Optical communications – Multiplex – Optical switching
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-25
2004-07-13
Pascal, Leslie (Department: 2633)
Optical communications
Multiplex
Optical switching
C398S047000, C398S049000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06763191
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to optical communication networks generally, and more particularly to optical switching in optical communication networks.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The increase of data rates carried by optical communication networks that is experienced today makes switching operations that require optical-to-electronic and electronic-to-optical conversions of communicated information undesirable. On the other hand, all-optical switching in all-optical communication networks, particularly in applications that involve wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) and in applications that require speedup and slow-down of the communicated information, is not trivial. Thus, efficient techniques for all-optical switching that supports speedup and slow-down of communicated information in non-WDM based optical communication networks and in WDM based optical communication networks are still required.
A technique that uses a delay line together with multiplexing and modulation in order to increase a data rate carried over a single fiber optic cable is described in an article entitled “Mining the Optical Bandwidth for a Terabit per Second”, by Alan Eli Wiliner in
IEEE Spectrum
, April 1997, pp. 32-41. However, the technique described by Willner is not suitable for use with a plurality of separate fiber optic cables carrying data after the data is already modulated, and is also not suitable for use in cases where there is no synchronization between separate fiber optic cables carrying data.
Some aspects of technologies and art related to all-optical clock-recovery in optical communication networks are described in the following publications:
an article entitled “Polarization Insensitive Widely Tunable All-Optical Clock Recovery Based on AM Mode-Locking of a Fiber Ring Laser”, by Wang et al in
IEEE Photonics Technology Letters
, Vol. 12, No. 2, February 2000, pp. 211-213;
an article entitled “Ultra-High-Speed PLL-Type Clock Recovery Circuit Based on All-Optical Gain Modulation in Traveling-Wave Laser Diode Amplifier”, by Kawanishi et al in
Journal of Lightwave Technology
, Vol. 11, No. 12, December 1993, pp. 2123-2129; and
an article entitled “Prescaled 6.3 GHz clock recovery from 50 GBit/s TDM optical signal with 50 GHz PLL using four-wave mixing in a traveling-wave laser diode optical amplifier”, by Kamatani et al in
Electronics Letters
, Vol. 30, No. 10, May 12, 1994, pp. 807-809.
Some aspects of technologies and art related to delay line techniques are described in the following publications:
an article entitled “Variable optical delay line with diffraction-limited autoalignment” by Klovekorn et al in
Applied Optics
, Vol. 37, No. 10, Apr. 1, 1998, pp. 1903-1904;
an article entitled “Picosecond-Accuracy All-Optical Bit Phase Sensing Using a Nonlinear Optical Loop Mirror”, by Hall et al in
IEEE Photonics Technology Letters
, Vol. 7, No. 8, August 1995, pp. 935-937; and
an article entitled “An Ultrafast Variable Optical Delay Technique”, by Hall et al in
IEEE Photonics Technology Letters
, Vol. 12, No. 2, February 2000, pp. 208-210.
Some aspects of technologies and art related to all-optical demultiplexing techniques are described in the following publications:
an article entitled “Compact 40 Gbit/s optical demultiplexer using a GaInAsP optical amplifier”, by Ellis et al in
Electronics Letters
, Vol. 29, No. 24, Nov. 25, 1993, pp. 2115-2116;
an article entitled “Bit-Rate Flexible All-Optical Demultiplexing Using a Nonlinear Optical Loop Mirror”, by Patrick et al in
Electronics Letters
, Vol. 29, No. 8, Apr. 15, 1993, pp. 702-703; and
an article entitled “All-Optical High Speed Demultiplexing with a Semiconductor Laser Amplifier in a loop Mirror Configuration”, by Eiselt et al in
Electronics Letters
, Vol. 29, No. 13, Jun. 24, 1993, pp. 1167-1168.
Some aspects of technologies and art related to WDM based and non-WDM based optical communication networks and to optical switching techniques and elements associated therewith are described in the following publications:
The Communications Handbook
, CRC Press & IEEE Press, 1997, Editor-in-Chief Jerry D. Gibson, Chapter 65, pp. 883-890;
an article entitled “Optical switching promises cure for telecommunications logjam”, by Jeff Hecht in
Laser Focus World
, September 1998, pp. 69-72;
a technology brief entitled “Lucent Upgrades Wavestar to 320-Channel, 800-Gb/s Transmission”, in
Photonics Spectra
, June 2000, pp. 46;
an article entitled “Design and Cost Performance of the Multistage WDM-PON Access Networks”, by Maier et al in
Journal of Lightwave Technology
, Vol. 18, No.2, February 2000, pp. 125-143;
an article entitled “All-optical networks need optical switches”, by Jeff Hecht in
Laser Focus World
, May 2000, pp. 189-196;
an article entitled “Record Data Transmission Rate Reported at ECOC 96”, by Paul Mortensen in
Laser Focus World
, November 1996, pp. 40-42;
an article entitled “Multiple Wavelengths Exploit Fiber Capacity”, by Eric J. Lerner in
Laser Focus World
, July 1997, pp. 119-125;
an article entitled “Advances in Dense WDM Push Diode-Laser Design”, by Diana Zankowsky in
Laser Focus World
, August 1997, pp. 167-172;
an article entitled “Multistage Amplifier Provides Gain Across 80 nm”, by Kristin Lewotesky in
Laser Focus World
, September 1997, pp. 22-24;
an article entitled “WDM Local Area Networks”, by Kazovsky et al in
IEEE LTS
, May 1992, pp. 8-15;
an article entitled “Optical Switches Ease Bandwidth Crunch”, by Rien Flipse in
EuroPhotonics
, August/September 1998, pp. 44-45;
an article entitled “Speed Demons: Is “Faster Better and Cheaper?”, by Stephanie A. Weiss in
Photonics Spectra
, February 1999, pp. 96-102;
an article entitled “Wavelength Lockers Keeps Lasers in Line”, by Ed Miskovic in
Photonics Spectra
, February 1999, pp. 104-110;
an article entitled “Optical switches pursue crossconnect markets”, by Hassaun Jones-Bay in
Laser Focus World
, May 1998, pp. 153-162;
a conference review entitled “Optical amplifiers revolutionize communications”, by Gary T. Forrest in
Laser Focus World
, September 1998, pp. 28-32;
an article entitled “Combining gratings and filters reduces WDM channel spacing”, by Pan et al in
Optoelectronics World
, September 1998, pp. S11-S17;
an article entitled “Demand triggers advances in dense WDM components”, by Raymond Nering in
Optoelectronics World
, September 1998, pp. S5-S8;
an article entitled “Optical Networks Seek Reconfigurable Add/Drop Options”, by Hector E. Escobar in
Photonics Spectra
, December 1998, pp. 163-167;
an article entitled “Ultrafast Optical Switch Unveiled”, by Michael D. Wheeler in
Photonics Spectra
, December 1998, pp. 42;
an article entitled “Data express Gigabit junction with the next-generation Internet”, by Collins et al in
IEEE Spectrum
, February 1999, pp. 18-25;
an article entitled “Designing Broadband Fiber Optic Communication Systems”, by Juan F. Lam in
Communication Systems Design
magazine, February 1999, pp. 1-4 at http://www.csdmag.com;
an article entitled “Terabit/second-transmission demonstrations make a splash at OFC '96”, in
Laser Focus World
, April 1996, pp. 13;
an article entitled “Multigigabit Networks: The Challenge”, by Rolland et al in
IEEE LTS
, May 1992, pp. 16-26;
an article entitled “Direct Detection Lightwave Systems: Why Pay More?”, by Green et al in
IEEE LCS
, November 1990, pp. 36-49;
an article entitled “Photonics in Switching”, by H. Scott Hinton in
IEEE LTS
, August 1992, pp. 26-35;
an article entitled “Advanced Technology for Fiber Optic Subscriber Systems”, by Toba et al in
IEEE LTS
, November 1992, pp. 12-18;
an article entitled “Fiber amplifiers expand network capacities”, by Eric J. Lerner in
Laser Focus World
, August 1997, pp. 85-96;
an article entitled “Technologies for Local-Access Fibering”, by Yukou Mochida in
IEEE Communications Magazine
, February 1994, pp. 64-73;
an article entitled “Wavelength Assignment in Multihop Lightwave Networks”, by Ganz et al in
IEEE Transactions on Communications
, Vol. 42, No. 7, July 1994, pp. 2460-2469;
an article
Browdy and Neimark , P.L.L.C.
ECI Telecom Ltd.
Pascal Leslie
Tran Dzung
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