Network switch employing free-space optical switching technique
First Claim
1. A method of transferring data between ports of an Ethernet switch device having a switching element and a plurality of subsystems, each of which is connected to one of said ports and has an address table, a media access controller, a router including a destination address register, said optical switching element including a plurality of sources of optical energy and a plurality of optical detectors, said method comprising:
- associating each of said plurality of subsystems with a holographic transform function, with said holographic transform function associated with one of said plurality of subsystems differing from the holographic transform functions associated with the remaining subsystems;
receiving a signal containing data and network addressing information, with said network addressing information including an address of one of said plurality of ports, defining a receiving port;
producing, with one of said plurality of sources under control of said router and said media access controller, said optical energy modulated with said data, defining modulated optical energy;
transforming said modulated optical energy with said holographic transform function associated with said receiving subsystem;
sensing data associated with said modulated optical energy; and
transferring said data, as electrical signals, to the port associated with said receiving subsystem.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and a device to transfer data between various ports of a network switch of the type having a switching element and a plurality of subsystems. Each of the subsystems is connected to one of the ports and has an address table, a media access controller, and a router. The router includes a destination address register. The optical switching element includes a plurality of sources of optical energy and a plurality of optical detectors. Each of the plurality of subsystems is associated with a holographic transform function. The holographic transform function associated with one of the plurality of subsystems differs from the holographic transform functions associated with the remaining subsystems.
78 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of transferring data between ports of an Ethernet switch device having a switching element and a plurality of subsystems, each of which is connected to one of said ports and has an address table, a media access controller, a router including a destination address register, said optical switching element including a plurality of sources of optical energy and a plurality of optical detectors, said method comprising:
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associating each of said plurality of subsystems with a holographic transform function, with said holographic transform function associated with one of said plurality of subsystems differing from the holographic transform functions associated with the remaining subsystems;
receiving a signal containing data and network addressing information, with said network addressing information including an address of one of said plurality of ports, defining a receiving port;
producing, with one of said plurality of sources under control of said router and said media access controller, said optical energy modulated with said data, defining modulated optical energy;
transforming said modulated optical energy with said holographic transform function associated with said receiving subsystem;
sensing data associated with said modulated optical energy; and
transferring said data, as electrical signals, to the port associated with said receiving subsystem. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An Ethernet switching device, comprising:
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a plurality of subsystems, each of which includes an address table, a media access controller, a router including a destination address register, an optical switching element in data communication with each of said plurality of subsystems, said optical switching element including a plurality of holographic transform function, each of which is associated with one of said plurality of subsystems, with said holographic transform function associated with one of said plurality of subsystems differing from the holographic transform functions associated with the remaining subsystems; and
a plurality of ports, each of which is connected to one of said plurality of subsystems. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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14. An Ethernet switching device, comprising:
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a plurality of subsystems, each of which includes an address table, a media access controller, a router including a destination address register, an optical switching element in data communication with each of said plurality of subsystems, said optical switching element including a plurality of sources of optical energy, a plurality of optical detectors, and a plurality of holographic transform functions, each of which is associated with one of said plurality of subsystems, with said holographic transform function associated with one of said plurality of subsystems differing from th e holographic transform functions associated with the remaining subsystems;
a plurality of ports, each of which is connected to one of said plurality of subsystems; and
means for associating each of said plurality of subsystems with one of said plurality of a holographic transform functions, with said holographic transform function associated with one of said plurality of subsystems differing from the holographic transform functions associated with the remaining subsystems.
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Specification