Wdm ring network for flexible connections
AssigneeTransmode Holding AB
InventorMagnus Oberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A broadcast and select ring network for optical WDM communicationincludes two parallel fiber rings (1a, 1b) carrying traffic in oppositedirections between nodes (3; A, B, C, D). The nodes comprise on their receive side selecting means such as a cross connect device (21) or similar means allowing a flexible selection of the wavelength channels which are to be received by each node. Thereby, any WDM channel in the rings can be selected and received in the nodes. For example, all nodes can receive signals in the same channel for e.g. set up or reconfigurationpurposes. Furthermore, the number of receivers in a node can be smallbut still all channels can be received. The number of transmitters in eacha node can also be small since every transmitter can reach every receiver.
Claims27
An optical WDM network for flexible connections comprising:
- at least one fiber ring path for carrying light signals, and
- nodes connected in said at least one ring path and having transmit and receive sides arranged to transmit and receive respectively light signals carrying information in distinct wavelength channels,
- receiver units and transmitter units comprised in the nodes, at least one of the nodes comprising:
- at least one add filter connected in the fiber ring path for adding light signals from the transmitter units of said at least one of the nodes to the light signals in said at least one fiber ring path,
- an optical power splitter connected in said at least one fiber ring path, the optical power splitter tapping off a portion of the power of signals propagating in said at least one fiber ring path, the portion containing light signals in all wavelength channels incoming to said at least one of the nodes,
- characterized in that said at least one of the nodes further comprises:
- a demultiplexer connected to receive the tapped-off portion from the optical power splitter in said at least one of the nodes and separating the signals of the wavelength channels comprised in said tapped-off portion from each other, and
- a selector connected to receive the separated signals of the wavelength channels from the demultiplexer and connected to the receiver units of said least one of the nodes for switching signals in selected ones of the wavelength channels to the receivers units so that each of the receiver units of said at least one of the nodes can be selected to receive signals of any one of all of the wavelength channels.
An optical WDM network for flexible connections comprising:
- at least one fiber Ting path for carrying light signals, and
- nodes connected in the ring path and having transmit and receive sides arranged to transmit and receive respectively light signals carrying information in distinct wavelength channels,
- receiver units comprised in the nodes,
- characterized in that at least one of nodes further comprises a selector connected to the receiver units of said at least one of the nodes for switching signals in selected ones of the wavelength channels to the receivers units of said at least one of the nodes so that each of the receiver units of said at least one of the nodes can be selected to receive signals of any one of the wavelength channels, the selector comprising tunable band pass filters connected in series with each other, the tunable band pass filters having output terminals connected to the receiver units of said at least one of the nodes.
A node for an optical WDM network allowing flexible connections, the network comprising at least one fiber ring path for carrying light signals, the node being connectable in said at least one ring path, the node having transmit and receive sides arranged to transmit and receive respectively light signals carrying information in distinct wavelength channels, the transmit side comprising at least one transmitter unit and the receive side comprising at least one receiver unit, the node further comprising
- at least one add filter connectable in said at least one fiber ring path for adding light signals from said at least one transmitter unit to light signals in the fiber ring path when the node is connected in an optical WDM network,
- an optical power splitter connectable in said at least one fiber ring path for tapping off a portion of power of signals propagating in the at lest one fiber ring path said tapped-off portion containing light signals in all wavelength channels incoming to the node when connected in an optical WDM network,
- characterized by
- a demultiplexer connected to receive the tapped-off portion from the optical power splitter and separating the signals of the wavelength channels comprised in said tapped-off portion from each other, and
- a selector connected to receive the separated signals of the wavelength channels from the demultiplexer and connected to said at least one receiver unit for switching signals in one selected among all of the wavelength channels to said at least one receivers unit
A node for an optical WDM network allowing flexible connections, the network comprising at least one fiber ring path for carrying light signals, the node being connectable in said at least one ring pat,, the node having transmit and receive sides arranged to transmit and receive respectively light signals carrying information in distinct wavelength channels, the receive side comprising at least two receiver units, characterized by a selector connected to said at least two receiver units for switching signals in selected ones of the wavelength channels to said at least two receivers units so that each of said at least two receiver units can be selected to receive signals of any one of the wavelength channels, the selector comprising tunable band pass filters connected in series with each other, the tunable band pass filters having output terminals connected to said at least two receiver units.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.