Patent attributes
An optical router for selecting optical paths for optical signals and outputting the optical signals. The optical router includes an optical delay device to delay the optical signals containing routing information in a header. An optical switch having input ports' and output ports receives optical outputs that are input from the optical delay device and outputs the optical signals. An optical-electrical conversion device converts the optical signals to electrical signals. A memory stores paths control information. A controller finds the path control information according to routing information output from the optical-electrical conversion device, determines destinations of the optical signal, and selects and assigns an input port in sequence from at least one input port having an output request to the output ports according to results of sorting a plurality of the output ports in ascending order of a number of output requests from the input ports.
