Routing device for all optical networks
First Claim
1. An optical routing device for wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical signals, comprising an optical input stage, an optical output stage, and an optical routing stage for coupling optical signals to the optical output stage, wherein the optical routing stage includes a first optical switch array and a second optical switch array, the first optical switch array being adapted to selectively couple optical signals to the second optical switch array on the basis of the wavelength of the respective optical signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical routing device for wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical signals includes an optical switch matrix (50) having a first optical switch array (54) and a second optical switch array (52), the first optical switch array being adapted to couple optical signals to the second optical switch array on the basis of the wavelength of respective optical signals. The second optical switch array (52) includes a number of optical switch devices, each of which is dedicated to route traffic on a respective wavelength. The device includes a drop traffic path and a through traffic path, in which the drop traffic path includes a transponder unit (170; 220) that is selectively reconfigurable to couple signals to a through traffic path and thereby provide a signal regeneration path. The transponder unit (170; 220) may be tunable so as to provide a wavelength translation function for any optical signal received by the transponder unit. This feature enables efficient sharing of transponders.
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Citations
24 Claims
- 1. An optical routing device for wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical signals, comprising an optical input stage, an optical output stage, and an optical routing stage for coupling optical signals to the optical output stage, wherein the optical routing stage includes a first optical switch array and a second optical switch array, the first optical switch array being adapted to selectively couple optical signals to the second optical switch array on the basis of the wavelength of the respective optical signal.
- 20. An optical routing device for wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical signals, comprising an optical switch matrix having a first optical switch array and a second optical switch array, the first optical switch array being adapted to couple optical signals to the second optical switch array on the basis of the wavelength of respective optical signals, wherein the second optical switch array comprises a number of optical switch devices, each of which is dedicated to route traffic on a respective wavelength.
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22. An optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) device for wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical signals, comprises a drop traffic path and a through traffic path, wherein the drop traffic path comprises a transponder unit that is selectively reconfigurable to couple optical signals to the through traffic path, thereby to provide a signal regeneration path for optical signals.
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23. A transponder unit comprising a first optical interface having an optical receiver and an optical transmitter, a second optical interface having an optical receiver and an optical transmitter, and a control device for routing signals between the first optical interface and the second optical interface, and between the optical transmitter and the optical receiver within at least one of the first and second optical interfaces.
Specification