Virtual optoelectronic crossbar switch
US6690851B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 15, 2002 |
| Grant date | Feb 10, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 15, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04Q2011/0058
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A virtual distributed optical crossbar local area network configuration where the central switch or network controller has been eliminated. A virtual distributed optical crossbar allows a network to be fully scalable as the number of users increases. The virtual distributed optical crossbar is fully non-blocking and is reconfigurable. In addition the virtual distributed optical crossbar has zero latency across the network, employs vertical cavity surface emitting laser technology and smart pixel technology in conjunction with a resonant cavity enhanced (RCE) waveguide grating coupler (WGC). Optical signals are transmitted through fiber optic and/or waveguide or freespace interconnects implementing the switching functions. The waveguide technology provides the enabling mechanism to achieve a zero latency, fully non-blocking, performance. Address decoding functions between processors is divided, leaving only the true distance interconnect implemented by optical means. Unique to this architecture is it eliminates the central switches and servers within telecommunications networks. The architecture is clock rate reconfigurable performing crossconnect switching within single clock cycle…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.