Hybrid optical switch for software-defined networking
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a first wavelength-selective switch configured to receive a first WDM signal and direct a first set of optical channels of the first WDM signal through a first branch and a second set of the optical channels of the first WDM signal through a second branch, wherein the first set of optical channels includes one or more optical channels whose optical-channel-utilization factor is smaller than a threshold value, and the second set of optical channels includes one or more optical channels whose optical-channel-utilization factor is greater than the threshold value;
the first branch configured to electrically switch payload units corresponding to the first set of optical channels to generate a third set of optical channels, wherein the third set of optical channels has fewer optical channels than the first set of optical channels;
the second branch configured to optically switch the one or more optical channels of the second set of optical channels to generate a fourth set of optical channels; and
a second wavelength-selective switch configured to receive the third set of optical channels from the first branch and the fourth set of optical channels from the second branch and further configured to combine the third set of optical channels and the fourth set of optical channels to generate a second WDM signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
We disclose a hybrid optical switch configured to switch optical channels based on their respective utilization factors. In an example embodiment, optical channels having relatively low utilization factors are unwrapped down to payload units, which are then switched electrically, e.g., using an Optical-Transport-Network (OTN) switch, in a manner that tends to increase the utilization factors of the optical channels that carry the switched payload units. In contrast, optical channels having relatively high utilization factors are switched optically, e.g., using a reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer, without being unwrapped. The hybrid optical switch may advantageously be deployed in a network node subjected to relatively high traffic-volume fluctuations because the switch tends to improve optical-channel utilization when the traffic volume is relatively low and to decrease the workload of the corresponding OTN switch when the traffic volume is relatively high.
49 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a first wavelength-selective switch configured to receive a first WDM signal and direct a first set of optical channels of the first WDM signal through a first branch and a second set of the optical channels of the first WDM signal through a second branch, wherein the first set of optical channels includes one or more optical channels whose optical-channel-utilization factor is smaller than a threshold value, and the second set of optical channels includes one or more optical channels whose optical-channel-utilization factor is greater than the threshold value; the first branch configured to electrically switch payload units corresponding to the first set of optical channels to generate a third set of optical channels, wherein the third set of optical channels has fewer optical channels than the first set of optical channels; the second branch configured to optically switch the one or more optical channels of the second set of optical channels to generate a fourth set of optical channels; and a second wavelength-selective switch configured to receive the third set of optical channels from the first branch and the fourth set of optical channels from the second branch and further configured to combine the third set of optical channels and the fourth set of optical channels to generate a second WDM signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus comprising:
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a first wavelength-selective switch configured to receive a first WDM signal and direct a first set of optical channels of the first WDM signal through a first branch and a second set of the optical channels of the first WDM signal through a second branch, wherein the first set of optical channels includes one or more optical channels whose optical-channel-utilization factor is smaller than a threshold value, and the second set of optical channels includes one or more optical channels whose optical-channel-utilization factor is greater than the threshold value; the first branch configured to electrically switch payload units corresponding to the first set of optical channels to generate a third set of optical channels; the second branch configured to optically switch the one or more optical channels of the second set of optical channels to generate a fourth set of optical channels; a second wavelength-selective switch configured to receive the third set of optical channels from the first branch and the fourth set of optical channels from the second branch and further configured to combine the third set of optical channels and the fourth set of optical channels to generate a second WDM signal; wherein the first branch comprises; an optical-to-electrical converter configured to convert individual modulated carrier wavelengths received from a first subset of output ports of the first wavelength-selective switch into a corresponding plurality of electrical digital signals; and an OTN signal processor configured to electrically switch the payload units carried by said corresponding plurality of the electrical digital signals; wherein the OTN signal processor comprises one or more electrical drop ports connected to an input/output interface that is configured to be disposed between the OTN signal processor and an edge router of a local-area network; and wherein the OTN signal processor is configurable to direct at least some of the payload units carried by said corresponding plurality of the electrical digital signals to said one or more drop ports. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. An apparatus comprising:
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a first wavelength-selective switch configured to receive a first WDM signal and direct a first set of optical channels of the first WDM signal through a first branch and a second set of the optical channels of the first WDM signal through a second branch, wherein the first set of optical channels includes one or more optical channels whose optical-channel-utilization factor is smaller than a threshold value, and the second set of optical channels includes one or more optical channels whose optical-channel-utilization factor is greater than the threshold value; the first branch configured to electrically switch payload units corresponding to the first set of optical channels to generate a third set of optical channels; the second branch configured to optically switch the one or more optical channels of the second set of optical channels to generate a fourth set of optical channels; a second wavelength-selective switch configured to receive the third set of optical channels from the first branch and the fourth set of optical channels from the second branch and further configured to combine the third set of optical channels and the fourth set of optical channels to generate a second WDM signal; wherein the first branch comprises; an optical-to-electrical converter configured to convert individual modulated carrier wavelengths received from a first subset of output ports of the first wavelength-selective switch into a corresponding plurality of electrical digital signals; and an OTN signal processor configured to electrically switch the payload units carried by said corresponding plurality of the electrical digital signals; wherein the OTN signal processor comprises one or more electrical add ports connected to an input/output interface that is configured to be disposed between the OTN signal processor and an edge router of a local-area network; and wherein the OTN signal processor is configurable to electrically switch payload units corresponding to electrical digital signals applied to said one or more add ports via the input/output interface. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification