Patent ID: 6504631
Filing Date: 2003-01-07
Classification: H04J,H04Q

Abstract:
A network comprising a plurality of nodes interconnected by communication links, the nodes being configured to selectively transfer information thereamong using a wavelength-division multiplexing technique using a light beam of a plurality of wavelengths, one of the wavelengths being selected as a unitary control channel for transferring control information from one of said nodes to others of said nodes, the control information identifying which of the wavelengths are to be used by the other nodes in transmitting information to each other and identifying respective optical power levels of such transmissions, each of the other nodes receiving over a corresponding one of the communication links the light beam comprising the control channel, draining off a predetermined portion of energy thereof to facilitate use of the control information thereby and coupling the remainder of the energy thereof over one of the communication links to another of said other node, each of the other nodes being operative to determine from address information in the control channel whether the control information carried by the control channel is destined for the node.