Claims
- 1. An optical cross-connect system for interconnecting optical pathways of a horizontal node with each vertical node, said system comprising a three-dimensional array of optical pathways in which one end of each optical pathway is presented on a first face, and the other end of each optical pathway is presented on a second face such that said first and second faces present rows and columns of optical pathway groupings, and wherein said horizontal nodes are defined along said rows of said first face and said vertical nodes are defined along said columns of said second face.
- 2. The optical cross-connect of claim 1, wherein said rows are contained in removable trays.
- 3. The optical cross-connect of claim 2, wherein said trays comprise optical circuits.
- 4. The optical cross-connect of claim 3, wherein a given tray comprises at least two identical optical circuits.
- 5. The optical cross connect of claim 1, wherein each tray comprises:
a substrate, said substrate having first and second faces and having the following zones: m number of cell positions substantially equally positioned along the first face, each cell position being divided into m number of subcell positions such that each subcell position has a corresponding subcell position in each of the other cells, sequential subcell positions within a given cell position corresponding to sequential numbers 1 to m; and m number of unit positions substantially equally positioned along said second face, sequential unit positions along said second face corresponding to sequential numbers from 1 to m, each unit position being divided into m subunit positions, wherein m is the number of horizontal nodes per tray; and at least a first optical circuit, said first optical circuit having groupings of m number of optical pathways at a particular subcell position in each cell position, and groupings of m number of optical pathways at each subunit position in a particular unit position, wherein an optical pathway of each grouping at said subcell positions is common to a grouping in each subunit position, and wherein said particular subcell position and said particular unit position have the same number.
- 6. The optical cross connect of claim 5, further comprising:
at least a second optical circuit, said second optical circuit having groupings of m number of optical pathways at a second particular subcell position in each cell position, and groupings of m number of optical pathways at each subunit position in a second particular unit position, wherein an optical pathway of each grouping at said subcell positions is common to a grouping in each subunit position, and wherein said second particular subcell position and said second particular unit position have the same second number which is different from said same number.
- 7. The optical cross connect of claim 1, wherein said tray comprises:
a substrate, said substrate having first and second faces and having the following zones: m number of cell positions substantially equally positioned along the first face, each cell position being divided into m number of subcell positions such that each subcell position has a corresponding subcell position in each of the other cells, sequential subcell positions within a given cell position corresponding to sequential numbers 1 to m; and m number of unit positions substantially equally positioned along said second face, sequential unit positions along said second face corresponding to sequential numbers from 1 to m, each unit position being divided into m subunit positions, wherein m is the number of horizontal nodes per tray; y number of optical circuits, wherein a<μm, each optical circuit comprising groupings of m number of optical pathways at a particular subcell position in each cell position, and groupings of m number optical pathways at each subunit position in a particular unit position, wherein an optical pathway of each grouping at said subcell positions is common to a grouping in each subunit position, and wherein said particular subcell position and said particular unit position have the same particular number, each particular number of each optical circuit being different.
- 8. The optical cross connect of claim 7, wherein the particular numbers for said optical circuits are sequential from 1 to y.
- 9. The optical cross connect of claim 7, wherein y is greater than 1.
- 10. The optical cross connect of claim 7, wherein y=m.
- 11. The optical cross connect of claim 7, wherein said optical circuit having the particular number of 1 though m are symmetrical with the optical circuits having the particular number of, in decreasing order, m through 1, respectively.
- 12. The optical cross connect of claim 7, wherein said optical pathways are optical fibers.
- 13. The optical cross connect of claim 12, wherein each grouping of fibers is ribbonized.
- 14. The optical cross connect of claim 12, wherein individual groupings of fibers are on individual tabs.
- 15. The optical cross connect of claim 12, wherein each grouping is connectorized.
- 16. An optical cross connect comprising n number of vertical nodes and n number of horizontal nodes, x number of trays, with m number of horizontal nodes in each tray, wherein n=xm and wherein each tray comprises at least:
a substrate, said substrate having first and second faces and having the following zones:
m number of cell positions substantially equally positioned along the first face, each cell position being divided into m number of subcell positions such that each subcell position has a corresponding subcell position in each of the other cells, sequential subcell positions within a given cell position corresponding to sequential numbers 1 to m; and m number of unit positions substantially equally positioned along said second face, sequential unit positions along said second face corresponding to sequential numbers from 1 to m, each unit position being divided into m subunit positions, wherein m is the number of horizontal nodes per tray; and y number of optical circuits, wherein 1≦y≦m, each optical circuit comprising groupings of m number of optical pathways at a particular subcell position in each cell position, and groupings of m number of optical pathways at each subunit position in a particular unit position, wherein an optical pathway of each grouping at said subcell positions is common to a grouping in each subunit position, and wherein said particular subcell position and said particular unit position have the same particular number, each particular number of each optical circuit being different.
- 17. The optical cross connect of claim 16, wherein y is greater than 1.
- 18. The optical cross connect of claim 16, wherein the particular numbers for said optical circuits are sequential from 1 to y.
- 19. The optical cross connect of claim 16, wherein y=x.
- 20. The optical cross connect of claim 19, wherein the particular numbers for said optical circuits are sequential from 1 to x.
- 21. The optical cross connect of claim 16, wherein n=xm.
- 22. The optical cross connect of claim 21, wherein n=m2
- 23. The optical cross connect of claim 16, wherein wherein m is greater than 2.
- 24. The optical cross connect of claim 23, wherein wherein 2 μm<64.
- 25. The optical cross connect of claim 24, wherein wherein 2<m<16.
- 26. The optical cross connect of claim 25, whereiwhereinn 2<m<8.
- 27. The optical cross connect of claim 26, whereinn m=8.
REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is based on U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/262,307, filed Jan. 17, 2001, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, including its appendix.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/US02/01688 |
1/17/2002 |
WO |
|
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60262307 |
Jan 2001 |
US |