Multi-Degree Optical Cross-Connector for WDM Networks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current cross-connection systems in optical communication networks face bottlenecks due to excessive electrical processing, signal degradation, and inefficient bandwidth utilization, particularly in high-capacity networks, and lack effective multicast capabilities without additional wavelength converters.
Innovation Solution
A multi-degree cross-connection system incorporating an optical coupler and wavelength selective switches (WSS) that splits and routes optical signals without demultiplexing, allowing selective wavelength transmission and conversion, thereby reducing electrical processing and enabling efficient bandwidth use and multicast operations without additional wavelength converters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If optical/electrical/optical cross-connection systems are used to handle high-capacity signals, then transmission capacity increases, but electrical information processing becomes a bottleneck and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments optical signals into different wavelength channels using WDM technology, allowing parallel processing of multiple wavelength streams. This segmentation enables the system to handle high-capacity traffic by dividing it into manageable wavelength channels that can be processed independently, reducing the bottleneck effect on electrical processing components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/electrical switching mechanisms with optical switching technology. Optical switches directly manipulate light signals without converting to electrical domain, thereby eliminating the electrical information processing bottleneck while maintaining high transmission capacity. This substitution of mechanical/electrical systems with optical systems is the core solution to the identified contradiction.
2Device complexity
If optical/optical/optical cross-connection systems are used to avoid electrical conversion, then system simplicity increases and costs decrease, but signal degradation occurs and transmission distance is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces optical amplifiers and regenerators as intermediary components in the optical/optical/optical cross-connection path. These intermediaries amplify and regenerate optical signals without converting to electrical domain, thereby maintaining system simplicity while compensating for signal degradation. The optical amplifiers boost signal strength and the regenerators restore signal quality, enabling long-distance transmission without electrical conversion.
3Productivity
If electrical interconnection/grooming switches are used to groom low-speed signals, then bandwidth utilization efficiency increases, but switching speed is limited to low-speed electrical digital hierarchy signals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical grooming switches with optical grooming switches that operate directly on optical signals. This substitution enables high-speed switching while maintaining the bandwidth utilization efficiency of grooming functions. The optical switch can handle high-speed optical digital hierarchy signals and perform grooming operations in the optical domain, achieving both high speed and efficient bandwidth utilization simultaneously.
4Productivity
If optical signals are not regenerated at intermediate network nodes, then network expandability increases and O/E conversion operations are minimized, but signal degradation accumulates and transmission distance is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces optical regenerators as intermediary devices at intermediate network nodes. These regenerators restore degraded optical signals by reshaping and retime them in the optical domain without O/E conversion. This allows the network to expand over longer distances with more nodes while maintaining signal quality, resolving the contradiction between network expandability and signal degradation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces system costs, enhances network expandability, prevents signal degradation, and optimizes bandwidth use by regenerating signals and performing wavelength conversion, while enabling efficient multicast operations within the network.
Implementation Method 1
an optical coupler which splits an input optical signal comprising a plurality of wavelengths into a plurality of paths
Implementation Method 2
a wavelength selective switch (WSS) which extracts at least one wavelength from the split optical signal and transmits the extracted wavelength to at least one output port
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a network node which has a wavelength switching cross-connection function and can thus interconnect paths of a wavelength-division-multiplexed optical signal and convert wavelengths, and an operating method of the network node. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a multi-degree cross-connection system having a simple structure at lower cost by allowing transmission of optical signals supposed not to be added/dropped at a network node without converting them into electrical signals and performing O/E conversion or E/O conversion only on optical signals supposed to be added/dropped at a network node. In addition, it is possible to increase the expandability of networks by regenerating degraded signals and which can effectively utilize bandwidths by grooming low-speed electrical digital hierarchy signals and transmitting them as high-speed optical signals. Moreover, it is possible to increase the availability of network resources by performing wavelength conversion without the need of additional wavelength converters. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent multiplexed optical signals from being degraded by filtering even when the multiplexed optical signals are not demultiplexed into wavelengths. Still furthermore, it is possible to perform a multicast operation on input wavelengths.