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Patent EP0209329A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0209329A2
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Optical fiber distribution network
Assignee: Raychem Corp
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Filing: 1986-07-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-07-11
Abstract
Abstract An optical fiber distribution network including non-destructive read taps disposed in series which create extremely small attenuations of an optical signal being tapped, and which increase the bandwidth of an optical fiber being tapped. The network further includes non-destructive write taps disposed in another series which each inject an optical signal into a second optical fiber while inducing minimal attenuation of a pre-existing optical signal in the second fiber.
Inventors
- 👤 Bruce D. Campbell
- 👤 Joseph Zucker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 21:21
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04B; H04B10/00; H04B10/27; G; G02; G02B; G02B5/00; G02B5/20; G02B5/26; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/42; G02B6/4201; G02B6/4286; G02B6/4287; G02B6/4289; G02B6/4274; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S359/00; Y10S359/90
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
76 words
A method of reading information represented by an optical signal in an optical fiber at a bend, the fiber including a core, a cladding, and a buffer, comprising the steps of: withdrawing a first part of an optical signal through a side of an optical fiber and through its buffer at a fiber bend so as to create an optical signal excess loss less than 0.3 dB; and detecting the first part of the optical signal.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
76 words
A method of reading information represented by an optical signal in an optical fiber at a bend, the fiber including a core, a cladding, and a buffer, comprising the steps of: withdrawing a first part of an optical signal through a side of an optical fiber and through its buffer at a fiber bend so as to create an optical signal excess loss less than 0.3 dB; and detecting the first part of the optical signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1, the excess loss being less than 0.2 dB, preferably less than 0.1 dB, more preferably less than 0.06 dB, and most preferably less than 0.02 dB.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
108 words
The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of withdrawing N additional parts of the optical signal through a side of a fiber and its buffer at N additional fiber bends so as to create an average optical signal excess loss less than 0.3 dB, preferably less than 0.2 dB, more preferably less than 0.1 dB, most preferably less than 0.06 dB, N being an integer greater than 1, N preferably being greater than 10, the first and N additional parts of the optical signal being withdrawn from the optical fiber in a series arrangement; and detecting the N additional parts of the optical signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
103 words
The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of modifying an energy distribution of the optical signal within the optical fiber upstream of a first location where the first part of the optical signal is withdrawn so as to reduce an integrated energy ratio between an outermost and an innermost section of a core of the optical fiber at the first location, the energy distribution being modified by bending and withdrawing N additional parts of the optical signal and detecting the N additional withdrawn optical fiber parts, N being an integer greater than 1, N preferably being greater than 10.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 3 or 4, N being an integer greater than 10, preferably greater than 20, more preferably greater than 30, 40, 50, 100, or 200.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
14 words
An apparatus constructed to carry out the method of any one of claims 1-5.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 6, the apparatus withdrawing all of the signal parts through the optical fiber buffer without requiring termination of the optical fiber and without damaging the fiber or its buffer.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
139 words
A method for multiplexing optical signals into an optical fiber so as to reduce an attenuation of a pre-existing optical signal already in the optical fiber, comprising the steps of: disposing N light write taps in series at N optical fiber sections downstream of a point where the pre- existing optical signal is injected into an optical fiber, the N write taps injecting N optical signals into the fiber, N being an integer, an Nth tap being disposed upstream of other ones of the N taps, the first tap being disposed downstream of other ones of the N taps, a ratio of an injection efficiency percentage of a first injected optical signal created by the first tap to an attenuation percentage of the pre-existing optical signal caused by the first tap being greater than 1, preferably greater than 1.5.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
139 words
A method for multiplexing optical signals into an optical fiber so as to reduce an attenuation of a pre-existing optical signal already in the optical fiber, comprising the steps of: disposing N light write taps in series at N optical fiber sections downstream of a point where the pre- existing optical signal is injected into an optical fiber, the N write taps injecting N optical signals into the fiber, N being an integer, an Nth tap being disposed upstream of other ones of the N taps, the first tap being disposed downstream of other ones of the N taps, a ratio of an injection efficiency percentage of a first injected optical signal created by the first tap to an attenuation percentage of the pre-existing optical signal caused by the first tap being greater than 1, preferably greater than 1.5.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 8, the ratio being greater than 2, preferably greater than 2.5, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 or 6.0, more preferably greater than 10, even more preferably greater than 15, 20 or 30.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
146 words
A method for multiplexing a first optical signal at a first location into an optical fiber using a first light write tap so as to reduce an attenuation of a pre-existing optical signal in the optical fiber caused by the first light write tap, comprising the steps of: modifying an energy distribution of a pre-existing optical signal within an optical fiber upstream of a first location so as to reduce an integrated energy ratio between an outermost and an innermost section of a core of the optical fiber in a vicinity of the first location; and injecting the first optical signal into a first optical fiber section through a side thereof at the first location, an attenuation of the pre-existing optical signal created by the first light write tap-being less than an attenuation of the pre-existing optical signal if the integrated energy ratio was not modified.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
146 words
A method for multiplexing a first optical signal at a first location into an optical fiber using a first light write tap so as to reduce an attenuation of a pre-existing optical signal in the optical fiber caused by the first light write tap, comprising the steps of: modifying an energy distribution of a pre-existing optical signal within an optical fiber upstream of a first location so as to reduce an integrated energy ratio between an outermost and an innermost section of a core of the optical fiber in a vicinity of the first location; and injecting the first optical signal into a first optical fiber section through a side thereof at the first location, an attenuation of the pre-existing optical signal created by the first light write tap-being less than an attenuation of the pre-existing optical signal if the integrated energy ratio was not modified.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
83 words
The method of claim 10, the first light write tap injecting the first optical signal into the first optical fiber section through its buffer, the energy ratio being modified by multiplexingly injecting N additional optical signals into N additional optical fiber sections at N additional locations through a side of the N additional optical fiber sections using N write taps, the N additional optical signals being injected into their respective optical fiber sections through optical fiber buffers thereof upstream of the first tap.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
31 words
The method of any one of claims 8, 9, and 11, N being greater than 5, preferably greater than 10, more preferably greater than 30, and most preferably greater than 50.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
42 words
The method of any one of claims 8, 9, 11, and 12, the attenuation of the preexisting optical signal caused by the first tap being less than 0.3 dB, preferably less than 0.1 dB, more preferably less than 0.06 dB-or 0.04 dB.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
52 words
The method of any one of claims 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13, all of the N write taps being non-destructive and injecting the N optical signals into the N fiber sections through buffers thereat without requiring termination of the optical fiber and without requiring the fiber or its buffer being damaged.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
11 words
An apparatus utilizing the method of any one of claims 8-14.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
156 words
An optical fiber distribution network, comprising: N means for injecting and multiplexing N optical signals into N optical fiber sections at N first locations in a first optical fiber link such that the N optical signals pass through a bent side of the N sections, respectively, the N sections being substantially continuously maintained in a bent attitude sufficient for continuously injecting the N signals into the first optical fiber link, N being a first integer; M means for withdrawing M parts of an additional optical signal out of M optical fiber sections at M second locations in a second optical fiber link such that the optical signal parts pass through a bent side of the M sections, respectively, the M sections being substan- . tially continuously maintained in a bent attitude sufficient for continuously withdrawing the M optical signal parts, M being a second integer; and means for interconnecting the first and second optical fiber links.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
156 words
An optical fiber distribution network, comprising: N means for injecting and multiplexing N optical signals into N optical fiber sections at N first locations in a first optical fiber link such that the N optical signals pass through a bent side of the N sections, respectively, the N sections being substantially continuously maintained in a bent attitude sufficient for continuously injecting the N signals into the first optical fiber link, N being a first integer; M means for withdrawing M parts of an additional optical signal out of M optical fiber sections at M second locations in a second optical fiber link such that the optical signal parts pass through a bent side of the M sections, respectively, the M sections being substan- . tially continuously maintained in a bent attitude sufficient for continuously withdrawing the M optical signal parts, M being a second integer; and means for interconnecting the first and second optical fiber links.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
The network of claim 16, the interconnecting means including means for allocating time slots to the N injection means and the M withdrawing means.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
157 words
A method of increasing bandwidth of an optical fiber capable of transmitting information by supporting light pulses in a plurality of modes, the fiber-including a core, a cladding, and a buffer-, comprising the steps of: injecting light pulses into the optical fiber; withdrawing a portion of the light pulses through the fiber buffer at a first location with a non-destructive light read tap; detecting light withdrawn by the light read tap using a detector thereby obtaining a detected first power level and a first signal on-to-off ratio; the light pulses being injected into the optical fiber at a modulation frequency in excess of a saturation modulation frequency, the saturation modulation frequency being that frequency whereby the detector would incur a second signal on-to-off ratio which is less than the first signal on-to-off ratio if the light pulses were detected by the detector at an end of the fiber at the first location at the first power level.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
157 words
A method of increasing bandwidth of an optical fiber capable of transmitting information by supporting light pulses in a plurality of modes, the fiber-including a core, a cladding, and a buffer-, comprising the steps of: injecting light pulses into the optical fiber; withdrawing a portion of the light pulses through the fiber buffer at a first location with a non-destructive light read tap; detecting light withdrawn by the light read tap using a detector thereby obtaining a detected first power level and a first signal on-to-off ratio; the light pulses being injected into the optical fiber at a modulation frequency in excess of a saturation modulation frequency, the saturation modulation frequency being that frequency whereby the detector would incur a second signal on-to-off ratio which is less than the first signal on-to-off ratio if the light pulses were detected by the detector at an end of the fiber at the first location at the first power level.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 18, the second signal on-to-off ratio being more than 1 dB lower than the first signal on-to-off ratio, preferably more than 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10 dB lower.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 18 or 19, the bit error rate resulting from the first signal on-to-off ratio being less than the bit error rate resulting from the second signal on-to-off ratio.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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