Abstract:
A high-speed optical network is provided wherein transmitters and receivers operate under the control of an appropriate controller without the requirement for low-speed optical-electrical-optical (OEO) conversion devices. Through the use of appropriate multiplexing schemes and device controls, optical data signals are sent from transmitters to receivers without the requirement for intermediate address decoding and the concomitant signal regeneration necessitated by the use of low-speed OEO devices. Further provided are transparent optical data receivers which, under appropriate control, detect high-speed optical data with minimal or no diminution of the optical intensity of the underlying data signal. A transparent optical receiver may be utilized by removing a portion of the coating and cladding of an optic fiber and inserting the optical receiver at that location. Operating alone or with the receivers, the optical network of the present invention facilitates long-haul as well as local optical data transmission with minimal or no use of low-speed OEO devices and data signal regeneration, and can be further used to provide an alternate path for delivering large bandwidth data requested over electronic networks, such as the Internet.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is related to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ , entitled “HIGH-SPEED OPTICAL DATA NETWORK WITH IMPROVED OPTICAL RECEIVER” filed in the name of A. Mashinsky on Dec. 15, 2000. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to networks and more particularly to an optical network for high-speed voice and data transfer.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    With the advent of the Internet, the universal requirement for data bandwidth has begun an almost exponential growth. Essentially non-existent as little as five years ago, the volume of Internet traffic was estimated to surpass voice traffic in 1999. In anticipation of increased market penetration as well as new applications such as streaming media and machine-to-machine transactions, it has been estimated that Internet traffic will grow an additional 20× to 30× times its current volume within the next two years. The majority of this traffic is carried by data networks, with wide-area networks (WANs) spanning large geographic areas while local-area networks (LANs) provide interconnections and data at point-of-use, such as in a business or home environment.  
           [0004]    Today&#39;s WANs, whether optical or electrical or a combination of both, typically use one of several standard switching and routing protocols to move packets of information from source to destination through a series of intermediate switches. Data transfer over the Internet, for example, is based on packet switching technology using Internet Protocol (IP) to control the transmission of data in discrete packets. Packets are routed asynchronously from a source through various switches and paths and reassembled in appropriate order at a destination. Different sub-networks within a WAN may comprise different electrical/optical technologies. Paths within a WAN are often redundant, such that if a particular path is unavailable for any reason, an alternate path may be selected for any given data packet.  
           [0005]    Optical network technologies are known in the art to have substantially higher bandwidth in comparison to electrical networks. Optical fiber technology is improving such that optical fiber pathways are able to support optical data transmission at ever-increasing rates of speed. In fact, it is well recognized that the basic data capacity of most optical fiber paths, commonly called pipes or links, dramatically exceed the capabilities of the networks in which they are implemented.  
           [0006]    That is, a basic optical fiber path, or pipe, once installed, needs to be ‘lit’ with a data communications system in order to functionally carry data. One known optical data transmission system uses dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) over synchronous optical network (SONET) equipment.  
           [0007]    Today, the bandwidth of the optical fiber pipe typically exceeds the bandwidth of the rest of the network in which it resides requires. The use of processing elements, particularly optical-electronic-optical (OEO) devices to perform functions such as transmission, detection, switching and routing, is one limiting factor in the bandwidth of an optical network. Another factor involves the use and adaptation of conventional electrical network data transfer protocols, such as TCP/IP, for use in control of data flows on current optical networks. Such protocols fail to take advantage of the use of optical components and significantly increased data transmission speeds to effectuate optimized data transfer on an optical network.  
           [0008]    The bandwidth of commercial optical fibers is currently doubling every nine-to-twelve months. See, “Next Generation Optical Networks—Scaling the Optical Internet,” Wit Soundview, Apr. 20, 2000. However, as new optical fiber is placed into an existing network it also becomes necessary to replace all of the associated processing elements with faster elements. While the cost of optical fiber is not excessive, the cost of periodically replacing and adding currently available optical routers and switches in typical optical network infrastructures, as well as replacing or installing related processing elements associated with the installation of new optical fiber paths, is prohibitively expensive. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,673 to Chang et al. which describes several different state-of-the art optical network technologies, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.  
           [0009]    With reference to FIG. 1, for purposes of illustration, current optical networks  10  require the substantial use of optical-electrical-optical (OEO) devices to control the routing and delivery of optical packets. While high-speed OEO devices  12 , such as terabit routers, are available that provide minimal delay and signal degradation operation, such high-speed OEO devices are expensive. They are, therefore, typically used sparingly throughout a network. More affordable lowspeed OEO devices  14 , such as broadband optical cross-connect (OXC) and/or digital cross-connect (DXC) devices acting in conjunction with Add-Drop Multiplexers (ADMs), serve as the basic ‘building blocks’ of an optical network, functioning to route data on, off and within the network. Such devices substantially slow the operation of the network, while also degrading and hence requiring the constant regeneration of the optical signals conducted by the network.  
           [0010]    The inclusion of multiple redundant paths in optical networks was originally necessitated by the bandwidth limitations of the optical fiber. However, as the bandwidth capacity of new optical fiber continues to increase on a logarithmic scale against time, it is the various processing elements described above that limit network bandwidth and require redundant network paths. This again results in very high infrastructure costs, not only to maintain the complex networks with multiple, redundant paths, but also to periodically replace processing components to accommodate faster components and new switching protocols.  
           [0011]    In summary, optical networks in use today suffer significant limitations and drawbacks. They are limited in bandwidth by expensive, slow processing elements that require constant updating to accommodate higher speeds and new transmission protocols. Currently available processing devices make the ‘edge’ technology, or the placing of data onto and off of the network, expensive, thereby limiting the benefits otherwise recognizable by improvements to optical fibers. Current optical networks, furthermore, offer less than desirable functionality, particularly in high-bandwidth applications such as broadcast and streaming data applications, since the potential of existing optical network bandwidth is further unduly limited due to the use and adaptation of traditional electrical network protocols such as TCP/IP to control data flow on optical lines.  
           [0012]    It would be desirable to provide a high-speed optical network not limited in bandwidth by the associated processing elements. It would be further desirable to provide such a network wherein the inherent bandwidth of the optical fiber pipes is the limiting factor in network bandwidth and may be realized with minimal use of switching elements and associated infrastructure. It would further be desirable if such a network were compatible with existing networks such that upgrades do not require the costly replacement of entire networks.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0013]    It is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved optical switching network that cost-effectively utilizes the inherent high-bandwidth of optical fiber pipes.  
           [0014]    It is a further object to provide such a network that is compatible with and can be used to expand the capability of existing optical networks.  
           [0015]    It is a further object of the invention to provide such an optical switching network that can be upgraded by the substitution of higher-bandwidth optical pipes with only minimal changes in the associated processing elements.  
           [0016]    According to one embodiment of the invention, an optical network includes at least first and second high-speed optical routers. A first optical fiber pipe directly connects the first and second high-speed optical routers. A second optical fiber pipe connects the second high-speed router to a user. An optical transmitter is connected to said first optical fiber pipe for transmitting an optical data signal into said first optical fiber pipe. An optical receiver is connected to the second optical fiber pipe for receiving the optical data signal. A controller is connected to the first and second high-speed routers, the optical transmitter and the optical receiver. The controller is operative with stored instructions to perform the functions of: (1) operating the transmitter to transmit the optical data signal onto the first optical fiber pipe at a selected time and modulated wavelength, (2) operating the second high-speed router to pass the optical data signal to the second optical fiber pipe at the selected time, and (3) operating the receiver to receive the optical data signal at the selected time. The optical data signal is transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver through the first and second optical fiber pipes and the high-speed router without the intervention of additional low-speed components.  
           [0017]    According to another embodiment, an optical network includes at least first and second high-speed optical routers. A first optical fiber pipe directly connects the first and second high-speed optical routers. A second optical fiber pipe connects said second high-speed router to a user. An optical transmitter is connected to the first optical fiber pipe for transmitting an optical data signal into the first optical fiber pipe. A transparent optical receiver is connected to the second optical fiber pipe for receiving the optical data signal. A controller is connected to the first and second high-speed routers, the optical transmitter and the transparent optical receiver. The controller is operative with stored instructions to perform the functions of: (1) operating the transmitter to transmit the optical data signal onto the first optical fiber pipe at a selected time and modulated wavelength, (2) operating the second high-speed router to pass the optical data signal to the second optical fiber pipe at the selected time, and (3) operating the transparent receiver to receive the optical data signal at the selected time. The optical data signal is transmitted from the transmitter to the transparent receiver through the first and second optical fiber pipes and the high-speed router without the intervention of additional low-speed components.  
           [0018]    According to a further embodiment, a method and apparatus for re-routing a data transmission between a transmitting party and a receiving party from an electronically-based network to an optically-based network is provided. In this embodiment, the transmitting party receives, from a requesting party, a request for a data transmission over an electronically-based network. The transmitting party determines whether the requesting party resides on an optical pathway, and if so, transmits the data transmission on the optical pathway to the requestor. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0019]    These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will best be understood by a consideration of the following detailed description of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying Figures, in which:  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a prior art optical network including multiple OEO devices;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of an exemplary wide area network;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of one embodiment of an optical network implemented in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of one embodiment of a transparent optical receiver from the network of FIG. 2;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5 is a plan view of an optical conduit supporting multiple optical receivers in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of an optical transmitter from the network of FIG. 2;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a process for transmitting data in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing a process for receiving data in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0028]    In accordance with the present invention and as discussed above, FIG. 1 is an example of an existing prior art optical network. Such a network may, for example, be an optical cable television network for providing digital interactive television functionality to a plurality of users with compatible cable set-top boxes. Other typical uses of such a network include high-bandwidth capabilities for transporting voice data, broadcast and streaming audio/video data as well as other, typically large, data files.  
         [0029]    Fundamentally, in an existing network such as is shown, the low-speed OEO elements serve to route data on, off and through the network. They periodically terminate optical fiber pipes within the network, limiting the overall effective bandwidth of the network. While inexpensive in comparison to, for example, the high-speed OEO devices, low-speed OEO devices are endemic throughout existing networks. The cost of replacing large quantities of such devices at once in order to upgrade the network is, however, prohibitive.  
         [0030]    Description of the Optical Network  
         [0031]    Referring now to FIG. 2, there is seen an exemplary embodiment of a WAN  20  including a backbone, or long-haul, network  22 , a regional network  24 , a metropolitan network  26  and a local network  28 . Backbone network  22  and regional network  24  are connected by a high-speed router  30 . A second high-speed router  32  connects regional network  24  and metropolitan network  26 , while a third high-speed router  34  connects the metropolitan network and local network  28 .  
         [0032]    In a manner well know in the art, backbone network  22  provides long-haul network connections between regional networks such as regional network  24 . Regional network  24  connects multiple metropolitan networks such as that shown as  26 , which in turn connect local networks such as local network  28 . A user, for example, may access WAN  20  through a local connection using, for example, a T 1  line (not shown) in a manner well known in the art.  
         [0033]    Backbone network  22  and regional network  24  typically provide lengthy runs of optical fiber pipe connected by high-speed routers. As the WAN integrates with local users through metropolitan network  26  and local network  28 , the usage of low-speed OEO devices increases.  
         [0034]    For example, in conventional optical networks, a user wishing to receive data via the local network must place an optical receiver on the optical fiber pipe. The optical receiver then detects an appropriate optical signal of a particular wavelength addressed for that receiver. Because a user&#39;s device or network can typically only utilize data in a traditional electronic format, the incoming optical signal must be converted using an ASIC protocol to generate a usable electrical signal. The converted electrical signal is then cached prior to transmission on the user&#39;s electrically-based device or network. This is because the data transfer rate on the optical side of the receiver will typically far exceed the transfer rate of the user&#39;s device or electrically-based network. The converted data is then transferred from the cache at an appropriate rate to the device or network.  
         [0035]    Referring now to FIG. 3, network  40  illustrates an exemplary backbone network configured in accordance with the present invention, including three high-speed routers  42 A,  42 B,  42 C connected by a pair of optical fiber pipes  44 A,  44 B. It should be readily apparent that multiple or redundant routers may be used for each of high speed routers  42 A,  42 B,  42 C and that data may be transmitted serially or in parallel. In the case of parallel data transmission, optical fiber pipes  44 A,  44 B may contain multiple optical fibers for accomplishing separate data transmissions. The high speed routers  42 A,  42 B,  42 C may use a Kermit protocol or the like to divide a large data file into a plurality of smaller data files which may be transmitted on one or more of the optical fibers in the optical fiber pipes  44 A,  44 B.  
         [0036]    A third optical fiber pipe  44 C connects router  42 A to a server  46  connected in turn to a database  48  which is used to monitor and schedule data transfer on the optical network. Server  46  may then coordinate scheduled transfer times with one or more of the high speed routers  42 A,  42 B,  42 C or with a server outside the network, as described further hereinbelow. A fourth optical fiber pipe  44 D is provided to connect router  42 C to a regional network  50  through receiver  54 C in a manner described in further detail below.  
         [0037]    In accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the invention, three transmitters  52 A,  52 B,  52 C are coupled to fiber optic pipe  44 A. Exemplary embodiments of these transmitters are shown and described below. Three receivers  54 A,  54 B and  54 C are coupled into fiber optic pipes  44 A,  44 B and  44 C, respectively. Exemplary embodiments of these receivers are shown and described below. It will be understood that this configuration of network  40  is for purposes of illustration only. Numerous other configurations of the network will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.  
         [0038]    Server  46  is electrically connected to high-speed routers  42 A-C, transmitters  52 A-C and receivers  54 A-C through a bidirectional electrical interface indicated at  56 . It will be understood that electrical interface  56  may comprise an appropriate combination of direct and networked electrical connections in a manner conventional in the art. A second regional network  58  is connected to transmitter  52 A.  
         [0039]    While not shown, it will be understood that multiple transmitting sources, different ones of which are discussed below, are connected in a conventional manner to transmitters  52 A-C. Similarly, and also in a conventional manner, multiple receiving users, including appropriate combination of other networks and end-users, are connected to receivers  54 A-C. It should be further appreciated that that the transmitting and receiving sources may pass data in an encrypted format (i.e., using public key encryption) in order to protect the integrity of the network and the privacy of user data transfers over a publicly-accessible network embodiment.  
         [0040]    Description of the Optical Receivers  
         [0041]    Conventional optical receivers operate in a manner well known in the art. Typically, such receivers may include a photo diode for transducing the input optical signal into an electrical signal received on an optical fiber, a plurality of limit amplifier circuits which are connected in series to one another and which have offset compensation functions determined by controllable offset compensation time constants, respectively. The plurality of limit amplifier circuits amplify the electrical signal to produce an amplified and controlled electrical signal in dependency upon the offset compensation time constants controlled. The optical receiver further comprises adjusting circuits connected to the limit amplifier circuits for adjusting at least one of the offset compensation time constants to make the limit amplifier circuits produce the amplified and controlled electrical signal and an output terminal for producing the amplified and controlled electrical signal as the output electrical signal.  
         [0042]    In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, receivers  54 A-C comprise conventional optical receivers, such as those commonly produced by EPITAXX and JDS UNIPHASE. Such receivers are commercially available and significant advantages of the present invention can be realized using such receivers. Such receivers, however, are subject to recognized functional limitations. In particular, conventional receivers typically interrupt or diminish the magnitude of the received optical signal such that the signal must be regenerated in a manner well known in the art. Such regeneration slows the operation of the network. Such receivers and concomitant signal regeneration equipment typically require replacement in order to accommodate higher-speed optical fiber pipes as well as faster or different transmission schemes and protocols.  
         [0043]    In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, receivers are provided that are capable of receiving optical signals in a transparent manner, that is, without impeding the transmission of the optical signal along the optical network. Such transparent receivers can detect optical signals using a low percentage of the light traveling through an optical fiber pipe such as to diminish or eliminate the requirement for slower, expensive signal regeneration components found in legacy opaque optical networks. As will be seen below, the use of such transparent receivers substantially diminishes the requirement for regeneration of optical signals, thereby increasing the speed and decreasing the cost of such a network. It should be understood that such transparent receivers may be configured to function within both a DWDM and/or a frequency division multiplexing (FDM) environment.  
         [0044]    Referring now to FIG. 4, a diagrammatic view of one transparent optical receiver  52  is shown for receiving optical data from a conventional, single-mode optical fiber  60  surrounded by conventional cladding  62 .  
         [0045]    In accordance with the present invention, cladding  62  has been thinned in region  64  to permit a minimal amount of light to exit the cladding. The amount of the removed cladding should be sufficient to allow a portion of the optical fiber to evanescently couple with the a receiving device, while minimizing any loss of signal transmitted through the optical pipe. A series of optical filters  66 ,  68  and  70  are disposed in a stack  71  of overlying layers adjacent region  64 , thereby enabling coupling of the optical pipe and the filters  66 ,  68 ,  70 . In the present exemplary embodiment, filters  66 ,  68  and  70  may comprise Bragg filters and are selected such that filter  66  selectively filters, for example, 1550 nanometer (nm) wavelength light, while permitting other wavelength to pass through. Similarly, filters  68  and  70  may selectively filter 1530 nm and 1500 nm wavelength light, respectively. In one embodiment, these filters  66 ,  68 ,  70  may be stacked in order of descending filter wavelength in order to enable pass-through of received signals to the appropriate filters  66 ,  68 ,  70 .  
         [0046]    An optical detector  72  is connected to each of filters  66 ,  68  and  70  to detect optical data filtered by any one of the filters. Optical detector  72  is connected to a processor  74  which is in turn connected to a user  76 . User  76  may comprise, for example, an end-user or a network connection or any other conventional recipient or processor of electronic data.  
         [0047]    Electrical interface  56  is connected to processor  74  for supplying control signals from server  46  (FIG. 3) to the processor in a manner described in further detail below.  
         [0048]    In operation, data of varying wavelength can be onto optical fiber pipe  62  using, for example, DWDM transmitters. When data is transmitted on pipe  62  for user  76 , processor  74  receives a signal over interface  56  from server  46  indicating the timeframe and the wavelength of the data signal. The data is detected by one of filters  66 ,  68  and  70  in filter stack  71  and input to detector  72 . Processor  74  then receives that data from detector  72 , converts the signal to an electrical signal in a conventional manner, and provides the signal to user  76 .  
         [0049]    It will be appreciated that multiple DWDM signals of differing wavelength may be simultaneously transmitted, detected via filters  66 ,  68  and  70  and detector  72  and converted to electronic signals for one or more users  76 . While a three-layer optical filter stack  71  has been shown for purposes of illustration, it will be apparent that more or less filters may be stacked to provide a receiver  52  capable of detecting more or less optical signals of differing wavelengths.  
         [0050]    With reference now to FIG. 5, an optical fiber conduit  80  is shown including five optical fiber pipes  60 A-E disposed symmetrically therein. Associated with each optical fiber pipe is an optical receiver  71 A-E, respectively, of substantially the identical construction as described with respect to FIG. 4 above. Each optical fiber receiver is electronically connected (not shown) to detector and processor elements, in the manner described above, for detecting optical data of differing wavelengths.  
         [0051]    Using the optical conduit construction of FIG. 5, multiple optical fiber pipes with individual receivers can be incorporated into a single conduit. It will be readily apparent that other geometrical configurations of optical fiber pipes in channels can be used to both increase and decrease the number of pipe/receiver pairs within a single conduit. With the addition of multiple pipe/receiver pairs within a single conduit, the optical receiving functionality associated with the use of optical fiber conduit  80  is substantially identical to that described above with respect to receiver  52 .  
         [0052]    Description of the Optical Transmitters  
         [0053]    It will be understood that many conventional optical transmitters are known for transmitting wavelength-modulated optical data on an optical network. The present invention contemplates the use of any such high-speed transmitter capable of placing wavelength-modulated optical signals, preferably densely modulated signals, onto an optical network. One such transmitter is CIENA&#39;s MULTIWAVEMETRO DWDM device which is capable of point-to-point, star, ring and mesh network data transfer.  
         [0054]    With reference now to FIG. 6, an exemplary optical transmitter  52  is shown for transmitting a modulated optical data signal within an optical network such as optical network  40  of FIG. 3. Optical transmitter  52  includes a modulator  110  for modulating a signal from a source  114  with frequency-tunable light from a tunable light source  112 , such as a laser. The modulated signal is placed onto optical fiber  44  through a conventional optical coupler  116 .  
         [0055]    Operation of the Network  
         [0056]    In operation, described with respect to FIGS. 7 and 8 and the system described above, server  46  operates in accordance with a program and data in database  48  to control transmitters  52 A-C, routers  42 A-C and receivers  54 A-C to transmit optical data through network  40 .  
         [0057]    For purposes of illustration, any of the transmitters and receivers described above may be used, but the transparent receivers described with respect to FIGS. 4 and 5 are preferred for the advantages they confer.  
         [0058]    With reference now to FIG. 7, in step  120  users of network  40  (not shown) send requests for data transmission in a conventional manner to server  46 , which stores such requests in database  48  for processing. Such requests would include all necessary information including, for example, data size, transmission time and recipient.  
         [0059]    As shown in steps  122 - 128 , server  46 , operating through electrical interface  56 , provides control signals to the following devices as set out below.  
         [0060]    Server  46  provides control signals to a selected transmitter  52 A-C indicating necessary transmission information, including a data source, the time of transmission and the size of the data transmission . Operating in accordance with a selected transmission protocol and/or modulation format (i.e. OC12), server  46  will further indicate a frequency or frequencies at which the data will be transmitted, which in turn may be selected based on a frequency or frequencies at which an intended recipient may receive the data. If the recipient of the data is on the other side of a high-speed router  42 A-C, such as receivers  54 B and  54 C in network  40 , then server  46  provides the appropriate router(s) with the control signals necessary for the router to pass the transmitted data to a subsequent fiber optic pipe.  
         [0061]    For example, assuming that a source/user connected to transmitter  52 A wishes to broadcast a streaming video signal to recipient/users connected to each of receivers  54 A,  54 B and  54 C, then server  46  will provide the necessary control signals to transmitter  52 A to effect the transmission, the necessary control signals to router  42 B to effect the routing from fiber optic pipe  44 A to fiber optic pipe  44 B, and the necessary control signals to router  42 C to effect the routing of the signal from fiber optic pipe  44 B to fiber optic pipe  44 D. In this manner, the broadcast signal is made available to all of the necessary receivers.  
         [0062]    With reference now to FIG. 8, a process for receiving data over network  40  is shown in steps  130 - 134 .  
         [0063]    At an appropriate time relative to the process of transmitting data described above, server  46  provides control signals to an appropriate receiver(s)  52 A-C for receiving data. Specifically, the control signals include the frequency of the data signal and the timing of the data signal.  
         [0064]    Responsive to the control signals, at the appropriate time the receiver  52  is configured to receive data of the expected frequency over the fiber optic pipe to which it is connected. With respect to the receiver shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, detector  72  and processor  74  are configured to receive data from the filter  66 ,  68  or  70  by which the data signal, based on its wavelength, will be detected. As described above, this is accomplished in a minimally intrusive way with respect to the diminution of intensity of the optical signal.  
         [0065]    Continuing with the broadcast streaming data example described above, receivers, server  46  generates and transmits control signals over electrical network  56  to receivers  54 A,  54 B and  54 C which cause the receivers to simultaneously receive the streaming broadcast data through the optical fiber pipes and routers described above.  
         [0066]    While it has not been described in detail herein, it will be understood that data signals transmitted over network  40  include appropriate routing information, in accordance with appropriate protocols and standards, for subsequent electrical decoding and transmission to a subsequent end-user. Such addressing and protocols and standards are conventional in the art and will be understood by those skilled in the art to comprise one of many current and future-available schemes and formats.  
         [0067]    There has thus been shown and described both new and improved optical network systems and new and improved transparent optical receivers. The network systems may function with any optical receiver but preferably use a transparent receiver.  
         [0068]    By substituting high-speed optical devices for slower, more costly OEO devices, the present optical network system provides significant advantages and benefits over the prior art. Upgrades to the system do not require the extensive and expensive replacement of OEO components, significantly reducing the operational costs of the network system. The invention may be applied to upgrade existing legacy systems.  
         [0069]    In one further example, a network, such as network  40 , may be used as an alternate, high-bandwidth pathway for data that is currently transmitted over traditional electronically-based networks. Referring again to FIG. 3, it is contemplated that WAN  50  and regional network  58  may both be in electrical communication with, for example, a server  59  residing the Internet or World Wide Web. Server  46  may likewise be in communication with the Internet and server  59 . In an exemplary embodiment, a user on WAN  50  may request a large data file or a streaming broadcast from a computer within regional network  58  through the Internet server  59 . In such a case, server  46  may be configured to detect any file transfer requests placed with server  59  which exceed a predetermined threshold of size and/or approximate transfer time. The server  46  may further determine whether an alternate optical pathway, such as optical pipes  44 A,  44 B and  44 C, between the requesting device and the receiving device is available. This may be accomplished, for example, by accessing a database of users or networks having access to an optical network. If both requesting device and the transmitting device are accessible over contiguous optical pathways, then the server  46  may schedule a transmission window on the available alternate optical pathway and direct server  59  to cancel transmission over the electronically-based network, while further directing the transmitting device to place the data on the optical pathway at the scheduled time. Thus, high bandwidth traffic may be automatically removed from the electronically-based network even when the request is made through such a network. This functionality, in turn, allows increased traffic capacity on the electronically-based network while fully utilizing the bandwidth potential of the alternate optical pathway. One of skill in the art may recognize that the transmitting and/or receiving parties may accomplish re-routing of data transmissions by performing the functions attributed above to server  46 . It should be further understood that the criteria for placing a data transmission on the optical pathway may be based on the traffic on the electronically-based network, rather than on the size of the data transmission, for example, in kilobytes.  
         [0070]    Because of the improved speed of the system described above, there will be the substantial elimination of the bandwidth constraints existing in prior systems, yielding increased utilization at lower costs. This will provide the opportunity to accommodate the anticipated increase in high-bandwidth data applications such as online television, streaming video and content data and other essentially unlimited continuous broadcasting platforms.  
         [0071]    By moving the control signals out of the optical network and into the electronic control network, the speed and simplicity of the optical network is optimized, leaving the bandwidth of the optical pipe and high-speed switches available for data transmission.  
         [0072]    The use of slower, more expensive routers is greatly diminished or eliminated in favor of much less expensive and more available optical transmitters and receivers with appropriate controls. This makes the cost of operating a backbone significantly less expensive. It also diminishes “on ramp and off ramp” costs, again replacing routers with less expensive transmitter/receiver components.  
         [0073]    Additionally, with the use of applicant&#39;s transparent receivers, the described optical network system even further decreases the need for slow, relatively costly signal regeneration components. The invention thus enables significantly lengthy optical fiber pipes bounded only by high-speed routers at significantly spaced distances. Again, this has the effect of even further increasing the bandwidth and availability of the optical network system while diminishing operational costs.  
         [0074]    The invention as described above and claimed below contemplates and covers these and numerous other modifications, enhancements and variations that, given the teachings of the invention, will now become apparent to those skilled in the art.