Contentionless Add-Drop Multiplexer
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a first set of optical switches configured to receive respective first optical signals, at respective channel receive ports, to be added to a first wave division multiplexed optical signal and to direct the first optical signals to, in a first state, at least one fully functional transmit degree port, and in a second state, to at least one partially functional transmit degree port; and
a second set of optical switches configured to receive respective second optical signals to be dropped from a second wave division multiplexed signal via, in a first state, a fully functional receive degree port, and in a second state, via a partially functional receive degree port, and to direct the second optical signals to respective channel transmit ports.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical add/drop module of a reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer node includes a first set of optical switches configured to receive respective first optical signals, at respective channel receive ports, to be added to a first wave division multiplexed optical signal and to direct the first optical signals to, in a first state, at least one fully functional transmit degree port, and in a second state, to at least one partially functional transmit degree port; and a second set of optical switches configured to receive respective second optical signals to be dropped from a second wave division multiplexed signal via, in a first state, a fully functional receive degree port, and in a second state, via a partially functional receive degree port, and to direct the second optical signals to respective channel transmit ports. An auxiliary device can be used to make the partially functional ports fully functional.
13 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a first set of optical switches configured to receive respective first optical signals, at respective channel receive ports, to be added to a first wave division multiplexed optical signal and to direct the first optical signals to, in a first state, at least one fully functional transmit degree port, and in a second state, to at least one partially functional transmit degree port; and a second set of optical switches configured to receive respective second optical signals to be dropped from a second wave division multiplexed signal via, in a first state, a fully functional receive degree port, and in a second state, via a partially functional receive degree port, and to direct the second optical signals to respective channel transmit ports. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. The apparatus of 12, wherein the apparatus, when combined with the first auxiliary device and second auxiliary device having a same configuration as the first auxiliary device, operates as a 12 degree by 16 channel contentionless reconfigurable optical add/drop module.
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14. An apparatus comprising:
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a receive channel port; a plurality of output ports comprising a first set of fully functional output ports and a second set of partially functional output ports; a first optical switch arranged to be connected on one end with the receive channel port, and on another end with any one of the fully functional output ports and the partially functional output ports; a transmit channel port; a plurality of input ports comprising a first set of fully functional input ports and a second set of partially functional input ports; and a second optical switch arranged to be connected on one end with the transmit channel port and on another end with any of the fully functional input ports and the partially functional input ports. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method comprising:
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receiving a first optical signal at an optical add/drop module; routing the first optical signal, within the optical add/drop module, to an optical port thereof that includes a first optical coupler and a first optical amplifier; receiving a second optical signal at the optical add/drop module; routing the second optical signal, within the optical add/drop module, to an optical port thereof that includes a second optical coupler but does not include an optical amplifier to obtain a coupled optical signal including the second optical signal; and routing the coupled optical signal including the second optical signal to a device external to the optical add/drop module that includes a second optical amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification