Methods and apparatus for routing signals in a ring network
US6545977B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 3, 1998 |
| Grant date | Apr 8, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 3, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04J2203/0053
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Traffic demands are routed in a ring network by first determining an inter-ring path for a given demand, and then independently determining an intra-ring path for the demand on each of the rings in the inter-ring path. The intra-ring path provisioning is fully decoupled from the inter-ring path provisioning, such that the demand can be routed more quickly and efficiently. For example, both the routing direction and the interworking nodes for a dual ring interworking (DRI) connection can be determined independently for each of the rings of the inter-ring path. The invention may be implemented in the form of a hybrid centralized/distributed network architecture, in which a central operations system or other central controller determines the inter-ring path by applying a shortest path algorithm to a ring graph in which nodes represent rings in the network and links represent ring interconnections in the network. Ring controllers in the rings of the inter-ring path then each independently determine an intra-ring path for their corresponding rings. Although particularly well suited for use with DRI, the invention can also improve routing performance in single ring interworking (SRI) app…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.