Optical cross-connect apparatus, and its signal monitoring method

An optical cross-connect apparatus, comprising:

• a light switch having a plurality of first and second ports, which switches paths of light signals inputted from each of said first ports and has them outputted from any one of said second ports;
• a light path control section for branching a path of said light switch so as to have light signals inputted from any one of said first ports outputted from any two of said second ports when supervising said light signals and have light signals inputted from each of said first ports outputted from predetermined one of said second ports when not supervising said light signal;
• and
• a light signal supervising section for supervising quality of light signals outputted from either of said two ports only when performing said supervising.

An optical cross-connect apparatus, comprising:

• a wavelength separating section for separating, per wavelength component, wavelength multiple light wherein light signals of a plurality of mutually different wavelength components are multiplexed;
• a light switch having n (n is a natural number of 2 or more) pieces of first port and at least (n+1) pieces of second port, which switches light signals ofthe respective wavelength components separated by said wavelength separating section inputted from each of said first ports and has them outputted from any one of said second ports;
• a light path control section for branching a path of said light switch so as to have light signals inputted from one of said first ports outputted fromany two of said second ports;
• a light signal supervising section for supervising quality of light signals outputted from a predetermined third port of said two ports;
• a wavelength component converting section for converting each individual light signal outputted from said second ports excluding said third port into a light signal of predetermined wavelength components;
• and
• a wavelength multiplexing section for multiplexing per predetermined number these light signals converted by the wavelength component converting section.

An optical cross-connect apparatus, comprising:

• a light switch having a plurality of first and second ports, which switches paths of light signals inputted from each of said first ports and has them outputted from any one of said second ports and also switches paths of light signals inputted from each of said second ports and has them outputted from any one of said first ports;
• n pieces of upward light signal input and output terminals;
• n pieces of downward light signal input and output terminals;
• a first light circulator provided corresponding to each of said first ports for outputting upward light signals inputted from each of the upward light signal input terminals to each corresponding port of said first ports and also outputting downward light signals inputted from each of said ports to said downward light signal output terminal;
• a second light circulator provided corresponding to each of said second ports for outputting downward light signals inputted fromeach of the downward light signal input terminals to each corresponding port of said second ports and also outputting upward light signals inputted from each of said ports to said upward light signal output terminal;
• a light path control section for branching a path of said light switch means so as to have light signals inputted from any one of said first ports outputted from any two of said second ports and also have light signals inputted from any one of said second ports outputted from any two of said first ports;
• a first light signal supervising section for supervising quality of light signals outputted from a predetermined third port of any two of said first ports;
• and
• a second light signal supervising section for supervising quality of light signals outputted from a predetermined fourth port of any two of said second ports.

A signal supervising method, comprising the steps of:

• a light switching of switching paths of light signals inputted from each of a plurality of first ports and having them outputted from any one of a plurality of second ports;
• a light path controlling of branching apath of said light switch so as to have light signals inputted from any one of said first ports outputted from any two of said second ports when supervising said light signal and have light signals inputted from each of said first ports outputted from predetermined one of said second ports when not supervising said light signal;
• and
• a light signal supervising of supervising quality of light signals outputted from either of said two ports only when performing said supervising.

A signal supervising method, comprising the steps of:

• a wavelength separating of separating, per wavelength component, wavelength multiple light wherein light signals of a plurality of mutually different wavelength components are multiplexed;
• a light switching of switching light signals of the respective wavelength components separated by said wavelength separating process inputted from each of n (n is a natural number of 2 or more) pieces of first port and having them outputted from any one of at least (n+1) pieces of second port;
• a light path controlling of branching apath of said light switch so as to have light signals inputted from one of said first ports outputted from any two of said second ports;
• a light signal supervising of supervising quality of light signals outputted from a predetermined third port of said two ports;
• a wavelength converting of converting each individual light signal outputted from said second ports excluding said third port into a light signal of predetermined wavelength components;
• and
• a wavelength multiplexing of multiplexing per predetermined number these light signals converted by the wavelength component converting process.