Wavelength division photonic switch
US5040169A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 25, 1989 |
| Grant date | Aug 13, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 25, 2009 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04Q11/0003
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
This invention describes a method of transmitting data through a passive central switching fabric, where data can be transmitted from any input port of the fabric to any output port of the fabric. The switching fabric has N multiplexors and N demultiplexors. The input ports of the demultiplexors are the input ports of the fabric, while the output ports of the multiplexors are the output ports of the fabric. The outputs of each demultiplexor lie in a horizontal plane, while the inputs of each multiplexor lie in a vertical plane. The outputs of the demultiplexors in the horizontal planes are butted against the inputs of the multiplexors so as to establish optical contact between the outputs of the demultiplexors and the inputs of the multiplexors. Modulated wavelengths are then demultiplexed and mutliplexed in such a fashion so as to allow data from any input port of the switching fabric to be transmitted to any output port of the switching fabric merely by modulating a corresponding one of N wavelengths.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.