MULTI- PURPOSE APPARATUS FOR SWITCHING, AMPLIFYING, REPLICATING, AND MONITORING OPTICAL SIGNALS ON A MULTIPLICITY OF OPTICAL FIBERS
First Claim
1. An apparatus that contains a single fiber optical circuit, known as a basic SwARM circuit that can perform multiple functions of (1) switching, (2) amplifying, and (3) replicating of optical signals depending on which direction optical signals propagate through this circuit that is comprised of a multiplicity of optical fibers that can be individually turned on and off with 1×
- 1 optical switches and this multiplicity of fibers is connected to one side of an optical combiner/splitter that has a single fiber on the other side of the combiner/splitter that is connected to an optional optical amplifier followed by the continuation of the said single optical fiber to a connector.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Several useful functions that are included in many modern day fiber optical communication systems are (1) replication of an optical signal on a single optical fiber onto a multiplicity of optical fibers, (2) amplification of optical signals, and (3) sequential switching of optical signals on a large number of optical fibers to a single or limited number of optical fibers that can each be connected to specialized performance monitoring equipment. These functions can be accomplished using a single apparatus called a multi-purpose Switched, Amplifying, Replicating and Monitoring apparatus that can manage as few as 8 optical fibers up to 512 optical fibers, or more by multiplexing.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An apparatus that contains a single fiber optical circuit, known as a basic SwARM circuit that can perform multiple functions of (1) switching, (2) amplifying, and (3) replicating of optical signals depending on which direction optical signals propagate through this circuit that is comprised of a multiplicity of optical fibers that can be individually turned on and off with 1×
- 1 optical switches and this multiplicity of fibers is connected to one side of an optical combiner/splitter that has a single fiber on the other side of the combiner/splitter that is connected to an optional optical amplifier followed by the continuation of the said single optical fiber to a connector.
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2. An apparatus that contains two or more basic SwARM circuits that are each comprised of a multiplicity of optical fibers that can be individually turned on and off with 1×
- 1 optical switches and that this multiplicity of fibers is connected to one side of an optical combiner/splitter having a single fiber on the other side of the combiner/splitter that is connected to an optional optical amplifier followed by the continuation of the said single optical fiber and that the two or more basic SwARM circuits are interconnected with at least one multiport optical switch that can switch between each of the said single fiber continuations of the individual basic SwARM circuits.
- View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An apparatus that contains two or more basic SwARM circuits that are each comprised of a multiplicity of optical fibers that can be individually turned on and off with 1×
- 1 optical switches and that this multiplicity of fibers is connected to one side of an optical combiner/splitter having a single fiber on the other side of the combiner/splitter that is connected to an optional optical amplifier followed by the continuation of the said single optical fiber and that the two or more basic SwARM circuits are interconnected with at least one multiport optical switch that can switch between each of the said single fiber continuations of the individual basic SwARM circuits and in which at least one of the said basic SwARM circuits is used for signal monitoring and at least one of the remaining basic SwARM circuits is used for signal replication.
Specification