Filter Patents (Class 398/85)
  • Patent number: 8611759
    Abstract: An optical domain spectrum analyzer/channelizer employs multicasting of an analog signal onto a wavelength division multiplexing grid, followed by spectral slicing using a periodic optical domain filter. This technique allows for a large number of high resolution channels. Wideband, 100% duty cycle, spectrum analysis or channelization is made possible permitting continuous time wideband spectral monitoring. The instantaneous bandwidth of the spectrum analyzer/channelizer is equal to the full radio frequency bandwidth of the analyzer/channelizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Joshua M. Kvavle, James R Adleman, Christopher K. Huynh, Camille-Sophie Bres, Sanja Zlatanovic, Andreas Olof Johan Wiberg, Ping Piu Kuo, Evgeny Myslivets, Everett William Jacobs, Stojan Radic
  • Patent number: 8611747
    Abstract: An optical waveguide can transmit multiple optical signals imprinted or encoded with different information, thereby increasing the waveguide's information carrying capability or bandwidth. Each optical signal can comprise multiple longitudinal modes that are energized and that are modulated substantially in unison. Thus, the photonic energy of each optical signal can be spread across a wavelength region in a substantially discrete or substantially discontinuous pattern. The respective wavelength regions of the optical signals can overlap or substantially overlay one another. Modes of one of the optical signals can be substantially interleaved, interspersed, or intermingled with modes of other optical signals. Systems at ends of the optical waveguide can feed the optical signals onto and off of the optical waveguide and discriminate the optical signals from one another. The systems can comprise ring resonators. The waveguide can support an on-chip network, such as for a multicore processor of a computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Cirrex Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Michael L. Wach
  • Patent number: 8600236
    Abstract: An optical communication module for optical wavelength division multiplexing includes a plurality of light devices emitting or receiving light beams having different wavelengths, a single optical fiber, and an optical elements arranged between the plurality of light devices and the single optical fiber and having a plurality of lens areas to converge a light beam starting from a single point at a plurality of points or light beams starting from a plurality of points at a single point. In the optical communication module, the plurality of lens areas are arranged such that the center points of the plurality of lens areas are located at the same distance from a point, and the single point and the plurality of points are located at the opposite sides with respect to the optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Opticis. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyun Ee Shin, Hee Dae Kim, Won Seok Jung, Ii Kim, Hyun Kuk Shin
  • Patent number: 8565602
    Abstract: Consistent with the present disclosure, a transmitter is provided that includes first and second stages of wavelength locking circuitry. The first stage includes a tunable optical filter that sweeps through the spectrum of a WDM signal at a predetermined rate. A first photodiode senses a tapped portion of the output of the tunable filter. The remaining light is fed to the second stage, which includes a second optical filter, typically having a fixed transmission characteristic. A second photodiode senses the light that passes through the second filter. By sweeping the WDM spectrum the tunable filter can be used to identify the peaks in the WDM spectrum, with each peak corresponding to an optical signal wavelength and occurring at a particular time interval during the sweep.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Infinera Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Dean Taylor, Alan C. Nilsson, Konstantin Saunichev, Paul N. Freeman
  • Patent number: 8538267
    Abstract: ROADM node systems and methods of operation are disclosed. ROADM node systems may include transponder aggregators including transponders to add signals for switching through the ROADM node. The transponder aggregators may be constrained from adding signals on adjacent channels for simultaneous use. Further, the transponder aggregators may include an optical coupler in lieu of an optical multiplexer. The ROADM system may include a set of wavelength selective switches associated with output ports that can provide an additional filtering function for the added signals prior to transmission on a WDM network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: NEC Laboratories America, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip N. Ji, Yoshiaki Aono, Ting Wang
  • Patent number: 8538209
    Abstract: New designs of optical devices, particularly for dropping a selected wavelength or a group of wavelengths as well as demultiplexing a multiplexed signal into several signals, are disclosed. An optical device employs thin film filters with reflectors to reassemble as a fiber Bragg grating. Depending on implementation, a reflector may be a mirror or a coated substrate disposed in a unique way to reflect a light beam from a filter back to a common port of a device. The reflector may also be coated accordingly to bypass a certain portion of the light beam for other purposes. As a result, the optical devices so designed in accordance with the present invention are amenable to small footprint, enhanced impact performance, lower cost, and easier manufacturing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Alliance Fiber Optic Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Yao Li
  • Patent number: 8494317
    Abstract: The method for filtering an optical signal comprising a plurality of channels lying on a grid of optical frequencies equally spaced by a frequency spacing and occupying an optical bandwidth, comprises: a) operating an optical filter comprising a plurality of resonators, wherein a first resonator of the plurality is optically coupled to the optical signal and the remaining resonators are optically coupled in series to the first resonator, so that a respective resonance of each one of the plurality of resonators falls within a first frequency band having bandwidth less than or equal to 15 GHz; b) operating the optical filter so as to obtain a separation between said respective resonance of at least one resonator with respect to said respective resonance of at least another different resonator, the separation being greater than or equal to 25 GHz; c) operating the optical filter so that said respective resonance of each one of the plurality of resonators falls within a second frequency band, different from the f
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Lorenzo Bolla, Paola Galli, Silvia Ghidini, Marco Romagnoli, Luciano Socci
  • Patent number: 8494318
    Abstract: A method of filtering an optical signal includes operating an optical filter having resonators, each having a respective free spectral range and a respective resonance falling within a first frequency band, first tuning at least one resonator with respect to at least another resonator to obtain a separation between any resonance of at least one resonator falling within an optical bandwidth with respect to a resonance of at least another resonator nearest to the any resonance, second tuning all the resonators of the optical filter so as to move all respective resonances by a respective frequency interval greater than a frequency spacing, and third tuning the at least one resonator and the at least another resonator such that a further respective resonance of each one of the resonators falls within a second frequency band, different from the first frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Lorenzo Bolla, Paola Galli, Silvia Ghidini, Giorgio Grasso, Marco Romagnoli, Luciano Socci
  • Publication number: 20130142517
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a controllable selective optical add/drop channel for a fiber-optic communication system provided with 2N of wavelength-division multiplexing channels, whose optical frequencies are returnable at a constant frequency separations ?v between adjacent channels, with the aid of the inventive controllable optical add/drop multiplexers (70, 80, 90) that comprise multi-stage structures of optical filters ({75-i}, {85-i}, {95-i}), that are connected in a different manner and provided with devices, for example electro-optical and thermo-optical phase shift devices, for controllable tuning the transmissions characteristics thereof. The optical filters are embodied in the form of single-stage (20), two-stage (40) and/or multi-stage (60) asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometers. The controllable optical add/drop multiplexer can be produced according to integrated optic technique in the form of monolithic solid-state device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicants: ZAKRITOE AKTZIONERNOE OBSCHESTVO 'TSENTR' VOSPI' (VOSPI CENTER CISC (CLOSED STOCK COMPANY)), AT THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE OF RUSSIAN FEDERATION)
    Inventors: FEDERALNOE GOSUDARSTVENNOE UCHREZH DENIE 'FEDERALNOE AGENTSTVO PO PRAVOVOI, ZAKRITOE AKTZIONERNOE OBSCHESTVO 'TSENTR' VOSPI' (VOSPI CENTER CISC (CLOSED STOCK COMP
  • Patent number: 8452190
    Abstract: A signal processing system includes an input for receiving an input signal, a light source for generating an optical carrier signal having a pre-determined wavelength, a modulator for receiving the input signal and the optical carrier signal and modulating the optical carrier signal based upon the input signal, and an optical filter having a plurality of signal channels, wherein at least one of the signal channels is locked by a reinsertion of the optical carrier signal to pass signals having a wavelength substantially the same as the wavelength of the optical carrier signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen Robertson, Thomas W. Karras
  • Patent number: 8452180
    Abstract: A scalable reconfigurable (or tunable) optical add/drop multiplexer (SROADM) is disclosed. The SROADM includes a pair of acoustic optic tunable filters (AOTF) and a wavelength blocker (WB). A first input port receives an initial wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) optical signal including to-be-dropped optical signal(s). A second input port(s) receives optical signal(s) to be added, which has the same wavelength(s) as that optical signal(s) to be dropped. In one embodiment, the WB is connected to the AOTFs through free space coupling. In another embodiment, the coupling is achieved by optical fiber fusion splicing. The latter method has advantage of using commercially available products and easier assembly while a more compact size is achievable by the free space coupling. The device is scalable in terms of number of add/drop ports and capacity to process any number of wavelength channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Inventor: Peiliang Gao
  • Patent number: 8447183
    Abstract: In today's reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) based optical node, ROADMs multiplex (and demultiplex) colored optical signals to form wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) signals. Transponders connected to the ROADMs' add/drop ports convert noncolored optical signals to colored optical signals (and vice versa). Dedicating transponders to given ports degrades the node's ability to route around network failures. Example embodiments of the invention include an optical node and corresponding method for routing optical signals within an optical node that compensate for this inflexibility. The optical node may include two ROADMs to transmit respective WDM signals onto at least two internode network paths and a routing module that can direct channels of the same wavelength along different internode network paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Tellabs Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark E. Boduch, Kimon Papakos, Yajun Wang
  • Patent number: 8441726
    Abstract: Light from an optical fiber is incident on a frequency dispersion element. The frequency dispersion element disperses the incident light into light beams in different directions according to their frequencies and directs the dispersed light beams to a lens. The lens develops the incident light beams over an xy plane according to their frequencies in a strip-like form. A frequency selective element has pixels arranged in a frequency dispersion direction and brings pixels located at positions corresponding to the frequency to be selected into a reflective state. A light beam selected by the frequency selective element is emitted from an optical fiber through the same path. By changing reflection characteristics of the frequency selective element according to each pixel, optical filter characteristics can be desirably changed so as to achieve change of passband width and frequency shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Santec Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuki Sakurai
  • Patent number: 8401391
    Abstract: Channel power management may be achieved in a branched optical communication system such that uniform loading is provided across branch channels on a branch drop path without passing information signals that are not intended for the branch terminal to the branch drop path. In general, a system and method consistent with the present disclosure reuses one or more loading signals (e.g., noise bands) from the branch add path to maintain uniform loading in the branch drop path of the same branch. The system and method thus prevents trunk channels from being dropped to a branch terminal when those trunk channels are not intended for the branch terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Subsea Communications LLC
    Inventors: Dmitriy Kovsh, Haifeng Li
  • Patent number: 8401392
    Abstract: Fault tolerance may be achieved in a branched optical communication system such that a fault in one optical path may not affect optical signals coupled from a healthy optical path. In general, a flexible branching unit is configured, when adding and dropping channels, to select channels from a healthy path and not from the faulty path (e.g., a trunk path or a branch path) to prevent non-uniform channel loading on the trunk path after the branching unit. In this manner, a fault detected on the trunk path may not affect signals from the branch path and a fault detected on the branch path may not affect signals from the trunk path, thereby providing fault tolerance. A flexible branching unit may also be capable of adjusting the number and selection of channels that are added and dropped at the branching unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Subsea Communications LLC
    Inventors: Dmitriy Kovsh, Stuart M. Abbott, Haifeng Li
  • Patent number: 8369716
    Abstract: An integrated wavelength selectable photodiode includes a device package having an input that receives an optical signal. A set-and-hold, thermally tunable thin-film filter is positioned in the device package and includes an input that is optically coupled to the input of the device package. The set-and-hold, thermally tunable thin-film filter passes light with a predetermined optical bandwidth to an output. An optical element collimates an incident optical beam onto the input of the set-and-hold, thermally tunable thin-film filter. A detector is positioned in the device package and includes an input that is optically coupled to the output of the set-and-hold, thermally tunable thin-film filter. The detector detects data received by the integrated wavelength selectable photodiode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Aegis Lightwave, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Murano, John Hazell, Wayne Sharfin, Mark Lourie, Bei Wang
  • Publication number: 20130011141
    Abstract: A device for inserting/extracting at least one optical subband into an optical channel consisting of a plurality of optical subbands. The device includes an extraction means that is capable of extracting a first optical subband belonging to the optical channel, a suppression means that is arranged so as to obtain a filtered optical channel from the optical channel wherein at least one second subband is suppressed, and a coupling means that is capable of inserting a replacement optical subband in place of the second subband in the filtered optical channel so as to obtain a modified optical channel. The device moreover relates to an optical insertion/extraction switcher, using one or more insertion/extraction devices, and to the corresponding insertion/extraction methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: France Telecom
    Inventor: Erwan Pincemin
  • Patent number: 8351791
    Abstract: New designs of optical devices, particularly for adding or dropping a selected wavelength or a group of wavelengths as well as multiplexing a plurality of signals into a multiplexed signal or demultiplexing a multiplexed signal into several signals are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, an isolator core is built into the optical devices to stop a reflected signal from an optical file in the optical devices. As a result, the optical devices are amenable to small footprint, broad operating wavelength range, enhanced impact performance, lower cost, and easier manufacturing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Alliance Fiber Optic Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Daoyi Wang, Yao Li, Andy Zhou
  • Patent number: 8346088
    Abstract: The inventions relate to a method for operating a controllable selective optical add/drop channel for fiber-optic communication system provided with 2N of wavelength-division multiplexing channels, whose optical frequencies are retunable at a constant frequency separations ?v between adjacent channels, with the aid of the inventive controllable optical add/drop multiplexers (70, 80, 90) that comprise multi-stage structures of optical filters ({75-i}, {85-i}, {95-i}), that are connected in different manner and provided with devices, for example electro-optical and thermo-optical phase shift devices, for controllable tuning the transmissions characteristics thereof. The optical filters are embodied in the form of single-stage (20), two-stage (40) and/or multi-stage (60) asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometers. The controllable optical add/drop multiplexer can be produced according to integrated optic technique in the form of monolithic solid-state device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignees: Federal State Institution “FederalAgency for Legal Protection of the Results of Intellectual Activity with Military, Special and Dual Purposes”at the Ministry of Justice of Russian Federation, Vospi Center CISC (Closed Stock Company)
    Inventor: Vyacheslav Konstantinovich Sakharov
  • Publication number: 20120328297
    Abstract: A superimposed signal detection circuit detects a signal superimposed on an optical signal in a WDM system. The superimposed signal detection circuit includes: an optical filter having wavelength-dependent loss to filter a plurality of optical signals on which a corresponding superimposed signal is superimposed by frequency modulation; a photo detector to convert the plurality of optical signals filtered by the optical filter into an electric signal; and a detector to obtain information indicated by the superimposed signal respectively superimposed on the plurality of optical signals from the electric signal obtained by the photo detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Takeshi HOSHIDA
  • Patent number: 8340522
    Abstract: There is provided a filter assembly for combining a wavelength multiplexed optical signal by multiplexing optical signals of different wavelength emitted from respective optical devices, and/or for dividing a wavelength multiplexed optical signal into optical signals of different wavelength and causing the optical signals of different wavelength to enter respective optical devices. This filter assembly comprises: a light transmitting member within which each optical signal propagates; plural optical filters disposed on an upper face of the light transmitting member at a predetermined spacing wherein each optical signal passes through the optical filters; upper reflective layers respectively provided between adjacent ones of the optical filters; and a lower reflective layer provided on a lower face of the light transmitting member, and wherein the wavelength multiplexed optical signal propagates along the same optical path within the light transmitting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Cable, Ltd.
    Inventors: Juhyun Yu, Ryuta Takahashi, Noribumi Kobayashi, Seiji Maruo, Hiroki Katayama, Yuuki Naganuma
  • Patent number: 8340523
    Abstract: A tunable PLC optical filter having sequentially connected thermally tunable Mach-Zehnder (MZ) interferometers is described. The MZ interferometers, having free spectral ranges matching ITU frequency grid spacing, are tuned so as to have a common passband centered on the frequency of the signal being selected, while having at least one of the stopbands centered on any other ITU frequency. Any other optical channel that may be present at any other ITU frequency is suppressed as a result. The PLC chip, including a zero-dispersion lattice-filter interleaver stage, a switchable fine-resolution stage and, or a retroreflector for double passing the filter, is packaged into a hot-pluggable XFP transceiver package. A compensation heater is used to keep constant the amount of heat applied to the PLC chip inside the XFP package, so as to lessen temperature variations upon tuning of the PLC optical filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: JDS Uniphase Corporation
    Inventors: Jinxi Shen, Jyoti K. Bhardwaj, Barthelemy Fondeur, Douglas E. Crafts, Robert J. Brainard, Boping Xie, David J. Chapman
  • Patent number: 8331786
    Abstract: According to the WDM optical transmission system, for optical signals of respective wavelength in a WDM light propagated through a transmission path, a spectrum component at a center wavelength of each optical signal and a spectrum component in the vicinity of the center wavelength thereof are selectively attenuated by a spectrum correction optical filter, so that the WDM light is transmitted in a state where intensity of sideband components in the spectrum of each optical signal is relatively increased. As a result, even if spectrum width of the optical signal of each wavelength is limited when the WDM light passes through the band-limiting device on the transmission path, degradation of transmission characteristics caused by the attenuation of sideband components is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Naoki Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8320758
    Abstract: A method for estimating optical power in an optical channel includes determining a tunable filter full-width, FWF, by measuring a response of the tunable filter to a known signal and mapping the response to frequency. A portion of an optical channel is coupled to an input of the tunable optical filter. A peak power response, PR, and a full width tunable filter response, FWR, to the optical channel are determined by measuring a response of the tunable filter to the optical channel and mapping the response to frequency. A signal power, PS, is then calculated from the peak power response, PR, and a ratio of the full width tunable filter response, FWR, to the tunable filter full-width, FWF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Aegis Lightwave, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Cahill
  • Publication number: 20120288281
    Abstract: An optical communication system including an optical communication fiber and a plurality of modules. Each of the modules has an optical transceiver that is optically coupled to the optical communication fiber by a corresponding optical drop. And each of the transceivers is configured for transmitting and/or receiving one or more optical signals via the optical communication fiber. The optical signals represent a plurality of individual data streams formatted according to one or more different communication protocols. In this manner, optical communication is enabled among the modules via the optical communication fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: INVENSYS SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Nestor J. Camino, JR., Harris D. Kagan
  • Patent number: 8254784
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a light source distributor for use in an injection-locked WDM-PON (wavelength division multiplexed-passive optical network). The light source distributor receives an A band and a B band injection optical signals through a single optical terminal from an injection light source for outputting both the A band and the B band injection optical signals; transmits the A band injection optical signal to a first optical multiplexer/demultiplexer of a central office and the B band injection signal to a second optical multiplexer/demultiplexer of a remote node; transmits a wavelength-locked A band optical signal received from the first optical multiplexer/demultiplexer to the second optical multiplexer/demultiplexer; and transmits a wavelength-locked B band optical signal received from the second optical multiplexer/demultiplexer to the first optical multiplexer/demultiplexer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Luxpert Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae Oh Byun, Ji Min Seo
  • Patent number: 8249456
    Abstract: An optical ring network architecture including a number (N) of multi-add/drop filters, such as filters formed using symmetrical pairs of frequency routers. Each multi-add/drop filter is coupled to two other multi-add/drop filters. using N?2 transmission media, such as optical fibers, to form a ring. The network also includes a number (N) of terminal stations associated with the multi-add/drop filters. A terminal station (p) is coupled with, and receives information from, its associated multi-add/drop filter (p) through a single optical fiber. In addition, the terminal station p is coupled with, and transmits information in a first direction around the ring to, a multi-add/drop filter p+1 through a single optical fiber. Communications from terminal station p to each other terminal station in the first direction are assigned one of N?1 wavelengths such that no two wavelengths on a given optical fiber are associated with communications between terminal stations in the same direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
    Inventor: Bernard Glance
  • Publication number: 20120207479
    Abstract: An optical device that includes multiple optical modulators having target operating wavelengths that are distributed over a band of wavelengths and actual operating wavelengths is described. For example, the target operating wavelengths of adjacent optical modulators may be separated by a wavelength increment. Moreover, because of differences between the actual operating wavelengths and the target operating wavelengths of the optical modulators, tuning elements may be used to tune the optical modulators so that the actual operating wavelengths match corresponding carrier wavelengths in a set of optical signals. Furthermore, control logic in the optical device may assign the optical modulators to the corresponding carrier wavelengths based at least on differences between the carrier wavelengths and the actual operating wavelengths, thereby reducing an average tuning energy associated with the tuning elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: ORACLE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ashok V. Krishnamoorthy, Xuezhe Zheng, Guoliang Li, John E. Cunningham
  • Patent number: 8244133
    Abstract: A simple optical waveband multiplexer/demultiplexer operable to separate a wavelength-division multiplexed light beam WDM consisting of a plurality of wavebands WB each including a plurality of optical channels, into a predetermined plurality of wavebands WB, and output the separated plurality of wavebands WB from a plurality of output ports, wherein the wavelength-division multiplexed light beam WDM is transmitted through two array waveguides each capable of performing a demultiplexing function with a resolution corresponding to wavelengths of the optical channels, and a characteristic of sequentially shifting the output ports by one position with shifting of input ports by one position, whereby the wavelength-division multiplexed light beam WDM is separated into a plurality of wavebands WB each including the mutually different optical channels selected from the optical channels included in the wavelength-division multiplexed light beam WDM, and the separated wavebands WB are outputted from the plurality of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignees: National University Corporation, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Ken-ichi Sato, Hiroshi Hasegawa, Shoji Kakehashi, Osamu Moriwaki, Shin Kamei, Kenya Suzuki, Yoshihisa Sakai, Kouichi Takiguchi
  • Patent number: 8244128
    Abstract: Triplexer formed by disposing upon a substrate a highly confined silicon waveguide including one or more polarization-diverse lattice filters that are monolithically integrated with photodetectors, such as PIN or APD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventor: Mahmoud S. Rasras
  • Patent number: 8244131
    Abstract: To equip an optical wavelength dividing multiplexing system with a variable optical band-pass filter, and to provide an apparatus to change the center wavelength and the band width of an optical-band pass filter according to an optical wavelength band to be transmitted, and a method of controlling the apparatus. An optical wavelength multiplexing device 100 includes a CPL (multiplexing portion) 3 that multiplexes optical signals and outputs the multiplexed signal, a BPF (optical band-pass filter) 9 that is capable of changing its center wavelength and band width and receives an optical multiplex signal output by the multiplexing portion and lets the received optical multiplex signal pass therethrough, a storage portion that stores wavelength band control information 4 specifying the center wavelength and the band width, and a control portion that controls the center wavelength and the band width of the BPF 9 based on the wavelength band control information 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshirou Satou
  • Publication number: 20120189311
    Abstract: In order to achieve a higher spectral efficiency of OFDM sub-bands, optical signals using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing are transmitted through an optical network in the form of a continuous waveband optical signal. An optical add/drop multiplexer (1) splits the continuous waveband optical signal into an express path and a drop path. A band pass filter (4) is provided in the drop path to extract a sub-band carrying at least one of said OFDM modulated optical signals (DROP). The band pass filter (4) has a filter bandwidth that covers the sub-band to be extracted. A band-stop filter (3) is provided in the express path to remove the sub-band to be extracted from the continuous waveband optical signal (IN). The band stop filter (3) has a filter bandwidth which is narrower than the band pass filter (4). An OFDM modulated optical add signal (ADD) can be added into the wavelength gap created through the band stop filter (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Inventors: Fred Buchali, Roman Dischler
  • Publication number: 20120189310
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a Mache-Zehnder interferometer. The Mache-Zehnder interferometer comprises: a 1×2 optical splitter having an optical input, a 2×2 optical coupler having first and second optical outputs, two optical waveguide arms end-connecting each optical output of the 1×2 optical splitter to a corresponding optical input of the 2×2 optical coupler, a variable optical phase shifter on one of the waveguide arms and a plurality of optical resonators, each optical resonator being controllably coupled along one of the optical waveguide arms. An optical path length between the optical input of the 1×2 optical coupler and the first optical output of the 2×2 optical coupler is substantially the same via the first optical waveguide arm and the second optical waveguide arm when the optical resonators are decoupled from the optical waveguide arms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: Alcatel -Lucent USA Inc.
    Inventor: Mahmoud Rasras
  • Publication number: 20120163825
    Abstract: A reconfigurable optical device including input and output ports, and add or drop ports, has a high degree of flexibility such that any wavelength channel from any optical signal introduced through the add ports may be added to any of the optical signals transmitted through the output ports. In addition, any wavelength channel from any optical signal received through the inputs ports may be dropped through any of the drop ports. Furthermore, the optical device is configurable to allow the same wavelength channel from two different optical signals supplied respectively through any two inputs ports to be simultaneously directed to two different drop ports.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Ming WU, Peter G. Wigley
  • Patent number: 8204374
    Abstract: A reconfigurable multi-channel (WDM) optical ring network with optical shared protection. Preferably, the shared protection is based on a channel optical shared protection ring. The reconfigurable multi-channel (WDM) ring network connects signals between add/drop nodes with reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADM). The ring architecture is used to provide redundant paths between any transmitter and receiver so that failure on one side of the ring does not cut the service. The optical shared protection ring supports full redundancy. The shared protection supports wavelength reuse and availability of protection bandwidth for low-priority traffic. The shared protection implementation can also provide full equipment redundancy including transponders if desired. The ROADM components allow for reconfiguration of the multiplexer from a remote site and can be used in a network having both shared and dedicated protection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Ciena Corporation
    Inventor: Chris Barnard
  • Patent number: 8190025
    Abstract: A wavelength selective switch utilizing aperture-shared optics and functionally distinct planes of operation that enables high fiber port counts, such as 1×41, and multiplicative expansion, such as to 1×83 or 1×145, by utilizing elements optimized for performance in one of the functionally distinct planes of operation without affecting the other plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Harry W. Presley, Michael L. Nagy
  • Patent number: 8190028
    Abstract: A signal treating apparatus for presenting an output signal representing an input signal over a signal range includes: (a) an input section receiving the input signal and presenting a first filtered signal limited to a first bandwidth at a first circuit locus; the input section presenting a second filtered signal limited to a second bandwidth at a second circuit locus; (b) an amplifying unit receiving the first filtered signal and presenting an increased gain signal at an amplifier output locus; (c) a detector coupled with the amplifier output locus and presenting third bandwidth-limited signal limited to a third bandwidth less than the first bandwidth at a third circuit locus; and (d) a combining section coupled with the second and third circuit loci and presenting a resulting signal related with the second filtered signal and the third filtered signal; said resultant signal being said output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: James D. Franklin
  • Patent number: 8131152
    Abstract: An optical add/drop multiplexer includes a first optical coupler receiving an optical signal including a plurality of multiplexed wavelengths, a wavelength blocker receiving the optical signal from the first optical coupler, and blocking at least one wavelength of the plurality of multiplexed wavelengths, a first wavelength selective switch, having one input port receiving the outputted optical signal from the first optical coupler and a plurality of output ports, demultiplexing a plurality of arbitrarily selected multiplexed wavelengths from the received optical signal, a second wavelength selective switch, having a plurality of input ports, each input port receiving a different optical signal and one output port, multiplexing a plurality of arbitrarily selected wavelength signals on the plurality of input ports, and a second optical coupler receiving the optical signal output from the wavelength blocker and multiplexed wavelength signal from the second wavelength selective switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Yuichi Akiyama, Takafumi Terahara, Hiroki Ooi, Jens C. Rasmussen, Akira Miura, Akihiko Isomura
  • Patent number: 8126329
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing bi-directional data services involving a plurality of wavelengths. The data services may be hybrid in nature, including both digital and analog data signals. The techniques may be implemented, for instance, in an optical module, and allow one or more wavelengths to pass-through while other wavelengths are terminated or otherwise diverted. In one example embodiment, the techniques are embodied in a quad-port optical module having two input/output (I/O) ports and pass-through capability for at least one of the wavelengths, add capability for at least one wavelength, and drop capability for at least one wavelength. The module may further include transmit and/or receive capability for one or more signal types. The module can be operatively coupled with a bidi device or other suitable transceiver, to provide modular transmit-receive capability for a desired signal type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Stefan J. Murry, Zulfikar Morbi
  • Patent number: 8121485
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for implementing an RF photonic transversal filter that utilizes tap apodization and wavelength reuse to obtain a high side lobe suppression together with narrow and configurable passbands. Several taps are obtained from one wavelength by using dispersive optical delay lines such as chirped fiber gratings that introduce a delay between successive wavelengths. A selected subset of the input wavelengths is utilized to generate multiple taps per wavelength. Some of the taps are apodized to generate various filter transfer functions that yield a high side lobe suppression ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventor: Willie W. Ng
  • Patent number: 8121484
    Abstract: A bi-directional optical module with an improved optical crosstalk between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit is disclosed. The optical module provides the LD, the PD, the WDM filter secured with the block, and the package with the co-axial shape. The block provides a slant surface, where the WDM filter is secured thereon, the bottom surface facing the PD mounted on the package, and an aperture connecting the slant surface and the bottom surface. The PD is enclosed within a space formed by the bottom surface and the primary surface, which electrically and optically isolates the PD from the LD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kihara, Hiromi Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 8116631
    Abstract: Providing bandwidth expansion in existing HFC infrastructures. A break in a fiber ring is established. A temperature hardened demultiplexer is coupled at the break to an input side of the fiber ring. A temperature hardened multiplexer is coupled at the break to an output side of the fiber ring. The temperature hardened demultiplexer is configured to pass-through a first predetermined wavelength to the temperature hardened multiplexer and to drop out a second predetermined wavelength. The second predetermined wavelength is extended from the demultiplexer for providing a first predetermined wavelength to an expansion node. The temperature hardened multiplexer is configured to receive the first predetermined wavelength from the temperature hardened demultiplexer and to receive the second predetermined wavelength from the expansion node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Cox Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel L. Estes, Mark E. Pellegri
  • Patent number: 8107816
    Abstract: A telecommunications module includes an optical wavelength division multiplexer/demultiplexer configured to demultiplex a first optical signal input into the telecommunications module into a plurality of different wavelengths, a fiber optic splitter configured to split a second optical signal input into the telecommunication module into a plurality of optical signals, and a plurality of optical add/drop filters, each of the optical add/drop filters configured to combine one of the optical signals that has been split by the fiber optic splitter and one of the wavelengths that has been demultiplexed by the optical wavelength division multiplexer/demultiplexer into a combination output signal that is output from the telecommunications module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: ADC Telecommunications, Inc.
    Inventors: Kristofer Bolster, John Pfarr
  • Patent number: 8107818
    Abstract: A light is incident on a refractive diffraction grating 13, and is distributed for each of wavelengths at different angles to be outputted. A lens 14 converts the distributed lights into belt-shaped lights, and the belt-shaped lights are incident on a mirror substrate 15 having selective reflection regions 17-1 to 17-x. By moving the mirror substrate 15 toward a direction different from a distribution direction of the belt-shaped lights, only the light of any one of wavelengths is reflected. Then, the light returning to the refractive diffraction grating 13 is reflected to an incident direction of the original light. Accordingly, a tunable filter which is able to select a light of an arbitrary wavelength by moving the mirror substrate 15 can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Santec Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuki Sakurai, Changho Chong
  • Patent number: 8107167
    Abstract: A beam combining system suitable of pulsed fiber laser applications is able to produce non-spatial-dispersive beams using an highly efficient filter, such as a multilayer dielectric filter, in transmission and reflection configurations. The techniques therefore can overcome constraints on laser line-width and beam width and allow for more stable systems for high peak power pulsed laser energy, such as may be used in extreme ultraviolet lithography and other applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: The Regents of The University of Michigan
    Inventors: Almantas Galvanauskas, Kai-Chung Hou
  • Patent number: 8103138
    Abstract: A tunable filter is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: O-Net Communications (Shenzhen) Limited
    Inventors: Yang Fang, Bin Chen, Chuan Zhang, Hong Xie
  • Publication number: 20120008958
    Abstract: A system and method in a wavelength division multiplexing passive optical network is provided. A multiplexed optical downstream signal is transmitted from an optical line terminal to a passive distribution node. The signal is demultiplexed into a plurality of optical sub-signals. A sub-signal is transferred to an optical network termination. The received at least one sub-signal is identified. An optical wavelength of an upstream optical signal is set as a function of a predefined relationship between an optical wavelength of the received at least one sub-signal and the optical wavelength of the upstream signal. The upstream signal is transmitted to the optical line terminal via the passive distribution node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Stefan Dahlfort, Peter Ohlen
  • Patent number: 8095010
    Abstract: An optical device includes an optical splitter having an input port, a first output port, a second output port and a resonant structure including at least a resonator, the optical splitter being adapted to receive at the input port a WDM optical signal and to output at the first and second output ports, respectively, a first and a second portion of the optical signal, the second portion including the channels lying on a sub-grid of optical frequencies spaced by an integer multiple of the WDM frequency spacing; an optical combiner having a first input port, a second input port, an output port and adapted to receive at the first and second input ports, respectively, the first and the second portions and adapted to output them at said output port; a first optical path optically connecting the first output port of the optical splitter to the first input port of the optical combiner so as to propagate the first portion; a second optical path optically connecting the second output port of the optical splitter to th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Mosaid Technologies Incorporated
    Inventors: Luciano Socci, Paola Galli, Silvia Ghidini, Marco Romagnoli
  • Patent number: 8095011
    Abstract: A wavelength division multiplexing filter according to the present invention is a wavelength division multiplexing filter having a variable filter shape. The wavelength division multiplexing filter has a resolution equal to 2N times (N being an integer, where N?1) a reference frequency interval and has frequency arrangement of center frequencies of frequency slots corresponding to the 2N-times resolution be offset by half a cycle with respect to the frequency arrangement of standard wavelength grids having a frequency interval equal to ½N of the reference frequency interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Yano, Takefumi Oguma
  • Publication number: 20120002964
    Abstract: An optical add-drop multiplexer having first and second routes includes: an optical cross connect; a first multiplexer optically coupled to a plurality of output ports of the optical cross connect; a second multiplexer optically coupled to a plurality of other output ports of the optical cross connect; a first wavelength selective switch to generate a first WDM optical signal including an optical signal output from the first multiplexer and to guide the first WDM optical signal to the first route; and a second wavelength selective switch to generate a second WDM optical signal including optical signal output from the second multiplexer and to guide the second WDM optical signal to the second route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Kazuo TAKATSU, Koji TAKEGUCHI