A master station device is connected to a slave station device that emits a transmission signal received by light via an optical transmission path from a plurality of antenna elements. The master station device includes an optical signal output unit that outputs optical signals of a plurality of wavelengths, a phase adjustment unit that adjusts, for each wavelength, a phase of the transmission signal based on phase rotation that the optical signal is to undergo while being transmitted through the optical transmission path and a phase in one of the antenna elements corresponding to the wavelength of the optical signal, an optical modulation unit that modulates, for each wavelength, the optical signal output by the optical signal output unit with the transmission signal the phase of which is adjusted in accordance with the wavelength of the optical signal, and an optical combining unit that multiplexes the optical modulated signal of each wavelength and outputs the multiplexed signal to the optical transmission path. The slave station device includes an optical demultiplexing unit that demultiplexes the optical modulated signal transmitted through the optical transmission path and an optical/electric conversion unit that outputs the transmission signal obtained by converting the optical modulated signal of each wavelength into an electric signal to one of the plurality of the antenna elements corresponding to the wavelength.

An example system includes a first network node, a second network node, and a third network node. The first network node is configured to generate a first optical subcarrier representing first data, and transmit the first optical subcarrier to the second network node. The second network node is configured to receive the first optical subcarrier from the first network node, generate a second optical subcarrier representing the first data, where the second optical subcarrier is different from the first optical subcarrier, and transmit the second optical subcarrier to the third network node.

An example system includes a plurality of network nodes, each including one or more respective first transceivers configured to transmit data according to a first maximum throughput, and one or more respective second transceivers configured to transmit data according to a second maximum throughput that is less than the first maximum throughput. A first network node is configured to transmit, using a respective one of the first transceivers, first data including a plurality of optical subcarriers to two or more second network nodes according to the first maximum throughput, each optical subcarrier being associated with a different one of the two more other network nodes. The two or more second network nodes are configured to receive, using respective ones of the second transceivers, the first data from the first network node.

It is difficult to improve the usage efficiency of an optical communication network due to the passband narrowing effect in a wavelength selection process in an optical communication network using a wavelength division multiplexing system; therefore, an optical network management apparatus according to an exemplary aspect of the present invention includes wavelength selection information generating means for generating wavelength selection information on a wavelength selection process through which an optical path accommodating an information signal goes, with respect to each optical path; and wavelength selection information notifying means for notifying an optical node device through which the optical path goes of the wavelength selection information.

A system comprising a hub transceiver coupled to a first network node; and a plurality of edge transceivers, each configured to be communicatively coupled to a respective second network node, and to the hub transceiver, wherein the hub transceiver is operable to transmit a first message to each of the edge transceivers, the first message comprising an indication of available optical subcarriers and availability to use multiple non-contiguous optical subcarriers; receive, a service request identifying a selected subset of the available optical subcarriers including a non-contiguous first optical subcarrier and second optical subcarrier, transmit a second message to indicate either a success or a failure, and receive, via the selected subset, data from the second network node, and wherein at least one of the edge transceivers is operable to, transmit, using the selected subset of available optical subcarriers, data from the second network node to the first network node.

Provided is an optical communication system configured as an optical ring network including: a first optical communication device configured to transmit a first optical signal having a first wavelength in a first direction, and to transmit a second optical signal having a second wavelength in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and a second optical communication device configured to generate a first reflected signal by reflecting the first optical signal when the first optical signal is received, to generate a second reflected signal by reflecting the second optical signal when the second optical signal is received, and to transmit the first and second reflected signals to the first optical communication device, wherein the first optical communication device analyzes a connection state of the second optical communication device based on the first and second reflected signals.

To use a plurality of wavelength bands, this seabed branching device comprises: a first demultiplexing unit that demultiplexes a wavelength multiplexed optical signal, which was input from a first terminal, into a first wavelength multiplexed optical signal and a second wavelength multiplexed optical signal; an optical add/drop unit that outputs at least a third wavelength multiplexed optical signal included in the first wavelength multiplexed optical signal to a second terminal station, and outputs at least a fifth wavelength multiplexed optical signal by multiplexing a fourth wavelength multiplexed optical signal included in the first wavelength multiplexed optical signal and a wavelength multiplexed optical signal input from the second terminal station; and a first multiplexing unit that multiplexes the second wavelength multiplexed optical signal and the fifth wavelength multiplexed optical signal, which was input from the optical add/drop unit, and outputs the result to a third terminal station.

A network or system in which a hub or primary node may communicate with a plurality of leaf or secondary nodes. The hub node may operate or have a capacity greater than that of the leaf nodes. Accordingly, relatively inexpensive leaf nodes may be deployed to receive data carrying optical signals from, and supply data carrying optical signals to, the hub node. One or more connections may couple each leaf node to the hub node, whereby each connection may include one or more spans or segments of optical fibers, optical amplifiers, optical splitters/combiners, and optical add/drop multiplexer, for example. Optical subcarriers may be transmitted over such connections, each carrying a data stream. The subcarriers may be generated by a combination of a laser and a modulator, such that multiple lasers and modulators are not required, and costs may be reduced. As the bandwidth or capacity requirements of the leaf nodes change, the number of subcarriers, and thus the amount of data provided to each node, may be changed accordingly. Each subcarrier within a dedicated group of subcarriers may carry OAM or control channel information to a corresponding leaf node, and such information may be used by the leaf node to configure the leaf node to have a desired bandwidth or capacity.

An example node includes a receiver, a switch circuit, and a transmitter. The receiver is configured to receive a first modulated optical signal including a first plurality of optical subcarriers, and supply a plurality of data streams based on the first plurality of optical subcarriers. Each of the data streams is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of optical subcarriers. The switch circuit is configured to receive the data streams, and supply the data streams to a plurality of switch outputs. The transmitter is configured to receive the data streams, and supply a second modulated optical signal based on the data streams. The second modulated optical signal carries a second plurality of optical subcarriers. Each of the second plurality of optical subcarriers is associated with a corresponding one of the data streams.

In an example method, network traffic transmitted between a plurality of network nodes via a communications network is monitored. Subsets of the network traffic are ranked according to one or more ranking criteria. A mesh network is deployed between the plurality of network nodes based on the ranking of the subsets of the network traffic. The mesh network includes a plurality of network links, where each network link communicatively couples a respective network node from among the plurality of network nodes to another respective network node from among the plurality of network nodes.