N.times.N wavelength router, optical routing method and associated communication network
First Claim
1. An N×
- N wavelength router comprising;
N inputs and N outputs which are provided to transmit optical signals, each optical signal having a wavelength, from the N inputs to the N outputs; and
switching means for directing each of the optical signals from any one of the N inputs to any one of the N outputs according to the wavelength of said optical signal, wherein the switching means includesn m×
m couplers each having m inputs and m outputs, N being equal to n×
m and the N inputs of the n m×
m couplers being the inputs of the N×
N router, andm n×
n routers each having n inputs and n outputs, each of said n inputs being connected to one of the outputs of, respectively, the n m×
m couplers and the N outputs of the m n×
n routers being the outputs of the N×
N router, each of the n×
n routers being capable of switching the optical signal having the wavelength from any one of its n inputs to any one of its n outputs, according to the wavelength of said optical signal, said n×
n router having a transmission spectrum according to the wavelength in a form of a series of peaks, the series of peaks from the m n×
n routers being different from one another.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An N×N wavelength router (1) includes n m×m couplers (10, 15, 20, 25), N being equal to n×m, and the N inputs (11, 12, 16, 17, 21, 22, 26, 27) of the couplers being the inputs (E1-E8) of the N×N router. The N×N router also includes m n×n routers (30, 40) capable of switching an optical signal having a wavelength, from any one of its n inputs (31-34, 41-44) to any one of its n outputs (35-38, 45-48), according to the wavelength of the signal. The inputs of the n×n routers are connected to the outputs of the m×m couplers, and the outputs of the n×n routers are the outputs (S1-S8) of the N×N routers. The transmission spectra of the n×n routers have the form of a series of peaks, each of the series being different one from another.
68 Citations
14 Claims
-
1. An N×
- N wavelength router comprising;
N inputs and N outputs which are provided to transmit optical signals, each optical signal having a wavelength, from the N inputs to the N outputs; and switching means for directing each of the optical signals from any one of the N inputs to any one of the N outputs according to the wavelength of said optical signal, wherein the switching means includes n m×
m couplers each having m inputs and m outputs, N being equal to n×
m and the N inputs of the n m×
m couplers being the inputs of the N×
N router, andm n×
n routers each having n inputs and n outputs, each of said n inputs being connected to one of the outputs of, respectively, the n m×
m couplers and the N outputs of the m n×
n routers being the outputs of the N×
N router, each of the n×
n routers being capable of switching the optical signal having the wavelength from any one of its n inputs to any one of its n outputs, according to the wavelength of said optical signal, said n×
n router having a transmission spectrum according to the wavelength in a form of a series of peaks, the series of peaks from the m n×
n routers being different from one another. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- N wavelength router comprising;
-
9. An N×
- N wavelength router, comprising;
N inputs and N outputs which are provided to transmit optical signals, each optical signal having a wavelength, from the N inputs to the N outputs; and switching means for directing each of the optical signals from any one of the N inputs to any one of the N outputs according to the wavelength of said optical signal, wherein the switching means includes n m×
m couplers each having m inputs and m outputs, N being equal to n×
m and the N inputs of the n m×
m couplers being the inputs of the N×
N router, andm n×
n routers each having n inputs and n outputs, each of said n inputs being connected to one of the outputs of, respectively, the n m×
m couplers and the N outputs of the m n×
n routers being the outputs of the N×
N router, each of the n×
n routers being capable of switching the optical signal having the wavelength from any one of its n inputs to any one of its n outputs, according to the wavelength of said optical signal, said n×
n router having a transmission spectrum according to the wavelength in a form of a series of peaks, the series of peaks from the m n×
n routers being different from one another,wherein the m×
m couplers are made up of 2×
2 couplers, each having two inputs and two output,wherein a first level of 2×
2 couplers has inputs which are the inputs of the N×
N router, and a final level of 2×
2 couplers has outputs which are connected to the inputs of the n×
n routers, the inputs of the 2×
2 couplers which do not belong to said first level being connected to the outputs of the 2×
2 couplers and the outputs of the 2×
2 couplers which do not belong to said final level being connected to the inputs of 2×
2 couplers.
- N wavelength router, comprising;
-
10. An N×
- N wavelength router comprising;
N inputs and N outputs which are provided to transmit optical signals, each optical signal having a wavelength, from the N inputs to the N outputs; and switching means for directing each of the optical signals from any one of the N inputs to any one of the N outputs according to the wavelength of said optical signal, wherein the switching means includes n m×
m couplers each having m inputs and m outputs, N being equal to n×
m and the N inputs of the n m×
m couplers being the inputs of the N×
N router, andm n×
n routers each having n inputs and n outputs, each of said n inputs being connected to one of the outputs of, respectively, the n m×
m couplers and the N outputs of the m n×
n routers being the outputs of the N×
N router, each of the n×
n routers being capable of switching the optical signal having the wavelength from any one of its n inputs to any one of its n outputs, according to the wavelength of said optical signal, said n×
n router having a transmission spectrum according to the wavelength in a form of a series of peaks, the series of peaks from the m n×
n routers being different from one another, wherein each of the n×
n routers comprises;a transmission medium comprising a first row of n inputs and a second row of n outputs, the first and second rows being arranged in parallel and the transmission medium having a planar transmission surface, a diffracting element positioned opposite said transmission surface, a focusing lens positioned between the transmission medium and the diffracting element, the diffracting element and the focusing lens being capable of producing, from any one of the inputs, an image corresponding to any one of the outputs, according to the wavelength of said optical signals.
- N wavelength router comprising;
Specification