Communication network apparatus and method

• US 8,149,734 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lu, Xiaolin
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): EBRAHIM, ANEZ C
• Application Number:
  US11/930,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20080049646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/255, 370/400, 370/485, 370/258, 370/270, 370/353, 370/389, 370/392, 370/466, 370/464, 455/3.1, 455/3.3, 455/6, 359/165, 359/193, 359/359
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/62 Wavelength based optical switching H04Q11/0062

Abstract

A communication network apparatus and method for routing communication signals from a source device to a receiving device. The apparatus performs only local processing on communication signals to thereby increase the speed of processing the signals. A plurality of the processing nodes are combined into a plurality of sub-networks that comprise the network apparatus. Each processing node of a sub-network need only process address information pertaining to the node'"'"'s current layer, one layer above it, if any, and one layer below it, if any. Additionally, each processing node has associated communication signal frequencies/wavelengths that identify the processing node as the intended recipient of the communication signal. When a communication signal having a carrier signal with a frequency/wavelength corresponding to the processing node is received, the processing node demodulates the carrier signal and forwards the communication signal data to a processing module used to process address information to determine how to route the communication signal through the network. Communication signals may be assigned “express” frequencies/wavelengths, in which case, all of the processing nodes, except the destination processing node, of the network pass the communication signal without performing processing on the communication signal.

Claims

1. A method for routing communication signals in a network organized into layers of sub-networks, comprising:

receiving in a sub-network, a communication signal from another sub-network, wherein each sub-network of each layer in the network is comprised of a processing node, and wherein the communication signal is received by the processing node in the sub-network;

selecting a carrier signal based on a destination address of the communication signal; and

outputting the carrier signal to a different sub-network via one of a plurality of ports associated with the carrier signal of the processing node that received the communication signal, wherein each one of the plurality of ports is pre-assigned to one of a plurality of different carrier signals;

extracting a first portion address from the destination address;

selecting a carrier signal corresponding to a first processing node of an above sub-network if the first portion address does not include an address of the first processing node of the above sub-network; and

outputting the carrier signal to the first processing node;

selecting a carrier signal corresponding to a second processing node of a below sub-network if the first portion address does include the address of the first processing node of the above sub-network; and

outputting the carrier signal to the second processing node.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting the carrier signal to a child device if the destination address is directed to a child device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different carrier signals has a plurality of possible frequencies and each of a plurality of processing nodes of the network is assigned a carrier signal frequency that is received and processed by the processing node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different carrier signals has a plurality of possible wavelengths and each processing node of each layer is assigned a carrier signal wavelength that is received and processed by the processing node.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the communication signal in the processing node of a sub-network from a processing node in an above sub-network;

outputting the communication signal to a child device if a destination address of the communication signal is directed to the child device and the child device is reachable without going through another processing node; and

selecting a carrier signal that corresponds to a processing node of a below sub-network if the destination address is not directed to a child device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein if the destination address does not include an address for a parent processing node in an above sub-network, the carrier signal is output to the parent processing node in the above network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein if the destination address includes an address for a parent processing node in an above sub-network and an address for a current processing node, the carrier signal is output to a below sub-network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein if the destination address includes an address for a parent processing node in an above sub-network and does not include an address for a current processing node, the carrier signal is output to another processing node in a same sub-network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier signal is selected based on whether the communication signal is an express signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein if the communication signal is the express signal, the carrier signal is output without the communication signal being processed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein if the destination address does not include an address for a parent processing node in an above sub-network, the carrier signal is output to the parent processing node in the above network.

12. A method for routing communication signals in a network organized into layers of sub-networks, comprising:

receiving in a sub-network, a communication signal from a child device, wherein each sub-network of each layer in the network is comprised of a processing node, and wherein the communication signal is received by the processing node in the sub-network;

selecting a carrier signal based on a destination address of the communication signal; and

outputting the carrier signal to a different sub-network via one of a plurality of ports associated with the carrier signal of the processing node that received the communication signal, wherein each one of the plurality of ports is pre-assigned to one of a plurality of different carrier signals;

extracting a first portion address from the destination address;

selecting a carrier signal corresponding to a first processing node of an above sub-network if the first portion address does not include an address of the first processing node of the above sub-network; and

outputting the carrier signal to the first processing node;

selecting a carrier signal corresponding to a second processing node of a below sub-network if the first portion address does include the address of the first processing node of the above sub-network; and

outputting the carrier signal to the second processing node.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

outputting the carrier signal to a child device if the destination address is directed to a child device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of different carrier signals has a plurality of possible frequencies and each of a plurality of processing nodes of the network is assigned a carrier signal frequency that is received and processed by the processing node.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of different carrier signals has a plurality of possible wavelengths and each processing node of each layer is assigned a carrier signal wavelength that is received and processed by the processing node.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving the communication signal in the processing node of a sub-network from a processing node in an above sub-network;

outputting the communication signal to a child device if a destination address of the communication signal is directed to the child device and the child device is reachable without going through another processing node; and

selecting a carrier signal that corresponds to a processing node of a below sub-network if the destination address is not directed to a child device.