Patent EP0614291A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0614291A1
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All-optical network architecture
Assignee: Digital Equipment Corp
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Filing: 1994-02-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-02-16
Abstract
Abstract There is disclosed the architecture for an all-optical network which employs a three level hierarchy using wavelength division multiplexing. At the lowest level of the hierarchy are Level-0 all-optical networks (36, 37, 38, 39). The Level-0 networks are "local" broadcast networks each of which supports a plurality of access ports and in which each access port can "hear" all the local traffic transmitted by all other access ports in the same Level-0 network. Each Level-0 network shares wavelengths internally, but there is extensive reuse of wavelengths among different Level-0 networks. The next higher level (62, 64), which is the intermediate level, Level-1, is essentially a wavelength router coupled with one or more of the Level-0 networks to provide a wavelength path to one or more directly connected Level-0 networks or, in combination with a Level-2 network (80), a light path to one or more Level-0 networks outside itself. The Level-2 are second level wavelength routing networks which provide light paths, as opposed to wavelength paths, between Level-1 networks. The Level-2 networks may be as simple as fiber trunks alone or they may employ frequency changing devices in addition to wavelength routers and/or spatial switches.
Inventors
- 👤 Vincent W. S. Chan
- 👤 Robert G. Gallager
- 👤 Alan Joseph Kirby
- 👤 Adel Abdel Moneim Saleh
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 17:38
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04Q; H04Q11/00; H04Q11/0001; H04J; H04J14/00; H04J14/02; H04J14/0227; H04J14/0228; H04J14/0238; H04J14/0241; H04J14/0278; H04J14/028; H04J14/0282
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
144 words
A network comprising a first all optical broadcasting local area network having down access ports and at least one up access port, a first optical terminal coupled to a first one of the down access ports for sending/receiving wavelength signals, a second optical terminal coupled to a second one of the down access ports for sending/receiving optical signal, a third optical terminal coupled to a third one of the down access ports for sending/receiving optical signals, said optical terminals include wavelength transmitters and wavelength receivers, means coupled to the optical terminals to tune a transmitter at one of the optical terminals and/or a receiver at another of the optical terminals to a selected wavelength, and bypass means coupled to the up access port to block all but at least one wavelength signal from being transmitted from the first all optical broadcasting local area network.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
15 words
The network of claim 1 wherein the all optical broadcasting network comprises a star coupler.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The network of claim 1 wherein at least one of the wavelength transmitters and/or one of the wavelength receivers is tunable.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The network of claim 1 wherein the all optical broadcasting network comprises a bus.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The network of claim 1 wherein the all optical broadcasting network comprises a splitter/combiner.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
95 words
The network of claim 1 wherein said first all optical broadcasting local area network comprises a first splitter/combiner having down ports and at least one up port, a second splitter/combiner having down ports and at least one up port, and a third splitter/combiner having down ports and at least one up port, the down ports of the third splitter/combiner being coupled to the up ports of the first and second splitters/combiners, and the up port of the third splitter/combiner being coupled to the bypass means for receiving or sending at least one selected wavelength signals.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The network of claim 6 further comprising a fourth optical terminal coupled to a down port of the third splitter/combiner.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
142 words
The network of claim 6 further comprising a second all optical broadcasting local area network having down access ports and at least one up access port, a fourth optical terminal coupled to a first one of the down access ports of the second broadcasting local area network for sending/receiving optical signals, a fifth optical terminal coupled to a second one of the down access ports of the second broadcasting local area network for sending/receiving optical signals, the optical terminals include wavelength transmitters and wavelength receivers, a second bypass means coupled to the up access port of the second all optical local area network to block all but at least one wavelength signal from a transmitter from being transmitted from the second all optical local area network; and wavelength router means coupled to pass wavelength signals between the first and second bypass means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
111 words
The network of claim 8 wherein said second all optical broadcasting local area network comprises a fourth splitter/combiner having down ports and at least one up port, a fifth splitter/combiner having down ports and at least one up port, a sixth splitter/combiner having down ports and at least one up port, the down ports of the sixth splitter/combiner being coupled to the up ports of the first and second splitter combiners, and wavelength router means coupled to the first and second bypass means to pass wavelength signals between the up ports of the third splitter/combiner of the first and the sixth splitter/combiners of the second all optical broadcasting local area networks.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
355 words
The network of claim 1 further comprising a second all optical broadcasting local area network having down access ports and at least one up port, a fourth optical terminal coupled to a first one of the down access ports of the second local area network for sending/receiving wavelength signals, a fifth optical terminal coupled to a second one of the down access ports of the second local area network for sending/receiving wavelength signals, bypass means coupled to the up port to block all but at least one wavelength signal from being transmitted from the second all optical broadcasting local area network, first wavelength router means coupled to provide wavelength signal paths between the bypass means of the first and second all optical broadcasting local area networks, a third all optical broadcasting local area network having down access ports and at least one up port, a sixth optical terminal coupled to a first one of the down access ports of the third local area network for sending/receiving wavelength signals, a seventh optical terminal coupled to a second one of the down access ports of the third local area network for sending/receiving wavelength signals, bypass means coupled to the up port to block all but at least one wavelength signal from being transmitted from the third all optical broadcasting local area network, a fourth all optical broadcasting local area network having down access ports and at least one up port, an eighth optical terminal coupled to a first one of the down access ports of the fourth local area network for sending/receiving wavelength signals, a ninth optical terminal coupled to a second one of the down access ports of the third local area network for sending/receiving wavelength signals, bypass means coupled to the up port to block all but at least one wavelength signal from being transmitted from the fourth all optical broadcasting local area network, second wavelength router means coupled to provide wavelength signal paths between the bypass means of the third and fourth all optical broadcasting local area networks, and connect means coupled to provide light paths between the first and second wavelength router means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
The network of claim 10 wherein the first wavelength router is coupled to a first broadcasting star, and the second wavelength router is coupled to a second broadcasting star.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
12 words
The network of claim 11 wherein the connect means comprises optical fibers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
The network of claim 12 further comprising wavelength changers coupled to the optical fibers.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
The network of claim 12 or claim 13 further comprising optical switches coupled to the optical fibers.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The network of any of claims 12 to 14 further comprising wavelength routers coupled to the optical fibers.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
13 words
The network of claim 15 wherein the wavelength routers are static wavelength routers.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
13 words
The network of claim 15 wherein the wavelength routers are dynamic wavelength routers.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
113 words
The network of claim 10 wherein the first, second, third and fourth all optical broadcasting local area network each comprises a first splitter/combiner having down ports and at least one up port, each down port being adapted to be connected to an access port, a second splitter/combiner having down ports and at least one up port, each down port being adapted to be connected to an access port, a third splitter/combiner having down ports and at least one up port, the down ports of the third splitter/combiner being coupled to the up ports of the first and second splitter/combiners, and the up port of the third splitter/combiner being coupled to the bypass means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
The network of claim 18 wherein the first and second wavelength router means are each coupled to broadcasting networks.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
The network of claim 19 wherein the wavelength router means comprises a static wavelength router.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
The network of claim 19 wherein the wavelength router means comprises a dynamic wavelength router.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
12 words
The network of claim 19 wherein the connect means comprises optical fibers.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
25 words
The network of claim 19 wherein the connect means comprises a dynamic frequency changer and/or a wavelength router and/or optical switches coupled to optical fibers.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
EP0240119A2
Cited
US4809362A
Cited
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