Aspects of the present disclosure describe distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) systems, methods, and structures that advantageously utilize existing telecommunications facilities that serve as not only to convey telecommunications traffic—but as a sensor medium providing useful sensory information. In sharp contrast to the prior art—a DFOS system when so deployed may advantageously exploit network topologies and optical switches to provide novel sensing features including the detection of environmental events including acoustic, temperature, and vibrational events that may be indicative of societal activity including traffic and/or emergency events.

An optical network includes top networking ports coupled to a packet switch, first media converters, second media converters, and bottom networking ports. The first media converters are coupled to top networking ports, each of the first media converters including a first ASIC transceiver that has a circuit switch function. The second media converters are coupled to the first media converter via optical cables to receive the optical signals. Each of the second media converters includes a second ASIC transceiver that has a circuit switch function. The bottom networking ports are coupled to the second media converters. The first ASIC transceiver and the second ASIC transceiver are configured to transmit a signal from one of the top networking ports to any one of the bottom networking ports, and transmit a signal from one of the bottom networking ports to any one of the top networking ports.

The invention relates to a new method for jointly defining a policy for assigning wavelengths to each network connection and for calculating the number of wavelengths in dynamic WDM optical networks without wavelength conversion. To solve this problem, the method comprises including in each network connection a fixed route for transmitting, which is defined before operating the network. This new approach has two main differences from previous strategies.

Aspects of the present disclosure describe distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) systems, methods, and structures that advantageously utilize existing telecommunications facilities that serve as not only to convey telecommunications traffic—but as a sensor medium providing useful sensory information. In sharp contrast to the prior art—a DFOS system when so deployed may advantageously exploit network topologies and optical switches to provide novel sensing features including the detection of environmental events including acoustic, temperature, and vibrational events that may be indicative of societal activity including traffic and/or emergency events.

Concepts and technologies directed to optical networking with hybrid optical vortices are disclosed herein. Embodiments can include a system that is configured to perform operations for optical networking with hybrid optical vortices. The system can include a hybrid optical switch that can communicatively couple with another network device via one or more nanofiber communication paths. The operations can include receiving, from a first nanofiber communication path, a hybrid optical vortex that carries an internet protocol packet. The operations also can include decoupling the hybrid optical vortex to extract an optical vortex that encapsulates the internet protocol packet. The operations also can include switching the internet protocol packet to a subsequent communication path based on the optical vortex that encapsulates the internet protocol packet.

An apparatus includes a reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) having an input port to receive a first optical signal from a second device. The ROADM also includes a first wavelength selective switch (WSS), in optical communication with the input port, to convert the first optical signal into a second optical signal, a loopback, in optical communication with the first WSS, to transmit the second optical signal, and a second WSS, in optical communication with the loopback, to convert the second optical signal to a third optical signal and direct the third optical signal back to the second device via the input port.

An apparatus includes a reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) having an input port to receive a first optical signal from a second device. The ROADM also includes a first wavelength selective switch (WSS), in optical communication with the input port, to convert the first optical signal into a second optical signal, a loopback, in optical communication with the first WSS, to transmit the second optical signal, and a second WSS, in optical communication with the loopback, to convert the second optical signal to a third optical signal and direct the third optical signal back to the second device via the input port.

A system and method for managing the optical layer network data communications of an optical fiber data network by an optical transceiver module is disclosed. The management of the optical layer network data communications comprising data link layer functions or layer 2 functions in an OSI model. Benefits include reduction in reduced cost of network deployments from consolidation of network equipment, such as switches, and reduction in power consumed as well as enabling point-to-multipoint network connections from previously only point-to-point network connection.

Embodiments disclosed herein provide a hybrid fiber-copper access network in which a main OLT sends data to the DSLAMs via a plurality of point-to-point optical fiber connections. A standby OLT is provided which has a plurality of point-to-multi-point optical fiber connections to the DSLAMs. In the event of a failure, data can be sent to some of the DSLAMs via the standby OLT and the point-to-multi-point optical fiber connections. Following the rectification of the fault, the network can revert to its normal state and transmit data to the DSLAMs via the main OLT and the plurality of point-to-point optical fiber connections.

An optical local area network includes a passive optical distribution fabric interconnecting a plurality of nodes including a first node and a plurality of remaining nodes, a hub that includes the first node and a control module, and a client network adapter coupled to each of the remaining nodes for responding to the control module. The control module controls timing for each of the client network adapters to transmit signals over the passive optical distribution fabric and distribution of signals to each of the nodes.