface to a control plane of the optical transmission network operable to exchange information about the input power levels used by the first and the second channel with the corresponding transmitter of the first channel and a transmitter of the second channel, respectively.

7. The receiver of claim 6 , wherein the interface is further operable to exchange information regarding the contribution of the second channel to the inverse signal-to-noise ratio of the first channel.

8. An optical transmitter of a second optical transmission channel which is affecting a first optical transmission channel in an optical transmission network, the transmitter comprising:

an optical laser operable to generate an optical signal of the second channel;

an interface operable to exchange information with an optical receiver of the first channel; and

a digital processing unit;

wherein the interface is operable to receive measured data on the inverse signal-to-noise ratio of the first channel for a plurality of input power levels used by the first and the second channel;

wherein the optical laser is operable to modify an input power level used by the second channel to a plurality of input power levels for determination of the measured data;

wherein the digital processing unit is operable to determine a contribution of the second channel to the inverse signal-to-noise ratio of the first channel based on the measured data; and

the digital processing unit is operable to determine the input power to the second channel, such that an overall throughput of the first and second channel is maximized.

9. A method for controlling an optical transmission network comprising a first and a second optical transmission channel, the first channel being affected by the second channel, the method comprising:

measuring the inverse signal-to-noise ratio of the first channel to obtain measured data on the inverse signal-to-noise ratio of the first channel for a plurality of input power levels used by the first and second channels;

determining a contribution of the second channel to the inverse signal-to-noise ratio of the first channel based on the measured data; and

determining the input power levels to the second channel, such that an overall throughput of the first and second channels is maximized.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of determining the contribution comprises:

determining the contribution of the second channel to the logarithmic inverse signal-to-noise ratio of the first channel using increases of 2 dB per 1 dB increase of the input power level used by the second channel.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of determining the input power level used by the second channel comprises minimizing the sum of the inverse signal-to-noise ratio of the first channel and an inverse signal-to-noise ratio of the second channel.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining the input power to the first channel, such that an overall throughput of the first and second channel is maximized; and

determining a maximum possible throughput of the first channel at the determined input power levels to the first and second channels.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

adapting a transmitter and/or a receiver of the first channel such that data is transmitted over the first channel with the maximum possible throughput.

14. An optical transmission network comprising:

a first and a second optical transmission channel; wherein the second channel affects the first channel;

a first optical transmitter and a first optical receiver associated with the first channel;

a second optical transmitter associated with the second channel; and

a control unit operable to:

set an input power level used by the first and second channels at the first and second transmitter, respectively, to a plurality of input power levels for measurement of an inverse signal-to-noise ratio of the first channel;

collect measured data at the first optical receiver on the inverse signal-to-noise ratio of the first channel for the plurality of input power levels used by the first and the second channel;

determine a contribution of the second channel to the inverse signal-to-noise ratio of the first channel based on the measured data; and

determine the input power level to the second channel, such that an overall throughput of the first and second channel is maximized.

15. The optical transmission network of claim 14 , wherein the first and second optical transmitter and the first optical receiver comprise interfaces for communicating with the control unit.

16. The optical transmitter of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of input power levels comprise:

a first value of the input power used by the first channel;

a second value of the input power used by the second channel;

a third value of the input power used by the first channel equal to the first value increased by a value 10·lg(k); and

a fourth value of the input power used by the second channel equal to the second value increased by the value 10·lg(k), wherein k is a positive real number.

17. The optical transmitter of claim 16 ,

wherein the first value of the input power used by the first channel and the second value of the input power used by the second channel yields a measured data m 0 of the inverse signal-to-noise ratio;

wherein the third value of the input power used by the first channel and the second value of the input power used by the second channel yields a measured data m 1 of the inverse signal-to-noise ratio;

wherein the first value of the input power used by the first channel and the fourth value of the input power used by the second channel yields a measured data m 2 of the inverse signal-to-noise ratio.

18. The optical transmission network of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of input power levels comprise:

a first value of the input power used by the first channel;

a second value of the input power used by the second channel;

a third value of the input power used by the first channel equal to the first value increased by a value 10·lg(k); and

a fourth value of the input power used by the second channel equal to the second value increased by the value 10·lg(k), wherein k is a positive real number.

19. The optical transmission network of claim 18 ,

wherein the first value of the input power used by the first channel and the second value of the input power used by the second channel yields a measured data m 0 of the inverse signal-to-noise ratio;

wherein the third value of the input power used by the first channel and the second value of the input power used by the second channel yields a measured data m 1 of the inverse signal-to-noise ratio;

wherein the first value of the input power used by the first channel and the fourth value of the input power used by the second channel yields a measured data m 2 of the inverse signal-to-noise ratio.

20. The optical transmission network of claim 19 , wherein the control unit is operable to determine:

the contribution of the second channel by

N

XPM

S

=

m

2

-

m

0

k

2

-

1

;

the contribution of self phase modulation by

N

SPM

S

=

-

k

⁢

⁢

m

0

+

k

⁡

(

k

+

1

)

⁢

m

1

-

m

2

(

k

+

1

)

⁢

(

k

3

-

1

)

;

and

the contribution of amplified spontaneous emission by

N

ASE

S

=

m

0

-

N

SPM

S

-

N

XPM

S

.

Assignments (13)

Continuity (1)