Abstract: Providing TDM services over a packet-switched fabric. Distributed scheduling is provided by overlaying a synchronized frame structure on the packet switching of the packet-switched fabric. Contention-free scheduling is achieved by prescheduling TDM traffic with the distributed scheduling mechanism. The result is a deterministic timing procedure suitable for switching TDM traffic in a packet-switched fabric.

Abstract: A non-blocking switching architecture having a fabric that is capable of switching on two levels by formatting signals crossing the switching fabric as “microcells” having a predetermined format. The microcells are routed by the switching fabric from an ingress line card to destination devices that can include egress line cards and/or processing resources. The processing resources can reformat the signals carried by the microcells to a second format. The reformatted signals can then be packaged as microcells and routed to a selected processing resource to provide switching in the second format. The processing resources transform the switched signals in the second format to a signal in the original format, which is carried by the switching fabric as microcells to an egress line card.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to a system and method of implementing peer model architecture in integrated optical networks. In one embodiment, heterogeneous domains of nodes share a common control plane via routing and signaling adjacencies established through a network layer control channel. For example, in one embodiment, one or more Internet Protocol (IP) compliant routers, one or more Time Domain Multiplexing (TDM) switches, and one or more Wave Division Multiplexing (WDM) optical cross connects (OXC) run a common instance of an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP).

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are contemplated for multiplexing and de-multiplexing modulated optical signals using dispersion. Optical signals comprising a wavelength-multiplexed plurality of modulated spectra may be additionally multiplexed and de-multiplexed using dispersion. Dispersion multiplexing may be used in the simultaneous two-way propagation of optical signals over a waveguide.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a handle to insert and eject a circuit board and a signal-carrying conductor routing mechanism formed by the handle to group and route a plurality of signal-carrying conductor.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are contemplated for electrical-to-optical conversion coupled to an electrical switching fabric, wherein the number of lasers supplying optical carrier beams in electrical-to-optical conversion is less than the number of optical modulators. Cost savings for a reduced number of lasers may be considerable. Further, the shared laser bank supplying optical carrier beams may comprise shared control and monitoring electronics, resulting in a further cost savings. The shared laser bank may comprise at least one redundant laser. Optical modulators may be grouped into modules for ease of replacement and further cost savings. Optical signal conditioning may be applied to the lasers, and the conditioned beams may be shared among the modulators. Soliton pulses may be generated at a desired data rate, distributed to form a plurality of distributed pulse trains, and each pulse stream may be modulated with information from the same or different information channels.