Method and apparatus for routing messages in hybridized optical/wireless networks

• US 20050117914A1
• Filed: 12/01/2003
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Liu, Xiang, Chuah, Mooi Choo, Qureshi, Muhammad A., Giles, Randy C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,349,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/182
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1125 using a single common optical path

Abstract

Method and apparatus for routing messages in a network includes first filters to provide frequency-based message signals converted from an optically-based signal and mixers adapted to mix the frequency-based message signals with sub-carriers to generate frequency-based sub-carrier modulated message signals. A frequency generator connected to the mixers provides the sub-carriers to the mixers and a combiner connected to the mixers combines the frequency-based sub-carrier modulated message signals. Second filters connected to the combiner receive and group the frequency-based sub-carrier modulated message signals. Optical transmitters connected to second filters optically convert and transmit the frequency-based sub-carrier modulated message signals. The frequency generator generates and applies a particular sub-carrier frequency to one of the mixers according to information contained in the frequency-based message signal. The information is encoded into the frequency-based message signal via a generalized MPLS (GMPLS) label contained in a header portion of the frequency-based message signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for routing messages in wireless networks, comprising:

a first plurality of filters, each of said plurality of filters adapted to provide a plurality of frequency-based message signals converted from an optically-based signal;

a plurality of mixers connected to the first plurality of filters, the mixers adapted to mix the plurality of frequency-based message signals with a plurality of sub-carriers to generate a plurality of frequency-based sub-carrier modulated message signals;

a frequency generator connected to the plurality of mixers for providing the plurality of sub-carriers to the mixers;

a combiner connected to the mixers for combining the plurality of frequency-based sub-carrier modulated message signals;

a second plurality of filters connected to the combiner and adapted to receive and group the plurality of frequency-based sub-carrier modulated message signals;

a plurality of optical transmitters, each of said plurality of transmitters connected to one of the second plurality of filters for optically converting and transmitting the frequency-based sub-carrier modulated message signals.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the each of the first plurality of filters is centered at a pre-defined subcarrier frequency.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the plurality of filters are RF filters.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the frequency generator generates and applies a particular sub-carrier frequency to one of the mixers according to control information associated with the frequency-based message signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the control information is associated with the frequency-based message signal via a generalized MPLS (GMPLS) label.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the control information is contained in a header portion of the frequency-based message signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second plurality of filters are bandpass filters.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a receiver device for receiving the optically converted and transmitted sub-carrier modulated message signals and filtering the sub-carrier frequencies from the frequency-based message signals.

9. Method for routing messages in wireless networks comprising the steps of:

optically receiving one or more composite optical signals;

converting said one or more composite optical signals into a plurality of frequency-based message signals;

mixing one or more of the plurality of frequency-based message signals with a corresponding sub-carrier to generate one or more sub-carrier modulated frequency-based signals;

combining and grouping said one or more sub-carrier modulated frequency-based signals; and

optically converting and transmitting each group of said one or more sub-carrier modulated frequency-based signals.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of converting includes filtering the received signals at predetermined sub-carrier frequencies to recover the frequency-based message signals contained therein.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of mixing includes interpreting control information associated with the frequency-based message signal to determine the appropriate sub-carrier for mixing.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the control information is contained within a generalized MPLS label of the frequency-based message signal.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the control information is contained within a header of the frequency-based message signal and assigns a sub-carrier frequency thereto.