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US5179548A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Self-healing bidirectional logical-ring network using crossconnects

Assignee: Nytell Software LLC
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Filing: 1991-06-27
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Granted: 1993-01-12
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Expires: 2011-06-27
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Abstract

Abstract A bidirectional logical-ring network employs crossconnect nodes, which partition the network into segments and interconnect segments at the subchannel level to form logical ring structures. All segments are independent, and each segment includes a subset of Add-Drop Multiplex nodes (ADMs) and two pairs of links, one working and one protection. The formation of logical rings from the interconnection of independent segment subchannels preserves the self-healing advantages of conventional bidirectional ring networks and allows greater flexibility to effeciently accommodate bandwidth upgrade requests.

Inventors

  • 👤 Niranjan B. Sandesara

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-05 11:42
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L12/00; H04L12/28; H04L12/42; H04J; H04J3/00; H04J3/02; H04J3/08; H04J3/085; H04L12/437; H04J2203/00; H04J2203/0001; H04J2203/0028; H04J2203/0039; H04J2203/0041; H04J2203/0057; H04J2203/006; H04J2203/0089

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 182 words
A bidirectional ring network composed of logical-ring structures connecting add-drop multiplex nodes (ADMs) said network comprising a plurality of independent segments, said segments propagating signals of multiplexed subchannels, and each of said plurality of segments comprising a subset of ADMs connected by the network, and two pairs of transmission links passing through the subset of links, a first pair of said transmission links transporting signals of multiplexed subchannels under normal and abnormal operating conditions and a second pair of transmission links transporting signals of multiplexed subchannels under abnormal conditions; and a plurality of crossconnect nodes which terminate said segments, each of said crossconnect nodes comprising means for routing subchannels from an incoming one of said segments to an outgoing one of said segments to configure the logical ring as a cascade of predetermined ones of said segments and preselected ones of said crossconnect nodes, thereby coupling each of the ADM nodes to the other ADM nodes on the logical ring, and means for switching and connecting said first pair of transmission links to said second pair of transmission links under abnormal conditions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 182 words
A bidirectional ring network composed of logical-ring structures connecting add-drop multiplex nodes (ADMs) said network comprising a plurality of independent segments, said segments propagating signals of multiplexed subchannels, and each of said plurality of segments comprising a subset of ADMs connected by the network, and two pairs of transmission links passing through the subset of links, a first pair of said transmission links transporting signals of multiplexed subchannels under normal and abnormal operating conditions and a second pair of transmission links transporting signals of multiplexed subchannels under abnormal conditions; and a plurality of crossconnect nodes which terminate said segments, each of said crossconnect nodes comprising means for routing subchannels from an incoming one of said segments to an outgoing one of said segments to configure the logical ring as a cascade of predetermined ones of said segments and preselected ones of said crossconnect nodes, thereby coupling each of the ADM nodes to the other ADM nodes on the logical ring, and means for switching and connecting said first pair of transmission links to said second pair of transmission links under abnormal conditions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 47 words
The network in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of segments propagates signals operating at rates independent of signals propagating on other of said plurality of segments and wherein each of said plurality of segments propagate signals having an independent number of multiplexed subchannels.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 17 words
The network in accordance with claim 1, wherein said switching and connecting means is a loop-back switch.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 35 words
The network in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a management node coupled to at least one of said crossconnect nodes for configuring the interconnections between subchannels of said segments terminated at other said crossconnects.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 165 words
A self-healing meshed network comprising a plurality of logical-ring segments each propagating multiplexed subchannels, each of said segments comprising add-drop multiplex nodes (ADMs) connected by the network, and two pairs of transmission links passing through the subset of ADMs, a first pair of said transmission links transporting signals of multiplexed subchannels under normal and abnormal operation and a second pair of transmission links transporting signals of multiplexed subchannels under abnormal conditions; and a plurality of interconnecting means, each of said interconnecting means terminating at least three of said logical-ring segments and interconnecting the multiplexed subchannels of said terminated logical ring segments into a plurality of possible logical rings, each of said plurality of interconnecting means comprising means for routing each subchannel from an incoming one of said terminated logical-ring segments to an outgoing one of said terminated logical-ring segments, and means for switching and connecting said first pair of transmission links to said second pair of transmission links for each of said terminated logical-ring segments.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 165 words
A self-healing meshed network comprising a plurality of logical-ring segments each propagating multiplexed subchannels, each of said segments comprising add-drop multiplex nodes (ADMs) connected by the network, and two pairs of transmission links passing through the subset of ADMs, a first pair of said transmission links transporting signals of multiplexed subchannels under normal and abnormal operation and a second pair of transmission links transporting signals of multiplexed subchannels under abnormal conditions; and a plurality of interconnecting means, each of said interconnecting means terminating at least three of said logical-ring segments and interconnecting the multiplexed subchannels of said terminated logical ring segments into a plurality of possible logical rings, each of said plurality of interconnecting means comprising means for routing each subchannel from an incoming one of said terminated logical-ring segments to an outgoing one of said terminated logical-ring segments, and means for switching and connecting said first pair of transmission links to said second pair of transmission links for each of said terminated logical-ring segments.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 17 words
The network in accordance with claim 5, wherein each of said interconnecting means is a crossconnect node.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 21 words
The network in accordance with claim 6 further comprising a management node coupled to at least one of said crossconnect nodes.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 17 words
The network in accordance with claim 5, wherein said switching and connecting means is a loop-back switch.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4740958A Cited
US4835763A Cited
US4947389A Cited
US5003531A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1996-01-12 1996-07-13 1997-01-12 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2000-01-12 2000-07-13 2001-01-12 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2004-01-12 2004-07-13 2005-01-12 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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