Interconnecting nodes in an optical communication system
First Claim
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1. A sub-network of an optical communication network, the sub-network comprising:
- four nodes each having two input ports and two output ports;
a first one of the nodes having the input ports and one of the output ports coupled to other ones of the nodes, and wherein the other output port of the first node is operable to send signals outside of the sub-network;
a second one of the nodes having the output ports and one of the input ports coupled to other ones of the nodes, and wherein the other input port of the second node is operable to receive signals from outside of the sub-network;
a third one of the nodes having the output ports and one of the input ports coupled to other ones of the nodes, and wherein the other input port of the third node is operable to receive signals from outside of the sub-network; and
a fourth one of the nodes having the input ports and one of the output ports coupled to other ones of the nodes, and wherein the other output port of the fourth node is operable to send signals outside of the sub-network.
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Abstract
A sub-network of a communication network includes four nodes, with each node having two input ports and two output ports. The first node and the fourth node each link both of their input ports and one of their output ports to other nodes of the sub-network, with each of their remaining output ports operable to send signals outside of the sub-network. The second and third nodes link both of their output ports and one of their input ports to other nodes of the sub-network while each of their remaining input ports is operable to receive signals from outside of the sub-network.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A sub-network of an optical communication network, the sub-network comprising:
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four nodes each having two input ports and two output ports;
a first one of the nodes having the input ports and one of the output ports coupled to other ones of the nodes, and wherein the other output port of the first node is operable to send signals outside of the sub-network;
a second one of the nodes having the output ports and one of the input ports coupled to other ones of the nodes, and wherein the other input port of the second node is operable to receive signals from outside of the sub-network;
a third one of the nodes having the output ports and one of the input ports coupled to other ones of the nodes, and wherein the other input port of the third node is operable to receive signals from outside of the sub-network; and
a fourth one of the nodes having the input ports and one of the output ports coupled to other ones of the nodes, and wherein the other output port of the fourth node is operable to send signals outside of the sub-network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A communication network comprising a plurality of sub-networks, each sub-network comprising:
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four nodes each having two input ports and two output ports;
a first one of the nodes having the input ports and one of the output ports coupled to other ones of the nodes in the sub-network, and wherein the other output port of the first node couples to another one of the sub-networks;
a second one of the nodes having the output ports and one of the input ports coupled to other ones of the nodes in the sub-network, and wherein the other input port of the second node couples to another one of the sub-networks;
a third one of the nodes having the output ports and one of the input ports coupled to other ones of the nodes in the sub-network, and wherein the other input port of the third node couples to another one of the sub-networks; and
a fourth one of the nodes having the input ports and one of the output ports coupled to other ones of the nodes in the sub-network, and wherein the other output port of the fourth node couples to another one of the sub-networks. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A sub-network of an optical communication network, the sub-network comprising:
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a first node, a second node, a third node, and a fourth node interconnected to form a first unidirectional communication ring with direct communications links from the fourth node to the third node, the third node to the second node, the second node to the first node, and the first node to the fourth node;
the second node further connected to the fourth node to form a second unidirectional communication ring with direct communications links from the second node to the fourth node, the fourth node to the third node, and the third node to the second node; and
the third node further connected to the first node to form a third unidirectional communication ring with direct communications links from the third node to the first node, the first node to the fourth node, and the fourth node to the third node. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification