Broadcast and select all optical network
First Claim
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1. An optical network, comprising:
- a fiber ring of a single fiber, the fiber ring comprising a plurality of network nodes communicating via optical signals at different signal wavelengths in a first propagation direction and replicas of the optical signals at different replica signal wavelengths from the optical signals in a second, opposite propagation direction in the single fiber of the fiber ring, each network node comprising;
a first optical path operable to receive light from the fiber ring in the first propagation direction only, the first optical path comprising a first optical amplifier to amplify light, a first drop coupler operable to drop a portion of light at all wavelengths from the first optical path while allowing a remaining portion of light of all wavelengths to pass through to a next network node downstream in the first propagation direction, and a first add coupler to add light to the first optical path,a second optical path operable to receive light from the fiber ring in the second propagation direction only, the second optical path comprising a second optical amplifier to amplify light, a second drop coupler operable to drop a portion of light at all wavelengths from the second optical path while allowing a remaining portion of light of all wavelengths to pass through to a next network node downstream in the second propagation direction, and a second add coupler to add light to the second optical path,a first optical port connected to couple a first end of the first optical path and a first end of the second optical path to the fiber ring and to direct light in the first propagation direction in the fiber ring to the first optical path and light in the second propagation direction in the second optical path into the fiber ring,a second optical port connected to couple a second end of the first optical path and a second end of the second optical path to the fiber ring and to direct light in the first propagation direction in the first optical path to the fiber ring and light in the second propagation direction in the fiber ring into the second optical path,a signal add module operable to produce a first add signal at a first wavelength carrying data and a second add signal at a second wavelength carrying the same data as in the first add signal and connected to couple the first add signal to the first optical path via the first add coupler and the second add signal to the second optical path via the second add coupler, anda signal drop module operable to receive a first drop signal from the first optical path via the first drop coupler and a second drop signal from the second optical path via the second drop coupler.
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Abstract
An all optical network for optical signal traffic has at least a first ring with at least one transmitter and one receiver. The first ring includes a plurality of network nodes. At least a first add/drop broadband coupler is coupled to the first ring. The broadband coupler includes an add port and a drop port to add and drop wavelengths to and or from the first ring, a pass-through direction and an add/drop direction. The first add/drop broadband coupler is configured to minimize a pass-through loss in the first ring and is positioned on the first ring.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. An optical network, comprising:
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a fiber ring of a single fiber, the fiber ring comprising a plurality of network nodes communicating via optical signals at different signal wavelengths in a first propagation direction and replicas of the optical signals at different replica signal wavelengths from the optical signals in a second, opposite propagation direction in the single fiber of the fiber ring, each network node comprising; a first optical path operable to receive light from the fiber ring in the first propagation direction only, the first optical path comprising a first optical amplifier to amplify light, a first drop coupler operable to drop a portion of light at all wavelengths from the first optical path while allowing a remaining portion of light of all wavelengths to pass through to a next network node downstream in the first propagation direction, and a first add coupler to add light to the first optical path, a second optical path operable to receive light from the fiber ring in the second propagation direction only, the second optical path comprising a second optical amplifier to amplify light, a second drop coupler operable to drop a portion of light at all wavelengths from the second optical path while allowing a remaining portion of light of all wavelengths to pass through to a next network node downstream in the second propagation direction, and a second add coupler to add light to the second optical path, a first optical port connected to couple a first end of the first optical path and a first end of the second optical path to the fiber ring and to direct light in the first propagation direction in the fiber ring to the first optical path and light in the second propagation direction in the second optical path into the fiber ring, a second optical port connected to couple a second end of the first optical path and a second end of the second optical path to the fiber ring and to direct light in the first propagation direction in the first optical path to the fiber ring and light in the second propagation direction in the fiber ring into the second optical path, a signal add module operable to produce a first add signal at a first wavelength carrying data and a second add signal at a second wavelength carrying the same data as in the first add signal and connected to couple the first add signal to the first optical path via the first add coupler and the second add signal to the second optical path via the second add coupler, and a signal drop module operable to receive a first drop signal from the first optical path via the first drop coupler and a second drop signal from the second optical path via the second drop coupler. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for optically communicating, comprising:
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using a fiber ring of a single fiber to connect a plurality of network nodes and to provide communication among the network nodes via optical signals in a first propagation direction and replicas of the optical signals at different wavelengths from the optical signals in a second, opposite propagation direction in the single fiber; and within each network node, receiving light from the fiber ring in the first propagation direction only along a first optical path, receiving light from the fiber ring in the second propagation direction only along a second optical path, generating a first add signal at a first wavelength to carry data and a second add signal at a second wavelength carrying the same data, coupling the first add signal to the first optical path and the second add signal to the second optical path to add the same data in the fiber ring in the first and second propagation directions, dropping a portion of light in all wavelengths present in the first optical path as a first drop signal from the first optical path while allowing a remaining portion of the light in all wavelengths present in the first optical path to continue to propagate to a next network node downstream in the first propagation direction, and dropping a portion of light in all wavelengths present in the second optical path as a second drop signal while allowing a remaining portion of the light in all wavelengths present in the second optical path to continue to propagate to a next network node downstream in the second propagation direction. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An optical network, comprising:
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a fiber ring formed of a single fiber to carry optical signals at different wavelengths in a first direction and replicas of the optical signals in a second, opposite direction; a plurality of network nodes coupled to the fiber ring to communicate with one another via optical signals in a first propagation direction and a second, opposite propagation direction in the fiber ring; and an optical switching mechanism in the fiber ring which comprises an optical switch that is closed when there is not a break in the fiber ring and is open when there is a break in the fiber ring, wherein each network node comprises; a first optical path to receive light from the fiber ring in the first propagation direction only, the first optical path comprising a first optical amplifier to amplify light, a first drop coupler to drop light from the first optical path, and a first add coupler to add light to the first optical path, a second optical path to receive light from the fiber ring in the second propagation direction only, the second optical path comprising a second optical amplifier to amplify tight, a second drop coupler to drop light from the second optical path, and a second add coupler to add light to the second optical path, a first optical port to couple a first end of the first optical path and a first end of the second optical path to the fiber ring and to direct light in the first propagation direction in the fiber ring to the first optical path and light in tho second propagation direction in the second optical path into the fiber ring, a second optical port to couple a second end of the first optical path and a second end of the second optical path to the fiber ring and to direct light in the first propagation direction in the first optical path to the fiber ring and light in tho second propagation direction in the fiber ring into the second optical path, a signal add module to produce a first add signal at a first wavelength carry data and a second add signal at a second wavelength carrying the same data and couple the first add signal to the first optical path via the first add coupler and the second add signal to the second optical path via the second add coupler, and a signal drop module to receive a first drop signal from the first optical path via the first drop coupler and a second drop signal from the second optical path via the second drop coupler. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification