JP7779407B2 - Optical power supply system management device - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to an optical node control device (hereinafter referred to as a management device) that is installed within a communication station and manages optical power supply to multiple optical nodes in an optical communication network consisting of a communication station and multiple optical nodes installed outside the communication station, a management method for the same, and a program for causing a computer to execute the management method.

In access networks, fiber switching work is typically performed manually by on-site technicians. For example, Non-Patent Document 1 proposes a method in which a single laser can simultaneously perform optical power supply and control the multiple optical switches contained in an optical node in a system consisting of a power supply control light source installed in a power supply environment such as an on-site power source and one or more remotely located remote optical path switching nodes (optical nodes). This optical node is installed within an optical fiber network and has the advantage of being able to interconnect and switch optical fiber cores individually.

As shown in Figure 1(A), optical power supply light emitted from a power supply control light source located remotely, such as within the building of the communication station 10, is sequentially connected to multiple optical nodes 20 via optical fiber 52. "Sequential" means that the channel selector 12 changes the route, for example, connecting to optical node 20#1, then changing the path to connect to the next optical node 20#2. For simplicity, Figure 1(A) shows two optical nodes, but the number of nodes is not limited to this. In the optical power supply system of Figure 1(A), optical fiber 52 is used for power supply and is provided separately from optical fiber 51 for communication and main signals. The communication station 10 also includes a management device 11 that optically supplies power to the optical nodes 20, controls the switching of the channel selector 12, and communicates with the optical nodes 20. The management device 11 has a power supply control light source for optical power supply. In Figure 1(A), optical node #1 is connected to optical fiber 52, and optical node #2 is connected to optical fiber 52 via a separate optical fiber, but this connection configuration is not limited to this. 1B, the optical nodes 20 may each have a channel selector, allowing them to share a single power supply optical fiber 52. In this case, each optical node 20 can change the route by switching its own channel selector to switch between supplying power to itself or to another optical node.

Optical nodes can receive control signals superimposed on the power supply control light and control devices within the optical node. In addition, photoelectric conversion elements convert the optical power supply light into electricity, which is then stored in storage units such as capacitors for the devices and control unit. This stored electricity is supplied to the optical node's control unit and each device, controlling and driving them.

Control units and devices cannot be controlled or operated if the voltage drops below a value that allows them to operate. By optically supplying power to multiple optical nodes, it is necessary to ensure that a certain amount of power is always stored in each storage unit, maintaining a voltage value that allows the control unit to operate. To confirm this voltage value, the management device must be able to inquire about the current amount of stored power to the optical node, and the optical node must have the function to respond to the management device with the amount of stored power. By providing this function, it is possible to ensure that a certain amount of stored power is maintained. Furthermore, it is essential that optical node commands are executed while maintaining a voltage value above the voltage that allows the optical node to operate. Furthermore, with the above configuration, the management device can only supply optical power to one optical node at a time.

Optical nodes are remote optical path switching nodes that perform operations in response to instructions from a management device. According to Non-Patent Document 2, operations include fiber switching using an optical switch with an optical cross-connect function included in the optical node, acquiring optical intensity measurement data using a port monitoring function, and transmitting the data to the management device. To operate the optical node, signals from the management device are superimposed on the optical power supply light.

Compared to existing network devices such as optical line terminals (OLT) (Optical Line Terminal) and ONU (Optical Network Unit), optical nodes are constrained by the requirement that they store power through optical power supply from the communication station (specifically, they do not receive commercial power from the power lines on utility poles), and that communication between the communication station and the optical node is serial communication at around several hundred bps.

2021 Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers General Conference B-13-16 "Study on remote optical path switching nodes for future optical access networks" Watanabe et al. Study on remote optical path switching node and optical cross-connect function in multistage loop networks, IEICE Technical Report, vol. 121, no. 332, OFT2021-62, pp. 36-41, January 2022.

Optical nodes are designed to operate with low power consumption, and a simple functional configuration is desirable, so multiple operation commands cannot be executed simultaneously. This is because doing so would consume more power than expected. Therefore, in order to reduce power consumption, a mechanism is needed that allows only a single operation command (each operation command is essentially an exclusive operation).

In addition to the operations mentioned above, operations instructed from the management device to the optical node also include management and maintenance function operations. The management and maintenance function operations of the optical node as a network device include power supply, remote restart to restore the MPU (Micro Processor Unit) in the event of an abnormality, firmware updates to repair malfunctions and add new functions, responses to stored power inquiries from the management device, and responses when confirming communication to verify normality. Hereinafter, these operations, such as fiber switching, port monitoring (data acquisition), port monitoring (data transfer), restart, firmware updates, responses to stored power inquiries, and responses when confirming communication, will be referred to as "operation x."

As mentioned above, optical nodes perform a variety of operations, but if the power consumption during each operation is not known in advance, there is a risk of running out of power during the operation. There are two cases in which a power shortage can occur.

The first is when an optical node receiving optical power from a management device (selected by a channel selector and attempting to perform operation x) experiences a power shortage. In the following explanation, this optical node will be referred to as the "selected optical node." For example, if the selected optical node starts operation from a state in which the amount of power (e.g., voltage value) stored in the optically powered node is less than the power consumption required for fiber switching, a power shortage occurs during fiber switching, preventing the fiber switching from completing, preventing normal communication and potentially requiring the operation to be retried.

The second scenario occurs when optical nodes other than the selected optical node (hereinafter referred to as "other optical nodes") experience a power shortage. For example, if optical node 20#1 is the selected optical node, optical node 20#2 is another optical node that is not powered and whose stored power decreases due to natural discharge. If operation x of optical node 20#1 is a file transmission operation (e.g., sending optical intensity measurement data to a management device using a port monitoring function or transferring a file for firmware updates) and the file size is large, it may take some time to complete the operation due to the limited communication speed as mentioned above. In this case, the stored power of optical node 20#2 decreases due to natural discharge and falls below the drive voltage. If optical node 20#2 does not have stored power equal to or greater than the drive voltage when optical node 20#1 completes its operation, it may not be able to communicate with the management device.

It is also possible that both the first and second cases occur.

In other words, conventional optical power supply systems were designed so that the management device could not constantly monitor the amount of power stored in multiple optical nodes, and there was a problem that depending on the amount of power stored in the optical node, the desired operation could not be completed, and the operation could have to be re-executed.

Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a management device, management method, and program that can avoid communication interruptions between the management device and optical nodes and avoid the need to re-execute commands in an optical power supply system.

In order to achieve the above objective, the management device of the present invention causes the optical node to perform operations while taking into account the power consumption and time required for the operation of the optical node.

Specifically, the management device according to the present invention comprises:
a light source connected to a plurality of optical nodes via a selector by an optical fiber, and optically feeding power to a selected optical node, which is one of the optical nodes selected by the selector;
a communication unit that communicates with the selected optical node using a control signal superimposed on the light from the light source;
a database that stores, for each of the optical nodes, a stored voltage value and a time when the stored voltage value was confirmed;
a program for causing the selected optical node to perform an arbitrary operation if conditions 1 and 2 are satisfied when checking before causing the selected optical node to perform the operation;
Equipped with.
However, the above condition 1 is
the selected optical node has the stored voltage equivalent to the energy required for the operation and the energy to drive itself at the time of the confirmation;
The condition 2 is
Among the optical nodes, all of the optical nodes other than the selected optical node have a drive voltage that is higher than a drive voltage that enables the other optical nodes to be driven after the operation of the selected optical node and after the end of a power supply cycle in which the optical nodes are sequentially optically powered;
is.

A management method according to the present invention is a management method for managing an operation of an optical power supply system in which a management device is connected to a plurality of optical nodes via a selector by optical fibers, and performs at least one of optical power supply and communication with a selected optical node, which is one of the optical nodes selected by the selector, comprising:
storing a stored voltage value and a time when the stored voltage value was confirmed for each of the optical nodes; and causing the selected optical node to perform an arbitrary operation if conditions 1 and 2 are satisfied at the time of confirmation before causing the selected optical node to perform the operation.
Do the following.

Furthermore, a program according to the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute a management method,
The management method is a method for managing an operation of an optical power supply system in which a management device is connected to a plurality of optical nodes via a selector by optical fibers, and performs at least one of optical power supply and communication with a selected optical node, which is one of the optical nodes selected by the selector;
storing a stored voltage value and a time when the stored voltage value was confirmed for each of the optical nodes; and causing the selected optical node to perform an arbitrary operation if conditions 1 and 2 are satisfied at the time of confirmation before causing the selected optical node to perform the operation.
is.

The management device grasps the relationship between the power consumption and time required for operation, and checks the amount of power stored in each optical node before the selected optical node performs an operation. Based on this relationship and confirmation, the management device causes the selected optical node to perform an operation if it determines that the optical node will not have enough power stored to cause a communication interruption or that the selected optical node will not re-execute a command.
Therefore, the present invention can provide a management device, a management method, and a program that can avoid communication interruptions between the management device and optical nodes and avoid re-execution of commands in an optical power supply system.

The program of the management device according to the present invention is characterized in that, when the operation is a designated operation designated in advance, the energy optically supplied to the selected optical node is made larger than the energy consumed in the designated operation.
The designated operation is one that takes a long time to operate or consumes a lot of power. When a designated operation is performed, there is a high possibility that the stored power will run out during the operation. Therefore, when a designated operation is performed, the optical power supply energy can be increased to prevent the stored power from running out.

The program of the management device according to the present invention is characterized in that, if the time required to perform the specified action is longer than a predetermined time, the specified action is divided so that the time required to perform one action is shorter than the predetermined time.
If the operation time is longer than the predetermined time, the stored power amount of the selected optical node may become insufficient, and the time when optical power is not supplied may become long, so that the stored power amount of other optical nodes may also become insufficient. If the operation time is predicted to be longer than the predetermined time, the stored power amount of each optical node can be prevented from becoming insufficient by dividing and executing the specified operation.

The program of the management device of the present invention is characterized in that, before causing the selected optical node to perform the operation, it checks whether the operation is being executed for each of the optical nodes, and if any of the optical nodes is executing the operation, it waits before causing the selected optical node to perform the operation until the operation is completed.
By limiting the number of optical nodes operating within the system to one, it is possible to prevent the amount of stored power from decreasing more than expected.

The above inventions can be combined as much as possible.
The program of the present invention can be recorded on a recording medium or provided to the management device via a network.

The present invention provides a management device, management method, and program that can avoid communication interruptions between the management device and optical nodes and avoid the need to re-execute commands in an optical power supply system.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an optical power supply system. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a management device according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a management method according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the time and energy required for operations performed by an optical node. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a management method according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a management method according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a management method according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a management device according to the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below are examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Note that components with the same reference numerals in this specification and drawings are considered to be identical to each other.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating the management device 11 of this embodiment.
a light source 11a connected to a plurality of optical nodes 20 via a selector 12 by an optical fiber 52, and supplying optical power to a selected optical node (optical node 20#1 in this example) that is one of the optical nodes 20 selected by the selector 12;
a communication unit 11b that communicates with the selected optical node 20#1 using a control signal superimposed on the light of the light source 11a;
a database 11c for storing, for each optical node 20, a stored voltage value and a time when the stored voltage value was confirmed;
a program 11d for causing the selected optical node 20#1 to perform an arbitrary operation if conditions 1 and 2 are satisfied when checking before causing the selected optical node 20#1 to perform the operation;
Equipped with.
However, condition 1 is
The selected optical node 20#1 has the stored voltage equivalent to the energy required for the operation and the energy to drive itself at the time of the confirmation;
Condition 2 is:
Among the optical nodes 20, all of the other optical nodes 20#n (in this example, n is an integer between 2 and N) other than the selected optical node 20#1 have a voltage higher than the drive voltage that enables the other optical nodes 20#n to be driven after the operation of the selected optical node 20#1 and after the end of the power supply cycle in which optical power is supplied sequentially;
is.

The management device 11 has a program 11d that determines whether the above two conditions are met before causing the selected optical node 20#1 to perform operation x. When program 11d determines that both conditions are met before executing operation x, the management device 11 causes the selected optical node 20#1 to perform operation x. When the management device 11 determines that both or only one of the two conditions is met, the management device 11 causes the selected optical node 20#1 to wait before executing operation x until both conditions are met, and optical power is supplied from the light source 11a to each optical node 20. Note that instead of optically supplying power to all optical nodes 20, optical power may be supplied only to optical nodes 20 that do not satisfy the conditions.

Two conditions will be described. There are N optical nodes in an optical power supply system. Consider that operation x is performed on the first optical node 20#k (k=1; k is the identification number of the optical node and is an integer from 1 to N) at time t= _t1 . Here, two conditions will be described for maintaining the capacitor voltage values (storage voltage values) of all N optical nodes 20 at or above the drive voltage _V0 at which the optical nodes themselves can be driven. The parameters are as follows:
V _k (t): voltage value of the capacitor at time t (>V ₀ ) [V],
C _k : Capacitor capacitance [F],
U _x : Energy consumption of the optical node when performing operation x [J],
D _x : Transfer data amount of control signals and control data between the management device and the optical node [bytes],
v: communication speed [bps],
T _x : transfer (execution) time [s],
P _k (t): Energy increase per unit time during power supply [J/s],
d _k : Amount of capacitor voltage drop when power is not supplied [V/s].

(Condition 1)
The energy required at the selected optical node 20#1 (k=1 in this example) when performed (time t= _t1 ) is greater than the sum of the energy _Ux required for operation x and the stored energy equivalent to the drive voltage _V0 of the optical node.
That is, condition 1 is a condition for the selected optical node 20#1, and is a condition for the selected optical node 20#1 to have a stored amount of power that can maintain the drive voltage _V0 when the operation x is being performed.
(Condition 2)
In order to store power in the other optical nodes 20#n (n=2 to N), after the selected optical node 20#1 executes operation x, optical power is sequentially supplied to each optical node 20 for at least time _Tx [s] (the period during which optical power is supplied to each optical node 20 is referred to as a "power supply cycle"). Until time t= _t1 +N·Tx (the end of the power supply cycle), the minimum value of the voltage values _Vk (t) of all optical nodes 20 exceeds _V0 . Note that,
[Equation 1a]
T _x =8D _x /v (1a)
is.
That is, condition 2 is a condition for the other optical node 20#n, and is a condition for maintaining a stored amount of electricity that can maintain the drive voltage _V0 after the end of the power supply cycle, taking into account natural discharge.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a management method performed by the management device 11.
A management method for managing an operation of an optical power supply system in which a management device 11 is connected to a plurality of optical nodes 20#k via a selector 12 by an optical fiber 52, and performs at least one of optical power supply and communication with a selected optical node 20#1, which is one of the optical nodes selected by the selector 12, comprising:
For each optical node 20#k, a stored voltage value and the time when the stored voltage value was confirmed are stored (Step 1), and when checking before causing the selected optical node 20#1 to perform an arbitrary operation, if conditions 1 and 2 are satisfied, the selected optical node 20#1 is caused to perform the operation (Step 2).
Do the following.

In this example, N=2 for ease of explanation.
[Step 1]
First, the communication unit 11b of the management device 11 starts by checking the voltage values of all optical nodes 20. As an example of a method for checking the voltage values, the management device 11 selects optical node 20#1 with the optical channel selector 12 and requests the voltage value (step S1-11), and the optical node 20#1 responds with the current capacitor output voltage value (step S1-12). The same checking operation (steps S1-21 and S1-22) can also be performed for optical node 20#2 to check it.
The management device 11 stores the number k of the optical node 20, the confirmation time t, and the voltage value V _k (t) in the DB 11 c within the management device 11.

[Step 2]
Next, the program 11d determines whether the current voltage values _V1 and _Vk of the optical node 20 satisfy both conditions 1 and 2 when the optical node 20#1 performs operation x between time _t1 and time Tx (step S2-1). If they do not, the program 11d waits until power supply to the optical node is completed (step S2-2). If both conditions 1 and 2 are satisfied, the program 11d selects the optical node 20#1 using the channel selector 12 and transmits a step for operation x (step S2-3). If necessary, the optical node 20#1 transmits a completion step for operation x to the communication unit 11b of the management device 11 (step S2-4) and completes operation x (end S3).

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the time Tx required for an optical node to perform an operation _x and the energy consumption _Ux when the optical node performs the operation x.
The operations with large _Tx are the port monitoring unit (data transfer) and FW update in area (i). In the case of these operations, the reduction in the energy consumption of the optical node 20#k (k=2 to N) during the operation x of the optical node 20#k (k=1) is large in the judgment of condition 2.
On the other hand, operations with small _Tx are fiber switching and port monitoring (data acquisition) in area (ii), and restarting, power storage amount inquiry, and microcomputer connectivity check in area (iii). In the case of these operations, the reduction in energy consumption of optical node 20#k (k=2 to N) is small in the judgment of condition 2.

Furthermore, operations with a large _Ux are port monitoring (data transfer) and FW update in area (i) when the file capacity is large, and operations in area (ii). In the case of these operations, the reduction in the energy consumption of the optical node 20#k (k=1) during operation x is large in the judgment of condition 1.
On the other hand, an operation with a small _Ux is an operation in region (iii). In this operation, the reduction in the energy consumption of the optical node 20#k (k=1) is small in the determination of condition 1.

From the above, we can see that when the file capacity in area (i) is large, the decrease in energy consumption is large for optical node 20#k (k = 1) and all optical nodes 20#k (k = 2 to N) during operation x. This indicates that operation x cannot be completed due to insufficient voltage, and there is a high possibility that it will have to be re-executed.

Here, the value of _Pk (t) shown in condition 1 is adjusted. Specifically, the value of _Pk (t) can be adjusted by adjusting the light intensity output by the light source 11a. When the optical node 20#k (k=1) executes operation x, _Ux is consumed and the voltage drops from _V1 . At this time, based on the energy balance of the optical node 20#k (k=1), energy equal to or greater than _Ux consumed in operation x can be supplied to the optical node (k=1) by optical power feeding. In other words, when operation x is a designated operation (an operation included in area (i)) designated in advance, the program 11d makes the energy optically fed to the selected optical node 20#1 greater than the energy _Ux consumed in the designated operation. In other words, during the execution of operation x,
If the energy of the optical node 20#k (k=1) is supplied to the optical node 20#k (k=1), it is possible to prevent a decrease in energy during the execution of the operation x.

From the above, for operations included in area (i) shown in Figure 4, if energy that satisfies equation (3) is supplied to optical node 20#k (k = 1), power can be supplied simultaneously with the start of operation x, thereby reducing the possibility of power shortages.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a management method performed by the management device 11 based on these operations. For ease of explanation, N=2 in this example as well. First, the program 11d checks whether the operation x is in any of areas (i) to (iii) (step S4). If it is in areas (ii) and (iii), the program 11d executes the operation x using the method described in FIG. 3. If it is in area (i), the program 11d queries the voltage value V _k (t) of the optical node 20#k (k=2 to N) (step S5-1 "select the optical node 20#n (n=2 to N) by the channel selector 12 and request the voltage value" and step S5-2 "respond with the current capacitor output voltage value") and checks whether this satisfies condition 2 between time _t1 and time Tx (step S6-1).

If condition 2 is not satisfied, power is supplied to the node (step S6-2). If condition 2 is satisfied, the voltage value V _k (t) of the optical node 20#k (k=1) is queried (step S7-1 "select optical node 20#1 with the channel selector 12 and request a voltage value" and step S7-2 "respond with the current capacitor output voltage value"), and it is confirmed whether this satisfies condition 1 between time _t1 and time Tx (step S8-1).

If condition 1 is not satisfied, the supplied energy is adjusted to satisfy equation (3) (step S8-2), and the execution of operation x and the supply of energy to optical node 20#k (k=1) are simultaneously performed (step S9-1 "select optical node 20#1 with channel selector and request operation x").
On the other hand, if the condition 1 is satisfied, the operation x is executed and energy is supplied to the optical node 20#k (k=1) at the same time (step S9-1).
Finally, if necessary, the optical node 20#1 transmits a completion step of the operation x to the communication unit 11b of the management device 11 (step S9-2), and completes the operation x (end S3).

Here, if step S8-2 is not performed, a separate step of optically supplying power to the optical node 20#k (k=1) is required before executing operation x (before step S9-1). In the case of this embodiment, by performing step S8-2 as shown in Fig. 5, the execution of operation x and the supply of energy to the optical node 20#k (k=1) can be performed simultaneously, so there is no need to check whether condition 1 is satisfied before executing operation x. Since power is consumed even when querying the voltage value _Vk (t), efficient operation is possible in terms of power consumption and the time required for confirmation.

(Embodiment 3)
When operation x is a communication check or the like, the value of _Dx is uniquely determined, and therefore the values of _Ux and _Tx , and therefore _Vk (t), can also be uniquely determined. However, as described in the second embodiment, when operation x is a FW update and the value of _Dx changes each time, according to the relationship in formula (1a), if v is constant, the value of _Tx changes depending on _Dx .

In this case, the value of _Tx1 that satisfies condition 1 calculated by the method described in embodiment 1 may differ from the value of _Tx2 calculated from condition 2. In other words, if it is calculated from condition 1 that a long transfer time is required because the file capacity of optical node 20#k (k=1) is large, that time will be below _V0 for all optical nodes (k=2 to N), and it may not be possible to set a time that satisfies condition 2.

In this case, it is desirable to adopt the smaller value.
(When T _x1 < T _x2 )
Even after the execution of operation x of optical node 20#1 is completed, the minimum voltage value of optical node 20#n (n = 2 to N) still exceeds V _0. Therefore, by adopting the value of T _x1 , all optical nodes 20 are kept at or above the driving voltage.
(When T _x1 > T _x2 )
By adopting the value of T _x2 , the operation of the optical node (k=1) can be completed before the lowest voltage value of any of the optical nodes 20#n (n=2 to N) falls below V ₀ , and power supply to the optical node 20#n (n=2 to N) can be switched on.

Here, the smaller of T _x1 and T _x2 is defined as T _xs . From the above-mentioned formula (1a), the known value v is compared with the capacity D _x of the FW file to be applied to determine which is larger.
(When T _xs ·v>8D _x )
It is possible to transmit the FW file with one power supply.
(When T _xs · v < 8D _x )
The FW file cannot be sent in one power supply. In this case, the size of the FW file is divided into _Txs ·v/8 or less, and the file is sent in multiple times with power supplies in between.

Figure 6 is a diagram explaining the management method performed by the management device 11 based on these operations. The program 11d of the management device 11 is characterized in that, if the time required to perform a specified operation (operation in area (i)) is longer than a predetermined time, the program 11d divides the specified operation so that the time required to perform one operation is shorter than the predetermined time.

The management method is the same as that described in Fig. 7 up to step 3 (steps S8-1 and S8-2). After step S8-1 or S8-2, this management method determines whether a predetermined requirement (T _xs ·v>8D _x ) is met (step S10-1).
If the predetermined requirements are met, step S9-1 described with reference to FIG. 7 is carried out.
On the other hand, if the specified requirements are not met,
Dividing the capacity of the FW file into T _xs ·v/8 or less (step S10-2);
The selector 12 selects the optical node 20#1, and transmits the divided FW files and supplies optical power (step S10-3).
The selector 12 sequentially selects other optical nodes 20#n (n=2 to N) and optically supplies power to them (step S10-4), and checks whether all the divided FW files have been transmitted. If not, steps S10-3 and S10-4 are repeated (step S10-5).
Do the following.
Finally, if necessary, the optical node 20#1 transmits a completion response of the operation x to the communication unit 11b of the management device 11 (response S9-2), and completes the operation x (end S3).

This management method makes it possible to perform FW updates while keeping all optical nodes at or above their operating voltage.

(Embodiment 4)
7 is a diagram illustrating a management method performed by the management device 11 of this embodiment. Before causing the selected optical node 20#1 to perform operation x, the program 11d of the management device 11 checks whether an operation is currently being executed for each of the optical nodes 20#k (k=1 to N), and if any optical node is currently executing an operation, waits until the operation is completed before causing the selected optical node 20#1 to perform operation x.

In the management method of this embodiment, before performing steps 1 or 3 described in embodiments 1 to 3, the management device 11 checks whether any operation is being performed on each optical node 20 (step S11-1). If no operation is being performed on any optical node 20, step 1 or 3 is initiated. On the other hand, if any operation is being performed on any optical node 20, the execution of step 1 or 3 is put on hold until that operation is completed (step S11-2).

This management method enables exclusive operation to be performed by the management device 11 with only a single operation command.

(Embodiment 5)
The management device 11 can also be realized by a computer and a program, and the program can be recorded on a recording medium or provided via a network.
8 shows a block diagram of a system 100. The system 100 includes a computer 105 connected to a network 135.

Network 135 is a data communications network. Network 135 may be a private network or a public network, and may include any or all of the following: (a) a personal area network, e.g., covering a room; (b) a local area network, e.g., covering a building; (c) a campus area network, e.g., covering a campus; (d) a metropolitan area network, e.g., covering a city; (e) a wide area network, e.g., covering an area spanning city, region, or country boundaries; or (f) the Internet. Communications are conducted over network 135 by electronic and optical signals.

Computer 105 includes processor 110 and memory 115 connected to processor 110. Although computer 105 is depicted herein as a standalone device, it is not limited to such and may rather be connected to other devices not shown in a distributed processing system.

Processor 110 is an electronic device consisting of logic circuits that respond to and execute instructions.

Memory 115 is a tangible, computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is encoded. In this regard, memory 115 stores data and instructions, i.e., program code, that are readable and executable by processor 110 to control the operation of processor 110. Memory 115 may be implemented as random access memory (RAM), a hard drive, read-only memory (ROM), or a combination thereof. One component of memory 115 is program module 120.

Program modules 120 include instructions for controlling processor 110 to perform the processes described herein. Although operations are described herein as being performed by computer 105 or a method or process or sub-process thereof, those operations are actually performed by processor 110.

The term "module" is used herein to refer to a functional operation that may be embodied as either a stand-alone component or an integrated configuration of multiple subcomponents. Thus, program module 120 may be implemented as a single module or as multiple modules operating in concert with one another. Furthermore, while program module 120 is described herein as being installed in memory 115 and thus implemented in software, it may be implemented in any of hardware (e.g., electronic circuitry), firmware, software, or a combination thereof.

While program module 120 is shown as already loaded into memory 115, it may be configured to reside on storage device 140 for later loading into memory 115. Storage device 140 is a tangible, computer-readable storage medium that stores program module 120. Examples of storage device 140 include compact discs, magnetic tape, read-only memory, optical storage media, a memory unit consisting of a hard drive or multiple parallel hard drives, and a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive. Alternatively, storage device 140 may be random access memory or another type of electronic storage device located in a remote storage system (not shown) and connected to computer 105 via network 135.

System 100 further includes data source 150A and data source 150B, collectively referred to herein as data sources 150, and communicatively connected to network 135. In practice, data source 150 may include any number of data sources, i.e., one or more data sources. Data source 150 may include unstructured data and may include social media.

The system 100 further includes a user device 130 operated by the user 101 and connected to the computer 105 via a network 135. The user device 130 includes an input device, such as a keyboard or a voice recognition subsystem, that allows the user 101 to communicate information and command selections to the processor 110. The user device 130 also includes an output device, such as a display device, a printer, or a voice synthesizer. A cursor control, such as a mouse, trackball, or touch-sensitive screen, allows the user 101 to manipulate a cursor on the display device to communicate further information and command selections to the processor 110.

The processor 110 outputs the results 122 of the execution of the program module 120 to the user device 130. Alternatively, the processor 110 may provide the output to a storage device 125, such as a database or memory, or via a network 135 to a remote device (not shown).

For example, program 11d that executes the flowchart of Figure 3 may be program 120. The system 100 can be operated as the management device 11.

The terms "comprises" or "comprising" should be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated feature, integer, step, or component, but not excluding the presence of one or more other features, integers, steps, or components, or groups thereof. The terms "a" and "an" are indefinite articles and therefore do not exclude embodiments having a plurality thereof.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In short, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the components can be modified and embodied in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all of the components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

[Definition]
The abbreviations used in this specification and drawings are as follows:

DCN: Data Communication Network
CLI: Client
IF: Interface OSS: Open Source Software
OpS: Operation System

10: Communication station 11: Management device 11a: Light source 11b: Communication unit 11c: Database 11d: Program 12: Channel selectors 20, 20#1, 20#2, 20#3: Optical node 51: Main signal optical fiber 52: Optical fiber 100: System 101: User 105: Computer 110: Processor 115: Memory 120: Program module 122: Result 125: Storage device 130: User device 135: Network 140: Storage device 150: Data source

Claims (6)

a light source connected to a plurality of optical nodes via a selector by an optical fiber, and optically feeding power to a selected optical node, which is one of the optical nodes selected by the selector;
a communication unit that communicates with the selected optical node using a control signal superimposed on the light from the light source;
a database that stores, for each of the optical nodes, a stored voltage value and a time when the stored voltage value was confirmed;
a program for causing the selected optical node to perform an arbitrary operation if conditions 1 and 2 are satisfied when checking before causing the selected optical node to perform the operation;
A management device comprising:
However, the above condition 1 is
the selected optical node has the stored voltage value corresponding to the energy required for the operation and the energy to drive itself at the time of the confirmation;
The condition 2 is
Among the optical nodes, all of the optical nodes other than the selected optical node have a drive voltage that is higher than a drive voltage that enables the other optical nodes to be driven after the operation of the selected optical node and after the end of a power supply cycle in which the optical nodes are sequentially optically powered;
is. The program
2. The management device according to claim 1, wherein, when the operation is a designated operation designated in advance, the energy optically supplied to the selected optical node is made larger than the energy consumed in the designated operation. The program
3. The management device according to claim 2, wherein, when the time required to perform the specified action is longer than a predetermined time, the specified action is divided so that the time required to perform one action is shorter than the predetermined time. The program
A management device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that before causing the selected optical node to perform the operation, it checks whether the operation is being executed for each of the optical nodes, and if any of the optical nodes is executing the operation, it waits until the operation is completed before causing the selected optical node to perform the operation. A management method for managing an operation of an optical power supply system in which a management device is connected to a plurality of optical nodes via a selector by optical fibers, and performs at least one of optical power supply and communication with a selected optical node, which is one of the optical nodes selected by the selector, comprising:
storing a stored voltage value and a time when the stored voltage value was confirmed for each of the optical nodes; and causing the selected optical node to perform an arbitrary operation if conditions 1 and 2 are satisfied at the time of confirmation before causing the selected optical node to perform the operation.
A management method for doing this.
However, the above condition 1 is
the selected optical node has the stored voltage value corresponding to the energy required for the operation and the energy to drive itself at the time of the confirmation;
The condition 2 is
Among the optical nodes, all of the optical nodes other than the selected optical node have a drive voltage that is higher than a drive voltage that enables the other optical nodes to be driven after the operation of the selected optical node and after the end of a power supply cycle in which the optical nodes are sequentially optically powered;
is. A program for causing a computer to execute a management method,
The management method is a method for managing an operation of an optical power supply system in which a management device is connected to a plurality of optical nodes via a selector by optical fibers, and performs at least one of optical power supply and communication with a selected optical node, which is one of the optical nodes selected by the selector;
storing a stored voltage value and a time when the stored voltage value was confirmed for each of the optical nodes; and causing the selected optical node to perform an arbitrary operation if conditions 1 and 2 are satisfied at the time of confirmation before causing the selected optical node to perform the operation.
A program that:
However, the above condition 1 is
the selected optical node has the stored voltage value corresponding to the energy required for the operation and the energy to drive itself at the time of the confirmation;
The condition 2 is
Among the optical nodes, all of the optical nodes other than the selected optical node have a drive voltage that is higher than a drive voltage that enables the other optical nodes to be driven after the operation of the selected optical node and after the end of a power supply cycle in which the optical nodes are sequentially optically powered;
is.