Patent · US Expired

Agile optical-core distributed packet switch

US6486983B1 · kind B1 · utility

41Cited by
7References
48Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 30, 1999
Grant dateNov 26, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 30, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04Q2011/0039
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A self-configuring distributed switch has agile core modules connected by a plurality of channels to a plurality of large capacity edge modules. A core module controller selects paths through an associated core module and reconfigures the paths in response to dynamic changes in data traffic loads. Switching latency in the core modules is masked so that the source edge modules need not disrupt data transmission during reconfiguration. Surplus capacity is provided in the core modules to facilitate reconfiguration. Connection release and connection setup policies increase occupancy variance among the space switches in each core module to further facilitate reconfiguration. The reconfiguration functions of the data switch modules and the core modules are coordinated to keep reconfiguration guard time minimized. The advantage is a high capacity, load-adaptive, self-configuring switch that can be geographically distributed to serve a large geographical area.

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