Method of upgrading an optical transmission network, an optical transmission network, and associated optical transmission nodes
First Claim
1. A method of upgrading an upgradeable wavelength division multiplex optical transmission network comprising:
- a plurality of transmission directions (D1 to D4);
at least one upgradeable optical transmission node interconnecting at least some of said transmission directions and including;
a plurality of optical fiber transmission lines;
a plurality of optical splitters (2) each having one input optical fiber transmission line (20) and a plurality of output optical fiber transmission lines (21 to 24), at least one of the output optical fiber transmission lines (23, 24) of at least one of the optical splitters having an end that is not connected on the downstream side either to a transmission direction or to a drop device, if any;
a plurality of optical combiners (3) each having a plurality of input optical fiber transmission lines (31 to 34) and one output optical fiber transmission line (30), at least one of the input optical fiber transmission lines (33, 34) of at least one of the optical combiners having an end that is not connected on the upstream side either to a transmission direction or to an add device, if any;
the upgrading method comprising at least one step of connecting to said node or to at least one of said nodes at least one output optical fiber transmission line (23, 24) that is not connected on the downstream side and at least one input optical fiber transmission line (33, 34) that is not connected on the upstream side either to a new transmission direction not yet connected to said node or respectively to a drop device, if any, and to an add device, if any, not yet connected to said node.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to methods of upgrading optical transmission networks, upgradeable optical transmission networks, and upgradeable optical transmission nodes. The node of the invention is an upgradeable optical transmission node comprising a plurality of optical fiber transmission lines, a plurality of optical splitters (2) each having one input optical fiber transmission line (20) and a plurality of output optical fiber transmission lines (21 to 24), a plurality of optical combiners (3) each having a plurality of input optical fiber transmission lines (31 to 34) and one output optical fiber transmission line (30), at least one of the output optical fiber transmission lines (23, 24) of at least one of the optical splitters having a free end and at least one of the input optical fiber transmission lines (33, 34) of at least one of the optical combiners having a free end.
-
Citations
22 Claims
-
1. A method of upgrading an upgradeable wavelength division multiplex optical transmission network comprising:
-
a plurality of transmission directions (D1 to D4);
at least one upgradeable optical transmission node interconnecting at least some of said transmission directions and including;
a plurality of optical fiber transmission lines;
a plurality of optical splitters (2) each having one input optical fiber transmission line (20) and a plurality of output optical fiber transmission lines (21 to 24), at least one of the output optical fiber transmission lines (23, 24) of at least one of the optical splitters having an end that is not connected on the downstream side either to a transmission direction or to a drop device, if any;
a plurality of optical combiners (3) each having a plurality of input optical fiber transmission lines (31 to 34) and one output optical fiber transmission line (30), at least one of the input optical fiber transmission lines (33, 34) of at least one of the optical combiners having an end that is not connected on the upstream side either to a transmission direction or to an add device, if any;
the upgrading method comprising at least one step of connecting to said node or to at least one of said nodes at least one output optical fiber transmission line (23, 24) that is not connected on the downstream side and at least one input optical fiber transmission line (33, 34) that is not connected on the upstream side either to a new transmission direction not yet connected to said node or respectively to a drop device, if any, and to an add device, if any, not yet connected to said node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. An upgradeable wavelength division multiplex optical transmission network comprising:
-
a plurality of transmission directions (D1 to D4);
at least one upgradeable optical transmission node interconnecting at least some of said transmission directions and including;
a plurality of optical fiber transmission lines;
a plurality of optical splitters (2) each having one input optical fiber transmission line (20) and a plurality of output optical fiber transmission lines (21 to 24); and
a plurality of optical combiners (3) each having a plurality of input optical fiber transmission lines (31 to 34) and one output optical fiber transmission line (30);
which network is characterized in that at least one of said nodes further comprises;
at least one of the output optical fiber transmission lines (23, 24) of at least one of the optical splitters which has an end that is not connected on the downstream side either to a transmission direction or to a drop device, if any; and
at least one of the input optical fiber transmission lines (33, 34) of at least one of the optical combiners which has an end that is not connected on the upstream side either to a transmission direction or to an add device, if any.
-
-
7. An upgradeable optical transmission node including:
-
a plurality of optical fiber transmission lines;
a plurality of optical splitters (2) each having one input optical fiber transmission line (20) and a plurality of output optical fiber transmission lines (21 to 24); and
a plurality of optical combiners (3) each having a plurality of input optical fiber transmission lines (31 to 34) and one output optical fiber transmission line (30);
which node is characterized in that;
at least one of the output optical fiber transmission lines (23, 24) of at least one of the optical splitters has a free end; and
at least one of the input optical fiber transmission lines (33, 34) of at least one of the optical combiners has a free end. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. An N h degree upgraded optical transmission node, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 3, including:
-
a plurality of optical fiber transmission lines;
N optical splitters (2) each comprising a coupler having one input optical fiber transmission line (20) and a plurality of output optical fiber transmission lines (21 to 24); and
N optical combiners (3) each comprising a coupler having a plurality of input optical fiber transmission lines (31 to 34) and one output optical fiber transmission line (30);
the node being characterized in that it also includes;
N.(N−
1) wavelength blockers (6), each wavelength blocker being situated between an output optical fiber transmission line of an optical splitter and an input optical fiber transmission line of an optical combiner.
-
-
20. A method of upgrading an upgradeable wavelength division multiplex optical transmission network comprising:
-
a plurality of transmission directions (D1 to D4);
at least one upgradeable optical transmission node interconnecting at least some of said transmission directions and including;
a plurality of optical fiber transmission lines;
a plurality of optical splitters (2) each having one input optical fiber transmission line (20) and a plurality of output optical fiber transmission lines (21 to 24) of variable spectral capacity and that can be reconfigured without interrupting traffic, at least one of the output optical fiber transmission lines (23, 24) of at least one of the optical splitters having an end that is not connected on the downstream side either to a transmission direction or to a drop device, if any; and
a plurality of optical combiners (3) each having a plurality of input optical fiber transmission lines (31 to 34) of variable spectral capacity and that can be reconfigured without interrupting traffic and one output optical fiber transmission line (30), at least one of the input optical fiber transmission lines (33, 34) of at least one of the optical combiners having an end that is not connected on the upstream side either to a transmission direction or to an add device, if any;
the upgrading method comprising at least one step of connecting to said node or to at least one of said nodes at least one output optical fiber transmission line (23, 24) that is not connected on the downstream side and at least one input optical fiber transmission line (33, 34) that is not connected on the upstream side either to a new transmission direction not yet connected to said node or respectively to a drop device, if any, and to an add device, if any, not yet connected to said node.
-
-
21. An upgradeable wavelength division multiplex optical transmission network comprising:
-
a plurality of transmission directions (D1 to D4); and
at least one upgradeable optical transmission node interconnecting at least some of said transmission directions and including;
a plurality of optical fiber transmission lines;
a plurality of optical splitters (2) each having one input optical fiber transmission line (20) and a plurality of output optical fiber transmission lines (21 to 24) of variable spectral capacity and that can be reconfigured without interrupting traffic; and
a plurality of optical combiners (3) each having a plurality of input optical fiber transmission lines (31 to 34) of variable spectral capacity and that can be reconfigured without interrupting traffic and one output optical fiber transmission line (30);
which network is characterized in that at least one of said nodes further comprises;
at least one of the output optical fiber transmission lines (23, 24) of at least one of the optical splitters which has an end that is not connected on the downstream side either to a transmission direction or to a drop device, if any; and
at least one of the input optical fiber transmission lines (33, 34) of at least one of the optical combiners which has an end that is not connected on the upstream side either to a transmission direction or to an add device, if any.
-
-
22. An upgradeable optical transmission node comprising:
-
a plurality of optical fiber transmission lines;
a plurality of optical splitters (2) each having one input optical fiber transmission line (20) and a plurality of output optical fiber transmission lines (21 to 24) of variable spectral capacity and that can be reconfigured without interrupting traffic; and
a plurality of optical combiners (3) each having a plurality of input optical fiber transmission lines (31 to 34) of variable spectral capacity and that can be reconfigured without interrupting traffic and one output optical fiber transmission line (30);
which node is characterized in that;
at least one of the output optical fiber transmission lines (23, 24) of at least one of the optical splitters has a free end; and
at least one of the input optical fiber transmission lines (33, 34) of at least one of the optical combiners has a free end.
-
Specification