Multi-function optical channel processing unit
First Claim
1. An optical apparatus for use in a communications network, comprising:
- an optical interface, optically interposed between a first portion of said network and a second portion of said network, where optical signals are communicated between said first portion of said network and said second portion of said network via said optical interface;
at least one first optical port disposed at said interface and associated with said first portion of said network such that first optical signals of said first portion of said network are communicated across said at least one first optical port;
at least one second optical port disposed at said interface and associated with said second portion of said network such that second optical signals of said second portion of said network are communicated across said at least one second optical port;
at least one additional port disposed at said interface; and
optics including at least one movable mirror for selectively establishing an optical connection between said at least one additional port and at least one of said first and second optical ports such that, upon establishing said connection, a difference is established between said first optical signals at said first portion of said network and said second optical signals of said second portion of said network.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A novel optical channel processing unit is disclosed that is useful for multiplexing, demultiplexing and switching optical signals in a WDM network. In one embodiment, the optical channel processing unit is implemented as an optical switch (700) for interfacing any of various multichannel input ports (702) with any of various multichannel output ports (704). The illustrated switch (700) includes a two-dimensional array of input ports (702) and a two-dimensional array of output ports (704). An input signal (705) is transmitted via a spectral device (706) to an input movable mirror array (708). A signal transmitted by an output port (704) is transmitted via a spectral device (712) to mirrors (714) of an output mirror movable mirror array (716). Each mirror of each array (708 and 716) is movable to target any selected mirror of the opposing array (708 or 716). The arrays (708 and 716) thereby support full multichannel switching functionality for more than two channels.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. An optical apparatus for use in a communications network, comprising:
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an optical interface, optically interposed between a first portion of said network and a second portion of said network, where optical signals are communicated between said first portion of said network and said second portion of said network via said optical interface;
at least one first optical port disposed at said interface and associated with said first portion of said network such that first optical signals of said first portion of said network are communicated across said at least one first optical port;
at least one second optical port disposed at said interface and associated with said second portion of said network such that second optical signals of said second portion of said network are communicated across said at least one second optical port;
at least one additional port disposed at said interface; and
optics including at least one movable mirror for selectively establishing an optical connection between said at least one additional port and at least one of said first and second optical ports such that, upon establishing said connection, a difference is established between said first optical signals at said first portion of said network and said second optical signals of said second portion of said network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An optical apparatus for use in a communications network, comprising:
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an optical interface, optically interposed between a first portion of said network and a second portion of said network, where optical signals are communicated between said first portion of said network and said second portion of said network via said optical interface;
at least one first optical port disposed at said interface and associated with said first portion of said network such that first optical signals of said first portion of said network are communicated across said at least one first optical port;
at least one second optical port disposed at said interface and associated with said second portion of said network such that second optical signals of the said second portion of the network are communicated across said at least one second optical port;
at least one add port disposed at said interface for adding an additional optical signal via said at least one of said first and second ports such that said first optical signals differ from said second optical signals due to an addition of said additional optical signals at said interface; and
optics including at least one movable mirror for selectively establishing an optical connection between said at least one add port and at least one of said first and second optical ports. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. An optical apparatus for use in a communications network, comprising:
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an optical interface, optically interposed between a first portion of said network and a second portion of said network, where optical signals are communicated between said first portion of said network and said second portion of said network via said optical interface;
at least one first optical port disposed at said interface and associated with said first portion of said network such that first optical signals of said first portion of said network are communicated across said at least one first optical port;
at least one second optical port disposed at said interface and associated with said second portion of said network such that second optical signals of the said second portion of the network are communicated across said at least one second optical port;
at least one drop port for dropping a dropped optical signal from said at least one of said first and second ports such that said first optical signals differ from said second optical signals due to a dropping of said dropped optical signal at said optical interface; and
optics including at least one movable mirror for selectively establishing an optical connection between said at least one drop port and at least one of said first and second optical ports. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. An optical apparatus for use in a communications network, comprising:
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an optical interface, optically interposed between a first portion of said network and a second portion of said network, where optical signals are communicated between said first portion of said network and said second portion of said network via said optical interface;
a plurality of first optical ports disposed at said interface and associated with said first portion of said network such that first optical signals of said first portion of said network are communicated across said first optical ports;
a plurality of second optical ports disposed at said interface and associated with said second portion of said network such that second optical signals of said second portion of said network are communicated across said second optical ports;
a plurality of first movable mirrors operative for optically connecting individual ones of said first ports to individual ones of said second ports;
a plurality of add ports for adding additional optical signals via at least one of said first and second ports such that said first optical signals differ from said second optical signals due to an addition of said additional optical signals at said optical interface;
a plurality of drop ports for dropping dropped optical signals from at least one of said first and second ports such that said first optical signals differ from said second optical signals due to a dropping of said dropped optical signals at said optical interface; and
a plurality of second movable mirrors operative for optically connecting individual ones of said drop ports and add ports to individual ones of said first ports and second ports. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification