Fault-tolerant fiber optic coupler/repeater for use in high speed data transmission and the like
First Claim
1. A fault-tolerant fiber optic coupler/repeater for use in high speed data transmission, data bus and high speed parallel processors and computers, comprising:
- a terminal;
a primary input optical fiber connected to said terminal for conducting a primary optical signal to said terminal;
a bypass optical fiber connected to said terminal for conducting a bypass optical signal to said terminal;
a data input/output device connected to said terminal;
coupling means for coupling said primary input optical fiber, said bypass optical fiber and said data input/output device together, said coupling means including a power splitting device connected to said primary input and to said bypass optical fibers whereby the primary optical signal can be divided to a predetermined ratio;
a primary input photodiode in said primary input optical fiber;
a bypass photodiode in said bypass optical fiber; and
logic means connecting said primary input and bypass photodiodes to said data input/output device for determining which of said primary or said bypass optical signals to send to said data input/output device for use thereby and which of said optical signals to reject, said logic means including a first power amplitude detector connected to said primary input photodiode to receive optical signals therefrom, a second power amplitude detector connected to said bypass photodiode to receive optical signals therefrom, a ratio detector connector to both of said power amplitude detectors for receving signals therefrom and for comparing the power in each of the primary have bypass optical signals to a preselected power range and for selecting the optical signal which is closest to the preselected power range and for rejecting the other optical signal, a select switch connected to said ratio detector to receive a signal therefrom based on the preselected power range and for generating a switching signal corresponding to the selected optical signal, and switch device connected to said select switch to receive said switching signal from said select switch, said switch device including a first switch connected to said primary input photodiode and a second switch connected to said bypass photodiode, said switch device being connected to said data input/output device or to a filter and a signal shaping circuit to boost a signal from a terminal ahead of said terminal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fault-tolerant fiber optic coupler/repeater for use in a terminal in a high speed digital, audio or video data transmission system has optical data input from one or a plurality of upstream terminals and sends optical data to one or a plurality of downstream terminals via fiber optic lines. The terminal includes one or more bypass lines and is connected to the bypass line of at least one upstream terminal. The terminal receives optical data signals from upstream terminals via a primary line and one or more bypass lines which bypass one or more of the upstream terminals. The terminals includes a logic device which analyzes the signals received by the terminal via the primary line and via the bypass line and analyzes or compares these signals to preset values. The logic device selects the signal having characteristics closest to the preset values and rejects the other signals. The logic device likewise activates a built-in test circuit if multiple signals are rejected for not having characteristics within a preset range, all of the data is rejected. The selected primary or bypass signal is sent to an input/output device, such as a computer.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A fault-tolerant fiber optic coupler/repeater for use in high speed data transmission, data bus and high speed parallel processors and computers, comprising:
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a terminal; a primary input optical fiber connected to said terminal for conducting a primary optical signal to said terminal; a bypass optical fiber connected to said terminal for conducting a bypass optical signal to said terminal; a data input/output device connected to said terminal; coupling means for coupling said primary input optical fiber, said bypass optical fiber and said data input/output device together, said coupling means including a power splitting device connected to said primary input and to said bypass optical fibers whereby the primary optical signal can be divided to a predetermined ratio; a primary input photodiode in said primary input optical fiber; a bypass photodiode in said bypass optical fiber; and logic means connecting said primary input and bypass photodiodes to said data input/output device for determining which of said primary or said bypass optical signals to send to said data input/output device for use thereby and which of said optical signals to reject, said logic means including a first power amplitude detector connected to said primary input photodiode to receive optical signals therefrom, a second power amplitude detector connected to said bypass photodiode to receive optical signals therefrom, a ratio detector connector to both of said power amplitude detectors for receving signals therefrom and for comparing the power in each of the primary have bypass optical signals to a preselected power range and for selecting the optical signal which is closest to the preselected power range and for rejecting the other optical signal, a select switch connected to said ratio detector to receive a signal therefrom based on the preselected power range and for generating a switching signal corresponding to the selected optical signal, and switch device connected to said select switch to receive said switching signal from said select switch, said switch device including a first switch connected to said primary input photodiode and a second switch connected to said bypass photodiode, said switch device being connected to said data input/output device or to a filter and a signal shaping circuit to boost a signal from a terminal ahead of said terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for selecting data signals to be used by an input/output device in a terminal in a high speed data transmission system having a data bus and high speed parallel processors and computers comprising:
- inputting a primary optical data signal to the terminal via a primary optical fiber;
inputting a bypass optical data signal to the terminal via a bypass optical fiber;
splitting the primary optical data signal into a first signal and a bypass signal which bypasses the terminal;
inputting a third optical data signal to the terminal via a third optical fiber;
analyzing said primary optical data signal first signal and determining the power of said primary optical data signal first signal;
analyzing said bypass optical data signal and determining the power of said bypass optical data signal;
analyzing the power of said third optical signal and determining the power of said third optical data signal;
comparing the powers of said primary optical data signal first signal and said bypass optical data signal and said third optical data signal to a preset range;
selecting the optical data signal having a power closest to the preset range; and
sending the selected optical data signal to the input/output device associated with the terminal;
said primary optical data signal coming from a first adjacent upstream terminal, said bypass optical signal coming from a second upstream terminal and said third optical signal coming from a third upstream terminal. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
- inputting a primary optical data signal to the terminal via a primary optical fiber;
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38. A fault-tolerant fiber optic coupler/repeater for use in high speed data transmission, data bus and high speed parallel processors and computers, consisting only of:
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a terminal; a primary input optical fiber connected to said terminal for conducting a primary optical signal to said terminal; a bypass optical fiber connected to said terminal for conducting a bypass optical signal to said terminal; a data input/output device connected to said terminal; coupling means for coupling said primary input optical fiber, said bypass optical fiber and said input/output device together, said coupling means including a power splitting device connected to said primary input and to said bypass optical fibers whereby the primary optical signal can by divided to a predetermined ratio; a primary input photodiode in said primary input optical fiber; a bypass photodiode in said bypass optical fiber; and logic means connecting said primary input and bypass photodiodes to said input/output device for determining which of said primary or said bypass optical signals to send to said input/output device for use thereby and which of said optical signals to reject, said logic means including a first power amplitude detector connected to said primary input photodiode to receive optical signals therefrom, a second power amplitude detector connected to said bypass photodiode to receive optical signals therefrom, a ratio detector connected to both of said power amplitude detectors for receiving signals therefrom and for comparing the power in each of the primary and bypass optical signals to a preselected power range and for selecting the optical signal which is closest to the preselected power range and for rejecting the other optical signal, a select switch connected to said ratio detector to receive a signal therefrom based on the preselected power range and for generating a switching signal corresponding to the selected optical signal, and a switch device connected to said select switch to receive said switching signal from said select switch, said switch device including a first switch connected to said primary input photodiode and a second switch connected to said bypass photo diode, said switch device being connected to said data input/output device or to a filter and a signal shaping circuit to boost a signal from a terminal ahead of said terminal, and power/ground connections.
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39. A fault-tolerant fiber optic coupler/repeater for use in high speed data transmission, data bus and high speed parallel processors and computers, comprising:
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a terminal; a primary input optical fiber connected to said terminal for conducting a primary optical data signal having a primary optical data signal power level to said terminal; a bypass optical fiber connected to said terminal for conducting a bypass optical data signal having a bypass optical data signal power level to said terminal; a plurality of receiving diodes for receiving said primary optical data signal and said bypass optical data signal; a data input/output device connected to said terminal; a programable optical interconnect means connecting said primary input optical fiber said bypass optical fiber to said input/output device and which includes test means for generating a preselected reference optical power level and which further includes means for continuously comparing said primary optical data signal power level and said bypass opitcal data signal power level to said preselected reference optical power level ans for continuously selecting that optical data signal having a power level closer to said reference optical power level for use by said data input/output device and rejecting the other data signal whereby the optical data signal having a power level closer to said reference optical power level is always selected for use by said input/output device no matter what the power levels are of said primary optical data signal and said bypass optical data signal, a select switch connected to said test means to receive a signal therefrom based on the preselected reference optical power level and for generating a switching signal corresponding to the selected optical data signal, and a switch device connected to said select switch to receive said switching signal from said select switch, said switch device including a first switch path connected to said primary input optical fiber, and a second switch path connected to said bypass optical fiber, said switch device being connected to said data input/output device or to a means for using a signal from a terminal ahead of said terminal.
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40. A fault tolerant fiber optic coupler/repeater for use in high speed data transmission, data bus and high speed parallel processors and computers, comprising:
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(A) a terminal; (B) a primary input optical fiber connected to said terminal for conducting a primary optical signal to said terminal; (C) a bypass optical fiber connected to said terminal for conducting a bypass optical signal to said terminal; (D) a data input/output device associated with said terminal; (E) coupling means for coupling said primary input optical fiber, said bypass optical fiber and said input/output device together, said coupling means including (a) a power splitting device connected to said primary input and to said bypass optical fibers whereby the primary optical signal can be divided into a first optical data signal and a terminal bypass optical signal according to a predetermined ratio, (b) a primary input photodiode in said primary input optical fiber for receiving said first optical data signal, (c) a bypass photodiode in said bypass optical fiber for receiving said bypass optical signal, and (d) logic means connecting said primary input and bypass photodiodes to said input/output divice for determining which of said first optical data signal or said bypass optical signal to send to said input-output device for use thereby and which of said first optical data signal and said bypass optical signal to reject, said logic means including (1l ) a first power amplitude detector connected to said primary input diode to receive said first optical signal therefrom and generating a first signal in correspondence with said first optical signal, (2) a second power amplitude detector connected to bypass photodiode to receive said bypass optical signal therefrom and generating a second signal in correspondence with said bypass optical signal, (3) a ratio detector connected to both of said power amplitude detectors for receiving said first and second signals thereform and for comparing the power in each of the first optical data signal and said bypass optical signal to a preslected power range and selecting the optical signal having a power amplitude which is closer to the preselected power range and for rejecting the other optical signal and for generating a switching signal which corresponds to the selected optical signal, and (4) a select switch means connected to said ratio detector to receive said switching signal therefrom and which connects either said primary input photodiode to said data input/output device or said bypass photodiode to said data input/output device in accordance with said switching signal.
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Specification