US 11,792,040 B2
Communication system and control method
Tomoya Hatano, Musashino (JP); Takumi Harada, Tokyo (JP); and Hiroo Suzuki, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/604,546
Filed by NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Apr. 23, 2019, PCT No. PCT/JP2019/017223
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 18, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/217312, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 29, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0209988 A1, Jun. 30, 2022
Int. Cl. H04L 12/46 (2006.01)
CPC H04L 12/4604 (2013.01) [H04L 12/4645 (2013.01); H04L 2012/4629 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A communication system connected to an upper network and a lower network, the communication system comprising:
at least one intermediate communication device including a plurality of upper ports configured to input and output optical signals to and from the upper network, and a plurality of lower ports configured to input and output optical signals to and from the lower network, the at least one intermediate communication device being configured to relay communication between the upper network and the lower network;
a switching device connected to the upper network, the lower network, the plurality of upper ports, and the plurality of lower ports, the switching device being configured to switch a connection between the upper network and the plurality of upper ports and a connection between the lower network and the plurality of lower ports; and
a control device configured to output, to the switching device, an instruction to switch at least one of the connection between the upper network and the plurality of upper ports or the connection between the lower network and the plurality of lower ports according to a communication status between the upper network and the lower network,
wherein, when the connection between the lower network and the plurality of lower ports is switched, the control device selects at least one lower port, from among the plurality of lower ports, not connected to the lower network, and outputs, to the switching device, the instruction to switch a connection destination of the lower network connected to a lower port identified by the communication status in the plurality of lower ports to the at least one lower port that is selected,
wherein each of the intermediate communication device, the switching device, and the control device is implemented by:
i) computer executable instructions executed by at least one processor,
ii) at least one circuitry or
iii) a combination of computer executable instructions executed by at least one processor and at least one circuitry.