Power Control Patents (Class 398/94)
  • Patent number: 8275256
    Abstract: An optical communication serial interface is employed to power up a device from a powered down state to a powered on state. An optical receiver element receives serial optical signals transmitted by at least one optical fiber and converts the received serial optical signals to electrical signals. A low level reception converter detects and decodes the electrical signals to provide data and control words from detected and decoded normal electrical signals for a high level command processor. A power supply maintains low level power to at least the optical receiver element and the low level reception converter of the optical communication serial interface while the device is in the powered down state. The low level reception converter detects a particular abnormal sequence of electrical signals; and in response to detecting the particular abnormal sequence of electrical signals, asserts a control signal to power up the device controllable power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Louie Arthur Dickens, Timothy A Johnson, Craig Anthony Klein, Gregg Steven Lucas, Daniel James Winarski
  • Patent number: 8275264
    Abstract: According to an aspect of an embodiment, an apparatus for controlling optical waveform, comprises: an input port for inputting a signal light having a modulating frequency and a signal light power; a pump light generator generating pulsed pump light having a frequency higher than the modulating frequency of the signal light and a pulsed pump light power; a nonlinear optical medium for transmitting the signal light from the input port and the pulsed pump light, the nonlinear optical medium having a gain of the signal light based on a nonlinear optical effect; and a power adjustor for adjusting a gain of the signal light saturates in the nonlinear optical medium by a nonlinear optical effect by adjusting at least one of the signal light power or the pulsed pump light power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Shigeki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8260141
    Abstract: A system for enabling reconfiguration of a Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM) optical communications network. A plurality of channel transmitters are provided for generating respective optical signals within corresponding wavelength channels of the network. A broadband light source generates a broadband continuous wave light having a bandwidth corresponding to a channel band of the network. A wavelength selective switch includes a first switch port connected to receive optical signals from the channel transmitters. A second switch port is connected to receive the broadband continuous wave light from the broadband light source. The wavelength selective switch is configured to comb the broadband continuous wave light into a plurality of narrowband lights respectively corresponding with wavelength channels of the network. A common-OUT port of the wavelength selective switch outputs a WDM signal for transmission through a downstream fiber span of the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Ciena Corporation
    Inventor: Loren Berg
  • Patent number: 8208812
    Abstract: A control-target-value setting unit sets a control target value corresponding to the number of multiplexed wavelengths measured by a number-of-multiplexed-wavelengths measuring unit. A controller controls the variable optical attenuator based on the control target value. An optical amplifier performs an optical amplification with a constant gain regardless of power of a wavelength-multiplexed light. The controller performs feedback control of the variable optical attenuator such that a result of measurement of the total power of the wavelength-multiplexed light coincides with the control target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Tokura, Katsuhiro Shimizu, Kazuyuki Ishida, Kuniaki Motoshima
  • Patent number: 8195052
    Abstract: An optical wavelength multiplexing system includes transmission-side and reception-side optical wavelength multiplexers, and terminal devices, which are connected to each other by optical fiber cables. Optical wavelength converters in the transmission-side optical wavelength multiplexers are connected to ports respectively. The optical wavelength converter converts an input optical signal into an arbitrary preset wavelength to generate a converted optical signal. The port has a predetermined wavelength preset therein. Each optical power level of input converted optical signals is compared with each optical power level of optical signals of respective wavelengths set in the ports. When a difference is detected in the comparison result, it is determined that an optical wavelength converter is incorrectly connected to the port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Makoto Ohtou, Akira Yamamoto, Tatsuo Nagayoshi, Katsumi Sugawa, Hideaki Sugiya
  • Patent number: 8170418
    Abstract: A protected light source for generating seed light for at least two wavelength division multiplexed passive optical networks (WDM-PONs). The protected light source includes an optical coupler having N?2 input ports and M?2 output ports, each output port being optically connected to supply seed light to a respective set of one or more WDM-PONs. A respective multi-wavelength light source (MWLS) is optically coupled to supply seed light to each input port of the optical coupler. A controller unit controls operation of each multi-wavelength light source (MWLS).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Richard Habel, Kim B. Roberts
  • Patent number: 8160446
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods and systems to stabilize an optical network against nodal gain changes through two nested control loops for controlling node gain and node output power. The present invention includes two nested control-loops running at different update speeds including: an inner, faster, control-loop which sets the gains and losses within a node to achieve a node-gain target, and a node-gain target for the inner loop is set by an outer, slower, control loop that whose target is the node output power. Advantageously, the present invention reduces the problem of concatenated overshoot by minimizing the control-loop response to events that occur at other nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Ciena Corporation
    Inventors: Brandon C. Collings, Douglas J. Beckett, Sanjay Choudhary
  • Publication number: 20120087669
    Abstract: In an optical node, a transmitter produces an optical supervisory signal for supervising an optical network, a processor is operative to control a power level of the optical supervisory signal according to a per-wavelength power level of an optical communication signal when the optical node has no post amplifiers, and a multiplexer combines the controlled optical supervisory signal with the optical communication signal to be transmitted to another optical node located downstream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Koji BIWA, Kosuke KOMAKI
  • Patent number: 8135280
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling power fluctuations in a network including a plurality of nodes are disclosed. A node in the network may be configured to modify power levels in accordance with either an active state or an inactive state. The node may transition to an inactive state in response to a power change that exceeds a power change threshold. The role of the node in controlling the power fluctuation in the network is reduced in the inactive state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignees: NEC Laboratories America, Inc., NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Lei Zong, Ting Wang, Takefumi Oguma, Katsuyuki Mino, Osamu Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8126331
    Abstract: The power level of a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal is detected by a detection unit. When the power level of the optical signal detected by the detection unit is equal to or lower than a first threshold, the coupling direction of an attenuation unit for controlling the coupling direction for the ports of the optical signal is controlled in the direction orthogonal to the array direction of the ports. When the power level of the optical signal exceeds a second threshold, the coupling direction of the attenuation unit is controlled in the array direction of the ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Ichiro Nakajima
  • Patent number: 8112005
    Abstract: A receiver scheme for optical signals in Return-to-zero (RZ) systems comprises a conventional receiver at the input of which is placed an all-optical decision element realized with nonlinear optical elements. This allows obtaining a substantial increase in performance compared with a simple conventional receiver optimized for NRZ signals. In particular, an optical decision is made up advantageously of two non-linear optical loop mirrors (NOLMs) arranged in cascade with an optical amplifier at the input and a pass-band filter at the output. The loops lengths may be different, as may be the splitting ratios of the couplers of the NOLMs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Ericsson AB
    Inventors: Paolo Ghelfi, Mirco Scaffardi, Antonella Bogoni, Luca Poti
  • Patent number: 8107819
    Abstract: An optical network device of a passive optical network is introduced. The optical network device includes a light source, a control unit, and a variable optical attenuator. The light source can generate an optical signal. The control unit can generate a magnetic signal based on a control signal capable of providing information relating to a distance between the optical network device and an optical line termination. The variable optical attenuator can adjust a polarization angle of the optical signal based on the magnetic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chun-Liang Yang, Dar-Zu Hsu
  • Patent number: 8095008
    Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods to convert a reconfigurable optical node multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system to a single-input single-output (SISO) system suitable for a proportional-integral-differential (PID) control process. Advantageously, the present invention allows PID control to apply to a MIMO optical node by modeling the node as two SISO systems. The present invention optimizes the division of gain and loss between components in the reconfigurable optical node. This provides means to control the net gain and loss of a series of components when the component chain being controlled includes those components that have a single action affecting multiple channels and components that affect only one channel. The present invention utilizes control of a single quantity of amplifier gain minus attenuation for each channel, and the coupling together of all channels in the amplifier which makes the channels inter-dependent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Ciena Corporation
    Inventors: Brandon C. Collings, Douglas J. Beckett, Sanjay Choudhary
  • Patent number: 8068730
    Abstract: A WDM signal monitoring system includes a measuring unit that measures power levels in a plurality of predetermined wavelength bands about a wavelength division multiplex signal, a waveform determination unit that determines an approximate waveform of each channel from each bit rate and modulation system of a plurality of channels which forms a wavelength division multiplex signal, and an approximation unit that determines a power level and a wavelength of each channel by approximating the power level in a plurality of wavelength bands which the measuring unit measured with the approximate waveform of each channel which the waveform determination unit determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Yoshito Kachita, Ichiro Nakajima, Yasushi Sugaya, Ryosuke Goto
  • Patent number: 8068735
    Abstract: An optically amplified wavelength division multiplexing network has the functionality to add/drop channels at the optical add/drop multiplexing (OADM) nodes. The OADM node includes a receiver amplifier, an OADM module, and a transmitter amplifier. Once the OADM node detects a loss of signal (LOS) due to a fiber cut or network element failure upstream, the receiver amplifier is kept in operation as a noise source. The output of the receiver amplifier is immediately raised by increasing pump power to compensate for the LOS. The noise power received at the transmitter amplifier from the receiver amplifier is substantially equal to the signal power expected before LOS. The transient effect of downstream optical amplifiers is therefore completely suppressed and the inter-channel stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) induced spectrum tilt does not change. After the noise power is raised, the receiver amplifier may be shut down at a speed much slower than the speed of downstream amplifier control circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II, LP
    Inventors: Joseph T. Stango, Guodong Zhang
  • Patent number: 8064771
    Abstract: A system, apparatus and method are described for deployment of a control loop between optical or electro-optical modules and a multiplexing module to provide a desired power profile of banded optical channel groups. The power output characteristics of the optical or electro-optical modules, the properties of the transmission paths of the banded optical channel groups, and other factors may be analyzed to allow the control loop to achieve the desired power profile on the banded optical channel groups. The control loop may adjust the output power on the optical or electro-optical modules so that the banded optical channel groups are delivered to an optical component, such as an optical multiplexer or photo-detector, having a particular optical power profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Infinera Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew L. Mitchell, Robert B. Taylor, Vincent G. Dominic, Alan C. Nilsson
  • Patent number: 8064770
    Abstract: A system and method for spectral loading unutilized channels of a partially loaded WDM system may be used to suppress spectral hole burning (SHB). Dummy tones may be loaded at different loading wavelengths within the band of system wavelengths such that the loading wavelengths are associated with a subset of unutilized channels in the WDM system. The loading wavelengths may be selected and spaced based on a distortion in the gain spectrum of the partially loaded WDM system such that the dummy tones alter the distortion to provide a desired gain spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Subsea Communications LLC
    Inventor: Massimo Manna
  • Publication number: 20110274431
    Abstract: Consistent with the present disclosure, a method and apparatus for providing a uniform spectral gain of an optical amplifier is provided. Namely, a “balancing” step is carried out in which an optical channel having the lowest power level input to an optical circuit, such as an dynamic gain equalizer (DGE), is assigned a zero “attenuation error” and is substantially un-attenuated by the DGE. The lowest power level optical signal does not require further attenuation and effectively serves as a reference power level, which the power levels of the remaining optical signals are set to. For example, remaining optical signals are assigned either positive or negative attenuation errors relative to the zero attenuation error based on optical signal input powers to the DGE and accumulated DGE attenuations over time. Those optical signals having a negative attenuation error are substantially unattenuated by the DGE, because such optical signals are adequately attenuated and do not require further attenuation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Inventors: Benjamin A. Warren, Saurabh Kumar, Abhijeet Deore, Brian B. Shia, Ganesh Sundaresan
  • Patent number: 8055129
    Abstract: An algorithm is disclosed for performing alien-wavelength channel balancing on channels between optical network elements within an optic-fiber communications system. The algorithm determines initial values of various optimization parameters for each of the channels, such as the input launch power and operating conditions of optical amplifiers in the optical path, and calculates an initial total optimization offset for the channels based on the initial values of the optimization parameters for each of the channels. The algorithm then adjusts the optimization parameters to new values and calculates a new total optimization offset based on the new optimization parameter values. The algorithm repeats this process until the relative channel launch powers and optical amplifiers are optimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventors: David Butler, Lev B. Sofman
  • Patent number: 8032028
    Abstract: Optical add/drop nodes are used in a network having a pair of optical transmission paths for transmitting optical signals in opposite directions to each other. Each add/drop node comprises a variable split ratio optical coupler for splitting an optical signal output from a transmitter. The split ratio of the variable split ratio optical coupler is set such that the optical power levels of the signals added through the respective optical add/drop nodes are equal to one another respectively on the pair of optical transmission paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Yutaka Takita, Yutaka Kai, Yasuhiko Aoki, Kyosuke Sone
  • Patent number: 7991287
    Abstract: An optical communication system and a communication network are disclosed herein capable of transmitting optical signals with high optical launch power over long distances with suppression of stimulated Brillouin scattering. A method of transmitting optical signals is also disclosed herein which comprises transmitting optical signals at high optical launch power with a high carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR). Passive optical networks disclosed herein provide greater reach and/or increased splits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Scott R. Bickham, Aleksandra Boskovic, Andrey Kobyakov, A. Boh Ruffin, Richard E. Wagner
  • Patent number: 7978973
    Abstract: A wavelength division multiplexing transmission system, the system comprising: a plurality of channels at different wavelengths, each channel comprising a transmitter, a receiver, and one or more amplifiers, the system further comprising an encoder for encoding data with a coding, and; a decoder for decoding transmitted data; prioritizing means for prioritizing the data on each channel; monitoring means for monitoring directly or indirectly, raw (uncorrected) bit errors on each channel; power adjusting means for, varying the power on a channel in response to the bit error rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Xtera Communications Ltd.
    Inventors: Martin Chown, Stuart Barnes, Stephen M. Webb, David C. Winterburn
  • Patent number: 7970282
    Abstract: A bridge controller, which controls relay between terminals including emission units and addresses assigned to the terminals, acquires coordinates of a light-received element in an light receiving unit at which light emitted from an emission unit is received, and stores the acquired coordinates in a location information table memory in association with a logical location on the network. Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the stored coordinates differ from newly acquired coordinates. When it is determined that the stored coordinates differ from the newly acquired coordinates, the logical location associated with the coordinates stored in the storage unit is controlled to be changed and stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoichi Nagatomo, Nobuo Iizuka
  • Patent number: 7962039
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a multiple wavelength light source capable of generating lights of more wavelengths, and a generation method for multiple wavelength light using a multiple wavelength light source. A multiple wavelength light source of the present invention is a multiple wavelength light source having an optical comb generator for obtaining an input light and a group of lights shifted from the input light by predetermined frequencies; and an optical adjusting portion adjusting lights to be inputted to the optical comb generator; wherein the optical comb generator is composed of an optical fiber loop (105) which is provided with an optical SSB modulator (101), an optical amplifier (102) for compensating a conversion loss at the optical SSB modulator, an optical input port (103) for inputting lights from the light source, and an optical output port (104) for outputting lights, and the optical adjusting portion obtains a plurality of lights having different wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Incorporated Administrative Agency
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kawanishi, Masayuki Izutsu
  • Patent number: 7936749
    Abstract: A node device receives supervisory control information on a dedicated wavelength different from a wavelength of signal light, which is input from an input port together with the signal light, and extracts, from signal light to be output from an output port, information superposed on an optical main signal of the signal light. Then, it is confirmed whether or not the signal light to be output and the supervisory control information correspond by using the extracted information, and supervisory control information corresponding to the signal light to be output is transmitted on the dedicated wavelength from the output port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Toru Katagiri, Takao Naito
  • Patent number: 7899331
    Abstract: According to a WDM optical transmission system of the present invention, wavelength numbers information of a WDM signal light output from an upstream side optical amplifying unit to a transmission path fiber, and signal output level information thereof are transmitted to a downstream side optical amplifying unit utilizing a supervisory control light. In the downstream side optical amplifying unit, a loss (span loss) in the transmission path fiber is computed using the upstream side signal output level information and downstream side signal input level information, so that a gain to be set for a downstream side optical amplifier is calculated based on the computed loss, and also, the gain is corrected based on a difference between a target value of the signal output level computed using the wavelength numbers information and an actual measurement value thereof, so that the optical amplifier is controlled in accordance with the post-corrected gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Itoh, Kosuke Komaki
  • Patent number: 7899337
    Abstract: The present invention provides an optical transmitter applicable to the WDM communication system. The optical transmitter includes a light-emitting device, an APC circuit and a processing unit. The processing unit, responding to a command TX_DISABL, which is sent from the control unit that communicates with the host controller, stops the optical output power of the transmitter by decreasing the reference to a preset value in step wise. Moreover, the processing unit, responding to a command ENABLE that is also sent from the control unit, starts the optical output by increasing the reference to another preset value in step wise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromi Tanaka, Hiroto Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 7881611
    Abstract: A system and method for loading unutilized channels of a WDM system with noise to improve system performance. A transmitter amplifier may impart noise to unutilized channels by reducing amplifier input or providing feedback of the amplifier output. Noise signals may also be looped back to the transmitter from received signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Subsea Communications LLC
    Inventors: Georg H. Mohs, Stuart M. Abbott, Franklin W. Kerfoot, III, R. Brian Jander, Morten Nissov
  • Patent number: 7881613
    Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method for tracking a wavelength in a passive optical subscriber network in which a central base station and at least one subscriber terminal are connected via a remote node. The apparatus includes a first wavelength aligning unit multiplexing and aligning wavelengths of optical signals from a plurality of single-mode optical sources of the central base station; a second wavelength aligning unit multiplexing and aligning wavelengths of optical signals transmitted to the remote node from a plurality of single-mode optical sources of the subscriber terminal; and a third wavelength aligning unit demultiplexing and aligning wavelengths of optical signals from the second wavelength aligning unit, the third wavelength aligning unit being included in the central base station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Byoung Whi Kim, Woo Ram Lee, Yun Chur Chung, Eui Seung Son, Jang Won Chae
  • Patent number: 7865079
    Abstract: The invention relates to a compensator of attenuation drift in an optical multi-wavelength switch (MWS) which uses input signal amplitude dither and external VOA dither cancellation to determine relative position of MEMS micro mirror hence indirectly determining attenuation level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: JDS Uniphase Corporation
    Inventors: Philip Duggan, Krassimir Stoev
  • Patent number: 7864389
    Abstract: The invention concerns shutting down and restarting optical amplifiers, such as Raman amplifiers, in an optical link, depending whether the optical amplifier is a transmitting side amplifier or a receiving side amplifier. For controlling the amplifiers, at least one diagnostic signal is to be transmitted via an auxiliary optical channel in the optical link, and a number of physical events simultaneously taking place are to be taken into account to conclude whether to shut down or to restart one of the optical amplifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: ECI Telecom Ltd.
    Inventor: Tal Muzicant
  • Patent number: 7865083
    Abstract: A number of optical calibration systems and methods are disclosed. One optical communication system embodiment includes a number of light sources for providing a number of light beams, a number of optical paths, where each of the optical paths is positioned to receive one of the light beams, a number of optical modulators, where each modulator receives a radio frequency signal and receives one of the light beams from one of the optical paths, where each modulator modulates the light beam it receives based upon the radio frequency signal it receives to form an optical signal, and a number of optical biasing components, where each optical signal can be adjusted by at least one of the optical biasing components to calibrate the optical signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Rick C. Stevens
  • Patent number: 7853149
    Abstract: Frequency peaking is used in the transmitter to improve link performance. In one example, frequency peaking improves the PIED or TWDP. The frequency peaking can result in pulse shapes that have more electrical energy in the receiver (and therefore higher received SNR) than uncompensated pulses. In addition, due to the response of typical fibers, boosting the high frequencies typically will flatten the received spectrum, which will improve the performance of the equalizer in an EDC receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: ClariPhy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. Lindsay, Norman L. Swenson
  • Patent number: 7826746
    Abstract: An optically amplified wavelength division multiplexing network has the functionality to add/drop channels at the optical add/drop multiplexing (OADM) nodes. The OADM node includes a receiver amplifier, an OADM module, and a transmitter amplifier. Once the OADM node detects a loss of signal (LOS) due to a fiber cut or network element failure upstream, the receiver amplifier is kept in operation as a noise source. The output of the receiver amplifier is immediately raised by increasing pump power to compensate for the LOS. The noise power received at the transmitter amplifier from the receiver amplifier is substantially equal to the signal power expected before LOS. The transient effect of downstream optical amplifiers is therefore completely suppressed and the inter-channel stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) induced spectrum tilt does not change. After the noise power is raised, the receiver amplifier may be shut down at a speed much slower than the speed of downstream amplifier control circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
    Inventors: Joseph T. Stango, Guodong Zhang
  • Patent number: 7822345
    Abstract: An output stage for WDM information transmission transmits a plurality of carrier waves modulated by an information signal and a filling lightwave. A first control circuit controls a desired power signal which determines the power of the filling light source so that the total power of carrier and filling lightwaves detected by a photodetector is held constant at a predetermined reference level. The filling light source is part of an assembly which is replaceably mounted at a first mounting location of the output stage. At a second mounting location of the output stage a second assembly comprising a second filling light source is mounted or adapted to be mounted. An auxiliary circuit is adapted to provide one of the two filling light sources with a continuously decreasing second desired power signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Ericsson AB
    Inventor: Cornelius Furst
  • Patent number: 7817920
    Abstract: Disclosed is a short-distance communication method and an apparatus using visible light. The apparatus scans ambient light, measures optical power of visible light, among visible light included in the ambient light, having a wavelength corresponding to a transmission wavelength used for the visible light communication, compares a minimum transmission optical power of transmitted light, a real transmission optical power, and the measured optical power of the ambient light, selects a transmission wavelength of the transmitted light on which noises caused by the ambient light have little effect, and performs the visible light communication using the visible light of the selected transmission wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kyung-Woo Lee
  • Publication number: 20100239263
    Abstract: A control-target-value setting unit sets a control target value corresponding to the number of multiplexed wavelengths measured by a number-of-multiplexed-wavelengths measuring unit. A controller controls the variable optical attenuator based on the control target value. An optical amplifier performs an optical amplification with a constant gain regardless of power of a wavelength-multiplexed light. The controller performs feedback control of the variable optical attenuator such that a result of measurement of the total power of the wavelength-multiplexed light coincides with the control target value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Tokura, Katsuhiro Shimizu, Kazuyuki Ishida, Kuniaki Motoshima
  • Patent number: 7792426
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for operating an optical transmitting device having a plurality of optical transmitters that can be driven independently. The method includes detecting the parameter values of the individual transmitters, comparing the parameter values determined with one another and/or with a prescribed comparison value, and selecting one of the transmitters for the communication operation of the transmitting device based on the comparison. The method further includes operating the transmitting device with the selected transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Avago Technologies Fiber IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Hans Hurt, Thomas Lichtenegger, Gustav Müller, Joachim Pfeiffer, Stephan Prucker, Karl Schrödinger, Gunther Steinle, Josef Wittl
  • Patent number: 7773691
    Abstract: Power control circuitry is provided for controlling an output power of a transmitter of a mobile terminal operating according to a continuous time transmit scheme such as Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA). Transmit circuitry processes a quadrature baseband signal to provide a radio frequency transmit signal. The radio frequency transmit signal is coupled to the power control circuitry via a coupler and processed to provide a feedback amplitude signal. The power control circuitry operates to remove an amplitude modulation component from the feedback signal using a reference amplitude signal generated from the quadrature baseband signal, thereby providing a measured gain signal of the transmit circuitry. Based on the measured gain signal and a target output power, the power control circuitry operates to control a gain of the transmit circuitry such that the output power of the transmit circuitry is within a predetermined range about the target output power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: RF Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Nadim Khlat, Ruediger Bauder
  • Patent number: 7773884
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatic shut-down and start-up of optical amplifiers in wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical networks include use of an optical channel monitor (OCM) to monitor loss and return of an input signal. By using the OCM to separately monitor the power level of each individual channel, it is possible to detect loss of all channels or return of a single channel even in the presence of ASE at the amplifier input. The OCM receives a fraction of the input power to the amplifier via an optical tap at the amplifier input, and provides an electrical output to a control unit corresponding to the optical power level of each individual WDM channel. Based on this electrical output, the control sends a shut-down or start-up signal to the pump unit within the amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Red - C Optical Newworks Ltd.
    Inventors: Uri Ghera, David Menashe
  • Patent number: 7738791
    Abstract: For transmitting information on an optical fiber, a plurality of information carrier channels at different carrier frequencies and a plurality of filling channels are used. The filling channels are transmitted together with the information carrier channels along the fiber. The total optical power of the information carrier channels and the filling channels transmitted on the fiber is maintained constant by compensating every change of the optical power of the information carrier channels by an inverse change of the optical power of the filling channels. The change of the optical power of the filling channels is distributed to the individual filling channels such that a minimum displacement of the center of gravity of the common spectrum of information carrier channels and filling channels results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Ericsson, AB
    Inventor: Cornelius Furst
  • Patent number: 7724693
    Abstract: A system processes signals exchanged between a near end terminal and a far end terminal over a communication path. The system selects the processing characteristics of a near end terminal based on characteristics of the communication path. The communication path may include the near and the far end terminal and their respective codecs, and the networks. The system may select processing characteristics of the near end terminal based on characteristics of the communication path. Selecting the processing characteristics may include selecting a predetermined operation. The system may adapt a selected operation based on a real time analysis of the communication path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems (Wavemakers), Inc.
    Inventors: Sheila Joy McFarland, Phillip A. Hetherington, Alex Escott
  • Patent number: 7725034
    Abstract: An optical transmission apparatus comprising a first detector for detecting the power of the supervisory signal light separated from received wavelength-division multiplexed signal lights; a second detector for detecting the power of the wavelength-division multiplexed signal lights after the separation of the supervisory signal light; a gain-controlled type optical amplifier for amplifying the wavelength-division multiplexed signal lights; an optical attenuator coupled to the amplifier; and a control unit for controlling the optical amplifier and the optical attenuator so as to keep the output level of the wavelength-division multiplexed signal lights to a predetermined target value, wherein the control unit restrains automatic output level control by the optical attenuator when the supervisory signal light power fluctuates within its permissible range and fluctuations in the signal light power have deviated from its permissible range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi Communication Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Uda, Kenta Noda, Yasuhiro Uchiyama, Hiroshi Masuda, Hiroyuki Nakano
  • Patent number: 7725033
    Abstract: An optical wavelength controlling method and a system thereof for an optical wavelength division multiplexing transmission system, wherein a plurality of wavelengths of channels are multiplexed and transmitted by an optical transmitting unit, and the multiplexed wavelengths are divided into the wavelengths of the channels by an optical receiving unit, are disclosed. The optical wavelength controlling method includes: a step of reducing optical power of the wavelength of a target channel, and transmitting the wavelengths; a step of evaluating channel crosstalk based on a code error rate of a channel adjacent to the target channel, and detecting a shift of the wavelength of the target channel; and a step of compensating for the shift of the wavelength of the target channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Hiroshi Nakamoto
  • Publication number: 20100111523
    Abstract: One embodiment provides a system for power saving in an Ethernet Passive Optic Network (EPON). The system includes an optical line terminal (OLT), an optical network unit (ONU), a traffic-detection module configured to detect status of traffic to and from the ONU, and a power-management module configured to place the ONU in sleep mode based on the detected traffic status. The ONU includes an optical transceiver that includes an optical transmitter configured to transmit optical signals to the OLT and an optical receiver configured to receive optical signals from the OLT.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2009
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicant: TEKNOVUS, INC.
    Inventors: Ryan E. Hirth, Edward W. Boyd, Sanjay Goswami
  • Patent number: 7672592
    Abstract: An optical transmitter system supplies a plurality of different wavelength optical radiation components to a transmission element which, in operation, is connected to the transmitter system for conveying the different wavelength radiation components to a respective receiver. The supply of the wavelength components is interrupted, preferably in response to a loss of the wavelength components at the respective receiver. A timer provides respective restart times which differ one to another for the wavelength radiation components. The supply of the wavelength components is restarted, following an interruption, at the respective restart times provided by the timer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Ericsson AB
    Inventors: Andrew James Barker, Philip Andrew Arnold
  • Patent number: 7660530
    Abstract: An optical transmission apparatus includes a transmitting unit for transmitting an optical signal with a specified wavelength, a multiplexing unit for multiplexing the optical signal with the specified wavelength and an optical signal with a wavelength other than the specified wavelength and outputting the multiplexed signal as a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal, an optical amplifier for amplifying the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal outputted from the multiplexing unit, a level detecting unit detecting a variation of an optical power of the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal inputted to the optical amplifier, and a level adjusting unit for adjusting, when a variation of the optical power of the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal is detected by the level detecting unit, a transmitting power of the optical signal with the specified wavelength transmitted from the transmitting unit so that an output power becomes a level before the variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuyuki Mino
  • Patent number: 7650072
    Abstract: An optical node apparatus according to the present invention amplifies a WDM signal light input to an input port, and thereafter, branches the amplified WDM signal light by an optical branching coupler to send the branched lights to first and second optical paths, and selects the light propagated through the first optical path by an optical switch to amplify the selected light by a post-amplifier, thereby outputting the amplified light from an output port, when the optical node apparatus is operated as an optical amplification repeating node. When the operational state is upgraded to an optical add/drop multiplexing node, an OADM section is connected between a set of connecting ports on the second optical path, and the adjustment of the OADM section is performed utilizing the WDM signal light branched by the optical branching coupler, and thereafter, the switching of the optical switch is performed to select the light on the second optical path side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Miki Onaka, Yasushi Sugaya, Takahumi Terahara, Satoru Okano, Takehiro Fujita, Hiroaki Tomofuji, Ichiro Nakajima
  • Patent number: 7643759
    Abstract: Provided are a signal-quality evaluation device and a signal adjustment method which require shorter evaluation time and which have high flexibility of application. A signal quality evaluation device 100 includes an optical component 110 and an optical output detector 120. In the optical component 110, an output optical power Pout is a function of an input optical power Pin, and this function Pout(Pin) has at least one maximum point. The optical output detector 120 detects the time-average power of light output from the optical component 110.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masato Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7630644
    Abstract: The present invention provides an optical add/drop multiplexer including an optical power control unit for performing a control of an optical power by the unit of each signal light included in the wavelength multiplexed light, wherein the optical power control unit includes control logic for implementing a first control mode in which a transition to an automatic control of the optical power and release from the aforementioned control are carried out by comparing the optical power with a threshold value, and a second control mode in which a transition to an automatic control of the optical power is carried out based on control information of a notification by another of the optical add/drop multiplexers and release from the automatic control is carried out based on the comparison between the optical power and the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Akira Yamamoto, Haruki Tanaka, Tatsuo Nagayoshi, Tomoyuki Sakata, Taro Asao