Patent ID: 7412171
Filing Date: 2008-08-12
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; and 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 1, wherein: each terminal station p is coupled to, and receives information from, its associated multi-add/drop filter p through a single transmission medium; each terminal station p is coupled to, and transmits information in a first direction around the ring to, a multi-add/drop filter p+1 of said number (p) of multi-add/drop filters through a single transmission medium, wherein the multi-add/drop filter p+1 is the multi-add/drop filter neighboring multi-add/drop filter p in the first direction; and wherein communications from each terminal station p to each other terminal station in the first direction are assigned a different one of the N−1 wavelengths.