Patent ID: 7953323
Filing Date: 2011-05-31
Classification: H04J,H04Q

Abstract:
1. A time multiplexed space switch comprising: at least one higher data rate input; at least one higher data rate output; at least one time-slot interchange; and at least one tributary space switch; wherein a higher data rate channel comprising a plurality of tributary data rate channels is incident at a higher data rate input; wherein a higher data rate channel comprising a plurality of tributary data rate channels is output at a higher data rate output; wherein each time-slot interchange comprises a multi-wavelength pulse laser source; a wavelength converter; a wavelength selective time-slot interchanger; one higher data rate input; and one higher data rate output; wherein the multi-wavelength pulse laser source includes at least one ultra-short pulse radiation laser source, a producer from said source of a plurality of different radiation wavelengths of synchronous pulsed radiation, a plurality of delay lines for delaying each different radiation wavelength of pulsed radiation by a certain delay value, and a combiner for merging the said plurality of delayed wavelength pulses into a sequence of multi-wavelength pulses in a single medium to form a multi-wavelength pulse sequence; wherein the wavelength converter translates the higher data rate channel at the higher data rate input of the time-slot interchange into a multi-wavelength data pulse sequence, according to the said multi-wavelength pulse sequence of the multi-wavelength pulse laser source which is also input to the wavelength converter; wherein the wavelength selective time-slot interchanger includes a wavelength de-multiplexer which de-multiplexes the said multi-wavelength data pulse sequence according to each data pulse wavelength, a plurality of channel tributary paths with each path connected to each output of the de-multiplexer, with some paths connected to delay lines of reconfigurable delay values, and a combiner for merging the said paths to form the output higher data rate channel of said time-slot interchange, wherein the output higher data rate channel of the time-slot interchange has the tributaries interchanged; wherein each tributary space switch comprises at least one multi-wavelength pulse laser source; at least one wavelength converter; a wavelength selective space cross-connect; at least one higher data rate input; and at least one higher data rate output; wherein each multi-wavelength pulse laser source includes at least one ultra-short pulse radiation laser source, a producer from said source of a plurality of different radiation wavelengths of synchronous pulsed radiation, a plurality of delay lines for delaying each different radiation wavelength of pulsed radiation by a certain delay value, and a combiner for merging the said plurality of delayed wavelength pulses into a sequence of multi-wavelength pulses in a single medium to form a multi-wavelength pulse sequence; wherein each wavelength converter is subsequent to a higher data rate input of the tributary space switch and translates the higher data rate channel into a multi-wavelength data pulse sequence, according to the multi-wavelength pulse sequence of the said multi-wavelength pulse laser source which is also input to the wavelength converter; wherein the wavelength selective space cross-connect includes a wavelength de-multiplexer for each higher data rate input to the tributary space switch, said de-multiplexer is followed by a plurality of channel tributary paths with said path inputs connected to the outputs of the de-multiplexer, and with said channel tributary path outputs connected to a space switch, and with the space switch channel tributary outputs connected to a plurality of combiners, with each said combiner combining a plurality of channel tributary paths to form one higher data rate output of the tributary space switch; wherein the wavelength selective space cross-connect de-multiplexes into data channel tributaries each higher data rate multi-wavelength data pulse sequence from the output of a said wavelength converter, switches any said channel tributary to any channel tributary output of the said space switch, and combines said channel tributary outputs into higher data rate outputs of the tributary space switch.