Patent ID: 6829436
Filing Date: 2004-12-07
Classification: H04J,H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
An optical cross-connect device in an optical communication system, comprising: a demultiplexer for demultiplexing an input optical signal into different channels; a plurality of optical receivers for outputting a transmission rate monitoring signal by converting the demultiplexed signals received from the demultiplexer to electrical signals, and for recovering a clock signal and data according to a reference clock signal generated upon the receipt of a transmission rate change signal; a cross-connect switch for path-routing the electrical signals received from the arbitrary transmission optical receivers; a controller for controlling the path-routing of the cross-connect switch, determining a transmission rate from the transmission rate monitoring signal, and feeding the transmission rate change signal to the arbitrary transmission optical transmitters; a plurality of optical transmitters for converting the electrical signal received from each output port of the cross-connect switch to an optical signal; and, a multiplexer for multiplexing the optical signals received from the optical transmitters onto one strand of optical fiber.