Intelligent optical data switching system

• US 20050089027A1
• Filed: 06/18/2003
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: John R. Colton
• Original Assignee: John R. Colton
• Inventors: Colton, John R.
• Application Number:
  US10/464,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20050089027A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/380
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0066 Provisions for optical burst or packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0011 using wavelength conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0016 using wavelength multiplexing or demultiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/002 using optical delay lines or optical buffers or optical recirculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0024 using space switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0075 Wavelength grouping or hierarchical aspects

Abstract

The present invention enables a multi-wavelength band to be maintained as an optical signal through only a band switch, and provides a switch node with expandable capacity for switching data optically.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A process for multi-wavelength band switching comprising:

banding a plurality of wavelengths into a band based on a common destination associated with the wavelengths;

multiplexing the band into a first optical composite signal;

receiving the first optical composite signal at a first optical switch;

demultiplexing the band from the first optical composite signal;

maintaining the band as an optical signal through only a band switch;

multiplexing the band from the band switch into a second optical composite signal; and

transmitting the second composite signal to a second optical switch enroute to the common destination of the plurality of wavelengths.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the first and second composite signals are dense wave division multiplexing signals.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein the first optical switch includes a wavelength switch and further comprising:

demultiplexing one more other bands requiring individual wavelength operations from the first optical composite signal;

routing the one or more other bands following band demultiplexing from the band switch to a wavelength demultiplexer;

demultiplexing a plurality wavelengths from the one or more other bands to the wavelength switch; and

delivering at least one wavelength of the plurality wavelengths from the one or more other bands from the wavelength switch for conversion to a client optical signal.

5. An optical switch comprising at least one auxiliary wavelength switch module for receiving individual wavelengths of a band, wherein the wavelength switch module switches the individual wavelengths of the band for individual routing.

6. The optical switch of claim 5 further comprising a bay housing the at least one auxiliary wavelength switch at a node on a shelf.

7. The optical switch of claim 6 wherein the bay includes expandable shelves for accepting an increasing number of auxiliary wavelength switches according to traffic characteristics of the node.

8. The optical switch of claim 7 wherein the optical composite signals are dense wave division multiplexing signals.

9. The optical switch of claim 8 wherein at least one of the individual wavelengths of the band is routable for termination at the node.

10. The optical switch of claim 9 wherein the band includes wavelengths grouped by a common destination.

11. The optical switch of claim 8 wherein at least one of the individual wavelengths of the band is routable for reorganization into another band.

12. The optical switch of claim 11 wherein the band includes wavelengths grouped by a common destination.

13. The optical switch of claim 8 wherein at least one of the individual wavelengths of the band is routable for wavelength conversion.

14. The optical switch of claim 13 wherein the band includes wavelengths grouped by a common destination.

15. The optical switch of claim 8 wherein the band includes wavelengths grouped by a common destination.

16. The optical switch of claim 5 wherein the band includes wavelengths grouped by a common destination.

17. The optical switch of claim 6 wherein the band includes wavelengths grouped by a common destination.

18. The optical switch of claim 7 wherein the band includes wavelengths grouped by a common destination.

19. The optical switch of claim 6 further comprising one or more circuit packs co-housed in the bay, wherein the add/drop circuit packs are interchangeable and removable.

20. The optical switch of claim 19 wherein the one or more circuit packs are selected from the group consisting of a transponder circuit pack, active transparent circuit pack, passive transparent circuit pack, and a wavelength converter circuit pack.

21. An optical switch node comprising:

one or more bay shelves at a switching facility;

at least one optical band switch housed in the one or more bay shelves for switching band wavelengths;

at least one wavelength switch housed in the one or more bay shelves and connected to the at least one optical band switch for switching wavelengths; and

at least one circuit pack housed in the one or more bay shelves and connected to the at least one wavelength switch for providing add/drop and wavelength conversion of wavelengths switched from the at least one wavelength switch.

22. The optical switch node of claim 21 wherein the at least one circuit pack is selected from the group consisting of a transponder circuit pack, active transparent circuit pack, passive transparent circuit pack, and a wavelength converter circuit pack.

23. The optical switch node of claim 21 further comprising a controller for banding wavelengths into bands based on the destination of the wavelengths.

24. The optical switch node of claim 23 wherein the controller bands co-destinational wavelengths into a common band.

25. The optical switch node of claim 21 further comprising a plurality of auxiliary wavelength switches co-housed in the one or more bay shelves.

26. The optical switch node of claim 24 wherein the band switch is configured to optically-only pass-through a common band that includes co-destinational wavelengths.

27. The optical switch node of claim 25 wherein the controller bands co-destinational wavelengths into a common band.

28. The optical switch node of claim 27 wherein the band switch is configured to optically-only pass-through a common band that includes co-destinational wavelengths.

29. The optical switch node of claim 21 further comprising a plurality of connections to a plurality of optical switch nodes, wherein each of at least two of the plurality of optical switch nodes includes:

one or more bay shelves at a switching facility;

at least one optical band switch housed in the one or more bay shelves for switching bands of wavelengths;

at least one wavelength switch housed in the one or more bay shelves and connected to the at least one optical band switch for switching wavelengths; and

at least one circuit pack housed in the one or more bay shelves and connected to the at least one wavelength switch for providing add/drop and wavelength conversion of wavelengths switched from the at least one wavelength switch.

30. The optical switch node of claim 29 wherein the connections are a mesh network.