Patent ID: 7123837
Filing Date: 2006-10-17
Classification: H04J

Abstract:
1. An optical ring network, comprising: a number (p) of multi-add/drop filters, each multi-add/drop filter being coupled to two other multi-add/drop filters to form a ring; a number (p) of terminal stations, each terminal station being associated with a different one of the multi-add/drop filters; wherein each terminal station is capable of communicating with each other terminal station simultaneously using wavelength division multiplexing and N−1 wavelengths, where N is an integer greater than 2; wherein each of the multi-add/drop filters comprises a symmetrical pair of frequency routers; an input frequency router having input and output ports; and an output frequency router having input and output ports; wherein N−2 output ports of the output frequency router associated with multi-add/drop filter p are coupled to N−2 input ports of the input router associated with multi-add/drop filter p+1, wherein multi-add/drop filter p+1 is the multi-add/drop filter neighboring multi-add/drop filter p in a first direction.