Optical waveguides – With optical coupler – Switch
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-19
2003-06-24
Palmer, Phan T. H. (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
With optical coupler
Switch
C385S017000, C385S023000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06584243
ABSTRACT:
The present invention is based on a priority application DE 100 65 499.1, which is incorporated by reference herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the field of telecommunications and more particularly to a switching device for an optical transmission network, having a first switch to which a plurality of fibres are attached, each of which fibres is provided with a plurality of channels with a different wavelength, the first switch being suitable for connecting each channel of each of the fibres to any other channel of all the fibres.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such a switching device is known, for example, as a digital cross-connect switch (DXC) in the case of a wavelength division multiplex (WDM) transmission network. The switching device can be embodied therein as an electrical or optical switching matrix, with which each channel of any fibre can be connected to each channel of all the other fibres.
The consequence of the greatly increasing number of channels to be switched on the individual fibres is that the number of possible switching connections in the switching device connecting the fibres is also increasing drastically. This large number of possible switching connections can no longer be achieved realistically with the known switching device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a switching device for an optical transmission network, which permits a large number of switching connections to be achieved expediently.
This object is achieved according to the invention, in the case of a switching device of the type mentioned at the start, by the fact that at least one channel of the fibres is not attached to the first switch, but is instead attached to a second switch, the second switch being suitable only for connecting each channel of a first of the fibres to each channel of a second of the fibres.
On the one hand, the switching device according to the invention is no longer suitable for each channel of any fibre to be connected to each channel of all the other fibres. Nevertheless, this can be readily compensated for by the fact that, with the aid of a network management system, the entire transmission network, or the connections set up thereby, can be globally controlled.
On the other hand, the essential advantage of the switching device according to the invention resides in its low component cost. Owing to the fact that it is no longer necessary to connect each channel to all the other channels, a substantially simpler and therefore less expensive first switching matrix can be used. Those channels which are not attached to this switching matrix can be connected to one another with the aid of a second switching matrix, which is likewise relatively simple and inexpensive. Overall, the outlay for the two switching matrices according to the invention is then substantially less than for an switching matrix according to the prior art, with which each channel can be connected to all the other channels.
In an advantageous refinement of the invention, at least one channel of the fibres is attached neither to the first switch nor to the second switch, but is instead attached to an amplifier, the amplifier being suitable only for connecting each channel of a first of the fibres to the associated channel, with the same wavelength, of a second of the fibres.
With the aid of the amplifier, a signal to be transmitted can therefore easily be amplified within the switching device according to the invention. Nevertheless, in this refinement of the invention as well, it is readily possible to set up any desired connection within the transmission network with the aid of the network management system.
Other features, possible applications and advantages of the invention will be found in the following description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, which are represented in the figures of the drawing. In this context, all described or presented features, individually or in any combination, constitute the subject-matter of the invention, irrespective of their summary in the patent claims or the referencing thereof, and irrespective of their formulation or presentation in the description and/or in the drawing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6366716 (2002-02-01), Graves
Alcatel
Palmer Phan T. H.
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