Method and system for protection switching

1. A method for protection switching in an optical network, comprising:

establishing a baseline power level for a channel;

receiving a signal associated with the channel via each of a first path of the optical network and a second path of the optical network;

monitoring a power intensity of the signal received via the first path; and

protection switching from the signal received via the first path to the signal received via the second path in response to a determination that the baseline power level exceeds the power intensity of the signal received via the first path by a predetermined threshold.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein establishing the baseline power level for the channel includes:

measuring the power intensity of the channel during a calibration phase; and

setting the baseline power level based on the power intensity of the channel during the calibration phase.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein establishing the baseline power level for the channel is in response to provisioning of an optical unidirectional path switched ring (OUPSR) in the optical network.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein a relative loss of light value approximately equal to the baseline power level minus the predetermined threshold exceeds a power intensity of noise in the first path.

5. A system for protection switching in an optical network, comprising:

a switch communicatively coupled to a receiver and communicatively coupled to a first path and a second path in an optical network, the switch configured to pass, for each of one or more channels, a signal associated with the channel from one of the first path and the second path; and

a selector communicatively coupled to the switch and communicatively coupled to the first path and the second path, the selector configured to, for each of the one or more channels:

receive a signal associated with the channel via a first path of the plurality of paths;

monitor a power intensity of the signal received via the first path;

in response to a determination that a baseline power level associated with the channel does not exceed the power intensity of the signal received via the first path by a predetermined threshold, communicate a first control signal to the switch such that the switch passes the signal associated with the channel from the first path; and

in response to a determination that a baseline power level associated with the channel exceeds the power intensity of the signal received via the first path by a predetermined threshold, communicate a second control signal to the switch such that the switch passes the signal associated with the channel from the second path.

6. A system in accordance with claim 5 , the selector further configured to establish the baseline power level by:

measuring the power intensity of the channel during a calibration phase; and

setting the baseline power level based on the power intensity of the channel during the calibration phase.

7. A system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein at least one of the switch and the selector is a component of an optical unidirectional path switched ring (OUPSR) device.

8. A system according to claim 5 , wherein a relative loss of light value approximately equal to the baseline power level minus the predetermined threshold exceeds a power intensity of noise in the first path.

9. A system according to claim 5 , the selector including a photodetector configured to monitor the power intensity of the signal received via the first path.

10. A system according to claim 5 , the selector including a decision module configured to:

determine whether the baseline power level associated with the channel exceeds the power intensity of the signal received via the first path by the predetermined threshold; and

communicate one of the first control signal and the second control signal to the switch based on the determination.

11. An optical network, comprising:

a first communication path;

a second communication path;

a transmitter communicatively coupled to the first communication path and the second communication path and configured to transmit a signal via the first communication path and the second communication path;

a receiver communicatively coupled to the first communication path and the second communication path and configured to receive the signal via one of the first communication path and the second communication path

a protection switching device coupled to the first communication path, the second communication path, and the receiver, and configured to:

receive the signal via the first communication path and the second communication path;

monitor a power intensity of the signal received via the first communication path;

in response to a determination that a baseline power level does not exceed the power intensity of the signal received via the first communication path by a predetermined threshold, pass the signal from the first path; and

in response to a determination that a baseline power level exceeds the power intensity of the signal received via the first communication path by the predetermined threshold, pass the signal from the second path.

12. An optical network in accordance with claim 11 , the protection switching device further configured to establish the baseline power level by:

measuring the power intensity during a calibration phase; and

setting the baseline power level based on the power intensity during the calibration phase.

13. An optical network in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the protection switching device comprises an optical unidirectional path switched ring (OUPSR) device.

14. An optical network in accordance with claim 11 , wherein a relative loss of light value approximately equal to the baseline power level minus the predetermined threshold exceeds a power intensity of noise in the first communication path.

15. An optical network in accordance with claim 11 , the protection switching device including a photodetector configured to monitor the power intensity of the signal received via the first communication path.

16. An optical network in accordance with claim 11 , the protection switching device including a decision module configured to:

determine whether the baseline power level exceeds the power intensity of the signal received via the first path by the predetermined threshold; and

communicate one of the first control signal and the second control signal to the switch based on the determination.

17. A system for protection switching in an optical network, comprising:

means for establishing a baseline power level for a channel;

means for receiving a signal associated with the channel via each of a first path of the optical network and a second path of the optical network;

means for monitoring a power intensity of the signal received via the first path;

means for protection switching from the signal received via the first path to the signal received via the second path in response to a determination that the baseline power level exceeds the power intensity of the signal received via the first path by a predetermined threshold.

18. A system according to claim 17 , wherein the means for establishing the baseline power level for the channel includes:

means for measuring the power intensity of the channel during a calibration phase; and

means for setting the baseline power level based on the power intensity of the channel during the calibration phase.

19. A system according to claim 17 , wherein at least one of the establishing the baseline power level, means for receiving the signal, means for monitoring the power intensity, and means for protection switching is in response to provisioning of an optical unidirectional path switched ring (OUPSR) device.

20. A system according to claim 17 , wherein a relative loss of light value approximately equal to the baseline power level minus the predetermined threshold exceeds a power intensity of noise in the first path.