Optical switch and protocols for use therewith

Abstract

A method of establishing a data connection between terminal switching nodes in a network and switching nodes for implementing the method. The method involves switching nodes participating in a network layer wavelength routing (WR) protocol to determine the next hop switching node for every possible combination of terminal nodes based on the network topology. The method also involves the switching nodes participating in a network layer wavelength distribution (ND) once the data connection is to be established. The WR protocol determines the path used through the network, while the WD protocol assigns wavelengths on each link between switching nodes. The wavelengths may be different on different optical links. The switching nodes include wavelength converters with an optical switch or optoelectronic converters with a digital electronic switch. A digital electronic switch can also provide signal reformatting. Advantages of using potentially different wavelengths along various segments of a single end-to-end connection yields increased wavelength efficiency.

1 .- 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A method of operating customer premises equipment to initiate a connection through an optical network comprising a plurality of optical switching nodes interconnected by optical links, at least one optical channel provided on each optical link, the method comprising:
 sending a connection initiation communication to a first terminal switching node coupled to the customer premises equipment to initiate use, by the optical switching nodes, of a dynamic protocol to identify available optical channels on a path through the network and to set up the connection using the identified optical channels.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the connection initiation communication is a connection initiation message. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , comprising:
 receiving a connection confirm communication when the optical connection requested by the connection initiation communication has been established.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the connection confirm communication is a connection confirm message. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 30 , comprising receiving a connection deny communication when the optical connected requested by the connection initiation communication cannot be established. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the connection deny communication is a connection deny message.