Multipoint, contentionless wavelength selective switch (WSS)
First Claim
1. An optical device, comprising:
- a plurality of optical input ports configured to receive optical beams each having a plurality of wavelength components;
a plurality of optical output ports;
a wavelength dispersion element for receiving the optical beams and spatially separating each of the optical beams into a plurality of wavelengths components; and
a switching arrangement for receiving the wavelength components of the optical beams and selectively coupling any subset of the plurality of wavelength components of the optical beams to a different one of the optical output ports, provided that wavelength components of optical beams received by two of the input ports cannot be simultaneously coupled to a common one of the output ports.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An optical device includes a plurality of optical input ports, a plurality of optical output ports, a wavelength dispersion arrangement and at least one optical beam steering arrangement. The plurality of optical input ports is configured to receive optical beams each having a plurality of wavelength components. The wavelength dispersion arrangement receives the optical beams and spatially separates each of the optical beams into a plurality of wavelengths components. The optical beam steering arrangement has a first region onto which the spatially separated wavelength components are directed and a second region onto which any subset of the plurality of wavelength components of each of the optical beams is selectively directed after the wavelength components in each of the subsets are spatially recombined with one another. The optical beam steering arrangement selectively directs each of subset of the plurality of wavelength components to a different one of the optical output ports.
20 Citations
91 Claims
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1. An optical device, comprising:
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a plurality of optical input ports configured to receive optical beams each having a plurality of wavelength components; a plurality of optical output ports; a wavelength dispersion element for receiving the optical beams and spatially separating each of the optical beams into a plurality of wavelengths components; and a switching arrangement for receiving the wavelength components of the optical beams and selectively coupling any subset of the plurality of wavelength components of the optical beams to a different one of the optical output ports, provided that wavelength components of optical beams received by two of the input ports cannot be simultaneously coupled to a common one of the output ports. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An optical device, comprising:
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a plurality of optical input ports configured to receive optical beams each having a plurality of wavelength components; a plurality of optical output ports; a wavelength dispersion arrangement for receiving the optical beams and spatially separating each of the optical beams into a plurality of wavelengths components; and at least one optical beam steering arrangement having a first region onto which the spatially separated wavelength components are coupled and a second region onto which any subset of the plurality of wavelength components of the optical beams is selectively directed after the wavelength components in each of the subsets are spatially recombined with one another, the at least one optical beam steering arrangement selectively coupling each of the subsets of the plurality of wavelength components to a different one of the optical output ports. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A method for switching wavelength components of WDM signals in a wavelength dependent manner, comprising:
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receiving a plurality of optical beams each having a plurality of wavelength components; spatially separating each of the optical beams into the plurality of wavelengths components; and selectively coupling any subset of the plurality of wavelength components of the optical beams to a different one of a plurality of optical output ports, provided that wavelength components of optical beams received by two of the input ports cannot be simultaneously coupled to a common one of the output ports. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A method for switching wavelength components of one or more WDM signals in a wavelength dependent manner, comprising:
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receiving a plurality of optical beams each having a plurality of wavelength components; spatially separating each of the optical beams into the plurality of wavelengths components; and steering the spatially separated wavelength components in a wavelength dependent manner; after the steering, spatially recombining the wavelength components into one or more subsets; and steering the one or more subsets of spatially recombined wavelength components to one or more optical output ports, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. An optical device, comprising:
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a plurality of optical input ports configured to receive optical beams each having a plurality of wavelength components; a plurality of optical output ports; a wavelength dispersion element for receiving the optical beams and spatially separating each of the optical beams into a plurality of wavelengths components; and a switching arrangement for receiving the optical beams and selectively coupling any subset of the plurality of wavelength components of the optical beams to a different one of the optical output ports, provided that wavelength components of optical beams received by one of the input ports cannot be simultaneously coupled to more than one of the output ports. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84)
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85. A method for switching wavelength components of WDM signals in a wavelength dependent manner, comprising:
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receiving a plurality of optical beams each having a plurality of wavelength components; spatially separating each of the optical beams into the plurality of wavelengths components; and selectively coupling any subset of the plurality of wavelength components of the optical beams to a different one of a plurality of optical output ports, provided that wavelength components of optical beams received by one of the input ports cannot be simultaneously coupled to more than one of the output ports. - View Dependent Claims (86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91)
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Specification