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US 7,627,245 B2Granted
System and method for re-using wavelengths in an optical network
AssigneeTellabs Operations, Inc.
InventorsDavid W. Jenkins, Mark E. Boduch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A network design that reduces the number of wavelengths needed to support communications in a Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) network is disclosed. Wavelengths are reused in isolated sub-networks that do not share common network paths, allowing for the reduction in cost of the WDM equipment supporting the communications in the network.
Claims22
A network, comprising:
- at least four network nodes each coupled to at least four network paths, at least four of the network paths used to couple the at least four network nodes;
- and
- at least three isolated sub-networks each including different ones of the network paths and using at least one wavelength in common, at least two of the sub-networks each including at least two of the at least four network nodes that others of the at least two sub-networks do not include, and at least one of the sub-networks including at least four of the network nodes.
A method of supporting communications in a network including four network nodes each being coupled to four network paths, the four network nodes being coupled by at least four of the network paths, the method comprising:
- carrying first communications on at least one given wavelength in a first isolated sub-network of the network, the first communications being carried through two of the four network nodes and through a first pair of the network paths;
- carrying second communications on the at least one given wavelength in a second isolated sub-network of the network, the second communications being carried through the other two of the four network nodes and through a second pair of the network paths;
- carrying third communications on the at least one given wavelength in a third isolated sub-network of the network, the third communications being carried through the four network nodes and through four of the network paths other than the first and second pairs of network paths;
- and
- carrying fourth communications on at least one wavelength, in addition to the at least one given wavelength, between two of the isolated sub-networks, the first, second, third, and fourth communications being concurrently carried in the network.
2 more elements
A method of supporting communications in a network, comprising:
- carrying first communications on at least one given wavelength in a first sub-network of the network, the first communications being carried through at least two network nodes coupled by at least four network paths and through at least two of the at least four network paths;
- carrying second communications on the at least one given wavelength in a second sub-network of the network, the second communications being carried through the at least two network nodes and through at least two other paths of the at least four network paths;
- carrying third communications on at least one wavelength, in addition to the at least one given wavelength, between the first sub-network and the second sub-network, the first, second, and third communications being concurrently carried in the network;
- and
- carrying additional communications through the at least two network nodes and through at least two additional paths defining a third sub-network, the additional communications being carried on the at least one given wavelength in the third sub-network.
2 more elements
A network, comprising:
- at least two network nodes each coupled to at least four network paths, at least two of the at least four network paths coupling the at least two network nodes;
- at least two isolated sub-networks each including at least two of the network nodes, the at least two isolated sub-networks using at least one wavelength in common;
- and
- at least two additional network nodes each coupled to at least four network paths, the at least two additional network nodes coupled to the at least two network nodes by at least two of the network paths and coupled by at least two others of the network paths, at least four of the network paths (i) interconnecting the at least two additional network nodes with the at least two network nodes and (ii) defining a third isolated sub-network.
1 more element
A network, comprising:
- four network nodes each coupled to four network paths and coupled by four of the network paths;
- and
- three isolated sub-networks each including different ones of the network paths and using at least one wavelength in common, two of the sub-networks each including two of the four network nodes that the other sub-network does not include, and one of the sub-networks including the four network nodes.
A method of supporting communications in a network having two-degree nodes coupled by network paths, the method comprising:
- replacing four two-degree nodes of the network with four four-degree nodes;
- coupling two pairs of the four-degree nodes each with two additional network paths to create first, second, and third isolated sub-networks;
- carrying first communications on a given wavelength in the first sub-network;
- carrying second communications on the given wavelength in the second sub-network;
- and
- carrying third communications on the given wavelength in the third sub-network, the first, second, and third communications being concurrently carried in the first, second, and third sub-networks.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.