Multiple port symmetric transmissive wavelength-selective mesh node

• US 20070269210A1
• Filed: 05/16/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Doerr, Christopher Richard, Wilfong, Gordon Thomaas
• Granted Patent: US 7,653,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/49
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0227 Operation, administration, maintenance or provisioning [OAMP] of WDM networks, e.g. media access, routing or wavelength allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0241 Wavelength allocation for communications one-to-one, e.g. unicasting wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0284 WDM mesh architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0016 using wavelength multiplexing or demultiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0052 Interconnection of switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/006 Full mesh

Abstract

Transmissive WSS-based mesh nodes of degree N, N≧3, includes N node port apparatuses connected to provide a multiple wavelength channel signal with reciprocal connectivity between the N node ports. Each node port apparatus has an input port and N−1 output ports and comprises either (1) a coupler connected to said input port and having N−1 outputs, (2) a transmissive 1×(N−1) WSS connected to said input port and responsive to a control signal C for establishing a switching connection to one of its N−1 outputs, or (3) a coupler connected to said input port and having X+1 outputs including one output connected to an input of a transmissive 1×Y WSS having Y outputs, where X+Y equals N−1, the sum of the remaining X outputs of the coupler and the Y outputs of the transmissive 1×Y WSS being the N−1 output ports of the node port apparatus. Each of the N−1 output ports from each node port apparatus is connected to a different output port of each of the other N−1 node port apparatuses such that a connection made from one input port of a node port apparatus to an input port of a different node port apparatus always passes through only one WSS and at least one coupler, the connection being established in response to a control signal applied to said one WSS.

Claims

1. A non-blocking N port optical connection mesh node, N≧

3, for providing a multiple wavelength channel signal with reciprocal bidirectional connectivity between the N node ports, each node port containing an apparatus having an input port and N−

1 output ports and comprising either

(1) a coupler having an input connected to said input port and having N−

1 outputs,

(2) a transmissive 1×

(N−

1) WSS having an input connected to said input port and responsive to a control signal C for establishing a switching connection to one of its N−

1 outputs, or

(3) a coupler having an input connected to said input port and having X+1 outputs including one output connected to a input of a transmissive 1×

Y WSS having Y outputs, where X+Y equals N−

1, the sum of the remaining X outputs of the coupler and the Y outputs of the transmissive 1×

Y WSS being the N−

1 output ports of the node port apparatus, and wherein

the node port apparatus provides a total of N−

1 output ports and where each of the N−

1 output ports from each node port apparatus is connected to a different output port of each of the other N−

1 node port apparatuses such that a connection made from one input port of a node port apparatus to an input port of a different node port apparatus always passes through only one WSS and at least one coupler, the connection being established in response to a control signal applied to said one WSS.

2. The optical mesh node of claim 1 wherein

(A) the largest size of the transmissive 1×

K_i WSS used in the mesh node is

3. The optical mesh node of claim 1 wherein one node port apparatus includes only a 1×

(N−

1) coupler.

4. The optical mesh node of claim 1 wherein one node port apparatus includes only a 1×

(N−

1) WSS.

5. The optical mesh node of claim 1 wherein one node port apparatus includes only a 1×

(N−

1) coupler and one other node port apparatus includes only a 1×

(N−

1) WSS.

6. The optical mesh node of claim 1 wherein when N is an odd number, each node port apparatus includes the same sized coupler and same sized transmissive 1×

K_i WSS.

7. The optical mesh node of claim 1 wherein when N is an even number, one node includes only a 1×

(N−

1) coupler and each of the other N−

1 node port apparatuses includes the same sized coupler and each of the other N−

1 node port apparatuses includes the same sized transmissive 1×

K_i WSS.

8. The optical mesh node of claim 1 wherein for a degree-5 mesh node, the distribution of K_i for the transmissive 1×

K_i WSS used at the 5 node port apparatuses is selected from a group of K_i distributions that include;

4,3,2,1,0

4,2,2,2,0

4,2,2,1,1

3,3,2,2,0

3,3,2,1,1

3,2,2,2,1

2,2,2,2,2

where a K_i=0 value indicates that no transmissive 1×

K_i WSS is used at that node port apparatus.

9. The optical mesh node of claim 1 wherein for a degree-3 mesh node, the distribution of K_i for the transmissive 1×

K_i WSS used at the 3 node port apparatuses is selected from a group of K_i distributions that include;

2,1,0

1,1,1

where a K_i=0 value indicates that no transmissive 1×

K_i WSS is used at that node port apparatus.

10. A non-blocking N port optical connection mesh node, N≧

3, for providing a multiple wavelength channel signal with reciprocal bidirectional connectivity between node ports, each node port containing an apparatus comprising

an input connected to either a 1×

(N−

1) coupler having N−

1 outputs, a transmissive 1×

(N−

1) WSS responsive to a control signal C for establishing a switching connection to one of N−

1 outputs, or a series combination of a coupler and a transmissive WSS both that together have a total of N−

1 outputs

wherein the outputs from different node port apparatus are connected to each other to form said mesh node such that any established switch connection between an input of any node port apparatus to an input of a different node port apparatus always passes through one WSS and at least one coupler.