Patent · US Expired

Optical cross connect apparatus and method

US7068873B2 · kind B2 · utility

13Cited by
5References
26Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 16, 2003
Grant dateJun 27, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 19, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04Q2011/0047
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A new architecture is proposed for making optical cross connect in wavelength division multiplexed networks. The value of optical networks incorporating all-optical cross connects is typically associated with being able to selectively route individual channel wavelengths through several network nodes without performing optical-electrical and electrical-optical conversion. From a network perspective, most work on the optical cross connect architectures have been concentrated on the highest possible capability for the cross-connect itself. The problem with considering optical cross connect architectures in isolation without attention to the rest of the network may lead to unnecessarily complicated hardware. In the proposed architecture, architecture considers the network as a whole and significant cost reductions as well as complexity reductions are realized.

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