Signal To Noise Ratio Patents (Class 398/26)
  • Publication number: 20110170862
    Abstract: Techniques, apparatus and systems to provide packet transmission in reciprocal transmission architecture networks for optical communications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Inventors: David F. Smith, Anis Husain, Sadik C. Esener
  • Publication number: 20110110658
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to automatically remove noise out of an input spectrum data while rounding in spectral shape is being suppressed. The spectrum data correction system wherein a noise quantity is detected on the basis of a difference in value between an extremal point of measurement data-blocks making up input spectrum data, and a mean value of measurement data-blocks in the vicinity of the extremal point, and a count of moving-average points of measurement data-blocks subjected to moving average processing is controlled according to the noise quantity, the spectrum data correction system comprises means for using an optical power, detected by a photo-detector of an optical spectrum analyzer, as the measurement data-block, thereby controlling the count of the moving-average points of the measurement data-blocks according to magnitude of a signal level of the measurement data-block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Manabu KOJIMA, Gentarou ISHIHARA
  • Publication number: 20110110657
    Abstract: A method and memory medium in a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) network that communicates multiplexed signals representing a plurality of communication channels to determine received signal quality are disclosed. Generally, the signals format the plurality of communication channels to impart a distinctive noise profile in time or frequency for each channel; and collectively process the channels at a digital signal processing device to measure the signal-to-noise ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Inventors: Mark Feuer, Mikhail Brodsky
  • Publication number: 20110091206
    Abstract: A method comprises: acquiring, for a number nSOP of varied State-Of-Polarization analysis conditions of the input optical signal, nSOP polarization-analyzed optical spectrum traces; mathematically discriminating said signal contribution from said noise contribution within said optical signal bandwidth using said polarization-analyzed optical spectrum traces, said mathematically discriminating comprising: obtaining a differential polarization response that is related to the optical spectrum of said signal contribution by a constant of proportionality; estimating the constant of proportionality of a differential polarization response to the optical spectrum of said signal contribution; estimating the optical spectrum of said noise contribution from said input optical signal, within said optical signal bandwidth using said constant of proportionality and said differential polarization response; and determining said in-band noise parameter on said input optical signal from the mathematically discriminated noise c
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Inventors: Gang HE, Normand CYR, Daniel GARIEPY
  • Patent number: 7929861
    Abstract: The path selection and wavelength assignment to a selected path are performed by mapping the wavelength reach to the demand distribution (agile reach) resulting in a 50-60% increase in the network reach. The network reach is further increased (about 2.2 times) when on-line measured performance data are used for path selection and wavelength assignment. The connections may be engineered/upgraded individually, by optimizing the parameters of the entire path or of a regenerator section of the respective path. The upgrades include changing the wavelength, adjusting the parameters of the regenerator section, controlling the launch powers, mapping a certain transmitter and/or receiver to the respective wavelength, selecting the wavelengths on a certain link so as to reduce cross-talk, increasing wavelength spacing, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
    Inventors: Alan Glen Solheim, Peter David Roorda, Kevan Peter Jones, Greg Peter Friesen
  • Patent number: 7899324
    Abstract: Monitoring an optical signal comprises sampling the optical signal from two or more distinct tap points to retrieve a sample set. Multiple such sample sets are obtained over time. A joint probability distribution or phase portrait of the sample sets is assessed for indications of optical signal quality. The tap distinction can be polarization, for example to determine OSNR, or frequency. The tap distinction can be a time delay, which can enable diagnostic differentiation between multiple impairments, such as OSNR, dispersion, PMD, jitter, Q, and the like. Machine learning algorithms are particularly suitable for such diagnosis, particularly when provided a two dimensional histogram of sample density in the phase portrait.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Nicta IPR Pty Limited
    Inventors: Trevor Anderson, Sarah Dods, Adam Kowalczyk, Justin Bedo, Kenneth Paul Clarke
  • Publication number: 20110033182
    Abstract: The present invention relates to optical transmission systems. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and system for estimating the spectral efficiency which may be achievable in an optical transmission network and for adapting the parameters of the transmission network to the achievable spectral efficiency. A method and system for controlling an optical transmission system comprising a first and a second optical transmission channel is described. The first optical transmission channel is affected by the second optical transmission channel. The method comprises the steps of measuring the inverse signal-to-noise ratio of the first channel for a plurality of input power levels used by the first and second channel; determining a contribution of the second channel to the inverse signal-to-noise ratio; and determining the input power to the second channel, such that an overall throughput of the first and second channel is maximized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Inventors: Herbert Haunstein, Markus Mayrock
  • Publication number: 20100322622
    Abstract: An OSNR monitor device includes an optical receiver including a delay interferometer which inputs an optical signal in accordance with a given bandwidth and outputs two optical signals and causes the optical signals to interfere with each other and optical detectors which outputs currents in accordance with optical powers of the optical signals output from the interferometer, an optical power monitor configured to obtain the optical powers of the optical signals received by the optical detectors included in the optical receiver, and an OSNR calculator configured to calculate an optical signal-to-noise ratio in accordance with the optical powers obtained from the optical power monitor and the reception bandwidth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Norifumi SHUKUNAMI, Kentaro Nakamura, Noriaki Mizuguchi
  • Publication number: 20100322621
    Abstract: Increasing data rates in next-generation optical networks requires a change in the type of optical modulation used to encode optical signals carried by the optical networks. Different types of optical modulation incur different optical impairments, which may degrade the fidelity of the optical signals by reducing the optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR). A method or corresponding apparatus in an example embodiment of the present invention provides a planning tool for deploying an optical network in a manner based on the optical modulation that reduces the cost and complexity of the deployed network. In one embodiment, the disclosed planning tool may adjust a model of the optical network to be deployed by changing the topology and/or the number and/or type of optical network elements in response to optical impairments for a given optical modulation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Inventors: David W. Jenkins, Julia Y. Larikova, Richard C. Younce
  • Patent number: 7826748
    Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods to adaptively control amplifier target power to maintain signal launching power as per design in networks with wavelength selective switch (WSS)-based reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADMs) using micro-electromechanical system (MEMS). Accordingly, signal OSNR does not collapse faster for WSS-based ROADMs than other similar configured system without WSS-based ROADM. In order to correct amplifier target power, the present invention utilizes system information about side-lobe size and OSNR at each amplifier. Related information, such as ASE level and size of side-lobes at each channel from upstream amplifiers, is passed to the network controller at each amplifier. Meanwhile, with target signal level and local WSS attenuation setting (given side-lobe size vs. WSS attenuation known) of each channel, the amplifier calculates what is total output power should be and adaptively maintains that power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Ciena Corporation
    Inventors: Xiaohui Yang, Balakrishnan Sridhar
  • Patent number: 7822154
    Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for measuring power levels of primary and interfering signals as well as noise, particularly for satellite transmitted signals. A typical method comprises the steps of receiving a signal comprising a primary signal, an interference signal and noise, demodulating the primary signal to remove a carrier frequency, decoding the primary signal to obtain symbols, estimating a power level of the primary signal based upon the demodulated and decoded primary signal. Additionally, an ideal primary signal can be generated from the carrier power and frequency and the symbols and subtracted from the received signal to produce the noise and interference signal. The noise and interference power is then estimated from the noise and interference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Ernest C. Chen, Chinh Tran
  • Patent number: 7796887
    Abstract: The invention aims to provide an optical transmission system that specifies such a transmission condition so as to obtain high spectrum efficiency and a large transmission distance-capacity product at the same time, and uses low cost and small sized optical senders and optical receivers, to realize a high density wavelength multiplexing optical transmission. For this purpose, a WDM optical transmission system of the invention has a system structure that specifies by calculation the spectrum efficiency at which transmission distance-capacity product becomes a maximum value based on the determination of the type of signal light modulation and the assumption of an equation model expressing transmission characteristics of an optical multiplexer and an optical demultiplexer, and optimizes a bit rate and frequency spacing of signal light output from each optical sender, and the transmission characteristics of the optical multiplexer and the optical demultiplexer, so as to approach the spectrum efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Takafumi Terahara, Kentaro Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20100178052
    Abstract: An optical noise monitoring method and monitor, the monitor comprising an optical transmitter for receiving at least a portion of an optical signal, a device arranged to extract a reflected optical signal comprising a portion of the optical signal back-reflected by stimulated Brillouin scattering in the optical transmitter, and a photodetector for receiving the reflected optical signal. The optical transmitter can scatter the optical signal by stimulated Brillouin scattering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Inventors: Benjamin John Eggleton, Mark Pelusi, Timothy Iredale
  • Publication number: 20100166421
    Abstract: In a network design apparatus, a full channel evaluator determines whether all wavelength channels for main signals can deliver the main signals of an existing optical network. When it is found that one or more wavelength channels cannot deliver main signals, a chromatic dispersion evaluator determines whether there are a specified number of wavelength channels that satisfy a specified chromatic dispersion condition. An optical signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) evaluator extracts a specified number of wavelength channels out of those satisfying the chromatic dispersion condition in descending order of optical SNRs thereof, and determines whether the extracted wavelength channels satisfy a specified optical SNR condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Tomohiro HASHIGUCHI, Toru KATAGIRI, Kazuyuki TAJIMA, Yutaka TAKITA
  • Patent number: 7747172
    Abstract: An optical communication system combines strong electrical pre-filtering of data at the transmitter and digital feedback equalization (DFE) at the receiver to enhance spectral efficiency. The system can be applied to optical networking and digital communication systems, including binary modulated systems optical network systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Inventors: M. Imran Hayee, Rami J. Haddad
  • Publication number: 20100129074
    Abstract: There is provided a method for determining the in-band noise in agile multichannel Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) optical systems, where the interchannel noise is not representative of the in-band noise in the optical channel. The method relies on the analysis of two observations of the same input optical signal. In the two observations, the linear relationship between the optical signal contribution and the optical noise contribution (i.e. the observed OSNR) is different, which allows the discrimination of the signal and noise contributions in the input optical signal. In a first approach, the two observations are provided by polarization analysis of the input optical signal. In a second, the input optical signal is obtained using two different integration widths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Inventors: Daniel Gariepy, Gang He, Yves Breton
  • Publication number: 20100103839
    Abstract: A transmitter for a communications link is tested by using a (software) simulation of a reference channel and/or a reference receiver to test the transmitter. In one embodiment for optical fiber communications links, a data test pattern is applied to the transmitter under test and the resulting optical output is captured, for example by a sampling oscilloscope. The captured waveform is subsequently processed by the software simulation, in order to simulate propagation of the optical signal through the reference channel and/or reference receiver. A performance metric for the transmitter is calculated based on the processed waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2010
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: CLARIPHY COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Norman L. Swenson, Paul Voois, Thomas A. Lindsay, Steve C. Zeng
  • Patent number: 7684696
    Abstract: It is desirable to provide an improved system for describing the impact of a change in routing on the performance of wavelengths traversing the links in a optical communication network. It is also desirable that such a system be computationally simple. The present invention accomplishes these aims by providing a mechanism for the development of a set of metrics that describe the impact of different fiber types and lengths bearing a number of wavelengths, on one of the wavelengths propagated by a given input power. These metrics permit the prediction of a wavelength's behaviour by simple calculations. Accordingly, the need for full non-linear simulation is obviated, thereby improving the speed, efficiency and flexibility of optical layer routing algorithms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Laura Hadden, Chee Yoon Lee, Suresh Pillai, Brian Smith
  • Patent number: 7684697
    Abstract: The present invention provides an optical signal quality monitoring circuit and an optical signal quality monitoring method for measuring correct optical signal quality parameters when a signal bit rate is changed. The optical signal quality monitoring circuit which samples and converts an electrical signal converted from an optical signal with a given repeated frequency f1 to digital sampling data through an analog to digital conversion, thereafter, evaluates an optical signal quality parameter of the optical signal by subjecting sampling data to electrical signal processing in an integrated circuit in which a signal processing function is programmed, receives a control signal notifying that the bit rate of the optical signal is changed, or detects that the bit rate of the optical signal is changed to correct optical the signal quality parameter of the optical signal corresponding to the signal bit rate of the optical signal which is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Ippei Shake, Hidehiko Takara, Atsushi Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20100067904
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described that measure the OSNR of an optical channel. Embodiments provide OSNR measurement methods that distinguish the intensities of the coherent modulated signal from the incoherent noise intensity occupying the same optical band using a calibration factor ?.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2008
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Inventors: Mikhail Brodsky, Mark David Feuer, Lynn E. Nelson, Jungmi Oh
  • Publication number: 20100067903
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described that measure the OSNR of an optical channel. Embodiments provide OSNR measurement methods that distinguish the intensities of the coherent modulated signal from the incoherent noise intensity occupying the same optical band using a calibration factor ?.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2008
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Inventors: Mikhail Brodsky, Mark David Feuer, Lynn E. Nelson, Jungmi Oh
  • Patent number: 7680412
    Abstract: A method and device for determining in-band noise of an optical signal. The optical signal is split to produce two optical signal components, of distinct polarisation, such that the respective noise component in each signal component is uncorrelated. The optical signal components are converted to the electrical domain to produce electrical signal components. The signal component powers are equalised either in the optical domain or the electrical domain. The equalised electrical signal components are then subtracted together to cancel the correlated portions of the signal components (e.g. the data signal), such that only uncorrelated signal components (e.g. noise) are output for measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: National ICT Australia Limited
    Inventors: Trevor Anderson, Sarah Dods
  • Publication number: 20100061722
    Abstract: A network design apparatus includes an information acquiring unit acquiring optical network information, a section dividing unit dividing an optical network into linear sections, a combination candidate determining unit determining candidates for combinations of various kinds of optical transmission equipment to be placed in each station in each of the linear sections, a noise amount upper limit determining unit determining an upper limit to the amount of noise allowed for each wavelength path, and an equipment placement unit solving an integer programming problem having an objective function that minimizes the cost of the optical transmission equipment and OEO regenerators, subject to the constraints that one optical transmission equipment combination is selected for each linear section and that the number of OEO regenerators necessary for each wavelength path is determined by the cumulative amount of noise of the wavelength path and the noise upper limit determined for the wavelength path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Tomohiro Hashiguchi, Toru Katagiri, Kazuyuki Tajima, Yutaka Takita
  • Publication number: 20100054735
    Abstract: A system and method for dynamically allocating sub-carriers between the nodes of an optical OFDMA ring network or an OFDMA passive optical network. A carrier allocation system assigns sub-carriers according to a utility function based on real-time measurements of arrival data rates and queue length variance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: NEC Laboratories America, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Wei, Ting Wang, Chonggang Wang
  • Publication number: 20100046942
    Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus to make an estimate of the phase of a signal relative to the local oscillator in an optical coherent detection subsystem that employs a digital signal processor having a parallel architecture. The phase estimation method comprises operations that do not use feedback of recent results. The method includes a cycle count function so that the phase estimate leads to few cycle slips. The phase estimate of the present invention is approximately the same as the optimal phase estimate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Inventor: Michael George Taylor
  • Publication number: 20100040365
    Abstract: Optical regenerators and amplifiers are expensive to implement and maintain. A method or corresponding apparatus in an example embodiment of the present invention relates to an optical planning tool that plans an optical network configuration by determining a plurality of costs for maintaining signal strength in corresponding network configurations including (i) a configuration of regenerators, (ii) a configuration of pre- or post-amplifiers, and (iii) a configuration of pre- and post-amplifiers in candidate locations and regenerator modules. The candidate locations for placing pre- or post-amplifiers are determined based on loss in each span, expected traffic patterns, and proposed regeneration locations along paths of expected traffic. The regeneration modules are located in locations determined based on the candidate locations. The example embodiment selects a configuration from among the network configurations as a function of the plurality of costs, helping reduce the cost of network deployment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Applicant: Tellabs Operations, Inc.
    Inventor: Dion Kwun Kit Leung
  • Publication number: 20100040364
    Abstract: Signals propagating in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical networks suffer from loss, which decreases optical signal-to-noise ratios (OSNRs) and degrades a quality of received transmissions. Present methods of boosting OSNRs involve regeneration using transponders, which scale in complexity with the number of WDM channels. Optical amplifiers may boost signal strength, but amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise often reduces OSNR despite increases in signal strength, although changing the amplifier operating settings may reduce emitted ASE noise power. A method or corresponding apparatus in an example embodiment of the present invention provides a planning tool for deploying optical amplifiers in an optical network in a manner that reduces the need for optical regeneration, reducing cost and complexity of the deployed network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Inventors: David W. Jenkins, Ramasubramanian Anand, Hector Ayala, Julia Y. Larikova, Kenneth M. Fisher
  • Patent number: 7664394
    Abstract: A receiver for a communications link includes a receiver module and a host receiver. These two components can be tested independently. In one embodiment, the receiver module is characterized with respect to noise and distortion. The noise performance can be determined by comparing input and output signals of the receiver module, to determine the relative noise of the receiver module. The distortion performance can be determined by comparing the distortion of input and output signals of the receiver module, using a reference host receiver that includes an equalizer. The host receiver can be tested by using a reference receiver module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: ClariPhy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. Lindsay, Norman L. Swenson, Paul Voois
  • Publication number: 20100008663
    Abstract: According to the invention, various noise currents are added to the electrical data signal after the opto-electric conversion of an optical data signal, and an optimum decision threshold for the electrical data signal equipped with this noise current is determined for each noise current. Values for a median signal current and for a median noise current of the amplified spontaneous emission are subsequently determined from the value pairs of the optimum decision threshold and the added noise current in accordance with a computation rule that is based on a noise model, and the optimum signal-to-noise ratio is calculated from their quotient. The method may also be advantageously implemented by means of simple expansions of common receiver devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Inventor: Erich Gottwald
  • Patent number: 7643752
    Abstract: A transmitter for a communications link is tested by using a (software) simulation of a reference channel and/or a reference receiver to test the transmitter. In one embodiment for optical fiber communications links, a data test pattern is applied to the transmitter under test and the resulting optical output is captured, for example by a sampling oscilloscope. The captured waveform is subsequently processed by the software simulation, in order to simulate propagation of the optical signal through the reference channel and/or reference receiver. A performance metric for the transmitter is calculated based on the processed waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: ClariPhy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Norman L Swenson, Paul Voois, Thomas A. Lindsay, Steve C. Zeng
  • Publication number: 20090317077
    Abstract: An optical noise signal is added to an optical data signal on the receiver side, and a signal quality of the data signal is determined. The magnitude of the added noise signal is varied, and a function of the signal quality of the data signal is determined in dependence on the added noise signal. Subsequently, a first straight line is approximated to the previously determined function for smaller values of the added noise signal, and a second straight line for larger values of the added noise signal. The optical signal-to-noise ratio is read from the intersecting point of the first straight line with the second straight line. Thus, the ASE present is derived from the controlled addition of additional ASEs, and the optical signal-to-noise ratio is determined. The process is particularly suited for DWDM systems because it works even with very narrow channel separations, or with narrowband optical filtration along the separation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: NOKIA SIEMENS NETWORKS GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Peter Krummrich
  • Publication number: 20090304380
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for implementing optical network quality using bit error rate and chromatic dispersion. According to one embodiment of the invention, a method includes the provision of quality of service in a wavelength division multiplexing optical network that supports a plurality of bit rates. As part of this method, the cumulative noise and cumulative chromatic dispersion for each available path as a whole is determined, where an available path is a series of two or more nodes each connected by an optical link on which a set of wavelengths is available for establishing a lightpath. In addition, different grades of path quality are distinguished based on bit error rate (BER), where BER is based on cumulative noise and bit rate. Furthermore, a minimum path quality is required based on chromatic dispersion decibel penalty, where chromatic dispersion decibel penalty is based on cumulative chromatic dispersion and bit rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2006
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventors: Santosh Kumar Sadananda, Christopher M. Look, Jeffery J. Maki
  • Publication number: 20090279886
    Abstract: In a TDMA optical network, a clock data recovery module uses signal oversampling and preamble correlation together with enhanced performance modules to extract additional data from the upstream transmission signal. Information including duty cycle, ONT power estimation, signal noise and jitter can be extracted from the upstream signal using digital logic and used to tune network components and/or alleviate network conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Applicants: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventor: Dusan Suvakovic
  • Patent number: 7616888
    Abstract: A system for measuring properties of a medium includes an electromagnetic generator for forming a CW carrier, a digital encoder for forming a digital message, and a modulator for modulating the CW carrier with the digital message to form a digitally modulated CW carrier. The medium provides a channel for propagating the digitally modulated CW carrier. The system further includes a receiver configured to receive the propagated, digitally modulated CW carrier, and a processor for measuring at least one property of the medium. The medium may be disposed within a gaseous atmosphere, a body of water, or a cell of a laboratory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Nelson Mendenhall, Michael E. Dobbs, Benjamin R. Neff, James Alexander McAdoo
  • Patent number: 7606487
    Abstract: The distortion component of an optical signal received from an optical transmission system, such as an all-optical system, subject to noise and amplitude distortion components, can be evaluated by a method that utilises information derived from analysing the bit error ratio (BER) of the signal as a function of a movable threshold. The analysis is performed in high and low bit error ratio areas of the eye diagram used for data one/zero decision making. The intersections with the threshold axis (where BER=0.25) of extrapolations of the high and low bit error ratio values provide variables V1 and V2 which are divided (V1/V2) to obtain an estimate/prediction of the amplitude closure of the eye diagram resulting from amplitude distortion. The analysis is preferably carried out after Q conversion of the BER values. The method can also be extended to provide indications of Q, bit error ratio and optical signal-to-noise ratio within the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Peter J Anslow, Richard W Heath
  • Publication number: 20090196602
    Abstract: Techniques, apparatus and systems to provide adjustable bit rate optical transmission using programmable signal modulation in optical communication systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Inventors: Ross Saunders, Roberto Marcoccia, Steven Keck, Theodore J. Schmidt, Christian Malouin
  • Publication number: 20090190923
    Abstract: A system including a device equipped with a reception section, a reception condition detection section and a control section. A partner device emits laser light and modulates the laser light in accordance with transfer subject information. Relative positions of the partner device and the device are adjusted to a communication-possible position, at which the laser light from the partner device is incident in a light reception region of the device. In this state, the reception section receives the transmission subject information from the partner device by detecting the incident laser light and demodulating the transmission subject information therefrom. The reception condition detection section detects a deterioration in a reception condition. If a deterioration in the reception condition is detected, the control section produces a warning or stops emissions of laser light from the partner device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoyuki Nishino, Yasunori Ohta, Eiichi Kito
  • Patent number: 7561797
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR) of an optical signal at a receiver end of an optical link. A multi-bit sample stream is generated using a compensation function adapted to compensate impairments of the optical link A digital noise signal is generated and added to the multi-bit sample stream, and the resulting signal used to generate a degraded optical signal, which is then transmitted through the optical link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: James Harley, Kim B. Roberts
  • Publication number: 20090148158
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the quality monitoring of optical signals, which have different symbol rates and generated by different modulation schemes, used for example in a wavelength division multiplexing network. The apparatus according to the invention includes an optical splitter for outputting the input optical signal to a first optical route and a second optical route, an optical coupler for coupling a optical signal from the first optical route with a optical signal from the second optical route, a delay unit provided on the first optical route, and a phase shift unit provided on the first optical route or the second optical route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: KDDI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiro TSURITANI, Jun Haeng LEE, Tomohiro OTANI
  • Publication number: 20090142052
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for monitoring of optical signals 60 at a node (12, 14, 16) in a WDM telecommunications system 10 comprising the employment of photodiodes (54, 56, 58). Each of the photodiodes (54, 56, 58) has a short response time relative to a number of bit periods of the optical signal to permit measurement of the optical power thereof. Such a photodiode (54, 56, 58) can be used to monitor many nodes (12, 14, 16) within the system 10 and facilitates monitoring of optical signals in nodes which are far apart. The photodiode (54, 56, 58) also permits the Optical Signal to Noise Ratio (OSNR) of the optical signal 60 to be calculated by obtaining values for a maximum optical power P1 and a minimum optical power P0 for a particular optical signal 60.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Inventors: Steven Pegg, Marc Francis Charles Stephens, Robert Richard Packham, Andrew Straw
  • Publication number: 20090123147
    Abstract: The present invention relates to test equipment (e.g. TBERD 8000) with two or more Tunable Lasers (TL) for testing the complete spectrum of a DWDM system. Diagnostic software is used to stepwise tune a TL to a specific wavelength under test and simultaneously insert one or more distortion wavelengths while executing bit error and impairment tests on the wavelength under test. Information from these tests is correlated to create a combined DWDM network test report.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: ACTERNA LLC
    Inventors: Hans-Joerg Wolf, Andrew Mark Saunders
  • Patent number: 7532818
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring a coherence sampling quality-factor (Q-factor) are provided, which are used to monitor quality of an optical signal in an optical network in real time. The quality is evaluated by a Q-factor. A laser diode and a wavelength converter are used in the apparatus to achieve wavelength coherence and amplification of the optical signal. Furthermore, the laser diode and an optical switch are used together to obtain an optical pulse that can be utilized to sample the optical signal. Therefore, after entering into an optoelectronic converter, a baseband signal in the optical signal is reconstructed through the amplification of the optical signal and the coupling of the optical pulse, so as to detect the Q-factor and to monitor the quality of the optical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Dar-Zu Hsu, San-Liang Lee
  • Publication number: 20090116833
    Abstract: Each network device holds as a database parameters relating to the size of a factor of signal degradation of the device, and relays the parameters according to a path through which a signal passes. When each network device receives a relayed parameter, it accumulates the parameter of the device to the received parameter value, and transmits the result to the network device at the next stage. The network device on the terminating side of the path estimates the size of the degradation of the signals in the entire path using the received parameter, thereby determining the reachability as to whether or not a signal can be transmitted through the path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Takayuki SHIMIZU, Hideaki Sugiya, Taichi Ueki
  • Publication number: 20090080882
    Abstract: An optical signal-to-noise ratio monitor includes a demodulator comprising an input that receives at least a portion of a phase modulated optical signal. The monitor also includes a delay interferometer with a periodic phase control that sweeps a differential delay of one arm of the interferometer through a plurality of differential optical phase shifts. The demodulator converts phase modulated optical signals to intensity modulated optical signals. A tunable optical filter continuously scans a transmission wavelength over a desired wavelength range in a time that allows more than one wavelength to be transmitted through an output of the tunable filter for each of the plurality of differential optical phase shifts. An optical detector detects the filtered optical signal and generates a corresponding electrical demodulation signal at an output. A processor determines an optical signal-to-noise ratio for the more than one wavelength of the optical signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Applicant: AEGIS LIGHTWAVE INC.
    Inventor: Michael Cahill
  • Patent number: 7505685
    Abstract: In the WDM communication system, in the absence of data to be transmitted on an optical channel, a pilot signal transmitting means transmits the channel-unique pilot signal data on the channel. A WDM communication apparatus on a receiving end detects the pilot signal data in the received WDM signals, and on the basis of the detection result, it evaluates whether each channel is used or not. It is thus easy to recognize which channel is unused (idle) of the WDM signals, so that channel resources can be used effectively according to the traffic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Takako Takanashi, Futoshi Izumi
  • Publication number: 20090052891
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method of enhancing data integrity for data transmission over an optical network are disclosed. Upon detecting a low performance condition associated to the optical communications network, an error correcting code (“ECC”) device is activated. The ECC device inserts the ECC to a data stream to form an ECC data stream. Once the ECC data stream reaches to the destination, the ECC device corrects any errors incurred during the transmission, and removes the ECC from the ECC data stream. It should be noted that the ECC device can also be activated by a request from a network operator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Applicant: Tellabs Petaluma, Inc.
    Inventors: David A. DeLew, Vinita Gupta, Edward J. Sackman, Robert S. Larvenz
  • Patent number: 7477847
    Abstract: Optical transceivers have loopback and pass-through paths for diagnosing transceiver components and optical networks connected to the optical transceiver or for routing data out of the transceiver in a pass-through mode. The loopback paths are selectively configured so that a selected number of the components in the transceiver are included in the loopback path. Where more than one loopback path is present, a network administrator can select which components will be included in a particular test so that, depending on whether a signal is returned on the loopback path as intended, the network administrator can determine which components are operating correctly and which are faulty. The loopbacks can be configured to run on the electrical side of the transceiver from input port to output port or on the optical side from receiver to transmitter. The pass-through paths can be used to connect the transceiver to other devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Finisar Corporation
    Inventors: Rudolf J. Hofmeister, Greta Light
  • Publication number: 20080298801
    Abstract: A test has been developed that is known as the transmitter waveform dispersion penalty (TWDP) test. The TWDP test has been used to test and certify various optical data transmission devices. Similar tests are being developed to test optical receivers such as a difference waveform distortion penalty (dWDP). A test pattern used to generate the transmitted sequence by the device under test is a PRBS9. The PRBS9 test pattern begins with a run of nine ones and has a length of 511 bits. According to the teachings herein, a test pattern of less than 511 bits is generated to perform the TWDP and dWDP tests. The test pattern may include a sequence of bits specifically designed to provide reliable test penalty calculation without the costly and time consuming aspects of the conventional TWDP and dWDP tests using the PRBS9 pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicant: FINISAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonathan Paul King, James D. McVey
  • Patent number: 7460784
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for easily and rapidly preemphasizing an optical multiplex signal transmitted by an emitter to a receiver consisting wherein signal-to-noise ratios are equalized by means of simple measurement or new adjustment of signal power on the bandwidth of the optical multiplex signal, at least in the receiver, instead of measuring the noise output power or the signal-to-noise ratio. Said invention is based on a balance of the signal-to-noise ratios which are authorized by a transmitting system, in which the spectral influences of gain profiles, noise effects and dampings are taken into consideration. In particular, when DWDM transmission techniques are applied, in which adjacent channel spacings of the optical multiplex signal are very low, the inventive method makes it possible to use a small number of sensitive and high-resolution measuring instruments for pre-emphasis control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Nokia Siemens Networks GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Christian Eder, Wolfgang Peisl, Lutz Rapp
  • Patent number: 7460792
    Abstract: In an optical communication-use receiving circuit of the present invention, the pulse width of the received pulse which is a binary signal corresponding to the signal optical pulse is specified by using an integration circuit and a trigger generating circuit. If the pulse width of the received pulse is not shorter than a predetermined value, a signal having a fixed pulse width is outputted as an output signal from a one-shot pulse generating circuit, so that a pulse having a constant pulse width corresponding to the specified communication speed is outputted. Accordingly, if the pulse width deriving from the signal optical pulse is larger than a certain value, the communication is deemed as a low-speed communication, and a pulse having a constant pulse width corresponding to the communication speed is outputted. As a result, it is possible to realize a small-size receiving circuit and a small-size electronic device which require no external switching-over terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naruichi Yokogawa, Takeshi Nishino