A transmitter can include a laser operable to output an optical signal; a digital signal processor operable to receive user data and provide electrical signals based on the data; and a modulator operable to modulate the optical signal to provide optical subcarriers based on the electrical signals. A first one of the subcarriers carriers carries first TDMA encoded information and second TDMA encoded information, such that the first TDMA encoded information is indicative of a first portion of the data and is carried by the first one of the subcarriers during a first time slot, and the second TDMA encoded information is indicative of a second portion of the data and is carried by the first one of the subcarriers during a second time slot. The first TDMA encoded information is associated with a first node remote from the transmitter and the second TDMA encoded information is associated with a second node remote from the transmitter. A second one of the subcarriers carries third information that is not TDMA encoded, the third information being associated with a third node remote from the transmitter. A receiver and system also are described.

A first network element includes trail trace identifier information in an optical network frame. The first network element obtains data to transmit over an optical network link to a second network element. The first network element generates an optical network frame with alignment marker bytes, which are followed by padding bytes. The optical network frame also includes overhead bytes following the padding bytes. The overhead bytes include a Multi-Frame Alignment Signal (MFAS) byte, a link status byte, and reserved bytes. The optical network frame also includes a payload bytes following the overhead bytes. The payload bytes encode at least a portion of the data to transmit to the second network element. The first network element inserts trail trace identifier information into the reserved bytes in the overhead bytes. The trail trace identifier information identifies the first network element as a source of the optical network frame.

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.

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.

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.

A transmitter can include a laser operable to output an optical signal; a digital signal processor operable to receive data and provide a plurality of electrical signals based on the data; and a modulator operable to modulate the optical signal to provide a plurality of optical subcarriers based on the plurality of electrical signals. One of the plurality of subcarriers carries first information indicative of a first portion of the data in a first time slot and second information indicative of a second portion of the data in a second time slot. The first information is associated with a first node remote from the transmitter and the second information is associated with a second node remote from the transmitter. A receiver as well as a system also are described.

An intelligent lighting device is described, said device comprising optical means adapted to illuminate, and to transmit and receive an optical control signal.

A data storage system is disclosed that includes a recirculating loop storing data in motion. The data may be carried by a signal via the loop including one or more satellites or other vessels that return, for example by reflection or regeneration, the signals through the loop. The loop may also include a waveguide, for example an optical fiber, or an optical cavity. Signal multiplexing may be used to increase the contained data. The signal may be amplified at each roundtrip and sometimes a portion of the signal may be regenerated.

A data storage system is disclosed that includes a recirculating loop storing data in motion. The data may be carried by a signal via the loop including one or more satellites or other vessels that return, for example by reflection or regeneration, the signals through the loop. The loop may also include a waveguide, for example an optical fiber, or an optical cavity. Signal multiplexing may be used to increase the contained data. The signal may be amplified at each roundtrip and sometimes a portion of the signal may be regenerated.

An optical network is disclosed which includes an optical fiber shared by a plurality of transmitters using code division multiple access techniques. The transmitters are connected by tributary optical fibers to the shared optical fiber. In code division multiple access techniques, each communication is encoded with a distinctive code which enables a receiver to extract the communication intended for it from amongst communications intended for other receivers. It is found that synchronizing the communications on the optical fiber improves the ability of a receiver to extract the communication intended for it. Injecting an optical pulse signal into the optical network, and using the tributary optical fibers to carry the clock signal to the transmitters provides an inexpensive method of synchronizing the transmitters which feed signals onto the optical fiber. The technology is of use in optical networks, and other transmission line networks, and is well-suited to use in local area networks.