Interconnected broadcast and select optical networks with shared wavelengths
First Claim
1. A method of transmitting optical signal traffic, comprising:
- providing an all optical network with at least two rings that are geographically dispersed, each ring including at least one transmitter and at least one receiver;
separating the available wavelengths into distinct ring bands;
sharing the optical signal traffic throughout the entire optical network;
providing each ring with its own distinct ring band of the optical signal traffic, wherein all of the optical signal traffic is transmittable throughout the optical network and each receiver is configured to receive only wavelengths in a ring band designated for its associated ring; and
providing each receiver with a hierarchical mechanism to separate received light at different signal wavelengths within a designated ring band into a plurality of separate optical signals each having a plurality of signal channels and to filter each separate optical signal to extract a selected signal channel.
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Abstract
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in a method of transmitting optical signal traffic. An all optical network is provided with at least two rings that are geographically dispersed. Each ring includes at least one transmitter and at least one receiver. The available wavelengths are separated into distinct ring bands. The optical signal traffic is shared throughout the entire optical network. Each ring is provided with its own distinct ring band of the optical signal traffic. All of the optical signal traffic is transmittable throughout the optical network. Each receiver is configured to receive only wavelengths in a ring band designated for its associated ring.
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Citations
69 Claims
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1. A method of transmitting optical signal traffic, comprising:
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providing an all optical network with at least two rings that are geographically dispersed, each ring including at least one transmitter and at least one receiver;
separating the available wavelengths into distinct ring bands;
sharing the optical signal traffic throughout the entire optical network;
providing each ring with its own distinct ring band of the optical signal traffic, wherein all of the optical signal traffic is transmittable throughout the optical network and each receiver is configured to receive only wavelengths in a ring band designated for its associated ring; and
providing each receiver with a hierarchical mechanism to separate received light at different signal wavelengths within a designated ring band into a plurality of separate optical signals each having a plurality of signal channels and to filter each separate optical signal to extract a selected signal channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26)
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21. The method of claim 21, wherein each of the first and second protection fibers is coupled to a 1×
- 1 switch.
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23. The method of claim 23, further comprising:
coupling the optical signal traffic between the at least first and second rings with the first and second M×
M switches, wherein the first M×
M switch routes the optical signal traffic in a clockwise direction, and the second M×
M switch routes the optical signal traffic in a counter-clockwise direction.
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25. The method of claim 25, further comprising using a tunable optical filter in the at least one receiver in each ring to form a dynamic wavelength-tunable receiver.
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27. A method of transmitting optical traffic, comprising:
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providing an all optical network with at least two rings that are geographically dispersed, each ring including at least one transmitter and at least one receiver;
sharing a sufficiently large enough number of wavelengths in the at least two rings to eliminate O-E-O conversions between the rings;
sharing the optical signal traffic throughout the entire optical network;
providing each ring with its own distinct ring band of the optical signal traffic, wherein all of the optical signal traffic is transmittable throughout the optical network and each receiver is configured to receive only wavelengths in a ring band designated for its associated ring; and
providing each receiver with a hierarchical mechanism to separate received light into a plurality of separate optical signals each having a plurality of channels and to filter each separate optical signal to extract a selected channel.
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- 28. The method of claim 28, wherein all of the ring bands have a same number of optical signals.
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37. The method of claim 37, wherein the first and second fibers are each coupled to a 1×
- 1 or 1×
2 switch.
- 1 or 1×
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38. The method of claim 38, further comprising:
maintaining the 1×
1 or 1×
2 switch in an open position when there is no break point in an associated ring, and closing the 1×
1 or 1×
2 switch upon an occurrence of a break point in the associated ring.
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39. The method of claim 39, further comprising:
discovering a break point in an ring by monitoring an optical supervision signal that travels through the associated ring.
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41. The method of claim 41, further comprising:
coupling the optical signal traffic between the at least two rings through the 1×
2 band-splitter and the 2×
1 coupler.
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44. The method of claim 44, wherein each of the first and second protection fibers is coupled to a 1×
- 1 switch.
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46. The method of claim 46, further comprising:
coupling the optical signal traffic between the at least first and second rings with the first and second M×
M switches, wherein the first M×
M switch routes the optical signal traffic in a clockwise direction, and the second M×
M switch routes the optical signal traffic in a counter-clockwise direction.
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47. A method of transmitting optical signal traffic, comprising:
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providing an all optical network with hierarchical rings, each hierarchical ring including a plurality of nodes and each node including at least one transmitter and one receiver;
separating the optical signal traffic into ring bands;
transmitting the optical signal traffic through all of the hierarchical rings; and
providing each hierarchical ring with its own distinct ring band, wherein all of the available wavelengths are transmittable throughout each hierarchical ring, and the receivers of a hierarchical ring are configured to receive only wavelengths in a ring band that is designated for that hierarchical ring.
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- 48. The method of claim 48, further comprising using a tunable laser in the at least one transmitter in a node to launch a dynamically tunable wavelength into the optical network.
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49. The method of claim 49, further comprising using a tunable optical filter in the at least one receiver in at least one of the nodes to form a dynamic wavelength-tunable receiver.
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51. An all optical network for optical signal traffic, comprising:
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at least a first and a second ring, each ring having at least one transmitter and one receiver and its own distinct ring band of the optical signal traffic, wherein all of the optical signal traffic is transmittable throughout the entire all optical network and each receiver is configured to receive only wavelengths in a ring band designated for its associated ring; and
a central hub that couples the at least first and second rings, the central hub separating the optical signal traffic into ring bands, wherein each receiver in each ring comprises a hierarchical mechanism which comprises at least one optical element operable to separate received light into a plurality of separate optical signals each having a plurality of signal channels, and a plurality of optical filters optically coupled to receive and filter the separate optical signals, respectively, to extract respective selected signal channels.
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- 52. The all optical network of claim 52, wherein each ring includes at least a first and a second protection fibers that carry all of the optical signal traffic, wherein the optical signal traffic travels in a clockwise direction in the first protection fiber and in a counter-clockwise direction in the second protection fiber.
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53. The all optical network of claim 53 wherein at least one 1×
- 1 or 1×
2 switch is coupled to each of the first and second protection fibers.
- 1 or 1×
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54. The all optical network of claim 54, wherein each 1×
- 1 or 1×
2 switch is maintained in an open position when there is no break point in an associated ring, and each 1×
1 or 1×
2 switch is closed upon an occurrence of a break point in the associated ring.
- 1 or 1×
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58. The all optical network of claim 58, wherein each node includes at least one transmitter and one receiver.
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63. The all optical network of claim 63, further comprising:
a broadband gain-equalizer and a gain-clamped optical amplifier positioned between the first 2×
1 coupler and the second 1×
2 coupler of the at least first and second rings.
Specification