Signals and methods for increasing reliability in optical network equipment
First Claim
1. An optical cross-connect switch comprising:
- an optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from one optical network connection to another optical network connection; and
, an optical-electrical-optical converter (O/E/O) coupled between the optical switch fabric and the one optical network connection or the another optical network connection, the optical-electrical-optical converter to convert an incoming optical signal into an electrical signal and the electrical signal into a regenerated optical signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, apparatus and systems for regenerating, monitoring and bridging optical signals through an optical cross-connect switch to provide increased reliability. A self testing method, apparatus and system for an optical cross-connect switch. An optical-to-electrical-to-optical converter (O/E/O) is provided in an optical cross-connect switch to provide optical-electrical-optical conversion. I/O port cards having an optical-to-electrical-to-optical converter are referred to as smart port cards while I/O port cards without an optical-to-electrical-to-optical converter are referred to as passive port cards. Test port/monitor cards are also provided for testing optical cross-connect switches. Methods, apparatus and systems for performing bridging, test access, and supporting redundant optical switch fabrics are also disclosed.
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Citations
105 Claims
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1. An optical cross-connect switch comprising:
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an optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from one optical network connection to another optical network connection; and
,an optical-electrical-optical converter (O/E/O) coupled between the optical switch fabric and the one optical network connection or the another optical network connection, the optical-electrical-optical converter to convert an incoming optical signal into an electrical signal and the electrical signal into a regenerated optical signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of regenerating optical signals in an all-optical cross-connect switch, the method comprising:
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providing one or more smart port cards, each of the one or more smart port cards including an optical-electrical-optical converter in an optical path, the optical-electrical-optical converter to convert an input optical signal into an electrical signal and the electrical signal into an output optical signal, the output optical signal being responsive to the input optical signal;
providing one or more passive port cards, the one or more passive port cards without an optical-electrical-optical converter; and
generating an optical path through an optical switch fabric of optical switches for optical signals to flow between the one or more smart port cards and the one or more passive port cards. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A data communication network comprising:
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an optical cross-connect switch including an optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from one optical network connection to another optical network connection, and an optical-electrical-optical converter coupled between the optical switch fabric and the one optical network connection or the another optical network connection, the optical-electrical-optical converter to convert an incoming optical signal into an electrical signal and the electrical signal into an outgoing optical signal, the incoming optical signal and the outgoing optical signal being substantially similar; and
attached network equipment coupled to the optical cross-connect switch, the attached network equipment coupled to the one or more port cards to bi-directionally transport optical signals there-between. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of bridging optical signals in optical network equipment, the method comprising:
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receiving an optical signal;
splitting the optical signal into at least two similar optical signals;
processing the at least two similar optical signals in the optical network equipment; and
selecting one of at least two outputs of the optical network equipment that has a resultant optical output signal responsive to the processing of one of the at least two similar optical signals in the optical network equipment. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. An apparatus for bridging optical signals in optical network equipment comprising:
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a splitter to split an input optical signal into the optical network equipment into two similar optical signals;
the optical network equipment to similarly process the two similar optical signals into two similar resultant optical output signals at two outputs if no failure exists; and
a switch to select one of the two outputs having a resultant optical output signal as the output optical signal from the optical network equipment. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A data signal propagation in an optical network equipment for increased reliability, comprising:
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a data signal embodied in a first optical signal on a first optical path in the optical network equipment;
the data signal embodied in a second optical signal on a second optical path in the optical network equipment;
wherein the first optical signal and the second optical signal are substantially similar; and
wherein the first optical path is different from the second optical path. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A method of increasing reliability in optical network equipment, the method comprising:
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converting an input optical signal in the optical domain into an electrical signal in the electrical domain;
converting the electrical signal in the electrical domain into a first optical signal and a second optical signal in the optical domain, the first and second optical signals being substantially similar;
processing the first optical signals and the second optical signal similarly through the optical network equipment to generate a first processed optical signal and a second processed optical signal respectively; and
selecting either the first processed optical signal or the second processed optical signal as the output optical signal of the optical network equipment. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. An optical cross-connect switch comprising:
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a first optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from one optical network connection to another optical network connection;
a second optical switch fabric of optical switches to switch optical signals from the one optical network connection to the another optical network connection; and
,an optical-electrical-optical converter (O/E/O) coupled between the first and second optical switch fabrics and the one optical network connection or the another optical network connection, the optical-electrical-optical converter to convert an incoming optical signal into an electrical signal and the electrical signal into an outgoing optical signal, the incoming optical signal and the outgoing optical signal being substantially similar. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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75. An apparatus for bridging optical signals in optical network equipment comprising:
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a splitter to split an input optical signal into the optical network equipment into two similar optical signals;
a first optical switch fabric to couple optical signals from one network connection to another network connection, the first optical switch fabric to receive one of the two similar optical signals and generate a first switched optical signal;
a second optical switch fabric to couple the optical signals from the one network connection to the another network connection, the second optical switch fabric to receive another one of the two similar optical signals and generate a second switched optical signal; and
a switch to receive the first and second switched optical signals and to select between the first switched optical signal and the second switched optical signal as the output optical signal from the optical network equipment. - View Dependent Claims (76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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89. A method of bridging optical signals in an optical cross-connect switch to increase reliability, the method comprising:
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receiving an optical signal;
splitting the optical signal into two similar optical signals;
coupling one of the two similar optical signals into a first optical switch fabric and the another one of the two similar optical signals into a second optical switch fabric;
routing the two similar optical signals over optical paths respectively in the first optical switch fabric and the second optical switch fabric to two outputs; and
selecting one of the two similar optical signals at the two outputs as an optical output signal of the optical cross-connect switch. - View Dependent Claims (90, 91, 92, 93)
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94. An apparatus for regenerating optical signals in an all-optical cross-connect switch, the apparatus comprising:
a smart port card, the smart port card including an optical-electrical-optical converter in an optical path, the optical-electricaloptical converter to convert an input optical signal into an electrical signal and the electrical signal into an output optical signal. - View Dependent Claims (95, 96, 97, 98, 99)
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100. A method of regenerating optical signals in an all-optical cross-connect switch, the method comprising:
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converting a first optical signal into an electrical signal;
converting the electrical signal into a second optical signal, the second optical signal being responsive to the first optical signal; and
forming an optical path through an optical switch fabric of optical switches over which optical signals can be transported through the optical cross-connect switch. - View Dependent Claims (101, 102, 103, 104, 105)
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Specification