Optical transmittal storage networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016286289-A1
Application number	US-201514669503-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 26, 2015
Priority date	Mar 26, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Optical networks may store information or data therein by maintaining the information or data in motion. The optical networks may include optical fiber rings configured to receive optical signals comprising the information or data and to circulate the optical signals within the optical fiber rings. The optical signals and the information or data may be transferred out of the optical fiber rings in order to amplify the optical signals (e.g., to overcome losses due to attenuation within the optical fiber rings), to analyze the optical signals according to one or more processing techniques, or to transfer the information or data to another computer device upon request. If continued storage of the information or data is required, an optical signal including the information or data may be transferred back into the optical fiber rings and may continue to circulate therein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A monitoring system comprising:
a plurality of imaging devices; at least one transmittal storage node; and at least one computer device comprising a memory and a processor configured to implement one or more services, wherein the at least one transmittal storage node comprises:
at least one optical transmitter;
a multiplexer;
a first optical switch;
a second optical switch;
at least one optical fiber ring extending in parallel between the first optical switch and the second optical switch;
an analytic edge device extending between the second optical switch and the multiplexer; and
at least one optical receiver,
wherein the one or more services are configured to:
capture a first set of imaging data using at least a first one of the plurality of imaging devices;
transmit a first electrical signal comprising the first set of imaging data from the first one of the plurality of imaging devices to the at least one optical transmitter;
convert, by the at least one optical transmitter, the first electrical signal into a first optical signal comprising at least some of the first set of imaging data;
transmit the first optical signal comprising the at least some of the first set of imaging data from the at least one optical transmitter to the multiplexer;
transfer the first optical signal from the multiplexer to the first optical switch;
transfer, by the first optical switch, the first optical signal into the at least one optical fiber ring at a first time; and
transfer, by the second optical switch, the first optical signal out of the at least one optical fiber ring at a second time;
transfer the first optical signal from the second optical switch to the at least one optical receiver;
convert, by the at least one optical receiver, the first optical signal into a second electrical signal, wherein the second electrical signal comprises the at least some of the first set of imaging data; and
transmit the second electrical signal from the at least one optical receiver to the analytic edge device.

2 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more services are further configured to:
transmit the second electrical signal from the analytic edge device to the at least one optical transmitter; convert, by the at least one optical transmitter, the second electrical signal into a second optical signal comprising the at least some of the first set of imaging data; and transmit the second optical signal comprising the at least some of the first set of imaging data from the at least one optical transmitter to the multiplexer; transfer the second optical signal from the multiplexer to the first optical switch; and transfer, by the first optical switch, the second optical signal into the at least one optical fiber ring at a third time.

3 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more services are further configured to:
perform, by the analytic edge device, at least one processing task on the second electrical signal, wherein the at least one processing task comprises at least one of edge detection, object recognition, character recognition, image compression, image correction, image filtering, image modeling, image noise reduction, image quantization, image sampling, image scaling, image segmentation, image transformation, image zooming, audio signal processing, audio compression, speech processing or speech recognition of the at least some of the first set of imaging data.

4 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one transmittal storage node further comprises at least one optical amplifier, and
wherein the one or more services are further configured to:
amplify the first optical signal using at least one optical amplifier prior to the first time.

5 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the first optical switch is an optical phased array switch having at least two ingress ports and at least two egress ports,
wherein at least a first portion of the optical fiber ring is linked to a first one of the ingress ports, wherein the multiplexer is linked to a second one of the ingress ports, wherein a distribution frame is linked to a first one of the egress ports, and wherein at least a second portion of the optical fiber ring is linked to a second one of the egress ports.

6 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical fiber ring comprises at least one optical fiber circumvolved about a bobbin, and
wherein the at least one optical fiber has a refractive index of approximately 1.4 and a length of at least one kilometer.

7 . A method comprising:
generating a first optical signal comprising a first set of data; transferring, by a first optical switch, the first optical signal into at least one optical fiber ring at a first time; transferring, by a second optical switch, the first optical signal out of the at least one optical fiber ring at a second time; generating a second optical signal comprising at least some of the first set of data; and transferring, by the first optical switch, the second optical signal into the at least one fiber ring at a third time.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
generating a first electrical signal based at least in part on the first optical signal using at least one optical receiver, wherein the first electrical signal comprises the at least some of the first set of data; and transferring at least the first electrical signal to an analytic edge device.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
conducting, by the analytic edge device, an analysis of the at least some of the first set of data included in the first electrical signal.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the analysis comprises at least one of edge detection, object recognition, character recognition, image compression, image correction, image filtering, image modeling, image noise reduction, image quantization, image sampling, image scaling, image segmentation, image transformation, image zooming, audio signal processing, audio compression, speech processing or speech recognition.

11 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
amplifying the second optical signal using at least one optical amplifier after the second time and prior to the third time, wherein the at least one optical amplifier is an erbium-doped fiber amplifier.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one optical fiber ring comprises at least one optical fiber coiled about a bobbin, and
wherein the at least one optical fiber has a length of at least one kilometer.

13 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the first optical switch is an optical phased array switch having at least two ingress ports and at least two egress ports, and
wherein transferring, by the first optical switch, the first optical signal into the at least one optical fiber ring at the first time further comprises:
providing the first optical signal to a multiplexer associated with a first ingress port of the first optical switch;
transferring the first optical signal from the multiplexer to the first ingress port; and
transferring the first optical signal into the at least one optical fiber ring at the first time via a first egress port of the first optical switch.

14 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the second optical switch is an optical phased array switch having at least two ingress ports and at least two egress ports, and
wherein transferring, by the second optical switch, the first optical signal out of the at least one optical fiber ring at the second time comprises:
transferring the first optical

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Long Jason Michael
• Mishra Pragyana K

Classifications

• H04B10/275

  Ring-type networks · CPC title

• H04Q2011/0092

  Ring · CPC title

• H04Q11/0062 Primary

  Network aspects · CPC title

• H04Q11/0005 Primary

  Switch and router aspects · CPC title

• H04Q11/0001

  using optical switching · CPC title