Combined wavelength router and switch apparatus for use in a wavelength division multiplexed optical communication system
US5623356A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 9, 1995 |
| Grant date | Apr 22, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 9, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04Q2011/0024
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A combined wavelength router and switch apparatus for use in an optical communication system is disclosed. The apparatus includes arrays of optical signal demultiplexers, wavelength division switches, space division switches and multiplexers, arranged in a manner that can increase the connectivity of an optical system using wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signals. In several embodiments, time-multiplexed wavelength division switches and time-multiplexed space division switches may be used to increase further the degree of connectivity of the system or to reduce the number of wavelength division switches and space division switches required. Additional arrays of wavelength division switches or time-multiplexed wavelength division switches may be included to allow carrier frequencies to be shifted to meet the channel ordering requirements of the optical system.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.