IP Library Granted Patent US 12,401,932
Granted Patent B2
US 12,401,932 · App. 18/033,549 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Optical communication apparatus, optical communication system and optical communication method

Inventor: Manabu Yoshino (Musashino, JP)
Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
H04Q11/0067H04B10/032
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,401,932
App. No.
18/033,549
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An optical communication device include: an optical switch configured to output an optical signal input from one transmission line to another transmission line among the plurality of transmission lines; a wavelength management control unit configured to allocate a wavelength, a time, a polarized wave, a mode, a code, a frequency, a core, a core wire, a wavelength that is a combination thereof, or the like to a subscriber device by using a control signal in accordance with the subscriber device and a transfer destination on a path to a communication destination, and transmits the control signal to the subscriber device by using a carrier different from a carrier to which the wavelength or the like is allocated; and an optical switch control unit configured to control the optical switch such that the input optical signal is output to the another transmission line corresponding to the communication destination.

Claims (27)

1. An optical communication device comprising:

an optical switch configured to output an optical signal input from one transmission line to another transmission line among the plurality of transmission lines;

a wavelength management control unit configured to allocate at least three of a wavelength, a time, a polarized wave, a mode, a code, a frequency, a core, a core wire, and a wavelength that is a combination thereof to a subscriber device by using a control signal in accordance with the subscriber device and a transfer destination on a path to a communication destination, and transmits the control signal to the subscriber device by using a carrier different from a carrier to which the wavelength or the like is allocated; and

an optical switch control unit configured to control the optical switch such that the input optical signal is output to the another transmission line corresponding to the communication destination.

2. The optical communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the control signal is transmitted along the same transmission line as the optical signal and is transmitted at a wavelength that is different from the optical signal and is removable to such an extent that the optical signal is not affected when the control signal is output from the optical switch.

3. The optical communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the control signal is transmitted along the same transmission line as the optical signal and is transmitted in a polarized wave different from the optical signal, the polarized wave being an orthogonal polarized wave or a polarized wave that is able to be subjected to polarization separation on a reception side.

4. The optical communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the control signal is transmitted along the same transmission line as the optical signal and is transmitted in a mode different from the optical signal, the mode being orthogonal to the optical signal or a mode able to be separated on a reception side.

5. The optical communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the control signal is transmitted along the same transmission line as the optical signal and is transmitted along a core different from the optical signal, the core having an inter-core interference equal to or less than a predetermined value or the core being a core from which interference is able to be eliminated on a reception side.

6. The optical communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the control signal is transmitted along a core wire different from the optical signal.

7. An optical communication system comprising: a plurality of subscriber devices and the optical communication device according to claim 1 .

8. An optical communication method performed by an optical communication device, the method comprising:

an optical switching step of outputting an optical signal input from one transmission line to another transmission line among the plurality of transmission lines;

a wavelength management control step of allocating at least three of a wavelength, a time, a polarized wave, a mode, a code, a frequency, a core, a core wire, and a wavelength which is a combination thereof to a subscriber device by using a control signal in accordance with the subscriber device and a transfer destination on a path to a communication destination, and transmitting the control signal to the subscriber device by using a carrier different from a carrier to which the wavelength or the like is allocated; and

an optical switch control step of controlling the optical switch such that the input optical signal is output to the another transmission line corresponding to the communication destination.

9. An optical communication device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform to:

output an optical signal input from one transmission line to another transmission line among the plurality of transmission lines;

allocate at least three of a wavelength, a time, a polarized wave, a mode, a code, a frequency, a core, a core wire, and a wavelength that is a combination thereof to a subscriber device by using a control signal in accordance with the subscriber device and a transfer destination on a path to a communication destination;

transmit the control signal to the subscriber device by using a carrier different from a carrier to which the wavelength or the like is allocated; and

control the optical switch such that the input optical signal is output to the another transmission line corresponding to the communication destination.

10. The optical communication device according to claim 9 , wherein the control signal is transmitted along the same transmission line as the optical signal and is transmitted at a wavelength that is different from the optical signal and is removable to such an extent that the optical signal is not affected when the control signal is output from the optical switch.

11. The optical communication device according to claim 9 , wherein the control signal is transmitted along the same transmission line as the optical signal and is transmitted in a polarized wave different from the optical signal, the polarized wave being an orthogonal polarized wave or a polarized wave that is able to be subjected to polarization separation on a reception side.

12. The optical communication device according to claim 9 , wherein the control signal is transmitted along the same transmission line as the optical signal and is transmitted in a mode different from the optical signal, the mode being orthogonal to the optical signal or a mode able to be separated on a reception side.

13. The optical communication device according to claim 9 , wherein the control signal is transmitted along the same transmission line as the optical signal and is transmitted along a core different from the optical signal, the core having an inter-core interference equal to or less than a predetermined value or the core being a core from which interference is able to be eliminated on a reception side.

14. The optical communication device according to claim 9 , wherein the control signal is transmitted along a core wire different from the optical signal.

15. An optical communication system comprising: a plurality of subscriber devices and the optical communication device according to claim 9 .

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 3, 2025
From: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
To: NTT, INC.
Reel/Frame 073004/0884 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 24, 2023
From: YOSHINO, MANABU
To: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064446/0852 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230403485A1 · Dec 14, 2023
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