Patent · US Expired

Optical switching unit, particularly for switching to standby components in optical transmission systems

US6396602B1 · kind B1 · utility

9Cited by

5References

8Claims

0Family size

Assignee

ALCATEL · FR

Inventors

Manfred Kaiser · Karben, DE
Frank Hehl · Murr, DE
Rainer Hausser · Fellbach, DE
Jürgen Anhorn · Kornwestheim, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Dec 2, 1997
Grant date	May 28, 2002
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Dec 2, 2017

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH04Q11/0001
WIPO fieldTelecommunications
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An optical switching unit is disclosed which permits switching from faulty components to standby components in optical transmission systems. A component in this connection may be a transmit laser or an optical fiber, for example. The optical switching unit (OSE) according to the invention contains an n×m optical space switch (ORS) whose ports (P1A . . . PNA; P1B . . . PMB) are monitored by photodiodes (M1A, M1B). The photodiodes provide a control unit (SE) with information as to whether and, if so, what signals are arriving at the ports. The control unit (SE) controls the position of the optical switch (ORS) in accordance with program instructions. The switching unit controls itself, i.e., incorporation of a higher-level control center is not necessary. It thus allows very short switching times and has many applications; it is particularly suitable for use in modular optical transmission systems.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.