Patent ID: 8676004
Filing Date: 2014-03-18
Classification: H04Q

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: an optical circuit switch (OCS) including a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port, wherein the first and second ports of the OCS are coupled to each other by a first switch bidirectional path and the third and fourth port of the OCS are coupled to each other by a second switch bidirectional path; a first optical circulator, wherein the first port of the OCS is coupled to a second port of the first optical circulator by way of a first bidirectional path, the first optical circulator includes a first port that is configured to receive a first input optical signal and a third port that is coupled to a first node via a second unidirectional path from the third port of the first optical circulator to the first node; a second optical circulator, wherein the second port of the OCS is coupled to a second port of the second optical circulator by way of a second bidirectional path, the second optical circulator includes a first port that is configured to receive a second input optical signal and a third port that is coupled to a second node via a second unidirectional path from the third port of the second optical circulator to the second node; a third optical circulator, wherein the third port of the OCS is coupled to a second port of the third optical circulator by way of a third bidirectional path, the third optical circulator includes a first port that is coupled to the first node via a third unidirectional path from the first node to the first port of the third optical circulator and a third port that is coupled to the first node via a fourth unidirectional path from the third port of the third optical circulator to the first node; and a fourth optical circulator, wherein the fourth port of the OCS is coupled to a second port of the fourth optical circulator by way of a fourth bidirectional path, the fourth optical circulator includes a first port that is coupled to the second node via a fifth unidirectional path from the second node to the first port of the fourth optical circulator and a third port that is coupled to the second node via a sixth unidirectional path from the third port of the fourth optical circulator to the second node; wherein, the first port of the first optical circulator, the first port of the OCS, the second port of the OCS and the third port of the second optical circulator are configured to form a first path capable of propagating the first optical signal to the second node; the first port of the second optical circulator, the second port of the OCS, the first port of the OCS and the third port of the first optical circulator are configured to form a second path capable of propagating the second optical signal to the first node; the first port of the third optical circulator, the third port of the OCS, the fourth port of the OCS and the third port of the fourth optical circulator are configured to form a third path capable of propagating the second optical signal from the first node to the second node; and the first port of the fourth optical circulator, the fourth port of the OCS, the third port of the OCS and the third port of the third optical circulator are configured to form a fourth path capable of propagating the first optical signal from the second node to the first node.