Detailed Office Action
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Request for Continued Examination
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.
Applicant's submission filed on 15 September 2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 11-13 and 15-32 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 11-13 and 15-32
Claims 11-13 and 15-32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cisco (Data Center Multi-Tier Model Design, 14 May 2008; “Cisco”) in view of Kewitsch et al. (2010/0220953; “Kewitsch”), further in view of TEconnectivity (24-Fiber Trunking and Interconnect Solution, Brochure, www.te.com/EnterpriseNetworks, September 2012; “TEconnectivity”), further in view of Marr et al. (2014/0025843; “Marr”), and further in view of Schares et al. (A reconfigurable interconnect fabric with optical circuit switch and software optimizer for stream computing systems, OTuA1.pdf, OSA/OFC/NFOEC 2009; “Schares”).
Claims 11, 22, and 32 are independent claims.
Regarding independent claim 11, Cisco discloses in figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text, network topology embodiments comprising modular multi-tier campus networks characterized by campus core units positioned ‘above’ aggregation units which, in turn, are positioned above access units; trunk lines connect aggregation switches, . Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text. Cisco, Path Selection in the Presence of Service Modules (“In a service module-enabled design, you might want to tune the routing protocol configuration so that a primary traffic path is established towards the active service modules in the Aggregation 1 switch and, in a failure condition, a secondary path is established to the standby service modules in the Aggregation 2 switch. This provides a design with predictable behavior and traffic patterns, which facilitates troubleshooting. Also, by aligning all active service modules in the same switch, flows between service modules stay on the local switching bus without traversing the trunk between aggregation switches.
Cisco – Figures 2-1, 2-4 and 2-5
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Cisco – Selected Text
The aggregation layer, with many access layer uplinks connected to it, has the primary responsibility of aggregating the thousands of sessions leaving and entering the data center. The aggregation switches must be capable of supporting many 10 GigE and GigE interconnects while providing a high-speed switching fabric with a high forwarding rate. The aggregation layer also provides value-added services, such as server load balancing, firewalling, and SSL offloading to the servers across the access layer switches.
The aggregation layer switches carry the workload of spanning tree processing and default gateway redundancy protocol processing. The aggregation layer might be the most critical layer in the data center because port density, over-subscription values, CPU processing, and service modules introduce unique implications into the overall design.
Traffic Flow in the Data Center Aggregation Layer
The aggregation layer connects to the core layer using Layer 3-terminated 10 GigE links. Layer 3 links are required to achieve bandwidth scalability, quick convergence, and to avoid path blocking or the risk of uncontrollable broadcast issues related to trunking Layer 2 domains.
The traffic in the aggregation layer primarily consists of the following flows:
•Core layer to access layer—The core-to-access traffic flows are usually associated with client HTTP-based requests to the web server farm. At least two equal cost routes exist to the web server subnets. The CEF-based L3 plus L4 hashing algorithm determines how sessions balance across the equal cost paths. The web sessions might initially be directed to a VIP address that resides on a load balancer in the aggregation layer, or sent directly to the server farm. After the client request goes through the load balancer, it might then be directed to an SSL offload module or a transparent firewall before continuing to the actual server residing in the access layer.
•Access layer to access layer—The aggregation module is the primary transport for server-to-server traffic across the access layer. This includes server-to-server, multi-tier traffic types (web-to-application or application-to-database) and other traffic types, including backup or replication traffic. Service modules in the aggregation layer permit server-to-server traffic to use load balancers, SSL offloaders, and firewall services to improve the scalability and security of the server farm.
The path selection used for the various flows varies, based on different design requirements.
These differences are based primarily on the presence of service module sand by the access layer topology used.
Further regarding claim 11, Kewitsch discloses in figures 1, 12-A, and 12-B, and related figures and text, for example, Kewitsch -Selected Text, embodiments of modular systems for controllably switching optical signal carrying physical links among a variable plurality of optical fibers, the systems comprising: a physical link sorting module “all-fiber cross-connect switching system,” shown but not labeled in figure 1, the sorting module including optical fibers that carry different ones of a plurality of separate input optical signals to different optical fiber outputs, the sorting module being constructed and adapted to respond individually to first command signals to interweave different physical links therein to selected ones of the optical fiber outputs. See Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28.
Kewitsch - Figure 1.
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Kewitsch - Figures 12-A and 12-B.
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Kewitsch – Selected Text
[0043] The all-fiber cross-connect switching system disclosed in this invention is illustrated in the partial cutaway, perspective view of FIG. 1. This system is characterized by 100's to 1000's of flexible fiber interconnection lines or strands 21 suspended between two planes and intermixing within a circuit expansion volume 108 in the system interior. The placement, ordering and subsequent physical reconfiguration of strands is based on relationships derived from the Theory of Knots and Braids. Topological algorithms uniquely describe the dynamic nature of strand boundary conditions during the reconfiguration process.
[0044] Reconfigurable fiber connections are made internal to the expansion volume 108, between a two-dimensional array of reconfigurable input terminals 170 and an intermediate, substantially one-dimensional array or convergence backbone 41 bounding the interconnect volume. The suspended fiber lines 21 therebetween follow substantially straight-line paths and define a three-dimensional arrangement of vectors directed towards the one-dimensional array 41 which is located at an intermediate plane, beyond which the fiber lines 21 exit contiguously to a modular arrangement of substantially identical, stacked buffer modules 40 housing of a group of say, 48 strands. Internal to modules 40, strand buffer or length storage elements 42 provide slight tensioning, parallel to the vectors and adequate to maintain taut fiber lines 21 in addition to retaining excess slack in the fiber lines. The tension force produced by storage elements 42 on each fiber line lies substantially parallel to the vector defining the three dimensional orientation of each fiber line.
[0045] As a result of the spatially coherent arrangement of strand interconnections, physically non-blocking, automated and software-driven reconfiguration is accomplished by linking the two-dimensional array of input terminals 170 with taut flexible fiber optic circuits 21, or strands, spanning the switch's cross-connect volume 108 and extending from a one-dimensional array of guides at the intermediate optical switch backbone 41. Contiguous fiber optic lines 21 pass through ordered guides at the backbone 41, to a plurality of self-tensioning and slack retention means 42 within multi-fiber interconnect modules 40.
[0046] A typical optical cross-connect system in accordance with this example occupies a 19 or 23-inch wide rack and in this example contains up to 1008 input by 1008 output ports, or more. Switch terminals in array 170 can be added in fixed increments ranging from 12 to 48, for example, by installing additional flexible circuit modules 40 above any previously installed modules in the flexible fiber circuit expansion volume. The output fibers from the buffer modules 40 may be spliced to one or more multi-fiber cables 123, or terminated directly at an array of connector terminals.
[0047] In the particular example of FIG. 1, the lower section of the switch volume is substantially comprised of the reconfiguration volume 108. In general, the reconfiguration volume 108 may lie at the top, bottom, side or central section of the system 100. A central portion of the upper section is clear of obstructions to enable the robotic actuator to move, extend and park within this section while being unencumbered by the suspended fibers below. The bottom-most section (see FIG. 12B) beneath the input terminal array 170 includes at least one row of translatable docking ports or parking ports in a docking module (215 in FIG. 12B) to facilitate exchange of fiber lines 21 between and under the populated terminals. The polished fiber end-face of a connector can be cleaned prior to insertion at terminal array 170 by use of an integrated fiber end-face cleaning module (not shown in FIG. 1) which may be integrated within the interconnect transport mechanism 405. The cleaning module may comprise a fiber cleaning fabric ribbon in spooled form and a drive mechanism which automatically moves the fabric relative to the end-face, thereby cleaning the fiber end-faces in a non-wearing fashion.
[0048] This cross-connect system 100 is comprised of a combination of interchangeable modules to provide desirable characteristics of modularity, scalability and versatility (FIGS. 12A and 12B). As shown in these figures, by way of example, the modules include a multiplicity of stacked flexible fiber optic circuit modules 40 populating an input connector array 110, a robotic module 202 coupled to the interconnection transport mechanism 405 a controller module 70, a docking module 215, vertical cable guides 216 and output patch-panels 217. For further details as to system geometry and operation, reference can be made to the above-referenced patent application Ser. No. 12/196,262.
[0057] Reconfiguration is initiated by a user or external software client by entering a simple reconfiguration command, reading in a file containing a series of reconfiguration instructions, or via a standard interface protocol such as TL1 or SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). The server or controller system 70 (FIG. 1) processes these commands, based on the current state of the database of interconnection vectors, to compute the required multi-step, Braid theory-based reconfiguration process. Thereafter, the motion of interconnection transport mechanism 405 is initiated. The multifunctional gripper 50 disengages and moves a specified fiber line, in a fashion synchronized with the programmed, independent translation of each row comprising the two dimensional array of terminals 170 along the x axis. Fiber lines retain substantially straight-line paths for any number of arbitrary reconfigurations. The vector undergoing reconfiguration maintains a proper orientation relative to surrounding vectors such that entanglement is avoided for any potential reconfiguration.
[0058] In the cross-connect system disclosed here, input terminals are connected to output fibers through internal connections that are robotically reconfigured. A reconfiguration of one port first requires that if the internal destination port 58 is currently occupied by a connector 34, this connector must be vacated to make room for the new fiber connection. This process makes temporary use of a holding, docking or parking port, for example, within docking module 215 below the flexible circuit modules 40 (FIG. 12B). If the destination port is not vacant, the port reconfiguration is preceded by the step of moving any fiber strand 21 within the destination port to an empty terminal 58 (FIG. 17B). In general, the number of internal input terminals 58 will be larger than the number of output fibers 81 (FIG. 1) because of the addition of docking and/or parking ports.
[0122] Systems in accordance with the invention are intended to provide capacity for many thousands of optical fibers, each of which must be free of excessive stressing as well as excessive bending when manipulated. Controllable tension of variable length optical fibers is uniquely provided by reels in accordance with the applicant's previously issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,315,681 entitled "Fiber Optic Rotary Coupling and Devices". That teaching of reels for tensioned feeding and retraction of optical fiber elements is generally applicable herein, but even though it is a compact combination of low elevation, the present system imposes spatial demands which make it highly desirable that the reel devices and their geometry be substantially further compressed. This is accomplished in accordance with the invention by the modular construction of FIGS. 16A and 16B, which incorporates reel assemblies of very low height and by reel configurations as depicted in FIGS. 18A-18D.
[0123] The modular construction is shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B and comprises a number (four) of stacked take-up reels 42, each in a separate partial housing of low height (0.4 inches or less), and each, in this example, comprising one reel 42 in a four high stack of reels distributed in a 4.times.3 planar configuration, as shown in FIG. 16B. The optical fibers extending from each of the individual reels 42 feed into a fiber backbone 41 as described above and in the previously referenced parent applications and from there are distributed outwardly into an open interconnect volume 108 leading to individual connector terminals 110. Each module includes a rigid printed circuit board substrate 84 on which forty-eight take-up reels 42 reside, each feeding their fiber 21 a different connector terminal 110, the terminals 110 being accessible from the exterior. Fibers 21 are individually routed from reels 42 through a series of low friction fiber guides 92 that suspend the fibers passing therethrough and direct them potentially through 90 degree bends, while presenting negligible friction to the fibers sliding within. The fiber guides 92 are positioned across the printed circuit board substrate 84 to route all moving input fibers to the central fiber backbone location 41. As described below in connection with FIG. 21, the connector terminals 110 connect outwardly to exterior optical fibers in the system harness. Within the open interconnect volume 108, the gripper mechanism heretofore described can penetrate through the three-dimensional matrix of strands to seize a particular optical fiber at a chosen address, remove it and interweave it through the columns and rows, in accordance with the invention. As depicted in FIGS. 16A and 16B, this compact module is of less than 1.6 inches height, so that a significant number of modules can be added as needed and stacked within the equipment rack.
[0124] Methods and systems to achieve intelligent and automated fault recovery are also disclosed herein, as shown generally in FIG. 20. Data and procedures used in the execution of a deterministic, multi-state port reconfiguration process is recorded in real-time during the process to provide a detailed log file 209 record of the steps being effected. Should a power failure or other fault or failure occur to interrupt the reconfiguration process, the saved log file is restored to reveal the exact point in the reconfiguration process where the fault occurred. For robustness, the log file is typically saved to a mirrored or redundant memory device at the same time.
[0125] In a particular example of the fault recovery process, the reconfiguration is restarted in a simulation mode following interruption. That is, the controller steps through the reconfiguration process without executing the actual processes, such as actuation of the gripper. The saved log file is compared to the simulation log file line-by-line during process simulation, which should match on a line-by-line basis until the point of failure. Once the simulation process reaches the final entry in the saved log file, the process has returned to the point at which it had halted. At this point, the process exits the simulation mode and proceeds with the execution of the actual process.
Claim 1. In a system for interweaving a selected strand within a spatially coherent multiplicity of strands suspended in an interconnection volume between a planar two-dimensional matrix of input terminals disposed in rows and columns, and a spaced apart ordered single axis distribution of strand output terminals in which each input terminal has a unique two-dimensional address, with the strands between the input and output terminals defining three-dimensional vectors, and in which system a strand transport mechanism interweaves a selected strand adjacent the two-dimensional matrix to a different target input terminal in the matrix along a computed trajectory; the rows of terminals in the matrix being incrementally movable in the row direction; a method for providing a trajectory for reconfiguration of a selected strand between different input terminals without entangling the selected strand with other strands in the multiplicity, the method comprising the steps of: transporting a selected strand in alternating columnar directions through the multiplicity of strands; calculating a weaving code for laterally incrementally moving individual rows of the two-dimensional matrix of terminals in timed relation to the columnar position of the strand being transported; providing lateral incremental movements of selected rows of strands in the two-dimensional distribution according to the calculated weaving code, in timed relation to the columnar position of the strand being transported; transporting the selected strand along successive columns of the matrix in alternating senses parallel to the single axis dimension, relative to the matrix, and repeating the columnar transporting in alternating directions and timed lateral incremental movements of selected rows until a final input address is reached.
Consequently, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Cisco by incorporating embodiments of Kewitsch’s systems for controllably switching optical signal carrying physical links among a variable plurality of optical fibers; because the resulting fiber-based systems would facilitate increasing port density; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; of reconfigurable network fabrics. Kewitsch, figures 1, 12-A, and 12-B, and related figures and text, for example, Kewitsch -Selected Text.
TEconnectivity - Figures 3-6
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TEconnectivity - Table 2
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Further regarding claim 11, Marr discloses in figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text, embodiments of networks characterized by linking modules having like numbers of optical fibers in variably determinable paths between inputs and outputs, for example, sorting module 402 (shown as “Transpose Box” 402 in Marr’s figure 4; Marr’s paragraph [0040] discloses ‘ports’ 1-48 for connecting to cables and “switches … connected only to the appropriate port on the transpose box 402”); a plurality of sorting modules 906 and 922 (called ”network transpose boxes” in Marr, Abstract) connected by switch/port 924 (Marr’s figure 9(b)); sorting modules configured such that particular interconnect module of a sorting module has substantially identical number of other interconnects as the other interconnect modules of that sorting module; configuring sorting modules 906 and 922 for connecting up to a particular set of devices (called upper tier switches 902 and lower tier switches in Marr, paragraph [0068]; and shown in Marr’s figure 9(b) as upper switches 902 and switches 904 for sorting module 906 and 920 on sorting module 922); the step of connecting each particular sorting module to a particular set of devices, the set comprising user (non-sorting module) devices, with each particular set of devices being unique to the sorting module to which the devices are connected. (disclosed, for Marr’s figure 3, as “each of the twenty-four upper tier switches 404 must be connected to each of the forty-eight lower tier switches 406” in Marr’s paragraph [0040]). Marr, paragraph [0068] (“As the network scales, the additional transpose boxes ( and other components) can be added as needed. Such an approach also can be used to connect two separate fabrics …”); Marr, paragraph [0041] (“In some cases, other types of cables (e.g., octopus cables, multi-ended cables, cables with multiple cores, etc.) or combinations of cables ( e.g., bundles of similar or different cables) can be used as well, while still obtaining a significant reduction in the amount of cabling and/or number of connections. In one specific example, an uplink cable to a transpose box might have 12 individual port connectors on one end (with two fibers each), and a 24 core trunk cable and a single 24-way connector at the transpose end. Many other variations are possible as well within the scope of the various embodiments.”). Marr, Abstract (“The deployment and scaling of a network of electronic devices can be improved by utilizing one or more network transpose boxes. Each transpose box can include a number of connectors and a meshing useful for implementing a specific network topology. When connecting devices of different tiers in the network, each device need only be connected to at least one of the connectors on the transpose box. The meshing of the transpose box can cause each device to be connected to any or all of the devices in the other tier as dictated by the network topology. When changing network topologies or scaling the network, additional devices can be added to available connectors on an existing transpose box, or new or additional transpose boxes can be deployed in order to handle the change with minimal cabling effort.”).
Marr - Figure 9(b).
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Consequently, in view of Marr’s embodiments of like modules, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify Cisco in view of Kewitsch and further in view of TE connectivity’s embodiments of reconfigurable multi-tier network fabrics to disclose: a system for controllably switching optical signal carrying physical links among a variable plurality of optical fibers, the system comprising: a first plurality of physical link sorting modules, each including optical fibers that carry different ones of a plurality of separate input optical signals to different optical fiber outputs, each sorting module being constructed and adapted to respond individually to first command signals to interweave different physical links therein to selected ones of the optical fiber outputs a plurality of signal transferring core trunk lines receiving the optical signals from the first plurality of physical link sorting modules at different ones of a plurality of multi-fiber trunk line groupings, extending to different ones of a plurality of spaced-apart outputs via variable trunk line interconnections controlled in response to a second set of command signals, wherein the plurality of signal transferring core trunk lines define a trunk line manager comprising a multiplicity of multi-fiber trunk line sets; a second plurality of physical link sorting modules constructed and adapted to receive the optical signals transported from the multi-fiber trunk lines, and also constructed and adapted to respond to third command signals to deliver optical signals received from the trunk lines to selected output terminals from each of the second plurality of physical link sorting modules; and a control system coupled to transmit command signals to control the physical link sorting modules and configure the signal transferring core trunk lines in accordance with requirements for optical signal transmission along different selected physical links, wherein each of the physical link sorting modules is independently controllable by said control system and independently responsive to command signals from said control system, and wherein the first plurality of physical link sorting modules and the second plurality of physical link sorting modules comprise network topology managers having like numbers of optical fibers in variably determinable paths between inputs and outputs; Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; because the resulting embodiments would facilitate deploying incrementally scalable network of devices; Marr, Abstract; while facilitating increased port densities; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; and reconfigurable network fabrics; Kewitsch, figures 1, 12-A, and 12-B, and related figures and text, for example, Kewitsch -Selected Text, amenable to reconfiguration while data is flowing. Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text (“a dynamic routing mechanism … reconfigures a stream to use the appropriate network transport, while data is flowing on the stream… a new component called the Transport Manager reconfigures the network fabric and notifies the central orchestrator to change the links”)
Schares – Figure 1 and 3.
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Schares – Selected Text
1. Introduction. System S is a highly scalable distributed computer system designed to process enormous quantities of streaming data in real time. A central orchestrator is responsible for scheduling, dispatching and tracking the status of each job. An optimizing algorithm known as SODA [6] (Scheduling Optimizer for Distributed Applications) decides on the amount of computing and networking resources to allocate to each kernel and balance the overall performance of the application, based on the underlying infrastructure state. A second component known as the Stream Processing Core (SPC) runs on the nodes; it manages the kernels and the stream connections between them. To integrate the OCS interconnection fabric into System S and better meet the communication needs for kernels and streams, we have developed several new software capabilities highlighted in Fig. 1. First, an extension to SODA allows it to consider link options and redefine appropriate fabric topologies. Specifically, SODA makes both network link assignment decisions and kernel-to-kernel transport decisions, in addition to its traditional kernel-to- node assignments. Second, a dynamic routing mechanism in the SPC reconfigures a stream to use the appropriate network transport, while data is flowing on the stream. Third, a new component called the Transport Manager reconfigures the network fabric and notifies the central orchestrator to change the links used by kernels when SODA makes these link assignment changes.
5. Conclusion. We demonstrate to our knowledge the first implementation of an OCS network in a data center-scalable streaming system, using a 3D-MEMS optical switch and a new software control and scheduling framework. Three clusters of blade servers, each with 10-Gb/s Ethernet edge switches and single-mode optical transceivers, are interconnected by a commercial MEMS-based optical switch. A new software optimizing scheduler adapts the physical interconnect topology in response to system needs, matching logical flow graphs by reconfiguring the OCS. We develop a scalable and effective routing algorithm that fully utilizes all active links in a topology. The per-port cost of 3D-MEMS switches has rapidly decreased as the technology matured, and we expect OCS fabrics to become very promising for computer systems with the advent of low-cost single-mode WDM transceiver technologies [8-9].
Regarding claims 12-13 and 15-21, as dependent upon claim 11, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify Cisco in view of Kewitsch, further in view of TE connectivity, further in view of Marr, and further in view of Schares’ embodiments of reconfigurable multi-tier optical fiber network fabrics, as applied in the rejection of claim 11, to disclose:
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first plurality of physical link sorting modules and the second plurality of physical link sorting modules are variable in number, and each physical link sorting module has like pluralities of separate inputs and outputs. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
13. The system of claim 11, wherein each link sorting module is constructed and adapted to interweave the physical links therein between other fibers in the module without entanglement by transporting the physical links through the system in accordance with an algorithm computing physical links as mathematical strands whose spatial relationships are ordered by the mathematics of knots, braids and strands to ensure entanglement of strands is prevented. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
15. The system of claim 11, wherein each multi-fiber trunk line set comprises a fixed like number of optical fibers, which is a fraction of a total number of core trunk lines in a corresponding network topology manager. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the trunk line manager variably interconnects the output terminals of a first network topology manager with input terminals of a second network topology manager in accordance with commands from the control system. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
17. The system of claim 15, wherein the network topology managers each have about 1,000 or more input fiber ports and 1,000 or more output fiber ports, and the trunk line manager has about the same number of multi-fiber inputs and outputs. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein each input and output is able to be interconnected by multi-fiber trunk lines. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
19. The system of claim 11, wherein the first and second pluralities of physical link sorting modules each comprise like numbers of network topology manager blocks, each block having a like number of inputs switchable under command signals to selected individual outputs for a given individual block, and wherein the core trunk lines are arranged in like fractional groupings of a limited number of fiber sets equaling in total the like numbers of fibers in the network topology manager blocks. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
20. The system of claim 11, wherein the first plurality of physical link sorting modules and the second plurality of physical link sorting modules, and the core trunk lines are bi-directional. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
21. The system of claim 11, wherein the number of first and second plurality of original physical link sorting modules can be increased and/or decreased during operation. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
because the resulting embodiments would facilitate deploying incrementally scalable network of devices; Marr, Abstract; while facilitating increased port densities; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; and reconfigurable network fabrics; Kewitsch, figures 1, 12-A, and 12-B, and related figures and text, for example, Kewitsch -Selected Text, amenable to reconfiguration while data is flowing. Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text (“a dynamic routing mechanism … reconfigures a stream to use the appropriate network transport, while data is flowing on the stream… a new component called the Transport Manager reconfigures the network fabric and notifies the central orchestrator to change the links”).
Regarding independent claim 22, and claims 23-31, as dependent upon claim 22, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify Cisco in view of Kewitsch, further in view of TE connectivity, further in view of Marr, and further in view of Schares’ embodiments of reconfigurable multi-tier optical fiber network fabrics, as applied in the rejection of claims 12-13 and 15-21, to disclose:
22. A switching system for controlling a transfer of optical signals from a plurality of optical input lines to selected optical output lines as determined by control signals, comprising: a plurality of optical input lines arranged in a two-dimensional array in a first plane having orthogonal input axes and extending out of the first plane to a parallel second plane wherein the lines are distributed about a first central axis, the lines between the array of the first plane and the second plane being constructed and adapted in a three-dimensional first switching mechanism to be positioned by first activators in response to first control signals in accordance with a knots, braids and strands principle and responsively moved to selectable first switching positions in the first plane; a second signal controlled multi-line and intermediate switching system coupled to the first switching positions and including multi-lines extending therefrom to a third plane, the intermediate switching system arranged in a two- dimensional array in the third plane having orthogonal input axes and extending out of the third plane to a parallel fourth plane wherein the multi-lines are distributed about a second central axis, the multi-lines between the array of the third plane and the fourth plane being constructed and adapted in a three- dimensional second switching mechanism to be positioned by second activators in response to second control signals in accordance with a knots, braids and strands principle and responsively moved to selectable second switching positions in the third plane; a third plurality of optical lines operatively coupled to the multi-lines in the intermediate switching system and receiving signals therefrom, the plurality of optical output lines arranged in a two-dimensional array in a fifth plane having orthogonal input axes and extending out of the fifth plane to a parallel sixth plane wherein the lines are distributed about a third central axis, the lines between the array of the fifth plane and the sixth plane being constructed and adapted in a three-dimensional third switching mechanism to be positioned by third activators in response to third control signals in accordance with a knots, braids and strands principle and responsively moved to selectable third switching positions in the fifth plane; and a central system generating control signals for: (i) the first switching mechanisms, (ii) the second switching mechanisms, and (iii) the third switching mechanisms, said control signals to control a selective transfer of optical signals through the system from input lines to output lines, wherein each of (i) the first switching mechanisms, (ii) the second switching mechanisms, and (iii) the third switching mechanisms is independently controllable and controlled by said central system, and is independently responsive to control signals from said central system. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
23. The switching system of claim 22, wherein rows of the first plane, third plane, and the fifth plane are independently translatable by the activators. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
24. The switching system of claim 22, wherein the ordering of lines at the second plane, at the multi-lines at fourth plane, and at the fifth plane is fixed. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
25. The switching system of claim 22, wherein the multi-lines number 8, 12, 16, 24 or 32 fibers in a common bundle. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
26. The switching system of claim 25, wherein the multi-lines are single mode optical fiber within a common protective jacket. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
27. The switching system of claim 22, wherein the control signals cause activator motors to move. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
28. The switching system of claim 22, wherein the line and multi-line switching mechanisms each comprise a robotic arm and a connector gripper. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
29. The switching system of claim 28, wherein the connector gripper can repeatedly engage single fiber connectors or multiple fiber connectors. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
30. The switching system of claim 22, wherein the lines extending from initial coordinates in the first plane merge into a fixed one-dimensional array of locations at the second plane. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
31. The switching system of claim 30, wherein the lines extending from the initial coordinates follow substantially straight paths. Cisco, figures 2-1, 2-4, and 2-5, and related figures and text, for example, Cisco – Selected Text; Kewitsch, figures 1-24; abstract; paragraphs [0001]-[0033], [0036], [0038-[0039], [0042]-[0062], [0064]- [0075], [0080]-[0138], [0130]-[0134], [0136]-[0140]; and claims 1-9, 11, 14, 21, and 26-28; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; Marr, figures 3, 4 and 9(b), and related text; Schares, figures 1 and 3, and related figures and text, for example, Schares – Selected Text.
because the resulting embodiments would facilitate deploying incrementally scalable network of devices; Marr, Abstract; while facilitating increased port densities; TEconnectivity, figures 3-6, Table 2, and related text; and reconfigurable network fabrics; Kewitsch