OPTICAL DATA NETWORK FOR BILATERAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A PLURALITY OF COMMUNICATION NODES
First Claim
1. A fiber optic bidirectional communications network, comprising:
- a plurality of decentralized communication nodes each comprising a receiver for receiving electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength λ
2 and a transmitter for transmitting electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength λ
1;
at least one relay comprising a receiver operable to receive signals at said λ
1 and a transmitter for transmitting signals at said λ
2, andat least one passive optical network (PON) comprising at least one optical fiber and at least one bidirectional coupler coupled to said fiber for coupling said signals at said λ
2 transmitted by said relay to said plurality of communication nodes and for combining said signals at said λ
1 from said plurality of communication nodes into said optical fiber for coupling to said relay;
wherein any of said plurality of nodes may communicate with any other of said plurality of nodes via said relay.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fiber optic bidirectional communications network includes a plurality of decentralized communication nodes each including a receiver for receiving electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength λ2 and a transmitter for transmitting electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength λ1, at least one relay including a receiver operable to receive signals at λ2 and a transmitter for transmitting signals at λ2. At least one passive optical network (PON) includes at least one optical fiber, at least bidirectional coupler coupled to the optical fiber for coupling signals at λ2 transmitted by the relay to the plurality of communication nodes and for combining signals at λ1 from the plurality of nodes into the optical fiber for coupling to the relay. Any of the plurality of communication nodes may communicate of the other communication nodes via the relay. In one embodiment λ1≠λ2 and the relay is a wavelength shifting relay.
29 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A fiber optic bidirectional communications network, comprising:
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a plurality of decentralized communication nodes each comprising a receiver for receiving electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength λ
2 and a transmitter for transmitting electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength λ
1;at least one relay comprising a receiver operable to receive signals at said λ
1 and a transmitter for transmitting signals at said λ
2, andat least one passive optical network (PON) comprising at least one optical fiber and at least one bidirectional coupler coupled to said fiber for coupling said signals at said λ
2 transmitted by said relay to said plurality of communication nodes and for combining said signals at said λ
1 from said plurality of communication nodes into said optical fiber for coupling to said relay;wherein any of said plurality of nodes may communicate with any other of said plurality of nodes via said relay. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of optically communicating data between a plurality of nodes coupled to a fiber optic communications network, said network including a relay, comprising:
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transmitting a first optical signal comprising data from a first node of said plurality of nodes at a wavelength λ
1 into said network;receiving said first optical signal at said relay; retransmitting a second optical signal comprising said data at a wavelength λ
2 into said network, andreceiving said second optical signal at one or more of said plurality of nodes including said plurality of nodes other than said first node. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A fiber optic bidirectional communications network, comprising:
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a plurality of decentralized communication nodes each comprising a receiver for receiving electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength λ
2 and a transmitter for transmitting electromagnetic radiation at a different wavelength λ
1;at least one wavelength shifting relay comprising a receiver operable to receive signals at said λ
1 and a transmitter for transmitting signals at said λ
2, andat least one passive optical network (PON) comprising at least one fiber wherein said λ
1 and said λ
2 are both combined in said at least one optical fiber, and a bidirectional coupler coupled to said optical fiber for coupling said signals at said λ
2 transmitted by said relay to said plurality of communication nodes and for combining said signals at said λ
1 from said plurality of communication nodes into said optical fiber for coupling to said relay;wherein any of said plurality of nodes may communicate with any other of said plurality of nodes via said relay. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification