Patent ID: 6687044
Filing Date: 2004-02-03
Classification: H04Q

Abstract:
A method of discovering the existence of connections between at least one optical amplifier and at least one port of a device other than the at least one optical amplifier, each optical amplifier being capable of optically amplifying an incoming traffic signal as a function of an intensity of an associated energy signal received from an energy source, the method comprising:varying the energy signal associated with each optical amplifier in accordance with a respective control signal; receiving an optical signal at each port in a subset of the at least one port; for each port in the subset, detecting each control signal present in the optical signal received at said port, each such control signal being a detected control signal for said port; and for each port in the subset, determining the identity of each optical amplifier connected to said port on the basis of each detected control signal for said port and on the basis of the identity of the optical amplifier respectively associated with each detected control signal for said port.