Method and apparatus for transferring WDM signals between different wavelength division multiplexed optical communications systems in an optically transparent manner
View Patent ↗In a WDM optical communication system that includes a plurality of nodes interconnected by communication links, a node is provided which includes an optical coupling arrangement having at least one input port for receiving a WDM signal and a plurality of output ports for selectively receiving one or more wavelength components of the WDM optical signal. The optical coupling arrangement is adaptable to reconfigure its operational state to (i) selectively direct any one of the wavelength components received on the input port to any of the output ports independently of any other of the wavelength components and (ii) selectively direct any combination of two or more of the wavelength components from the input port to at least two of the output ports that serve as WDM output ports. At least one optical WDM interface is optically coupled to a first of the WDM output ports. The optical WDM interface is adapted to receive, at different times, a transponder and a transmission link through which a WDM signal can be communicated. At least one transponder is coupled to a second of the WDM output ports.
1. In a WDM optical communication system that includes a plurality of nodes interconnected by communication links along a first transmission path, a node, comprising:
a first optical coupling arrangement having at least one transmission path input port for receiving an input WDM optical signal from the first transmission path, the first optical coupling arrangement also having a plurality of subtending ring output ports outside of the first transmission path of the plurality of nodes, the plurality of subtending ring output ports for selectively receiving one or more wavelength components of the input WDM optical signal, said first arrangement being adaptable to reconfigure its operational state to selectively direct any one of the wavelength components received on the first transmission path input port to any of the plurality of subtending ring output ports independently of any other of the wavelength components and without converting the optical signals into electrical signals;
a second optical coupling arrangement having at least one transmission path output port for providing a provided WDM optical signal onto the first transmission path, the second optical coupling arrangement also having a plurality of subtending ring input ports outside of the first transmission path, the plurality of subtending ring input ports for selectively providing one or more wavelength components onto the provided WDM optical signal, said second arrangement being adaptable to reconfigure its operational state to selectively direct any one of the wavelength components received on any of the plurality of subtending ring input ports onto the provided WDM optical signal independently of any other of the wavelength components and without converting the optical signals into electrical signals, at least one of the first arrangement and the second arrangement lacking amplifiers; and
a plurality of subtending rings optically coupling the plurality of subtending ring output ports to the plurality of subtending ring input ports in a one-to-one manner, each of the plurality of subtending rings aggregating local traffic via a respective plurality of network nodes disposed along the subtending ring and coupling the local traffic onto the first transmission path without converting the local traffic to or from an electrical signal.
2. The WDM optical communication system in accordance with claim 1 , the optical channel being at least part of a subtending network.
3. The WDM optical communication system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein both of the first and second arrangements lack amplifiers.