Optical: systems and elements – Deflection using a moving element – Using a periodically moving element
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-29
2002-02-05
Pascal, Leslie (Department: 2633)
Optical: systems and elements
Deflection using a moving element
Using a periodically moving element
C359S199200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06344911
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical communication systems, and more particularly to reconfigurable optical network elements.
2. Technical Background
Optical communications systems work by the transmission of light through optical waveguides. Due to the optical properties of the optical waveguides currently in use, only certain portions of the light spectrum are suitable for the transmission of optical signals. Each of these portions of the light spectrum encompasses light from one wavelength to another wavelength, thus defining a waveband. For example the three wavebands of most interest in optical communication systems are the wavebands from 800 nm to 870 nm, 1280 nm to 1330 nm and 1520 nm to 1620 nm. Each of these wavebands may be further divided into multiple sub-wavebands, where each of the sub-wavebands is defined as a region of the light spectrum centered on a center wavelength.
To increase the capacity of optical communications systems, multiple signals are simultaneously transmitted through optical waveguides utilizing the sub-wavebands. Wavelength add/drop multiplexers are an essential element in allowing a single optical waveguide to transmit more than one sub-waveband, and hence more than one optical signal at a time. Wavelength add/drop multiplexers (WADMs) are therefore important elements in optical network applications.
Wavelength add/drop multiplexers either separate a sub-waveband of light from an optical signal or add a sub-waveband of light to an optical signal, or do both. The use of wavelength add/drop multiplexers therefore allows the assembly of a number of discrete signals into a multiplexed optical signal that can travel through a single waveguide to other wavelength add/drop multiplexers where the multiplexed optical signal may be disassembled into its component signals. Each of the component signals may then be introduced into separate waveguides for delivery to different destinations. Wavelength add/drop multiplexers therefore may serve as a basic router in optical communication systems.
Fixed wavelength add/drop multiplexers that manipulate wavelengths do not typically have moving parts to wear out. The absence of moving parts means that fixed wavelength add/drop multiplexers are inherently more reliable than signal routing schemes that rely on switches to deliver optical signals to their proper destinations. One difficulty in using wavelength add/drop multiplexers as routers for optical communication systems has been that they have not been readily reconfigurable. Optical communication system architectures commonly in use do not allow for changing destinations of component signals without the interruption of the multiplexed signal.
The emergence of optical fiber communication systems from “long haul” systems into regional and local communication systems means that this lack of flexibility in signal routing without signal interruption must be overcome. This is necessary in order to allow systems to grow to meet customer needs. In particular, emerging metropolitan area network applications will require optical technologies that have low initial installation costs yet allow for optimized growth of the network and deployment of equipment.
To meet these demands, optical systems, components, and the capabilities of network elements ideally should be upgradable. There are a number of important considerations for implementing upgradable technologies. First the technologies ideally should be cost effective. The upgrade should use existing equipment that is in place; in other words, the upgrade should consist of replacing only those components necessary to upgrade capability, not the installation of an entire new suite of components. And most importantly, the upgrades should not interrupt service on wavelength channels that are not serviced by the equipment being upgraded. This last requirement is becoming increasingly important as networks transition from being voice transmission dominated to data transmission dominated. Temporary interruption of data transmission can compromise an entire transmission by introducing errors or requiring the retransmission of the entire message.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To meet the growing demand for upgradable add/drop technologies that meet the above requirements, a unique detachable opto-electronic module system with a simple serial add/drop architecture that allows for in-service upgrades is presented. One application is for upgrading the add/drop capability of a wavelength from fixed, to flexible, to reconfigurable all while maintaining service on unaffected channels. Another application is an upgradable optically protected add/drop card. The card allows service and system providers to customize the deployment of optical layer protection on a wavelength-by-wavelength basis and two change the protection configuration of a wavelength while maintaining service on un-effected channels.
One aspect of the present invention relates to an optical communications device having an optical circuit configured to receive, transmit and manipulate a number of wavebands, and an opto-electronic module, detachably engageable in optical communication with said optical circuit.
In another aspect, the invention may include an optical communication system having an optical circuit configured to receive, transmit and manipulate a number of wavebands. In this aspect, the optical circuit includes a system input port configured to receive the number of wavebands, and an optical processor that separates a waveband from the number of wavebands. The circuit may further include a system output port configured to transmit the number of wavebands from the optical circuit to an optical device docking input port, configured to receive an optical signal from an opto-electronic module, and a docking output port configured to transmit the separated wave band from the optical circuit to the detachable opto-electronic module.
In another aspect, the invention includes an optical communications device having an optical circuit configured to receive, transmit and manipulate a number of wavebands, and an opto-electronic module, detachably engageable in optical communication with the optical circuit. The detachable opto-electronic module includes, an internal input port for receiving the separated waveband from the optical circuit, and a waveguide connecting the internal input port to an internal output port. The output port is configured to transmit the separated waveband from the detachable opto-electronic module back to the optical circuit.
Another aspect of the invention relates to an optical communications device having an optical circuit configured to receive, transmit and manipulate a number of wavebands, and a detachable opto-electronic module engageable in optical communication with the optical circuit. The optical circuit has a system input port, a filter, where the filter separates a waveband from the number of wavebands, a system output port, configured to transmit the number of wavebands from said optical circuit to an optical device, a docking input port, configured to receive an optical signal from the detachable opto-electronic module and a docking output port. The docking output port is configured to transmit the separated waveband from the optical circuit to the detachable optoelectronic module. The detachable opto-electronic module has an internal input port, for receiving the separated waveband from the optical circuit. An external output port transmits the separated sub-waveband from the detachable opto-electronic module to an optical waveguide. An external input port receives an optical signal from a second optical waveguide. An internal output port is configured to transmit the optical signal received from the external input port from the detachable opto-electronic module to the optical circuit.
Another aspect of the invention relates to an optical communication device having an optical circuit configured to receive, transmit and manipulate multiple wavebands. Where the optical circu
Dailey, Jr. Michael J.
Krol Mark F.
Watkins James J.
Corning Incorporated
Pascal Leslie
Singh Dalzid
Smith Eric M.
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