EP0429046A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Wavelength division switching system with reduced optical components using optical switches
Assignee: NEC Corp
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Filing: 1990-11-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-11-19
Abstract
Abstract In a wavelength division switching system having m₁ inlet highways and m₂ outlet highways, m₁ splitters (14) are coupled respectively to the inlet highways to split each multiplex signal into m₂ × n output signals for coupling to respective inputs of m₂ × n optical switches. (15) Each optical switch (15) is responsive to a switching control signal for coupling one of its inputs to one of m₂ × n tunable wavelength filters (16) capable of passing one of n different wavelengths, in response to a wavelength selecting signal, to one of m₂ × n fixed wavelength converters (17) which are organized into m₂ groups. These wavelength converters provide conversion of the input signals so that the converted wavelength is unique in each of the m₂ groups. An array of m₂ combiners (18) are respectively associated with the groups of the fixed wavelength converters and with the outlet highways. Each combiner (18) has n inputs coupled respectively to the outputs of the fixed wavelength converters of the associated group to multiplex signals appearing at the n inputs thereof for coupling to the associated outlet highway.
Inventors
- 👤 Nishio C/O Nec Corporation Makoto
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 13:29
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04Q; H04Q11/00; H04Q11/0001
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
244 words
A wavelength division switching system comprising; m₁ inlet highways and m₂ outlet highways; m₁ splitter means coupled respectively to said inlet highways, each of said splitter means having m₂ × n outputs at each of which a signal on the coupled inlet highway appears, where n represents the number of wavelengths multiplexed into said signal; m₂ × n optical switches each having m₁ inputs coupled to respective outputs of said m₁ splitter means, and responsive to a switching control signal applied thereto for coupling one of said m₁ inputs thereof to an output thereof; m₂ × n tunable wavelength filters coupled respectively to the outputs of said optical switches, each of said tunable wavelength filters being capable of passing one of n different wavelengths to an output thereof in response to a wavelength selecting signal applied thereto; m₂ × n fixed wavelength converters organized into m₂ groups and respectively coupled to the outputs of said tunable wavelength filters, each of said wavelength converters being capable of converting wavelength of a signal applied thereto to one of said wavelengths so that the converted wavelength is unique in each of said groups; and m₂ combiners respectively associated with the groups of said fixed wavelength converters and with said outlet highways, each of said combiners having n inputs coupled to respective outputs of the fixed wavelength converters of the associated group and multiplexing signals appearing at said n inputs thereof for coupling to the associated outlet highway.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
72 words
A wavelength division switching system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said m₁ splitter means comprises: a first splitter having a single input for causing an optical signal from the coupled inlet highway to simultaneously appear at m₂ outputs thereof; and m₁ second splitters each having a single input connected to one of the outputs of said first splitter and n outputs connected to respective inputs of said optical switches.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
225 words
A wavelength division switching system comprising: m₁ inlet highways and m₂ outlet highways; m₁ splitters coupled respectively to said inlet highways, each of said splitters having n outputs at each of which a signal on the coupled inlet highway appears, where n represents the number of wavelengths which are multiplexed into said signal; m₁ × n fixed wavelength filters organized into m₁ groups, each of said fixed wavelength filters being capable of passing one of n different wavelengths to an output thereof, the passed wavelength being unique in each of said m₁ groups; m₁ × n tunable wavelength filters coupled respectively to the outputs of said fixed wavelength filters, each of said tunable wavelength filters being capable of passing one of said wavelengths to an output thereof in response to a wavelength selecting signal applied thereto; m₁ × n optical switches respectively coupled to the outputs of said tunable wavelength filters, each of said optical switches having m₂ outputs for coupling a signal supplied thereto to one of said m₂ outputs in response to a switching signal applied thereto; and m₂ combiner means respectively associated with said outlet highways, each of said combiner means having m₁ × n inputs coupled to respective outputs of the optical switches and multiplexing signals appearing at said m₁ × n inputs thereof for coupling to the associated outlet highway.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
80 words
A wavelength division switching system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said m₂ combiner means are associated respectively with said m₁ groups of n optical switches and each combiner means comprises: m₁ first combiners each having n inputs coupled to respective outputs of the optical switches of the associated group and a single output; and a second combiner having m₁ inputs connected respectively to the outputs of said first combiners and a single output connected to the associated outlet highway.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
225 words
A wavelength division switching system comprising: m₁ × n input terminals for receiving optical signals from incoming optical transmission channels and m₂ × n output terminals for delivering optical signals to outgoing transmission channels; m₁ × n wavelength converters organized into m₁ groups, said wavelength converters being coupled respectively to said input terminals for converting the wavelengths of said optical signals to one of n different wavelengths so that the converted wavelength is unique in each of said m₁ groups; m₁ star couplers coupled to said wavelength converters; m₂ × m₁ splitters organized into m₂ groups, the splitters of each group being coupled to said star couplers respectively, each of said splitters having n outputs; m₂ × n optical switches organized into m₂ groups associated respectively with the groups of said splitters, each optical switch having m₁ inputs coupled to respective outputs of the optical switches of the associated group for coupling an optical signal supplied to one of said m₁ inputs thereof to an output thereof in response to a switching signal applied thereto; and m₂ × n tunable wavelength converters coupled respectively between the outputs of said optical switches and said output terminals, each of the tunable wavelength converters being capable of converting the wavelength of a signal supplied thereto to one of said wavelengths in response to a control signal applied thereto.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
230 words
A wavelength division switching system comprising: m₁ × n input terminals for receiving optical signals from incoming transmission channels and m₂ × n output terminals for delivering optical signals to outgoing transmission channels; m₁ × n tunable wavelength converters organized into m₁ groups and coupled respectively to said input terminals for converting the wavelengths of said optical signals to one of n different wavelengths in response to a control signal applied thereto, said converted wavelength being unique in each of said m₁ groups; m₁ × n optical switches organized into m₁ groups and coupled respectively to said tunable wavelength converters, each of said optical switches coupling an optical signal supplied thereto to one of m₂ outputs thereof in response to a switching signal applied thereto; m₁ × m₂ combiners organized into m₁ groups associated respectively with the groups of said optical switches, each of said combiners having n inputs coupled to respective outputs of the optical switches of the associated group; m₂ star couplers coupled to said combiners, respectively; and m₂ × n wavelength filters organized into m₂ groups associated respectively with said star couplers and with m₂ groups of said output terminals, the wavelength filters of each group being coupled respectively between the associated star coupler and the output terminals of the associated group, each of said wavelength filters being capable of passing one of said n different wavelengths.
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