The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 03, 1998
Filed:
Nov. 14, 1995
Roberto Sabella, Rome, IT;
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, Stockholm, SE;
Abstract
An optical cross-connect node architecture interfaces plural optical fiber input and output links, each link containing plural wavelength channels. In one embodiment, the input links are connected to an optical coupler. Pairs of tunable optical filters and optical wavelength converters are each connected to an output port of the optical coupler and perform wavelength channel routing and switching in the wavelength domain, i.e., without the need for any optical space switch. In another embodiment, an additional input wavelength converter is connected to each input fiber link to convert the plural wavelength channels on each link to different, noninterferring wavelengths. This prevents wavelength contention in the optical coupler to which the input wavelength converters are connected. New fiber links may be added in modular fashion without significant impact on the pre-existing optical cross-connect structure. Similarly, new wavelength channels may also be multiplexed onto existing fibers to provide wavelength modularity without having to reconfigure the node.