Optical cross-connect system with space and wavelength division switching stages for minimizing fault recovery procedures

An optical cross-connect system comprising:

• an optical space switch having a plurality of first inlet ports, a second inlet port, a plurality of first outlet ports and a second outlet port for establishing links between any of the inlet ports and any of the outlet ports, the first inlet ports being connected to incoming optical trunks and the first outlet ports being connected to outgoing optical trunks, each of the incoming optical trunks and each of the outgoing optical trunks carrying a wavelength time division multiplexed signal;
• at least a wavelength division demultiplexer having an input connected to at least the second outlet port of the optical space switch and a plurality of outputs;
• at least a wavelength division multiplexer having an output connected to at least the second inlet port of the optical space switch and a plurality of inputs;
• a wavelength-divided space switch having a plurality of first inlet ports, a second inlet port, a plurality of first outlet ports and a second outlet port for establishing links between any of the inlet ports and any of the outlet ports, the first inlet ports of the wavelength-divided space switch being connected to the outputs of the wavelength division demultiplexer, the first outlet ports of the wavelength-divided space switch being connected to the inputs of the wavelength division multiplexer;
• a time division demultiplexer having an input connected to at least the second outlet port of the wavelength-divided space switch and a plurality of outputs;
• a time division multiplexer having an output connected to at least the second inlet port of the wavelength-divided space switch and a plurality of inputs;
• and
• a time switch having a plurality of first inlet ports, a plurality of second inlet ports, a plurality of first outlet ports and a plurality of second outlet ports for establishing links between any of the inlet ports and any of the outlet ports, the first inlet ports of the time switch being connected to the outputs of the time division demultiplexer, the first outlet ports of the time switch being connected to the inputs of the time division multiplexer, the second inlet ports and second outlet ports of the time switch being adapted for connection to a switched network.

In a network management system having a network center and a plurality of network nodes, each of the network nodes comprising:

• an optical cross-connect system comprising:
• an optical space switch having a plurality of first inlet ports, a second inlet port, a plurality of first outlet ports and a second outlet port for establishing links between any of the inlet ports and any of the outlet ports, the first inlet ports being connected to incoming optical trunks and the first outlet ports being connected to outgoing optical trunks, each of the incoming optical trunks and each of the outgoing optical trunks carrying a wavelength division multiplexed signal;
• at least a wavelength division demultiplexer having an input connected to at least the second outlet port of the optical space switch and a plurality of outputs;
• at least a wavelength division multiplexer having an output connected to at least the second inlet port of the optical space switch and a plurality of inputs;
• a wavelength-divided space switch having a plurality of first inlet ports, a plurality of second inlet ports, a plurality of first outlet ports and a plurality of second outlet ports for establishing links between any of the inlet ports and any of the outlet ports, the first inlet ports of the wavelength-divided space switch being connected to the outputs of the wavelength division demultiplexer, the first outlet ports of the wavelength-divided space switch being connected to the inputs of the wavelength division multiplexer, the second inlet ports and the second outlet ports of the wavelength-divided space switch being adapted for connection to a switched network;
• fault network means for detecting a fault in the cross-connect system and reporting the detected fault to the network center;
• and
• control means for controlling at least one of the optical space switch and the wavelength-divided space switch in response to a command signal from the network center indicating a location of the fault in the cross-connect system and recovering the fault.

In a network management system having a network center and a plurality of network nodes, each of the network nodes comprising:

• an optical cross-connect system comprising:
• an optical space switch having a plurality of first inlet ports, a second inlet port, a plurality of first outlet ports and a second outlet port for establishing links between any of the inlet ports andy of the outlet ports, the first inlet ports being connected to incoming optical trunks and the first outlet ports being connected to outgoing optical trunks, each of the incoming optical trunks and each of the outgoing optical trunks carrying a wavelength time division multiplexed signal;
• at least a wavelength division demultiplexer having an input connected to at least the second outlet port of the optical space switch and a plurality of outputs;
• at least a wavelength division multiplexer having an output connected to at least the second inlet port of the optical space switch and a plurality of inputs;
• a wavelength-divided space switch having a plurality of first inlet ports, a second inlet port, a plurality of first outlet ports and a second outlet port for establishing links between any of the inlet ports and any of the outlet ports, the first inlet ports of the wavelength-divided space switch being connected to the outputs of the wavelength division demultiplexer, the first outlet ports of the wavelength-divided space switch being connected to the inputs of the wavelength division multiplexer;
• at least a time division demultiplexer having an input connected to at least the second outlet port of the wavelength-divided space switch and a plurality of outputs;
• at least a time division multiplexer having an output connected to at least the second inlet port of the wavelength-divided space switch and a plurality of inputs;
• a time switch having a plurality of first inlet ports, a plurality of second inlet ports, a plurality of first outlet ports and a plurality of second outlet ports for establishing links between any of the inlet ports and any of the outlet ports, the first inlet ports of the time switch being connected to the outputs of the time division demultiplexer, the first outlet ports of the time switch being connected to the inputs of the time division multiplexer, the second inlet ports and second outlet ports of the time switch being adapted for connection to a switched network;
• fault detector means for detecting a fault in the cross-connect system and reporting the detected fault to the network center;
• and
• control means for controlling at least one of the optical space switch, the wavelength-divided space switch and the time switch in response to a command signal from the network center indicating a location of the fault in the cross-connect system and recovering the fault.