Efficient single-hop directional multichannel system

Claim 2

A shared directional multichannel system for scheduled uniform traffic of up to k concurrent transmissions from m source stations to n destination stations, each said destination station including one receiver input, each said source station including p transmitter outputs and all said source stations being partitioned into at least one source station group such that no more than one said source station group contains less than k source stations, wherein k, m, n and p are positive nonzero integers and m≧k=( log p n choose (p-1)), the system comprising: a first stage including at least (p*k) first directional couplers, each said first directional coupler having n/p outputs and no more m/k inputs, all said inputs of each said first directional coupler being connected to transmitter outputs from a respective source station group; a second stage including n second directional couplers, each said second directional coupler having at least k inputs and one output, said output being connected to a destination station receiver input; and interconnection means for coupling said first stage to said second stage by connecting said first directional coupler outputs to said second directional coupler inputs in a manner such that the l th transmitter output of the i th source station within each said source station group is connected to the receiver input of the j th destination station, where the modulo p sum of the digits of (j modulo p) in positions corresponding to unit digit positions in (i radix 2) is equal to (1-1).

Claim 3

The shared directional multichannel system of claim 1, wherein: p=2 and each said source station includes two transmitter outputs.

Claim 4

The shared directional multichannel system of claim 2 for scheduled uniform traffic of up to (k+1) concurrent transmissions from said source stations, wherein: said source stations being partitioned into at least one source station group such that no more than one said source station group contains less than (k+1) source stations; and said interconnection means further includes means for connecting the l th transmitter output of the (k+1) th source station within each said source station group to the receiver input of the j th destination station, where the parity of binary integer j is equal to (1-1).

Claim 5

The shared directional multichannel system of claim 3, wherein: said first directional coupler includes at least one optical star coupler; said second directional coupler includes at least one optical star coupler; and said interconnection means includes means for conducting optical signals.

Claim 6

The shared directional multichannel system of claim 4 wherein: said optical star coupler stages comprise a plurality of smaller optical star couplers interconnected to form a single larger said coupler.

Claim 7

The shared directional multichannel system of claim 1, wherein: said first directional coupler includes at least one optical star coupler; said second directional coupler includes at least one optical star coupler; and said interconnection means includes means for conducting optical signals.

Claim 8

The shared directional multichannel system of claim 6 wherein: said optical star coupler stages comprise a plurality of smaller optical star couplers interconnected to form a single larger said coupler.

Claim 9

The shared directional multichannel system of claim 1 wherein: one or more source stations within at least one said source station group and the respective connections are absent.

Claim 10

A shared directional multichannel system for scheduled uniform traffic of up to k concurrent transmissions from m source stations to n destination stations, each said destination station having one receiver input, each said source station having two transmitter outputs and all said source stations being partitioned into at least one source station group such that no more than one said source station group contains less than k source stations and all said source station groups being partitioned into z clusters of no more than m/kz groups, wherein k, m, n, and z are positive nonzero integers, m≧k= log 2 n and z=m/kx is selected to minimize the value of {max(x,y)*max(m/(2x), n/(2y))} where y=√n/2, said system comprising: a first stage including 2kz first directional couplers, each said first directional coupler having √n/2 outputs and no more than m/kz inputs, all said inputs of each said first directional coupler being connected to transmitter outputs from a respective source station group; a second stage including 2√n second directional couplers, each said second directional coupler having at least kz/2 inputs and √n outputs; first interconnection means between said first stage and said second stage for connecting said first directional coupler outputs to said second directional coupler inputs such that the l th transmitter output of the i th source station within each said source station group is connected to the receiver input of the j th destination station, where the i th digit of binary integer j is equal to (1-1); a third stage of n third directional couplers, each said third directional coupler having two inputs and one output, said output being connected to a destination station receiver input; and second interconnection means between said second stage and said third stage for connecting said second directional coupler outputs to said third directional coupler inputs such that the l th transmitter output of the i th source station within each said source station group is connected to the receiver input of the j th destination station, where the i th digit of binary integer j is equal to (1-1).

Claim 11

A shared directional multichannel system for scheduled uniform traffic of up to k concurrent transmissions from m source stations to n destination stations, each said destination station having one receiver input, each said source station having two transmitter outputs and all said source stations being partitioned into at least one source station group such that no more than one said source station group contains less than k source stations and all said source station groups being partitioned into z clusters of no more than m/kz groups, wherein k, m, n, and z are positive nonzero integers, m≧k= log 2 n and z=m/kx is selected to minimize the value of {max(x,y)*max(m/(2x), n/(2y))} where y=√n/2, said system comprising: a first stage including 2kz first directional couplers, each said first directional coupler having √n/2 outputs and no more than m/kz inputs, all said inputs of each said first directional coupler being connected to transmitter outputs from a respective source station group; a second stage including 2√n second directional couplers, each said second directional coupler having at least kz/2 inputs and √n outputs; first interconnection means between said first stage and said second stage for connecting said first directional coupler outputs to said second directional coupler inputs such that the l th transmitter output of the i th source station within each said source station group is connected to the receiver input of the j th destination station, where the i th digit of binary integer j is equal to (1-1); a third stage of n third directional couplers, each said third directional coupler having two inputs and one output, said output being connected to a destination station receiver input; and second interconnection means between said second stage and said third stage for connecting said second directional coupler outputs to said third directional coupler inputs such that the l th transmitter output of the i th source station within each said source station group is connected to the receiver input of the j th destination station, where the i th digit of binary integer j is equal to (1-1).

Claim 12

The shared directional multichannel system of claim 9 for scheduled uniform traffic of up to (k+1) said concurrent transmissions from said source stations, wherein: said source stations are partitioned into at least one station group such that no more than one said source station group contains less than (k+1) source stations; and said first and second interconnection means each further includes means for connecting the l th transmitter output of the (k+1) th source station within each said source station group to the receiver input of the j th destination station, where the parity of binary integer j is equal to (1-1).

Claim 13

The shared directional multi-channel system of claim 10 wherein: said first directional coupler includes at least one optical star coupler; said second directional coupler includes at least one optical star coupler; said third directional coupler includes at least one optical star coupler; and said first and second interconnection means include means for conducting optical signals.

Claim 14

The shared directional multichannel system of claim 11 wherein: said optical star coupler stages comprise a plurality of smaller optical star couplers interconnected to form a single larger said coupler.

Claim 15

A shared directional multichannel system according to claim 9 wherein: said first directional coupler includes at least one optical star coupler; said second directional coupler includes at least one optical star coupler; said third directional coupler includes at least one optical star coupler; and said first and second interconnection means include means for conducting optical signals.

Claim 16

The shared directional multichannel system of claim 13 wherein: said optical star couplers comprise a plurality of smaller optical star couplers interconnected to form a single larger said coupler.

Claim 17

The shared directional multichannel system of claim 9 wherein: one or more source stations within at least one said source station group and the respective connections are absent.

Claim 20

The method of claim 16, wherein: p=2 and each said source station includes two transmitter outputs.

Claim 21

The method of claim 17 for uniform traffic of up to (k+1) concurrent transmissions, wherein: in said partitioning step no more than one said source station group contains less than (k+1) source stations; and said connecting step includes the step of connecting the l th transmitter output of the (k+1) th source station within each said source station group to the receiver input of the j th destination station, where the parity of binary integer j is equal to (1-1).

Claim 22

The method of claim 18 wherein m=n, further including the step of co-locating every said source station within said first set with one respective said destination station within said second set.

Claim 23

The method of claim 16, further comprising, following said partitioning step, the step of: selecting said first and second pluralities of inputs and outputs for said series of at least two coupling stages of substantially square directional couplers so that the arithmetic product of the at least two said second pluralities of coupler outputs is substantially equal to (n/p).

Claim 24

The method of claim 16, wherein m=n, further including the step of co-locating every source station within said first set with one respective said destination station within said second set.

Claim 25

The method of claim 16, wherein said concurrent transmissions, said transmitter outputs, and said receiver inputs include optical signals.

Claim 28

The method of claim 23, wherein: p=2 and each said source station includes two transmitter outputs.

Claim 29

The method of claim 24 for uniform traffic of up to (k+1) concurrent transmissions, wherein: in said partitioning step no more than one said source station group contains less than (k+1) source stations; and said connecting step includes the step of connecting the l th transmitter output of the (k+1) th source station within each said source station group to the receiver input of the j th destination station, where the parity of binary integer j is equal to (1-1).

Claim 30

The method of claim 25 wherein m=n, further including the step of co-locating every source station within said first set with one respective said destination station within said second set.

Claim 31

The method of claim 23 wherein m=n, further including the step of co-locating every source station within said first set with one respective said destination station within said second set.

Claim 32

The method of claim 23 wherein said concurrent transmissions, said transmitter outputs, and said receiver inputs include optical signals.

Claim 33

A shared directional multichannel system for scheduled uniform traffic of up to k concurrent transmissions from m source stations to n destination stations, each said destination station including one receiver input, each said source station including p transmitter outputs and all said source stations being partitioned into at least one source station group such that no more than one said source station group contains less than k source stations, wherein k, m, n and p are positive nonzero integers and m≧k=( log p n choose (p-1)), the system comprising: means for passively coupling optical signals from said source stations to said destination stations such that the power received at each said receiver is greater than p/n 2 times the power transmitted from the respective said transmitter.

Claim 34

A shared directional multichannel system for scheduled uniform traffic of up to k concurrent transmissions from m source stations to n destination stations, each said destination station including one receiver input, each said source station including p transmitter outputs and all said source stations being partitioned into at least one source station group such that no more than one said source station group contains less than k source stations, wherein k, m, n and p are positive nonzero integers and m≧k=( log p n choose (p-1)), the system comprising: means for passively coupling optical signals from said source stations to said destination stations such that the power received at each said receiver is greater than p/n 2 times the power transmitted from the respective said transmitter.

Claim 35

The shared directional multi-channel system of claim 29, wherein said power received at each said receiver is greater than (p/n/log p n) times the power transmitted from the respective said transmitter.

Claim 36

A shared directional multichannel system for scheduled uniform traffic of up to k concurrent transmissions from m source stations to n destination stations, each said destination station having one receiver input, each said source station having two transmitter outputs and all said source stations being partitioned into at least one source station group such that no more than one said source station group contains less than k source stations wherein k, m, and n are positive nonzero integers, and m≧k= log 2 n , said system comprising: means for passively coupling optical signals from said source stations to said destination stations such that the power received at each said receiver is greater than 2/n 2 times the power transmitted from the respective said transmitter.

Claim 37

A shared directional multichannel system for scheduled uniform traffic of up to k concurrent transmissions from m source stations to n destination stations, each said destination station having one receiver input, each said source station having two transmitter outputs and all said source stations being partitioned into at least one source station group such that no more than one said source station group contains less than k source stations wherein k, m, and n are positive nonzero integers, and m≧k= log 2 n , said system comprising: means for passively coupling optical signals from said source stations to said destination stations such that the power received at each said receiver is greater than 2/n 2 times the power transmitted from the respective said transmitter.

Claim 38

The shared directional multi-channel system of claim 31, wherein said power received at each said receiver is greater than (2/n/log 2 n) times the power transmitted from the respective said transmitter.