Methods and apparatus for performing directionless wavelength addition and subtraction within a ROADM based optical node
First Claim
1. An optical node, comprising:
- at least two reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs) to transmit respective wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signals onto at least two inter-node network paths; and
at least one add/drop module including add ports to direct each add wavelength received from tributary network paths to any of the at least two ROADMs via intra-node network paths to be available to be added to the inter-node network paths.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In today'"'"'s reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) based optical node, transponders associated with the ROADMs'"'"' add/drop ports are dedicated to a given network node interface. Dedicated transponders reduce the flexibility to route around network failures. Example embodiments of the invention includes an optical node and corresponding method for routing optical signals within an optical node. The optical node may include at least two ROADMs to transmit respective wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signals onto at least two inter-node network paths and at least one add/drop module including add ports to direct add wavelengths received from tributary network paths to each of the ROADMs via intra-node network paths to allow the wavelengths to be available to be added to the inter-node network paths. Advantageously, a transponder may transmit and receive to and from different network node interfaces within the optical node, thereby improving the optical node'"'"'s ability to route around network failures.
38 Citations
33 Claims
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1. An optical node, comprising:
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at least two reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs) to transmit respective wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signals onto at least two inter-node network paths; and at least one add/drop module including add ports to direct each add wavelength received from tributary network paths to any of the at least two ROADMs via intra-node network paths to be available to be added to the inter-node network paths. - 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. A method of routing optical signals within an optical node, the method comprising:
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directing add wavelengths received from tributary network paths to each of at least two reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs) via intra-node network paths to be available to be added to inter-node network paths; and transmitting respective wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signals from the at least two ROADMs onto the inter-node network paths. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification