Abstract: An encoding module applied to a computer input device is described, which includes an encoder and a scroll wheel. The encoder is electrically disposed on a circuit board of the computer input device and is protruded with a revolving shaft. The scroll wheel has a wheel axle passing there through and is rotatably disposed within a shell of the computer input device. One end of the wheel axle has two opposite clamping arms, so as to clamp the revolving shaft. Once the scroll wheel is rotated, the revolving shaft is driven to rotate together.

Abstract: The invention relates to a reconfigurable optical switching system for selectively coupling one or more frequencies of first and second input wavelength division multiplex signals (WDM1, WDM2) consisting of N channels to first and second output ports (O1, O2). The invention also relates to a variable and reconfigurable optical delay circuit comprising said optical switching system associated with an optical delay loop. The input frequency division multiplex optical spectra (WDM1, WDM2) are therefore divided by a first demultiplexer (Demux) to a plurality of interleaved stages of optical switches (D, C, A and B) which selectively feed a plurality of input ports (Mi) of a multiplexer (Mux), which then uses its routing properties to implement in particular the complex reconfigurable multiple 2×2 frequency switching function.

Abstract: A variable optical buffer queue, particularly useful either as an input or an output queue in an optical packet router in a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) communication network. An input queue includes plural separately controllable optical delay units disposed on wavelength channels between a demultiplexer and tunable wavelength converters controlling switching through a wavelength router. An output queue includes for each output port of a wavelength router plural separately controllable optical delay units tuned to different wavelengths. The delay units may induce selective amounts of delay and may be implemented as a series of controlled microresonators coupled to waveguide. Such a structure is usable as a controllably accessible optical memory.

Abstract: A combat IFF system, for use in a combat exercise or on the battlefield, including a helmet-mounted passive IFF response unit and a weapon-mounted IFF interrogatory unit for each soldier. Infrared (IR) signals are employed for both challenge and response. The IR response signal is a very narrowly-targeted reflection of the relatively narrow IR transmit signal, thereby minimizing interception opportunities. The transmit and response signals are encoded in a transaction that cannot be compromised even when either or both signals are intercepted and decoded by the enemy. The combat IFF system includes biometric anti-spoofing features that prevent any use by an enemy in possession of captured units. Military radio-frequency (RF) spectrum is not required so there are no bandwidth limitations on simultaneous IFF transactions in the battlefield. A combat IFF transaction is completed in milliseconds.

Abstract: A method for integrating power monitoring capabilities with passive demultiplexing operations, utilizing the high-order diffraction from an optical diffraction grating. The technique helps avoid insertion loss and polarization dependent loss penalties, and device size penalties, typically incurred with optical taps and multiple diffraction gratings. The technique can also be modified slightly to provide information on channel wavelength and optical signal-to-noise-ratio, as well as channel power.

Abstract: In the variable gain compensating apparatus, input power of optical amplifiers employed in respective optical repeaters is monitored, and the monitored input power is transferred to a down-stream side by using supervisor (SV) light. In a repeater equipped with a variable gain tilt compensator, input power monitor information of the optical amplifiers employed in the respective repeaters provided on the upper stream side is acquired from a supervisor signal. While utilizing a linear relationship established between a gain tilt of an optical amplifier and input power of the optical amplifier, the acquired input power monitor information is compared with a reference power value so as to calculate gain tilt amounts of the respective optical amplifiers. Then, the optimum gain tilt compensation amount of the variable gain tilt compensator is determined based upon the calculated gain tilt amounts.

Abstract: Methods for performing time-domain equalization of an information signal represented by an optical signal are provided. A representative method includes: receiving the optical signal; optically splitting the optical signal into beams; optically delaying at least one of the beams; detecting a plurality of the beams to generate respective electrical signal components; and combining a plurality of the electrical signal components to generate an electrical output signal representing the information signal. Systems and other methods also are provided.

Abstract: In a transceiver for inducing electric fields based on data to be transmitted in an electric field propagating medium and carrying out transmission and reception of data by using induced electric fields, having a transmission electrode and a transmission circuit, a transmission side switch is provided to disconnect the transmission circuit from the transmission electrode, when the transceiver is not in a transmission state in which the transmission circuit is supplying the transmission data to the transmission electrode.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a router includes a plurality of line cards each operable to receive at least one packet comprising an identifier associated with a destination element external to the router. Each line card includes a look-up table operable to facilitate routing the received packet toward the destination element based at least in part on the identifier. The router further includes a plurality of optical transmitters each associated with one of the line cards and operable to generate at a specified wavelength an optical router signal comprising at least a portion of the packet received by the line card associated with that optical transmitter. The router also includes a star switching fabric operable to receive a plurality of optical router signals from the plurality of optical transmitters and to communicate to each of a plurality of tunable filters a substantially similar set of at least some of the plurality of optical router signals.

Abstract: Optical apparatus that uses optically-actuated optical switches in conjunction with an optical codeword addressing scheme to provide for time division multiplexing and demultiplexing of high data rate optical data. Optical codewords traveling simultaneously with the data on a separate wavelength, in conjunction with the optical switches, enable all-optical multiplexing and demultiplexing. The present invention can also switch packets of data while keeping the data entirely in the optical domain, and no optical to electrical conversions are necessary.

Abstract: An optical communication system includes a plurality of optical add/drop multiplexers (OADMs). The plurality of OADMs includes at least five low distortion OADMs. Each OADM is coupled between spans of a multiple span communication link and operable to receive a multiple wavelength signal. The multiple wavelength signal includes a plurality of bands of wavelength signals each separated from other bands of wavelength signals by one or more guard-channels. In one embodiment, each of the at least five low distortion OADMs adds/drops a common first band of wavelengths to/from the multiple wavelength signal. In some embodiments, a spectral distortion associated with a pass-through wavelength signal spectrally adjacent to one of the one or more guard-channels is no more than three decibels after exiting the last of the plurality of low distortion OADMs. In those embodiments, the guard-channel is adjacent to the first band of wavelengths.

Abstract: An optical communication system includes a first end terminal comprising a first transponder operable to receive a first electrical signal and generate an optical signal based at least in part on the first electrical signal for communication to a multiple span communication link. The optical signal experiences at least partial dispersion compensation from an optical dispersion compensating element as it traverses the communication link. The system also includes a second end terminal comprising a second transponder operable to receive the optical signal and generate a second electrical signal based at least in part on the optical signal. At least one of the first and second end terminals further includes an electronic dispersion compensation module operable to provide electronic dispersion compensation to at least a portion of at least one of the first and second electrical signals.

Abstract: An optical core node that includes optical switching planes interfaces, at input, with multi-channel input links and, at output, with multi-channel output links. The number of channels per link can differ significantly among the links, necessitating that the input (output) links have different connection patterns to the switching planes. Such an optical core node requires new methods of assigning an incoming wavelength channel to one of the optical switching planes. The assignment of the channels of input and output links to input and output ports is established in a manner that increases input-output connectivity and, hence, throughput. Additionally, the networks that may be formed with such optical core nodes require new routing methods. A preferred method of selecting a path through the core node favors switching planes connecting to a small number of links. In a time-division-multiplexing (TDM) mode, the method of path selection is complemented by temporal packing of TDM frames.

Abstract: A lightpath segmentation system and method for use in a GMPLS network is described. In one embodiment, lightpaths are divided into segments according to the distribution of the wavelength-converter-equipped optical switches, or nodes, within a WDM network. As the number of hops within the segment increases, a lightpath segmentation probability increases. When a wavelength-converter-equipped node receives an LSP Request message, it calculates the LPSP and, if the LPSP exceeds a threshold, the node sets up a lightpath between itself and the ingress node or a previous upstream wavelength-converter-equipped node, if the lightpath has already been segmented.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a router includes a plurality of line cards each operable to receive at least one packet comprising an identifier associated with a destination element external to the router. Each line card includes a look-up table operable to facilitate routing the received packet toward the destination element based at least in part on the identifier. The router further includes a plurality of optical transmitters each associated with one of the line cards and operable to generate at a specified wavelength an optical router signal comprising at least a portion of the packet received by the line card associated with that optical transmitter. The router also includes a star switching fabric operable to receive a plurality of optical router signals from the plurality of optical transmitters and to communicate to each of a plurality of tunable filters a substantially similar set of at least some of the plurality of optical router signals.

Abstract: A multi-wavelength optical signal copropagates through a fiber-optic communication link with a continuous-wave ancillary wavelength having an unknown state of polarization (SOP), which is scrambled periodically in time. The instantaneous value of polarization dependent loss (PDL) in the ancillary wavelength is monitored in real time, and is used as an error signal to adjust at least one polarization controller. Polarization scrambling is performed by periodically changing the SOP with time, such that the polarization-scrambled optical signal covers approximately an entire Poincaré sphere surface, preferably uniformly, during each time period. At an optical node between fibers, an adjustable PDL compensator contains two ordered pairs each consisting of one polarization controller and one optical element introducing fixed PDL.

Abstract: A scaleable high-capacity network comprises several non-uniform composite-star networks interconnected by a number of lateral uniform composite-star networks, thus forming an irregular two-dimensional network. Each non-uniform composite star network comprises electronic edge nodes, possibly of significantly different capacities, interconnected by optical core nodes. The optical core nodes are not connected to each other, and each may be configured differently and have a different reach index, where the reach index of a core node is the number of edge nodes to which the core node directly connects. The selection of a route through a core node within a non-uniform composite-star network is based on a composite index determined according to the reach index of the core node and the propagation delay along the route.

Abstract: An optical transceiver module includes an optical-to-electrical converter configured to convert a first optical signal to a first electric signal, a first amplifier configured to amplify the first electric signal, a bandwidth controller coupled to the first amplifier, configured to control the frequency response characteristics of the amplification of the first amplifier to produce a first amplified electric signal, a driver circuit configured to receive a second electric signal and to produce a second amplified electric signal in response to the second electric signal and an optical feedback signal, an electrical-to-optical converter coupled to the micro-controller and configured to convert the second amplified electrical signal to a second optical signal, and a photo diode configured to detect the second optical signal and to produce the optical feedback signal to be received by the driver circuit.

Abstract: A system and method for assigning a traffic channel to a wavelength in a multi-ring optical network having bifurcated work and protect wavelengths includes determining a transport direction for the traffic channel in a ring of the multi-ring optical network. An inter/intra ring type of the traffic channel is determined. The traffic channel is assigned to a wavelength in the ring based on the transport direction and the inter/intra ring type of the traffic channel. In a particular embodiment, the traffic channel may be assigned to one of an odd and even wavelength based on the transport direction and one of a high and low wavelength based on the inter/intra ring type.

Abstract: An optical communication system is operable to communicate a plurality of wavelength signals at a bit rate of at least 9.5 gigabits per second over a multiple span communication link spanning at least 400 kilometers without optical regenerators. The plurality of wavelength signals include a bandwidth of more than 32 nanometers separated into at least 160 optical channels. The system includes a plurality of optical transmitters implementing a forward error correction (FEC) coding technique. The FEC encoded wavelength signals comprise a bit error rate of 10?09 or better after FEC decoding. The system also includes at least five (5) optical add/drop multiplexers (OADMs), each coupled to one or more spans of the multiple span communication link. The system further includes a plurality of amplifiers each coupled to one or more spans of the communication link, at least a majority of the amplifiers comprise a distributed Raman amplification stage.