Method and apparatus to provide alternative paths for optical protection path switch arrays
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a first optical core switch;
a second optical core switch; and
an input blocking 3×
2 optical switch to direct input optical data traffic to either of the first optical core switch or the second optical core switch, and to direct a test signal to the other of the first optical core switch and the second optical core switch to which the optical data traffic is not directed.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus are described to provide optical path protection for an optical switching system. An apparatus includes a first optical core switch, a second optical core switch, and an optical protection switch. The optical protection switch has at least two inputs and at least two outputs that allow the optical protection switch to direct input optical data traffic to one of the first optical core switch and the second optical core switch, and to direct a test signal to the other of the first optical core switch and the second optical core switch. For one embodiment, the optical protection switch is a 2×2 non-blocking optical switch having only two-path loss optimization. Alternatively, the optical protection switch may be a blocking 3×2 optical switch implemented to function as a 2×2 non-blocking optical switch. For one embodiment, the blocking 3×2 optical switch is a translational switch.
120 Citations
27 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a first optical core switch; a second optical core switch; and an input blocking 3×
2 optical switch to direct input optical data traffic to either of the first optical core switch or the second optical core switch, and to direct a test signal to the other of the first optical core switch and the second optical core switch to which the optical data traffic is not directed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
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coupling a first optical core switch to a first output of an input blocking 3×
2 optical protection switch; andcoupling a second optical core switch to a second output of the input blocking 3×
2 optical protection switch, such that the input blocking 3×
2 optical protection switch can direct input optical data traffic to either of the first optical core switch or the second optical core switch, and to direct a test signal to the other of the first optical core switch and the second optical core switch to which the optical data traffic is not directed. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An optical protection switch comprising:
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a first substrate having a first fiber, a second fiber, and a third fiber positioned thereon, the first fiber and the second fiber forming a first set of adjacent fibers and the second fiber and the third fiber forming a second set of adjacent fibers; and a second substrate having two fibers positioned thereon, the first substrate and the second substrate capable of being translated, relative to each other, into a first position and a second position, the first position providing optical coupling between the first set of adjacent fibers and the two fibers positioned on the second substrate, the second position providing optical coupling between the second set of adjacent fibers and the two fibers positioned on the second substrate. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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Specification