Methods and apparatus for performing directionless and contentionless wavelength addition and subtraction
First Claim
1. An optical node, comprising:
- at least two reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs) configured to transmit respective wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signals, each WDM signal including multiple channels of different wavelengths, onto at least two internode network paths; and
a routing module configured to direct channels of the same wavelength to different internode network paths via the at least two ROADMs.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In today'"'"'s reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) based optical node, ROADMs multiplex (and demultiplex) colored optical signals to form wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) signals. Transponders connected to the ROADMs'"'"' add/drop ports convert noncolored optical signals to colored optical signals (and vice versa). Dedicating transponders to given ports degrades the node'"'"'s ability to route around network failures. Example embodiments of the invention include an optical node and corresponding method for routing optical signals within an optical node that compensate for this inflexibility. The optical node may include two ROADMs to transmit respective WDM signals onto at least two internode network paths and a routing module that can direct channels of the same wavelength along different internode network paths. Advantageously, a transponder may transmit (receive) different signals at the same wavelength to (from) different network node interfaces within the optical node, thereby improving the optical node'"'"'s ability to route around network failures.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. An optical node, comprising:
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at least two reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs) configured to transmit respective wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signals, each WDM signal including multiple channels of different wavelengths, onto at least two internode network paths; and a routing module configured to direct channels of the same wavelength to different internode network paths via the at least two ROADMs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of routing wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signals, comprising:
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transmitting respective WDM signals, each WDM signal including multiple channels of different wavelengths, onto at least two internode network paths using at least two reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs); and directing channels of the same wavelength to different internode network paths via the at least two ROADMs using a routing module. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification