Optical time slot interchanger apparatus and method of operation

Claim 2

An OTSI for interchanging at least one time slot of data of a plurality of time slots, comprising: a n×n optical switch, where n is an integer greater than 2; an input optical fiber connected to a first of the n inputs of the n×n optical switch; an output fiber connected to a first of the n outputs of the n×n optical switch; a plurality of up to n-1 optical delay fibers, each of the optical fibers having one end connected to an output of the remaining n-1 outputs of the n×n optical switch and a second end connected to a respective input of remaining n-1 inputs of the optical switch; and means for controlling said optical switch so that a given time slot is routed from said first input through at least one of the delay fibers and out to said first output.

Claim 3

The OTSI as set forth in claim 1, wherein said controlling means provides routing for all data slots of a data frame.

Claim 4

The OTSI of claim 2 wherein The OTSI as set forth in claim 1, wherein said controlling means provides non-blocking routing for all data slots of a data frame.

Claim 5

The OTSI of claim 1, wherein said n×n optical switch is a crossbar switch.

Claim 6

The OTSI as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of optical amplifiers, each of said optical amplifiers is connected to a respective fiber of said delay fibers.

Claim 7

The OTSI as set forth in claim 5, wherein n is 8.

Claim 8

The OTSI as set forth in claim 5, wherein n is 16.

Claim 9

The OTSI as set forth in claim 1, wherein n is 8.

Claim 10

The OTSI as set forth in claim 1, wherein n is 16.

Claim 11

The OTSI as set forth in claim 1, wherein there are N time slots, to a data frame, with N being equal to the number 2 raised to the n-1 power.

Claim 12

The OTSI as set forth in claim 10, wherein each of the optical delay fibers is an integer multiple of the time period of one of the N time slots.

Claim 13

The OTSI as set forth in claim 10, wherein each of the optical delay fibers is a power of two times the time period of one of the N time slots from two to the zero power to two to the n-2 power, respectively.

Claim 16

The method of claim 13 where said assignment includes constructing a delay assignment table listing all log 2 N delay fibers, and the output fiber for each of the N time slots which lists which signal is entering which delay fiber during which time slot with the constraint that no two signals can enter the same delay fiber during the same time slot to prevent blocking; listing into said table each signal that can be met by a single fiber delay at the time required; determining the number of assignment possibilities for each delay with multiple elements to traverse the fiber delays; selecting a first possibility for the first time slot and tentatively filling in the delay table with this value; selecting a first possibility for the second time slot, and attempting to fulfill its delay requirements by tentatively filling in the delay table with this second value; selecting a first possibility for the third time slot and tentatively placing the individual delays into the delay table; and proceeding through each subsequent time slot, and if the final time slot is successfully entered into the delay table, making the tentative selections final for the routing of this permutation.

Claim 17

The method as set forth in claim 14, further comprising the steps of: if before the final time slot is successfully routed, the first possibility for one of the time slots cannot be routed because a delay fiber is already taken for that time slot, selecting a next possibility for that time slot; if any possibility for that time slot is able to be routed, tentatively selecting that routing and entering it in the delay table; proceeding through each subsequent time slot, and if the final time slot is successfully entered into the delay table making the tentative selections final for the routing of this permutation.

Claim 18

The method as set forth in claim 15, further comprising the steps of: if all possibilities are exhausted for a time slot before a successful routing can be found, backing up to the previous time slot and tentatively selecting a next possibility thereof; with this next possibility tentatively selected in the previous time slot, selecting a first possibility of the present time slot; if any possibility for that time slot is able to be routed, tentatively selecting that routing and entering it in the delay table; proceeding through each subsequent time slot, and if the final time slot is successfully entered into the delay table making the tentative selections final for the routing of this permutation.