Making lightless connections in an optical circuit switch
First Claim
1. A method for making a connection in an optical circuit switch, comprising:
- receiving a command to make an optical connection between a first port and a second port, the first port uniquely associated with a rotatable first mirror element and the second port uniquely associated with a rotatable second mirror element;
determining whether or not input signal light is present at the first port;
when light is present at the first port, rotating the first mirror element and the second mirror element to provide an initial optical connection between the first port and the second port; and
when light is not present at the first port, waiting until light becomes present at the first port before rotating the first mirror element and the second mirror element to provide the initial optical connection.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods of operating an optical circuit switch and optical circuit switches are disclosed. A command to make an optical connection between a first port and a second port may be received, the first port uniquely associated with a first rotatable mirror element and the second port uniquely associated with a second rotatable mirror element. A determination whether or not input signal light is present at the first port may be made. When light is present at the first port, the first mirror element and the second mirror may be rotated to provide an initial optical connection between the first port and the second port. When light is not present at the first port, the first mirror element and the second mirror element may be placed in respective at-rest positions.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for making a connection in an optical circuit switch, comprising:
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receiving a command to make an optical connection between a first port and a second port, the first port uniquely associated with a rotatable first mirror element and the second port uniquely associated with a rotatable second mirror element; determining whether or not input signal light is present at the first port; when light is present at the first port, rotating the first mirror element and the second mirror element to provide an initial optical connection between the first port and the second port; and when light is not present at the first port, waiting until light becomes present at the first port before rotating the first mirror element and the second mirror element to provide the initial optical connection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An optical circuit switch, comprising:
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a first port uniquely associated with a first rotatable mirror element; a second port uniquely associated with a second rotatable mirror element; a controller configured to; receive a command to make an optical connection between the first port and the second port, determine whether or not input signal light is present at the first port; when light is present at the first port, cause the first mirror element and the second mirror to rotate to provide an initial optical connection between the first port and the second port; and when light is not present at the first port, waiting until light becomes present at the first port before causing the first mirror element and the second mirror to rotate to provide the initial optical connection. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for making connections in an optical circuit switch, comprising:
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receiving a command to make one or more optical connections, each optical connection between an input port from a plurality of input ports and an output port from a plurality of output ports, each of the input ports and the output ports uniquely associated with a respective rotatable mirror element; and for each of the one or more optical connections; determining whether or not input signal light is present at the respective input port, when light is present at the respective input port, rotating the mirror elements associated with the respective input port and the respective output port to provide an initial optical connection between the respective input port and the respective output port, and when light is not present at the respective input port, waiting until light becomes present at the respective input port before rotating the mirror elements associated with the respective input port and the respective output port to provide the initial optical connection. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification