Optical communication monitoring and control
First Claim
1. An optical monitoring system for an optical communication route over which at least one set of communication signals of at least two distinct carrier optical wave lengths are simultaneously transmitted, each wave length carrying modulated information, said monitoring system comprising:
- means for tapping a portion of said communication signal from the route after the signal has travelled over said route, the remainder of said signal being unaffected and proceeding as an optical signal,a demultiplexer for demultiplexing the tapped portion of said signal into its constituent optical wave lengths,an optical detector for detecting selected single demultiplexed optical wave length for providing a value representing the performance quality of the route for that wave length,evaluation means for comparing said value representing the performance quality to a standard representing the lower limit of acceptable performance quality for said wave length to evaluate the status condition of said route, andsignal means automatically responsive to said evaluation means to signal an unacceptable status condition of said route.
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Accused Products
Abstract
For communicating over optical routes, route monitoring and protection are provided. In routes carrying signals on each of a number of wave lengths a tapped fraction of the signal is demultiplexed and an individual wave length is detected for determining performance and for triggering switching to alternative monitored routes carrying the same signal. Switching of all wave lengths if one shows faulty, with either a single wave length or all wave lengths being monitored is shown. Performance of a long wave length component is employed to determine route quality for shorter wave lengths as well. In bi-directional communication systems, performance of a wave length moving in one direction through a route determines route quality for transmission in the other direction, as well. Progressive sampling and digitization of the tapped signal and comparison to a digitized reference enables high sensitivity of monitoring. Detected average intensity of a tapped wave length, detected error rate in tapped wave lengths and use of performance data fed back from the receiver telecommunication equipment are used to control switching from one monitored route to another. In a unidirectional system, a wideband coupler at the transmitter is used both to merge signals at various wave lengths and to distribute energy at each of the wave lengths to each route.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An optical monitoring system for an optical communication route over which at least one set of communication signals of at least two distinct carrier optical wave lengths are simultaneously transmitted, each wave length carrying modulated information, said monitoring system comprising:
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means for tapping a portion of said communication signal from the route after the signal has travelled over said route, the remainder of said signal being unaffected and proceeding as an optical signal, a demultiplexer for demultiplexing the tapped portion of said signal into its constituent optical wave lengths, an optical detector for detecting selected single demultiplexed optical wave length for providing a value representing the performance quality of the route for that wave length, evaluation means for comparing said value representing the performance quality to a standard representing the lower limit of acceptable performance quality for said wave length to evaluate the status condition of said route, and signal means automatically responsive to said evaluation means to signal an unacceptable status condition of said route. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 24, 25)
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17. An optical monitoring system for an optical communication route in which optical communication signals are transmitted bidirectionally over said route, said monitoring system comprising:
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means for tapping from said route a portion of the optical communication signal after it has travelled in one direction over said route, the remainder of said signal being unaffected and proceeding as an optical signal, an optical detector for detecting said tapped portion of signal and for providing a value representing the performance quality of the route for that signal, evaluation means for comparing said value representing the performance quality to a standard representing the lower limit of acceptable performance quality for said signal to evaluate the status condition of said route, and signal means automatically responsive to said evaluation means to signal an unacceptable status condition of said route for transmission in both directions over said route. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification