Spectral Routers and Bufferless Switches for Optical Network Diameter Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wide-coverage data networks face inefficiencies due to multi-hop architectures, leading to performance degradation and a need for simplified network structures with smaller diameters to support high-quality broadband services without electronic domain switching.

Innovation Solution

A time-coherent network design featuring edge nodes interconnected by independent spectral routers and bufferless switches, organized in matrices to facilitate direct optical signal switching and reduce network diameter, using upstream and downstream spectral routers to connect edge nodes to switches without intermediate electronic conversion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If multi-hop packet-switching network is used to provide wide coverage, then network coverage area is improved, but network performance deteriorates due to cumulative degradation through numerous routing nodes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork coverage areaVSAvoidnetwork performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The network is segmented into distinct functional layers: optical core network for high-speed data transport and electronic edge networks for packet processing. This segmentation allows the optical core to provide wide coverage without electronic interference, while edge nodes handle packet switching, thus resolving the contradiction between coverage area and performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Optical carriers serve as intermediaries to transport data between edge networks. The optical core network acts as a mediator that connects distant edge nodes without requiring intermediate electronic routing nodes, thereby maintaining high performance while achieving wide coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If network diameter is reduced to improve performance, then network performance is improved, but network coverage area must be limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork performanceVSAvoidnetwork coverage area

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The network architecture transitions from a two-dimensional planar topology to a three-dimensional hierarchical structure with optical core layers and electronic edge layers. This dimensional change allows the network to achieve both small effective diameter for performance and large coverage area by utilizing the vertical dimension for optical transport.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Adaptability or versatility

If electronic domain switching is used to switch optical carrier signals, then switching flexibility is improved, but transmission efficiency deteriorates due to optical-to-electrical conversion requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveswitching flexibilityVSAvoidtransmission efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical/electronic switching system with an optical switching system in the core network. Optical switches directly route optical carrier signals without conversion to electrical domain, substituting the electronic switching mechanism with an optical equivalent that maintains both flexibility and efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Adaptability or versatility

If optical-to-electrical conversion is performed for switching, then switching capability is improved, but network cost increases due to conversion requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveswitching capabilityVSAvoidnetwork cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the optical-to-electrical conversion function from the core network and relocates it only to the edge networks. This extraction eliminates the need for expensive converters throughout the network, reducing overall device complexity and cost while preserving switching capability at the boundaries where conversion is necessary.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS9596524B2Time-coherent global network employing spectral routers

Publication Date: 2017.03.14 BESHAI MAGED E

AI summary

A network of global coverage, scalable to an access capacity of hundreds of petabits per second, is configured as independent bufferless switches with spectral routers connecting edge nodes to the switches. The switches are logically arranged in at least one matrix, the spectral routers are logically arranged into a matrix of upstream spectral routers and a matrix of downstream spectral routers. Each edge node has a link to an upstream spectral router in each column of the matrix of upstream spectral routers and a link from a downstream spectral router in each row of the matrix of downstream spectral routers. Preferably, all sets of edge nodes connecting to the upstream spectral routers are selected to be mutually orthogonal. Each switch is coupled to a respective switch controller and a respective time indicator. Each switch controller entrains time indicators of a set of subtending edge nodes to enable coherent switching.