Methods for determining the performance, status, and advanced failure of optical communication channels
First Claim
1. A method of determining the performance of an optical communication channel, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) receiving light signals conveyed over said optical communication channel at a photodetector;
b) generating, by means of said photodetector, a first electrical signal to be used to provide a measure of average received optical power in said light signals received at said photodetector in step (a);
c) generating an average current signal from the first electrical signal;
d) generating the measure of the average received optical power from the average current signal with an average current measuring circuit;
e) generating, by means of said photodetector, a second electrical signal, separate from the first electrical signal, from said light signals received at said photodetector in step (a);
f) generating a data signal from the second electrical signal; and
g) monitoring changes in said measure of average received optical power as represented by said first electrical signal in step (b) to determine the performance of the optical communication channel.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods of determining the performance and the advanced failure of an optical communication channel. Performance of an optical communication channel may be determined by receiving light signals, generating a measure of an average received optical power in the received light signals and monitoring changes in the measure of the average received optical power. Advanced failure of an optical communication channel may be determined by transmitting a light signal at one end of the optical communication channel, propagating the light signal in an optical transmission medium, receiving the light signal at an opposite end of the optical communication channel, generating an electrical signal responsive to the receiving of the light signal. determining a measure of an average received optical power in the received light signal in response to the electrical signal, and monitoring changes in the measure of the average received optical power.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A method of determining the performance of an optical communication channel, the method comprising the steps of:
-
a) receiving light signals conveyed over said optical communication channel at a photodetector; b) generating, by means of said photodetector, a first electrical signal to be used to provide a measure of average received optical power in said light signals received at said photodetector in step (a); c) generating an average current signal from the first electrical signal; d) generating the measure of the average received optical power from the average current signal with an average current measuring circuit; e) generating, by means of said photodetector, a second electrical signal, separate from the first electrical signal, from said light signals received at said photodetector in step (a); f) generating a data signal from the second electrical signal; and g) monitoring changes in said measure of average received optical power as represented by said first electrical signal in step (b) to determine the performance of the optical communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method of determining failure of an optical communication channel, the method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) transmitting a light signal into one end of the optical communication channel; (b) propagating the light signal through an optical transmission medium of said optical communication channel; (c) receiving the light signal at an opposite end of the optical communication channel; (d) generating first and second electrical signals in response to receiving said light signal in step (c); (e) generating a data signal from the second electrical signal generated in step (d) separate from the first electrical signal generated in step d); (f) generating an average current signal from the second electrical signal; (g) determining a measure of average received optical power in the light signal received in step (c), in accordance with said average current signal generated in step (f); and (h) monitoring changes in said measure of average received optical power as determined in step (g), to determine the failure of the optical communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. In an opto-electronic receiver having a photo-detector that is operative to receive an optical communication signal transported over an optical communication channel and to output a first electrical signal that is coupled to downstream amplifier and signal processing circuitry to derive an electrical data signal representative of information contained in said optical communication signal, the improvement wherein:
said photo-detector is operative to output a second electrical signal, that is exclusive of said first electrical signal and is not coupled to said downstream amplifier and signal processing circuitry to which said first electrical signal is coupled, said second electrical signal being applied directly to average optical power measurement circuitry that is operative to process said second electrical signal into an average current signal and to derive therefrom a measure of average optical power in said optical communication signal received by said photo-detector, and a monitoring unit, coupled to said average optical power measurement circuitry, and being operative to generate an output representative of the performance of said optical communication channel, in accordance with a change in said measure of average optical power derived by said average optical power measurement circuitry. - View Dependent Claims (23)
Specification