Optical switching apparatus and methods
US6763191B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignees
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 25, 2000 |
| Grant date | Jul 13, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 20, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04Q2011/0075
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An optical switching apparatus in an optical communication network selectively combines and separates series of optical signal samples using OTDM and/or WDM. In upstream communication, the optical switching apparatus optically converts n series of upstream optical signal samples having the upstream optical signal samples carried over channel wavelengths &lgr;1, . . . ,&lgr;n at data rates DR1, . . . ,DRn respectively into a combined series of upstream optical signal samples having the upstream optical signal samples carried over a channel wavelength &lgr;D at a combined data rate DRc which is greater than any one of the data rates DR1, . . . ,DRn. The combined series of upstream optical signal samples is then routed to a destination route. In downstream communication, the optical switching apparatus optically converts a series of downstream optical signal samples carried over a channel wavelength &lgr;T at a data rate DRT into nn series of downstream optical signal samples having the downstream optical signal samples carried over channel wavelengths &lgr;1, . . . ,&lgr;nn−1, &lgr;T at data rates DRT1, . . . ,DRTnn. The nn series of downstream optical signal samples are then r…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.