Patent ID: 7519293

Claim:
An optical communication system comprising: a shared optical protect link; and an optical node, the optical node configured: to transfer first optical communications over a first optical ring and to transfer second optical communications over a second optical ring; to detect a first fault occurring on the first optical ring; to detect a second fault occurring on the second optical ring; to determine if the shared optical protect link available for restoration for the first optical ring or for the second optical ring; and if the first fault is detected and if the shared optical protect link is available for restoration for the first optical ring, to transfer a first restoration overhead from a first signal of the shared optical protect link to an active location of the shared optical protect link, to transfer the first restoration overhead in the active location of the shared optical protect link to indicate that the first optical ring is using the shared optical protect link for ring-based restoration, and to transfer the first optical communications over the shared optical protect link; and if the second fault is detected and if the shared optical protect link is available for restoration for the second optical ring, to transfer a second restoration overhead from a second signal of the shared optical protect link to the active location of the shared optical protect link, to transfer second restoration overhead in the active location of the shared optical protect link to indicate that the second optical ring is using the shared optical protect link for ring-based restoration, and to transfer the second optical communications over the shared optical protect link.