Patent ID: 7623543
Filing Date: 2009-11-24
Classification: H04J,H04Q

Abstract:
1. An optical node comprising: a data interface operable to receive data for transmission to a destination node; a buffer operable to store the data; a transmitting unit operable to couple to an optical transmission medium having a plurality of data channels and to selectively transmit optical signals on the data channels; and a controller operable to receive a token authorizing transmission on one of the data channels selected from a group of token-controlled ones of the data channels, to generate a transmission control message identifying the destination node and the authorized data channel, to communicate the transmission control message for receipt by the destination node, to transmit the data on the authorized data channel using the transmitting unit after communicating the transmission control message, and to communicate the token to a next node; wherein the controller is further operable to receive a plurality of tokens, each token authorizing transmission on a separate data channel, to generate a plurality of transmission control messages, each transmission control message identifying the destination node and one of the separate authorized data channels, to communicate the transmission control messages for receipt by the destination node, to divide the data into a plurality of portions, to transmit each portion on a separate one of the authorized data channels, and to communicate the tokens to the next node.