Patent · US Expired

Optical network with a void filling protocol independent of bit rate

US7539414B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by
2References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 7, 2004
Grant dateMay 26, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 16, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04Q2011/0092
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A communications station (4-i) for a WDM ring network is adapted to insert into an optical fiber (2) packets of optical signals carried by at least one wavelength and having a propagation direction in common with at least one other communications station. The station (4-i) comprises, firstly, optical detection means (17) adapted to observe the traffic in said optical fiber (2) associated with said common wavelength and to deliver detection signals representative of the absence of packets in the optical fiber (2) at the detected wavelength for a duration exceeding a duration threshold and ii) control means (11) adapted, in the event of reception of a detection signal associated with the detected wavelength to determine the remaining time before the end of the current session, and then to instruct the insertion into the optical fiber (2) of a packet awaiting transmission, at the detected wavelength, if the remaining time before the end of the current session is greater than the time necessary for inserting the packet awaiting transmission into the fiber.

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