Scalable optical switches and switching modules

• US 8,891,914 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2012
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NeoPhotonics Corporation (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NeoPhotonics Corporation (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Ticknor, Anthony J., Vorobeichik, Ilya, Way, Winston
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanghavi, Hemang
• Application Number:
  US13/662,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20130108215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 752 Days
• Field of Search: 385 15- 24
• US Class Current: 385/17
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12145 Switch
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1225 comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29382 including at least adding or dropping a signal, i.e. passing the majority of signals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/35 having switching means by changing the optical properties of the medium G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3546 NxM switch, i.e. a regular array of switches elements of matrix type constellation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/356 in an optical cross-connect device, e.g. routing and switching aspects of interconnecting different paths propagating different wavelengths to (re)configure the various input and output links switching polarized beams G02B6/3594; power equalizers G02B6/356 and G02B6/3594; path selecting means H04Q11/0001
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3562 Switch of the bypass type, i.e. enabling a change of path in a network, e.g. to bypass a failed element in the network
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3596 With planar waveguide arrangement, i.e. in a substrate, regardless if actuating mechanism is outside the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0212 using optical switches or wavelength selective switches [WSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0219 Modular or upgradable architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0024 using space switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0047 Broadcast; Multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0052 Interconnection of switches

Abstract

Telecommunications switches are presented, including expandable optical switches that allow for a switch of N inputs×M outputs to be expanded arbitrarily to a new number of N inputs and/or a new number of M outputs. Switches having internal switch blocks controlling signal bypass lines are also provided, with these switches being useful for the expandable switches.

Claims

1. An optical switching device with expansion connections comprising a photonic integrated circuit, the photonic integrated circuit comprising N input optical ports where N>

1, an input light-path associated with each input port, M optical output ports where M≧

1, an output light-path associated with each output port, a bypass optical switch block associated with each output port, P expansion-in ports where P≧

1, an expansion light-path associated with each expansion-in port and connecting with an associated bypass switch block, a plurality of optical switching elements and associated light-paths forming a network of connections between the input light-paths and a by-pass switch block associated with an output light-path.

2. The optical switching device of claim 1 wherein P=mM, where m is an integer ≧

2 and wherein the bypass optical switch block comprises (m+1)×

1 optical switching device.

3. The optical switching device of claim 1 wherein P=M and wherein the bypass optical switching block comprises a 2×

1 optical switch.

4. The optical switching device of claim 1 further comprising a tree structure of optical splitters and associated plurality of optical light-paths, wherein the plurality of optical switching elements are organized into groups with each switch group being associated with the bypass switch associated with an output light-path, wherein the split optical light-paths provide inputs into the switch groups, and wherein each input to a switch group is connected to a light path associated with a distinct tree of splitters.

5. The optical switching device of claim 4 wherein the photonic integrated circuit has an architecture of a multicast switch with a configuration to distribute an optical signal for each of M output port bypass switches that is selected from any of the N input ports.

6. The optical switching device of claim 4 wherein each input is connected to K branches with K≧

M, where if K>

M, K−

M optical pathways are dormant.

7. The optical switching device of claim 4 wherein each input is connected to K branches with K<

M and wherein the switching elements are configured to selectively direct a signal from an input to a subset of K outputs.

8. The optical switching device of claim 4 wherein a switching block associated with a particular bypass switch connected with an output comprises N−

1 sequentially aligned 2×

1 optical switching elements.

9. The optical switching device of claim 4 wherein a switching block associated with a particular bypass switch connected with an output comprises L {L=smallest integer≧

log₂(N)} sequential levels of 2×

1 optical switching elements.

10. The optical switching device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of optical switching elements and associated light paths have a conceptual rectangular matrix of switches providing connections between each input light paths with each output light paths.

11. The optical switching device of claim 1 further comprising a set of Q expansion-out optical ports, an expansion-out light path associated with each expansion-out port and a bypass optical switch connecting an input light path with an expansion-out light path and the network of optical switching elements and associated light paths.

12. The optical switching device of claim 1 wherein the bypass switches are continuously adjustable.

13. The optical switch device of claim 1 wherein the photonic integrated circuit comprises waveguide integrated optical circuit on a planar substrate.

14. The optical switch device of claim 1 wherein the optical switching elements comprise 2×

1 optical switches.

15. The optical switch device of claim 1 wherein the optical switching elements comprise 2×

2 optical switches.

16. The optical switching device of claim 1 further comprising an optical amplifier optically coupled to an input line or to an output line.

17. An optical switching device with expansion connections comprising a photonic integrated circuit, the photonic integrated circuit comprising N input optical ports where N≧

1, an input light path associated with each input port, M optical output ports where M>

1, an output light path associated with each output port, a bypass optical switch block associated with each input port, Q expansion-out ports where Q≧

1, an expansion light path associated with each expansion-out port and connecting with an associated bypass switch block, a plurality of optical switching elements and associated light paths forming a network of connections between the by-pass switch block associated with an input light path and the output ports.

18. The optical switching device of claim 17 wherein the plurality of optical switching elements and associated light paths have a conceptual rectangular matrix of switches providing connections between each input light path and each output light path.

19. The optical switching device of claim 17 further comprising a tree structure of optical combiners and associated plurality of optical light-paths, wherein the plurality of optical switching elements are organized into groups, each switch group being associated with a light-path connected to an input port, wherein each output of a switch group is coupled to a branch of a distinct optical combiner tree.

20. The optical switching device of claim 19 wherein the photonic integrated circuit has an architecture of a multicast switch with a configuration to distribute an optical signal for each of the M output ports that is selected from any of the N input port bypass switches.

21. The optical switching device of claim 17 wherein Q=N and wherein the bypass optical switching block comprises a 2×

1 optical switch.

22. The optical switching device of claim 17 wherein the bypass switches are continuously adjustable.

23. The optical switch device of claim 17 wherein the photonic integrated circuit comprises waveguide integrated optical circuit on a planar substrate.

24. The optical switching device of claim 17 further comprising an optical amplifier optically coupled to an input line or to an output line.

25. An expandable optical switch device for dynamically configuring the interconnections between a selected number of optical input ports and M optical output ports, the switch device comprising Z optical switching modules (Z≧

2) with optical inter-connections to form a configuration having an initial module, a terminal module and optional intermediate modules, each optical switching module L comprising N_L input ports and M output ports and desired switching capability between the input ports and output ports with the sum of N_L equal to the selected number of input ports, wherein each optical switching module that is not an initial module having a set of expansion in ports coupled through bypass switches to respective output ports and wherein each optical module that is not a terminal module having a set of output ports coupled to expansion in ports of another module.

26. The expandable optical switch device of claim 25 wherein each switching module further comprises a tree structure of optical splitters and associated plurality of light-paths and a plurality of optical switching elements and associated light-paths forming a network of connections between optical splitters and the bypass switches.

27. The optical switching device of claim 26 wherein the photonic integrated circuit has an architecture of a multicast switch with a configuration to distribute an optical signal for each of the M output port bypass switches that is selected from any of the N_L input ports.

28. An expandable optical switch device for dynamically configuring the interconnections between N optical input ports and a selected number of optical output ports, the switch device comprising Z optical switching modules (Z≧

2) with optical inter-connections to form a configuration having an initial module, a terminal module and optional intermediate modules, each optical switching module L comprising N input ports and M_L output ports and desired switching capability between the input ports and output ports with the sum of M_L equal to the selected number of output ports, wherein each optical switching module that is not a terminal module having a set of expansion out ports coupled through bypass switches to respective input ports and wherein each optical module that is not an initial module having a set of input ports coupled to expansion out ports of another module.

29. The expandable optical switch device of claim 28 wherein each switching module further comprises a tree structure of optical splitters and associated plurality of light-paths and a plurality of optical switching elements and associated light-paths forming a network of connections between optical splitters and the output ports.

30. The optical switching device of claim 29 wherein the photonic integrated circuit has an architecture of a multicast switch with a configuration to distribute an optical signal for each of the M_L output port bypass switches that is selected from any of the N input port bypass switches.