Optical Packet Tray Router Wavelength Selective Delay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current optical communication systems face inefficiencies due to the high granularity of wavelength allocation, which is costly and limited in number, making it difficult to manage and scale for high-capacity networks with diverse information rates.
Innovation Solution
An optical packet tray router that dynamically assigns unique wavelengths to packet trays for switching, using wavelength division multiplexing and tunable optical delays to enable finer-grained control and avoid collisions, thereby reducing the need for electrical conversions and enhancing scalability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If wavelength division multiplexing is used to transmit multiple information signals on the same physical channel, then the network capacity and bandwidth are improved, but the wavelength resource allocation becomes coarse-grained and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the wavelength resource into finer granules by introducing packet trays that can carry multiple packets at different information rates. Instead of allocating entire wavelengths to individual packets, the system divides wavelengths into reusable time slots within packet trays, enabling multiple users to share the same wavelength resource dynamically.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic wavelength allocation where packet trays are assigned wavelengths on-demand based on traffic requirements. The wavelength assignment is not static but changes dynamically with each packet tray transmission, allowing efficient utilization of wavelength resources while supporting diverse information rates.
2Adaptability or versatility
If electronic optical switches are used to perform switching operations, then flexibility and routing capability are improved, but the system becomes expensive and complex to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electronic optical switches with an all-optical switching mechanism based on wavelength selective switches and packet tray routing. The switching operations are performed directly in the optical domain using wavelength-selective components rather than converting to electrical signals, thereby maintaining routing flexibility while eliminating the complexity and cost of electronic conversions.
3Reliability
If an entire wavelength is allocated to each packet, then wavelength selective routing is enabled, but the resource allocation granularity becomes too coarse for efficient utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the wavelength resource by introducing packet trays that can carry multiple packets from different users at different information rates. Each packet tray is assigned a wavelength for its duration, and the same wavelength can be reused for subsequent packet trays. This segmentation enables fine-grained resource allocation while maintaining wavelength-selective routing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The wavelength resource serves multiple functions simultaneously by being allocated to different packet trays at different time slots. A single wavelength can carry multiple packet trays sequentially, and the same wavelength can be assigned to different destinations at different times, thereby improving resource utilization while maintaining routing flexibility.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the system supports heterogeneous mix of ever increasing information rates, then network adaptability is improved, but the switching and routing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces packet trays as an intermediary structure that abstracts the heterogeneity of different information rates. Instead of directly switching individual packets at different rates, the system switches complete packet trays that contain multiple packets. The packet tray format standardizes the transmission unit, allowing the switching fabric to handle diverse information rates without increasing complexity.
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 allows for efficient, scalable, and cost-effective switching of optical signals at the wavelength level, improving network flexibility and reducing resource allocation costs by enabling precise timing and spatial alignment of packet trays.
Implementation Method 1
An exemplary N×N optical packet tray router employs wavelength division multiplexing techniques to transmit m information signals (i.e., packet trays) on the same physical channel
Implementation Method 2
The wavelength of a given packet tray is shifted using a tunable optical delay to introduce a wavelength selective delay to the packet tray
Data Source
AI summary
An optical packet tray router is disclosed that manipulates a signal wavelength as the fundamental control mechanism. The disclosed optical packet tray router aggregates one or more packets in a packet tray for transmission over a network. The header information associated with each packet is used to route each packet to the appropriate destination channel and to make timing decisions. A wavelength server generates optical control wavelengths in response to the timing decisions. A generated optical control wavelength is used to adjust the wavelength of a given packet tray and thereby introduce a wavelength selective delay to the packet tray to align packet trays or to shift one or more packet trays to avoid a collision. The wavelength of the packet tray is converted to a control wavelength corresponding to an identified delay, irrespective of the initial channel upon which the packet tray was received. At the output stage of the packet tray router, the packet tray wavelength can be converted to any desired output channel wavelength.