Optical wavelength cross connect architectures using wavelength routing elements
First Claim
1. An optical wavelength cross connect for receiving a plurality of input optical signals each having a plurality of spectral bands and transmitting a plurality of output optical signals each having one or more of the spectral bands, the optical wavelength cross connect comprising:
- a first plurality of wavelength routing elements, each such wavelength routing element adapted for selectively routing subsets of spectral bands between a first optical signal and different ones of a plurality of second optical signals according to a configurable state of such wavelength routing element, wherein each of the first plurality of wavelength routing elements is disposed to receive at least one optical signal corresponding to one of the input optical signals,wherein;
a mapping of the spectral bands comprised by the plurality of input optical signals to the plurality of output optical signals is determined by the states of the first plurality of wavelength routing elements;
at least one of the first plurality of wavelength routing elements is comprised by a protection fabric and the remainder of the first plurality of wavelength routing elements are comprised by a working fabric; and
the optical wavelength cross connect further comprises a plurality of working optical switches each configured to transmit a respective one of the output optical signals either as a working signal received from the working fabric or a protection signal received from the protection fabric.
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Abstract
An optical wavelength cross connect is provided to receive multiple input optical signals that each have multiple spectral bands and to transmit multiple output optical signals that each have one or more of those spectral bands. The optical wavelength cross connect includes multiple wavelength routing elements, which are optical components that selectively route wavelength components between one optical signal and multiple optical signals in either direction according to a configurable state. As used within the optical wavelength cross connect, each of the wavelength routing elements receives at least one optical signal corresponding to one of the input optical signals. A mapping of the spectral bands to the output optical signals is determined by the states of the wavelength routing elements.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An optical wavelength cross connect for receiving a plurality of input optical signals each having a plurality of spectral bands and transmitting a plurality of output optical signals each having one or more of the spectral bands, the optical wavelength cross connect comprising:
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a first plurality of wavelength routing elements, each such wavelength routing element adapted for selectively routing subsets of spectral bands between a first optical signal and different ones of a plurality of second optical signals according to a configurable state of such wavelength routing element, wherein each of the first plurality of wavelength routing elements is disposed to receive at least one optical signal corresponding to one of the input optical signals, wherein; a mapping of the spectral bands comprised by the plurality of input optical signals to the plurality of output optical signals is determined by the states of the first plurality of wavelength routing elements; at least one of the first plurality of wavelength routing elements is comprised by a protection fabric and the remainder of the first plurality of wavelength routing elements are comprised by a working fabric; and the optical wavelength cross connect further comprises a plurality of working optical switches each configured to transmit a respective one of the output optical signals either as a working signal received from the working fabric or a protection signal received from the protection fabric. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A K×
- K optical wavelength cross connect for receiving K input optical signals each having a plurality of spectral bands and transmitting K output optical signals each having one or more of the spectral bands, the optical wavelength cross connect comprising an array of interconnected optical wavelength cross connects, at least one of which is smaller than K×
K and includes a plurality of wavelength routing elements, each such wavelength routing element adapted for selectively routing subsets of spectral bands between a first optical signal and different ones of a plurality of second optical signals according to a configurable state of such wavelength routing element, wherein a mapping of the spectral bands comprised be the plurality of input optical signals to the plurality of output optical signals is determined by states of the interconnected optical wavelength cross connects. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
- K optical wavelength cross connect for receiving K input optical signals each having a plurality of spectral bands and transmitting K output optical signals each having one or more of the spectral bands, the optical wavelength cross connect comprising an array of interconnected optical wavelength cross connects, at least one of which is smaller than K×
Specification