Optical Node
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical node (100) is disclosed. The optical node (100) comprises first and second line ports (104, 106) for Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) signals and first and second pluralities of local add/drop ports (108, 110) for optical signals. The optical node further comprises a wavelength selective switch (112), coupled between the first and second line ports (104, 106) and configured to drop optical signals from a WDM signal traversing the optical node between the first and second line ports (104, 106), and a node optical combiner (114) coupled between the first and second line ports (104, 106) and configured to add optical signals to a WDM signal traversing the optical node between the first and second line ports (104, 106). The optical node also comprises first and second switching units (116, 118), each switching unit coupled to the wavelength selective switch (112), the node optical combiner (114), a respective one of the first and second pluralities of local add/drop ports (108, 110) and the other of the first and second switching units (116, 118). Each of the first and second switching units (116, 118) is configured to distribute dropped optical signals from the wavelength selective switch (112) to its coupled plurality of local add/drop ports and to provide optical signals from its coupled plurality of local add/drop ports to the node optical combiner (114). Each of the first and second switching units (116, 118) is also configured to distribute optical signals from its coupled plurality of local add/drop ports to the other of the first and second switching units (116, 118) and to distribute optical signals from the other of the first and second switching units to its coupled plurality of local add/drop ports.
2 Citations
64 Claims
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1-32. -32. (canceled)
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33. An optical node, comprising:
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first and second line ports for Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) signals; first and second pluralities of local add/drop ports for optical signals; a wavelength selective switch coupled between the first and second line ports and configured to drop optical signals from a WDM signal traversing the optical node between the first and second line ports; a node optical combiner coupled between the first and second line ports and configured to add optical signals to a WDM signal traversing the optical node between the first and second line ports; and first and second switching units, each switching unit coupled to the wavelength selective switch, the node optical combiner, a respective one of the first and second pluralities of local add/drop ports and the other of the first and second switching units; wherein each of the first and second switching units is configured to distribute dropped optical signals from the wavelength selective switch to its coupled plurality of local add/drop ports and to provide optical signals from its coupled plurality of local add/drop ports to the node optical combiner; and wherein each of the first and second switching units is also configured to distribute optical signals from its coupled plurality of local add/drop ports to the other of the first and second switching units and to distribute optical signals from the other of the first and second switching units to its coupled plurality of local add/drop ports. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A method for managing a network segment, the network segment comprising a plurality of network sub-segments, each network sub-segment comprising an optical node, a plurality of Radio Equipment (RE) clusters that are each connected to a local add/drop port of a first plurality of local add/drop ports of the optical node and a plurality of Radio Equipment Controllers (RECs) connected to a second plurality of local add/drop ports of the optical node, the method comprising:
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routing baseband processing traffic from RE clusters in a network sub-segment of the network segment to RECs in the network sub-segment via the optical node of the network sub-segment; on detecting baseband processing traffic in the network sub-segment below a first threshold level, consolidating the baseband processing traffic of the network sub-segment amongst a subset of the RECs in the network sub-segment, and transitioning the remaining RECs of the network sub-segment to a low power state; and on detecting baseband processing traffic in the network sub-segment above a second threshold level, transitioning at least one of the remaining RECs of the network sub-segment back to a normal power state and distributing the baseband processing traffic of the network sub-segment amongst the subset of RECs and the transitioned at least one of the remaining RECs. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59)
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60. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising computer program instructions that, when run on at least one processor of a computer, causes the computer to manage a network segment comprising a plurality of network sub-segments, each network sub-segment comprising an optical node, a plurality of Radio Equipment (RE) clusters that are each connected to a local add/drop port of a first plurality of local add/drop ports of the optical node and a plurality of Radio Equipment Controllers (RECs) connected to a second plurality of local add/drop ports of the optical node, the network segment managed by:
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routing baseband processing traffic from RE clusters in a network sub-segment of the network segment to RECs in the network sub-segment via the optical node of the network sub-segment; on detecting baseband processing traffic in the network sub-segment below a first threshold level, consolidating the baseband processing traffic of the network sub-segment amongst a subset of the RECs in the network sub-segment, and transitioning the remaining RECs of the network sub-segment to a low power state; and on detecting baseband processing traffic in the network sub-segment above a second threshold level, transitioning at least one of the remaining RECs of the network sub-segment back to a normal power state and distributing the baseband processing traffic of the network sub-segment amongst the subset of RECs and the transitioned at least one of the remaining RECs.
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61. A system in a Remote Access Network (RAN) of a cellular communications network, the system comprising:
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a first plurality of Radio Equipment (RE) clusters and a first plurality of Radio Equipment Controllers (RECs) connected by a first optical hub; a second plurality of RE clusters and a second plurality of RECs connected by a second optical hub; and an optical infrastructure connecting the first optical hub with the second optical hub; wherein each of the first and second optical hubs is configured to transmit signals from any of its connected RE clusters to any of its connected RECs, and to transmit signals from any of its connected RE clusters to the other optical hub, for delivery to any of the RECs connected to the other optical hub. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63)
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64. An optical node, comprising:
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first and second line ports for Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) signals; first and second pluralities of local add/drop ports for optical signals; and control switching circuitry, wherein the control switching circuitry is configured to provide; add/drop functionality for optical signals between the first and second pluralities of local add/drop ports and the first and second line ports; external bypass functionality between the first and second line ports; and internal bypass functionality between the first and second pluralities of local add/drop ports.
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Specification