Alcatel

Alcatel N.v.

Other

Alcatel Lucent

Nokia Technologies Oy

Alcatel Cit

Alcatel Alsthom Compagnie Generale D'electricite

Dominique Chiaroni

Michel Sotom

Nicolas Le Sauze

Amaury Jourdan

Corinne Chauzat

Denis Penninckx

Thierry Zami

Jean-Michel Gabriagues

Francesco Masetti

Sophie Etienne

Dominique Bayart

Ludovic Noirie

Christian Simonneau

Bernd Sartorius

Vinod Kumar

Dominique De Bouard

Bruno Lavigne

Alain Pons

Bogdan Uscumlic

An Ge

Emmanuel Dotaro

Olivier Audouin

Daniel Popa

Claude Artigue

Jean-Yves Emery

Herbert Haunstein

Fabrice Devaux

Laurent Ciavaglia

Christopher Janz

Brice Leclerc

Annalisa Morea

Franck Bruyere

Roland Mestric

Arnaud Dupas

Jean-Christophe Antona

Yvan Pointurier

Olivia Rofidal

Fran&ccedil;ois Dorgeuille

B&eacute;atrice Dagens

Olivier Marcé

Dusan Suvakovic

Stephan Bauer

Paulette Morin

Jos George

Guilhem De Valicourt

Gema Buforn Santamaria

Carsten Bornholdt

Peter Vetter

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus comprising a first part () which comprises a first light-based communication port () and a network interface (), a second part () which comprises a non-volatile memory () and a second light-based communication port (), and wherein the apparatus is configured to deactivate at least one of the first light-based communication port () and the second light-based communication port () responsive to determining that a read or write operation in the non-volatile memory () is complete.

Data storage

A node is configured for deployment in an optical network. The node includes an analog switch for routing an optical packet between input ports and output ports. The node also includes digital processing circuitry configured to generate first configuration information based on the optical packet prior to providing the optical packet to the analog switch. The analog switch is configured to route the optical packet between the input ports and the output ports based on the first configuration information in response to the optical packet arriving at the node in a first time interval. The optical packet is not processed by the digital processing circuit or results of processing are not used to configure the analog switch during a second time interval. The analog switch routes the optical packet between the input and output ports based on second configuration information during the second time interval.

Optical packet switching based on traffic properties

An exemplary technique is provided for a scalable architecture for a network node that allows a very high switching capacity. The network node has a number of packet optical add drop multiplexers (POADMs), a number of dual line cards, respectively associated with the POADMs, and an optical switch matrix. Each POADM has an input and an output line interface and serves to selectively add and drop optical packets into and from packet timeslots of output and input wavelength-multiplexed optical signals transmitted and received at said output and input line interfaces, respectively. The dual line cards serve to electrically process and buffer packets to be added and dropped. The optical switch matrix configurably interconnects internal optical interfaces contained within the dual line cards on a packet by packet basis.

High capacity network node

A bidirectional optical amplifier () is arranged to be passed through in one direction by a downstream optical signal (SDS) and in an opposite direction by an upstream optical signal (SUS), and comprises: a first optical circulator () having three ports, a first port of the first optical circulator defining a first connector () at one end of the bidirectional optical amplifier, a second optical circulator () having three ports, a first port of the second optical circulator defining a second connector () at an opposite end of the bidirectional optical amplifier, a downstream unidirectional optical amplifier () connected between a second port of the first optical circulator and a second port of the second optical circulator so as to define a downstream amplification path () for the downstream optical signal, and an upstream unidirectional optical amplifier () connected between a third port of the first optical circulator and a third port of the second optical circulator so as to define an upstream amplification path () for the upstream optical signal. The bidirectional optical amplifier () further comprises a waveband separator () connected between the second port of the first optical circulator () and an input of the downstream unidirectional optical amplifier ().

Bidirectional optical amplifier

The field of the invention is that of switching optical signals with carrier wavelength conversion capacity, comprising a set of input ports (PE-PEn), a set of output ports (PS-PSn) functionally connected to the input ports so that an input signal presented to one of the input ports may be selectively routed to at least one of the output ports, and wavelength conversion means () providing a capacity for converting an input signal carrier wavelength to at least one other output port output wavelength. According to the invention the wavelength conversion capacity of said conversion means () is limited by at least one of the following three limitation means i) to iii):

Device and method for switching optical data for optical communication networks

An all-optical clock recovery system for recovering the clock from a received optical signal with a short response time and without patterning effects includes a first optical clock recovery device adapted to supply a first optical clock signal in response to the received optical signal and a second optical clock recovery device adapted to supply a second optical clock signal in response to the first optical clock signal. Applications include regenerating optical packets in asynchronous optical packet-switched telecommunication networks.

Optical clock recovery device for recovering the clock from an optical signal

An optical packet node for receiving and transmitting optical packets is disclosed. A multiwavelength band splitting device splits received optical packets transmitted via multiwavelength bands into at least three groups, each group including one multiwavelength band. A multiwavelength band combining device combine the three groups of multiwavelength bands. At least two optical packet add drop multiplexers are placed between the multiwavelength band splitting device and the multiwavelength band combining device. Each optical packet add drop multiplexer adds and drops at least one individual wavelength to a respective multiwavelength band group. A load balancing stage is connected to the optical packet add drop multiplexers to provide an interconnection between at least two wavelength bands.

Optical packet node and optical packet add drop multiplexer

Packets conveying data are received by a router via input ports which impose on them optical carrier waves whose wavelengths correspond to the ports. Respective time-delays are applied to the packets and they are broadcast to spatial selectors that transmit them to spectral selectors. Amplifiers are distributed over the paths of the packets and the paths are organized in such a manner as to limit the number of semiconductor optical switches in the selectors and to minimize noise and optical crosstalk affecting the packets.

Packet router for use in optical transmission networks

A method for synchronizing optical signals conducted via different optical waveguides to an optical network node, wherein the variations in propagation time of the optical signals are compensated by adjustable optical delay circuits of a synchronizing device. To set a new delay for one of the optical waveguides, one of the adjustable delay circuits, already switched into the passive state, is set at the desired delay. This delay circuit is then switched into the active state by means of a high-speed optical switch, and the previously active delay circuit is switched into a passive state.

Method for synchronizing optical signals, an optical synchronizing devices and an optical network node therefor

Switch for optical signals

To increase the bit rate of wavelength division multiplexed optical data switched in a photonic switching matrix, whilst maintaining a high bandwidth, a wavelength selector and converter includes a demultiplexer with n outputs respectively connected to n inputs of a coupler via n wavelength converters. Each wavelength converter has an optical gate function and selectively supplies converted signals conveyed by the same wavelength. Applications include optical packet switching.

Wavelength selector and converter and a photonic switching matrix incorporating it

A hybrid spatial and wavelength selector for optical switching matrices includes a guide system defining paths between input ports receiving light waves having diverse wavelengths and at least one output port. Gates on the paths are each opened or closed so that the light waves reaching the output port via the gates which are open are selected according to the input ports which received them and according to their wavelength. The guide system is situated only between the optical gates and the output port and includes a wavelength separation system assigning some of the paths to the light waves according to their wavelength. The selector has applications in fiber optic telecommunication networks.

Hybrid spatial and wavelength selector and optical switching matrix including it

In order to be able to use a semiconductor light amplifier of conventional type and operating under gain saturation conditions while nevertheless providing constant gain for an optical signal to be amplified, the device comprises means for producing a compensation light wave and coupling means for injecting the optical signal to be amplified and the compensation light wave into the amplifier. The compensation light wave presents amplitude modulation such that when combined with the optical signal to be amplified the overall amplitude modulation is eliminated or at least attenuated. The device is applicable to optical transmission systems operating at a single wavelength or with wavelength division multiplexing.

Light amplifier device

A switch which avoids imparting interference noise, limiting communications speed, and imparting losses, includes n passive couplers, each of which is provided with a number k of outlets, and with an inlet suitable for receiving one input signal; and k wavelength multiplexers, each of which is provided with n inlets set to respective ones of n wavelengths. For each multiplexer, that one of its inlets which is set to one of the wavelengths, is coupled via an amplifying optical gate to one of the outlets of that one of the couplers that is organized to receive an input signal carried by the same wavelength. The switch is used in performing routing functions in communications networks having optical links.

Optical switch

In packet time-division multiplexing communications systems using optical networks, an optical method and circuits used in electrical-to-optical conversion interfaces assure that data rates of the electrical domain match the data rates of the optical domain. An optical method of concatenating binary information contained in successive time windows of an input signal includes forming g converted input signals obtained by amplitude modulating g optical carrier waves having different wavelengths, each converted input signal presenting, within the time windows, amplitude modulation as a function of the input signal. The method also includes forming a multiplex signal made up of a combination of g delayed signals obtained by applying delays to the converted input signals, the delays being such that any two consecutive delayed signals are offset in time by the duration w of the time windows.

Method and a circuit for concatenating binary information, and use in optical packet transmission

Growing community of inventors

Antony, France

Dominique Chiaroni