Multidimensional switching networks

• US 5,495,356 A
• Filed: 04/30/1993
• Issued: 02/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Research Institute, Inc. (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Li, Yao, Sharony, Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BACARES, RAFAEL D
• Application Number:
  US08/055,730
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 359/117, 359/125, 359/126, 359/137, 359/139, 359/128, 359/123
• US Class Current: 398/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0009 using wavelength filters
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0015 using splitting combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0018 using tunable transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0022 using fibre gratings
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0024 using space switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0026 using free space propagation (e.g. lenses, mirrors)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0047 Broadcast; Multicast

Abstract

A switching network that utilizes at least three degrees of freedom, time, wavelength and space. In one embodiment that involves point-to-point switching, each space channel between an input and an output is assigned a time slot and wavelength coordinate characteristic of the output and the input transmitter and output receiver are tuned to the appropriate time and wavelength coordinates and selective switching is used to complete the space channel between the input and output. In another embodiment for generalized switching, each input channel is assigned a set of space, time slot and wavelength coordinates and an input signal is broadcast to all of the outputs which selectively makes connection to those inputs with an appropriate set of coordinates.

Claims

1. A generalized multidimensional switching network comprising:

input means for characterizing input signals by a specific spatial channel coordinate, a wavelength channel coordinate and a time slot channel coordinate, said input means including n sets of m transmitters, each transmitter of a set being of different wavelength, time division multiplexing means, each having l time slots for multiplexing l time slots on each of the transmitters, and means for combining the time and wavelength multiplexed signals with a specific spatial channel coordinate;

output means that are to be interconnected to one or more input means for receiving the transmitted signals;

and intermediate means between said input and output means including time-division and wavelength selective switching means for separating the transmitted signals on the basis of wavelength, time slot and spatial coordinates for forwarding to the output means.

2. The generalized multidimensional switching network of claim 1 in which said intermediate means and said output means are tuned to the wavelength channel coordinate of the input means to be interconnected to the output means.