Optical signal control method and apparatus, and optical switch matrix control method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016309244-A1
Application number	US-201615194231-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 27, 2016
Priority date	Dec 27, 2013
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention discloses an optical signal control method and apparatus, and an optical switch matrix control method and apparatus. A first optical coupler performs optical coupling processing on an optical signal input from an input port, to split the optical signal into two paths of optical signals; a phase shifter performs phase processing on the two paths of optical signals, so that a phase difference exists between the two paths of optical signals on which phase processing has been performed; and a second optical coupler performs optical coupling processing on the two paths of optical signals between which the phase difference exists, to output an optical signal from a first output port and/or a second output port. In this way, a problem of a low reaction speed of an existing optical switch cell that exists when the optical switch cell implements optical signal broadcast can be resolved.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An optical switch cell, comprising: a first input port, a first phase shifter, a first output port, a second output port, a first optical coupler, and a second optical coupler, wherein the first input port is connected to one end of the first optical coupler, the other end of the first optical coupler is connected to one end of the first phase shifter and connected to one end of the second optical coupler, the other end of the first phase shifter is connected to the one end of the second optical coupler, and the other end of the second optical coupler is connected to the first output port and the second output port;
the first optical coupler is configured to perform optical coupling processing on an optical signal input from the first input port, to split the optical signal into two paths of optical signals, wherein one path of optical signal is input to the first phase shifter, and the other path of optical signal is input to the second optical coupler; the first phase shifter is configured to perform phase processing on the one path of optical signal, so that a phase difference exists between the one path of optical signal on which the first phase shifter has performed phase processing and the other path of optical signal that is input to the second optical coupler; and the second optical coupler is configured to perform optical coupling processing on the two paths of optical signals between which the phase difference exists, to output an optical signal from the first output port and/or the second output port.

2 . An optical switch matrix, comprising:
N input ports arranged on an input side of the optical switch matrix, wherein N is an integer greater than 2; N output ports arranged on an output side of the optical switch matrix; and multiple optical switch cells that interconnect any input port of the N input ports to any output port of the N output ports, wherein the optical signal received at one input port of the N input ports passes through one or more optical switch cells of the multiple optical switch cells, and reaches one output port of the N output ports; and the optical switch cells are the optical switch cell according to claim 1 , and the multiple optical switch cells are connected to each other by using a transmission medium, wherein the transmission medium is used to transmit an optical signal.

3 . An optical switch, comprising: a processor and the optical switch matrix according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is connected to the optical switch matrix by using an electric bus; and
the processor is configured to determine, according to each input port and a corresponding output port that are preset in the optical switch matrix, output status information of optical switch cells between each input port and the corresponding output port in the optical switch matrix.

4 . The optical switch according to claim 3 , wherein:
the output status information of the optical switch cell comprises a broadcast state, a straight-through state, or a crossover state, wherein in the broadcast state, an optical signal is input from an input port of the optical switch cell, and optical signals are output from a first output port and a second output port of the optical switch cell; in the straight-through state, an optical signal is input from an input port of the optical switch cell, and an optical signal is output from a first output port of the optical switch cell; or in the crossover state, an optical signal is input from an input port of the optical switch cell, and an optical signal is output from a second output port of the optical switch cell.

5 . The optical switch according to claim 3 , further comprising:
multiple power equalizers, wherein the multiple power equalizers each are connected to each output port in the optical switch matrix, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate, according to the determined output statuses of the optical switch cells between each input port and the corresponding output port, a power loss of the path of optical signal output from each output port, generate a power equalizer control signal by means of calculation according to a value of the power loss, and send the control signal to a power equalizer connected to the corresponding output port; and the power equalizer is configured to perform power compensation according to the power loss, sent by the processor, of the optical signal output from the output port connected to the power equalizer.

6 . The optical switch according to claim 3 , further comprising: multiple adjustable phase shifters, wherein the multiple adjustable phase shifters each are connected to each output port in the optical switch matrix;
the processor is further configured to calculate, according to the determined output statuses of the optical switch cells between each input port and the corresponding output port, a phase deviation of the path of optical signal output from each output port, and send, to an adjustable phase shifter connected to the corresponding output port, the phase deviation of the optical signal output from each output port; and the adjustable phase shifter is configured to perform phase compensation according to the phase deviation, sent by the processor, of the optical signal output from the output port connected to the adjustable phase shifter.

7 . An optical switch, comprising the optical switch matrix according to claim 2 , a receiver, a processor, and a transmitter, wherein the receiver is connected to each input port in the optical switch matrix by using an optical fiber, the processor is connected to the receiver and the transmitter by using an electric bus, and the transmitter is connected to the optical switch matrix by using the electric bus;
the receiver is configured to receive an optical signal from any input port in the optical switch matrix, wherein the optical signal comprises a destination port identifier, and the destination port identifier is used to indicate an output port identifier; the processor is configured to determine, according to the destination port identifier comprised in the optical signal that is received by the receiver, the output port identifier corresponding to the destination port identifier, and determine, according to the output port identifier, control information corresponding to the output port identifier, wherein the control information comprises output status information of optical switch cells between the input port and an output port indicated by the output port identifier; the transmitter is configured to send, to the optical switch matrix, the determined control information corresponding to the output port identifier; and the optical switch matrix is configured to enable, according to the control information corresponding to the output port identifier, the optical signal to pass through the optical switch cells between the input port and the output port indicated by the output port identifier, to output the optical signal from the output port indicated by the output port identifier.

8 . The optical switch according to claim 7 , wherein:
the processor is further configured to query a third list according to the determined output port identifier, to acquire current status information corresponding to the output port identifier, wherein the third list stores a correspondence between an identifier of each output port in the optical switch matrix and corresponding current status information; and the processor is further configured to: if the current status information corresponding to the output port identifier is an idle state, determine the control information corresponding to the output port identifier.

9 . The optical switch accordin

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ma Huixiao
• Zhu Kun

Classifications

• H04Q11/0005 Primary

  Switch and router aspects · CPC title

• H04Q2213/1301

  Optical transmission, optical switches · CPC title

• H04Q2011/0058

  Crossbar; Matrix · CPC title

• H04Q2011/0035

  using miscellaneous components, e.g. circulator, polarisation, acousto/thermo optical · CPC title

• H04Q2011/0039

  Electrical control · CPC title