EP-4738733-A1 - DISTRIBUTED RECONFIGURABLE SWITCHING NODE FOR MULTIPLE CORE FIBER

EP4738733A1EP 4738733 A1EP4738733 A1EP 4738733A1EP-4738733-A1

Abstract

A method and a system for transmission of optical signals. The system includes one or more first switching optical devices configured to switch transmission of one or more optical signals from one or more first fiber cores to one or more second fiber cores. It includes one or more second switching optical devices configured to pass-through transmission of one or more optical signals from one or more first fiber cores to one or more third fiber cores.

Inventors

GARRETT, LARA DENISE
LI, HAIFENG
PILIPETSKII, ALEXEI N.
KOVSH, DMITRIY

Assignees

SubCom, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20251022

Claims (15)

An apparatus for transmission of one or more optical signals, comprising: one or more first switching optical devices configured to switch transmission of the one or more optical signals from one or more first fiber cores to one or more second fiber cores; and one or more second switching optical devices configured to pass-through transmission of the one or more optical signals from the one or more first fiber cores to one or more third fiber cores.
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more first fiber cores are communicatively coupled to a first trunk station; the one or more second fiber cores are communicatively coupled to a branch station and the one or more third fiber cores are communicatively coupled to a second trunk station.
The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one first fiber in a plurality of first fibers includes the one or more first fiber cores; at least one second fiber in a plurality of second fibers includes the one or more second fiber cores; and at least one third fiber in a plurality of third fibers includes the one or more third fiber cores.
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one first fiber in the plurality of first fibers includes at least one of: a single first fiber core, two first fiber cores, four first fiber cores, and any combinations thereof; wherein the at least one second fiber in the plurality of second fibers includes at least of: a single second fiber core, two second fiber cores four second fiber cores, and any combinations thereof; and the at least one third fiber in the plurality of third fibers includes at least of: a single third fiber core, two third fiber cores, four third fiber cores, and any combinations thereof.
The apparatus of claim 3 or 4, wherein the one or more first switching optical devices are configured to switch transmission of the one or more optical signals from the at least one first fiber to the at least one second fiber.
The apparatus of any of the claims 3-5, wherein the one or more second switching optical devices are configured to pass-through transmission of the one or more optical signals from the at least one first fiber to the at least one third fiber.
The apparatus of any of claims 1-6, wherein a number of the one or more first fiber cores being switched using the one or more first switching optical devices is at least one of: different from a number of the one or more second fiber cores, and same as a number of the one or more second fiber cores.
The apparatus of any of claims 1-7, wherein a number of the one or more first fiber cores being passed-through using the one or more second switching optical devices is at least one of: different from a number of the one or more third fiber cores, and same as a number of the one or more third fiber cores.
The apparatus of any of claims 1-8, further comprising at least one fiber switching optical array communicatively coupled to the one or more first switching optical devices and the one or more second switching optical devices, wherein the at least one fiber switching optical array is configured to determine whether to switch or pass-through transmission of the one or more optical signals.
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one fiber switching optical array selects at least one first switching optical device in the one or more first switching optical devices for switching transmission of the one or more optical signals.
The apparatus of claim 9 or 10, wherein the at least one fiber switching optical array selects at least one second switching optical device in the one or more second switching optical devices for passing-through transmission of the one or more optical signals.
An optical communication system comprising an apparatus according to any of the preceding claims for carrying optical signals between land-based terminals and stretches of water, such as across long stretches of ocean and sea.
A method for transmission of the one or more optical signals using the apparatus of any of claims 1-11, comprising: receiving the one or more optical signals; upon a determination to switch transmission of the one or more optical signals from the one or more first fiber cores to the one or more second fiber cores, selecting at least one first switching optical device in the one or more first switching optical devices and switching, using the selected at least one first switching optical device, transmission of the one or more optical signals from the one or more first fiber cores to the one or more second fiber cores; and upon determination to pass-through transmission of the one or more optical signals from the one or more first fiber cores to the one or more third fiber cores, selecting at least one second switching optical device in the one or more second switching optical devices and passing-through, using the at least one second switching optical device, transmission of the one or more optical signals from the one or more first fiber cores to the one or more third fiber cores.
The method of claim 13, further comprising switching transmission, using the selected at least one switching optical device, of the one or more optical signals from the at least one first fiber to the at least one second fiber.
The method of claim 13 or 14, further comprising passing-through, using the selected at least one second switching optical device, of the one or more optical signals from the at least one first fiber to the at least one third fiber.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates generally to optical communication systems, and in particular to multi-core fiber configuration and routing. BACKGROUND Submarine optical cables are laid on the seabed or ocean floor between land-based terminals to carry optical signals across long stretches of ocean and sea. The optical cables typically include several optical fiber pairs and other components such as strengthening members, a power conductor, an electrical insulator and a protective shield. The optical fibers may be single core/mode fibers or multi-mode/core fibers. The first fiber of a fiber pair may be coupled in the system for communicating signals in a first direction on the cable and the second fiber of the fiber pair may be configured for communicating signals in a second direction, opposite the first direction, on the cable to support bi-directional communications. In a branched submarine optical communication system, a trunk cable may extend between first and second land-based trunk terminals. The trunk cable may include a number of trunk cable segments coupled between optical amplifiers for amplifying the optical signals and may have one or more branching nodes coupled thereto. Each branching unit may be connected to a branch cable that terminates in a transmitting and/or receiving land-based branch terminal. The branch cable may include a number of branch cable segments coupled between optical amplifiers for amplifying the optical signals. Existing systems do not provide an ability to easily re-configure switching of fibers and/or fiber cores for transmission of optical signals between trunk terminals and/or branching units. SUMMARY The current subject matter relates to an apparatus for transmission of one or more optical signals. The apparatus may include one or more first switching optical devices configured to switch transmission of the one or more optical signals from one or more first fiber cores to one or more second fiber cores, and one or more second switching optical devices configured to pass-through transmission of the one or more optical signals from the one or more first fiber cores to one or more third fiber cores. The current subject matter may include one or more of the following optional features. One or more first fiber cores may be communicatively coupled to a first trunk station. One or more second fiber cores may be communicatively coupled to a branch station. One or more third fiber cores may be communicatively coupled to a second trunk station. At least one first fiber in a plurality of first fibers may include the one or more first fiber cores. At least one second fiber in a plurality of second fibers may include the one or more second fiber cores. At least one third fiber in a plurality of third fibers may include the one or more third fiber cores. At least one first fiber may include at least of: a single first fiber core, two first fiber cores, four first fiber cores, and any combinations thereof. At least one second fiber may include at least of: a single second fiber core, two second fiber cores, four second fiber cores, and any combinations thereof. At least one third fiber may include at least of: a single third fiber core, two third fiber cores, four third fiber cores, and any combinations thereof. One or more first switching optical devices may be configured to switch transmission of one or more optical signals from at least one first fiber to at least one second fiber. One or more second switching optical devices may be configured to pass-through transmission of one or more optical signals from at least one first fiber to at least one third fiber. A number of one or more first fiber cores being switched using one or more first switching optical devices may be at least one of: different from a number of one or more second fiber cores, and same as a number of one or more second fiber cores. A number of one or more first fiber cores being passed-through using one or more second switching optical devices may be at least one of: different from a number of one or more third fiber cores, and same as a number of one or more third fiber cores. The apparatus may include at least one fiber switching optical array communicatively coupled to one or more first switching optical devices and one or more second switching optical devices. At least one fiber switching optical array may be configured to determine whether to switch or pass-through transmission of one or more optical signals. At least one fiber switching optical array may select at least one first switching optical device in one or more first switching optical devices for switching transmission of one or more optical signals. At least one fiber switching optical array may select at least one second switching optical device in one or more second switching optical devices for passing-through transmission of one or more optical signals. The current subject matter relates to a method for transmission of one or more o