Optical Communication Routing With Protocol-Independent Control Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical access systems experience delays due to the conversion of optical signals to electrical signals for processes like routing, which degrades service quality, especially when handling multiple services, and require a control signal that does not depend on the main signal protocol for efficient routing.
Innovation Solution
An optical communication device and system that uses an optical switch and a control unit to allocate wavelengths based on a control signal, allowing the optical signal to be relayed to a destination without converting it to an electrical signal, by dividing and inserting control signals between partial main signals, and combining them for output.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If optical signals are converted to electrical signals for routing processes, then routing and control functions can be performed, but communication delay increases and service quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical signal processing with optical signal processing throughout the routing system. Optical switches and optical control units directly manipulate optical signals without converting to electrical signals, substituting the traditional electrical processing mechanism with an all-optical mechanism that eliminates conversion delays while maintaining routing control functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces optical control signals as intermediaries to manage the optical switching system. These optical control signals carry routing information and wavelength allocation instructions, acting as mediators between the control unit and optical switches without requiring electrical signal conversion, thus maintaining low delay while enabling sophisticated routing control
2Productivity
If multiple services are accommodated in one optical access system, then network efficiency improves, but protocol compatibility and control complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal optical control signal framework that can manage multiple different services and protocols through a single standardized interface. The optical control signals use a protocol-independent format that can carry routing information for various services (IPTV, internet, telephone) without requiring service-specific electrical processing, enabling one system to efficiently accommodate multiple services while keeping control complexity manageable
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the control function into separate optical control signals that can be independently processed by the optical switch. By dividing the control information into distinct optical signal components (wavelength allocation, routing instructions, service identification), the system can handle multiple services simultaneously through parallel optical processing rather than complex integrated electrical processing
3Loss of time
If optical switches are used for routing, then communication delay is reduced, but the number of ports required increases for multicast and broadcast
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple service streams and routing functions into a unified optical switching fabric. By combining multicast, broadcast, and unicast routing into a single optical switch controlled by unified optical control signals, the system achieves low-delay routing without requiring separate ports for each service type. The optical switch can handle multiple services through wavelength division and optical signal routing rather than requiring dedicated physical ports for each function
Data Source
AI summary
An optical communication device includes: an optical switch configured to output an optical signal input from one transmission line to another transmission line among a plurality of transmission lines; and a control unit configured to control the optical switch such that a wavelength in accordance with a subscriber device and a transmission destination on a path of a communication destination is allocated to the subscriber device by using a control signal inserted or written by the control unit or a monitoring unit, and the input optical signal is output to the another transmission line corresponding to the communication destination. The subscriber device divides a main signal of the input optical signal into at least first and second partial main signals, inserts the control signal between the first and second partial main signals, inserts a time region for inserting the control signal in the control unit or the monitoring unit in a middle of a path, or inserts a writable signal region for overwriting using the control signal for transmission, deletes the control signal, the time region for inserting the control signal, or the writable signal region for overwriting using the control signal from a received signal, and combines the divided main signals to output the main signal.