Optical waveguides – With optical coupler – Switch
Reexamination Certificate
2003-05-29
2004-06-22
Healy, Brian M. (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
With optical coupler
Switch
C385S015000, C385S018000, C385S024000, C385S037000, C385S129000, C385S130000, C385S014000, C398S045000, C398S050000, C398S082000, C398S084000, C398S096000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06754410
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to optical communications, and more particularly, to a method of and apparatus for providing a 1×K integrated wavelength-selective cross connect for use in a wavelength division multiplex (WDM) network, where K is an integer representing the number of output paths.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
At nodes in a wavelength division multiplex (WDM) network, it is often necessary to route each wavelength channel from a single incoming fiber independently to one of a plurality (K) of output paths. Some of these paths may terminate (or be dropped) independently into a receiver, and some may continue through the node. Such a wavelength routing device can be called a 1×K wavelength-selective cross connect (WSC), where K is the number of output paths.
One illustrative 1×K WSC is described in the copending patent application entitled “INTEGRATED WAVELENGTH ROUTER,” Ser. No. 10/035,628, filed on Nov. 1, 2001 pending, which is incorporated by reference herein. In that patent application, a WSC is comprised of a demultiplexer arranged to receive an input WDM signal containing N wavelengths, the WDM signal being demultiplexed into N separate wavelengths and applied to a binary tree containing log
2
K stages of interconnected 1×2 switches. The 1×2 switches can be integrated and have their outputs crossing each other at each stage. The outputs of the final stage are applied to, and combined in, K multiplexers, which provide the K outputs of the WSC.
While the above patent application provides an advancement over prior art arrangements, the crossovers utilized to enable interconnection between each switch stage add loss, crosstalk, and require extra real estate to the implementation of an integrated 1×K WSC device. Thus, what is desired is an integrated 1×K WSC device that can be implemented without the use of crossovers.
SUMMARY OF TILE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, an integrated 1×K WSC apparatus is described that can be implemented with or without the use of crossovers.
More particularly in one embodiment, our integrated 1×K WSC apparatus comprises
a demultiplexer arranged to couple individual wavelengths in an input optical WDM signal to N respective demultiplexer outputs, where N is an integer greater than one,
a free space region having a left edge and a right edge,
N planar beam steerers arranged along the left edge of the free space region and each connected to a different one of the N demultiplexer outputs,
K waveguide gratings arranged along the right edge of the free space region for multiplexing together multiple light beams received along the right edge of the free space region, where K is an integer greater than one, and wherein
each beam steerer arranged along the left edge of the free space region can selectively direct a light beam from one of the N demultiplexer outputs to a waveguide grating arranged along the right edge of the free space region.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5136671 (1992-08-01), Dragone
patent: 5953143 (1999-09-01), Sharony et al.
patent: 6208442 (2001-03-01), Liu et al.
patent: 6259833 (2001-07-01), Doerr et al.
patent: 6327398 (2001-12-01), Solgaard et al.
patent: 6389190 (2002-05-01), Solgaard et al.
patent: 6493117 (2002-12-01), Milton et al.
patent: 6542655 (2003-04-01), Dragone
patent: 2002/0071627 (2002-06-01), Smith et al.
patent: 2003/0133641 (2003-07-01), Yoo
Doerr Christopher Richard
Dragone Corrado P.
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