Patent EP0240119A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0240119A2
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EP
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Optical communications system and method
Assignee: Polaroid Corp
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Filing: 1987-02-17
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-02-17
Abstract
Abstract An optical communications system (10) suitable for wide area communications includes a plurality of local networks (LN₁, LN₂) each having a communications bus (B₁, B₂) and a plurality of terminal devices (TD o , TD n ) coupled to the respective local network communications bus for intranetwork communications with other terminal devices within the local network or internetwork communications with terminal devices in other local networks. Each terminal device includes a channel selecting device for selecting one of a plurality of frequency distinct communication channels. Each local network is assigned a common set of communication channels for communications within the local network and is also assigned a unique subset of communication channels for internetwork communications. Each local network is coupled to every other local network through a frequency selective coupling means (CP 1-2 ) that passes only information signals at frequencies corresponding to the unique subset of communication channels for that local network.
Inventors
- 👤 John W. Hicks, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 08:40
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L12/00; H04L12/28; H04L12/46; H04L12/4604; H04L12/462; H04L12/4625; H04J; H04J14/00; H04J14/02; H04J14/0227; H04J14/0241; H04J14/0278; H04J14/028; H04J14/0283
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
An optical communications system (10) comprising at least two optical communications networks (LN₁, LN₂), each network having a respective communications bus (B₁, B₂) and a plurality of terminal devices (TD o ...TD n ) connected to the respective communications bus for communication therethrough; the terminal devices (TD o ,...TD n ) comprising means (14) for selecting one of a plurality of communications frequencies for effecting communications with one another including a first subset of communications frequencies for intranetwork communications and a second subset of communication frequencies for internetwork communications; and means (CP 1-2 ) for coupling the optical communications networks together, the coupling means passing the second subset of communication frequencies for internetwork communications.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
114 words
An optical communications system (10) comprising at least two optical communications networks (LN₁, LN₂), each network having a respective communications bus (B₁, B₂) and a plurality of terminal devices (TD o ...TD n ) connected to the respective communications bus for communication therethrough; the terminal devices (TD o ,...TD n ) comprising means (14) for selecting one of a plurality of communications frequencies for effecting communications with one another including a first subset of communications frequencies for intranetwork communications and a second subset of communication frequencies for internetwork communications; and means (CP 1-2 ) for coupling the optical communications networks together, the coupling means passing the second subset of communication frequencies for internetwork communications.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
57 words
An optical communications system according to Claim 1, further comprising optical energy source means (S₁, S₂) for introducing a plurality of frequency distinct optical carriers into the optical communication networks (LN₁, LN₂), each carrier defining a communications frequency, the plurality of optical carriers including the first subset for intranetwork communications and the second subset for internetwork communications.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
81 words
An optical communications system according to Claim 2, wherein the optical energy source means comprises first means (S₁) for introducing a set of frequency distinct optical carriers into a first optical communication network (LN₁) and at least one other means (S₂) for introducing the set of frequency distinct optical carriers onto another optical communications network (LN₂), each carrier defining a communications frequency, the set of optical carriers including the first subset for intranetwork communications and the second subset for internetwork communications.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
An optical communications system according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, further comprising means for marking each of the frequency distinct optical carriers with a unique channel identifier.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
An optical communications system according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein each optical communications network (LN₁, LN₂) is defined as a closed optical loop.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
An optical communications system according to any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein each optical communications network (LN₁ʹ, LN₂ʹ) is defined as an open optical bus.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
An optical communications system according to Claim 6, wherein each open optical bus (LN₁ʹ, LN₂ʹ) includes optical signal return means (12) associated with the ends thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
An optical communications system according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the coupling means (CP 1-2 ) comprises a bandpass filter for passing frequencies corresponding to the second subset of communications frequencies for internetwork communications.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
An optical communications system according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein each terminal device comprises means defining a controllable resonant structure (14) for tuning to a selected one of the plurality of internetwork and intranetwork communications frequencies.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
An optical communications system according to Claim 9, further comprising means (T, M) for propagating an information bearing signal through the resonant structure means (14) for transmission to another terminal device.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
An optical communications system according to Claim 9 or Claim 10, further comprising means (R) for receiving an information bearing signal through the resonant structure means (14) propagated from another terminal device and for providing a recovered information signal therefrom.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
An optical communications system according to any of Claims 9 to 11, further comprising means (CTRL) for controlling the resonant structure means (14) for selecting one of the plurality of communications frequencies.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
46 words
An optical communications system according to any of Claims 9 to 12, wherein the controllable resonant structure (14) comprises a closed optical loop (20) coupled to the communication bus (B₁, B₂) and having resonant characteristics that vary as a function of at least one control parameter.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
An optical communications system according to Claim 13, further comprising at least one other closed optical loop (20ʹ) coupled to the one optical loop (20) and having resonant characteristics that vary as a function of at least one control parameter.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
43 words
An optical communications system according to any of Claims 9 to 12, wherein the controllable resonant structure (14a) comprises an open optical segment coupled to the communication bus and having resonant characteristics that vary as a function of at least one control parameter.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
An optical communications system according to Claim 15, further comprising at least one other open optical segment coupled to the one optical segment and having resonant characteristics that vary as a function of at least one control parameter.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
40 words
An optical communications system according to at least Claim 10, wherein the means for propagating comprises means defining a frequency shift modulator (M) for accepting an information signal and an optical carrier and providing a modulated information bearing signal therefrom.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
64 words
An optical communications system according to Claim 17, when dependent on any of Claims 13 to 16, wherein the means defining a frequency shift modulator (M) has input and output ports, the input and output ports being coupled to the closed optical loop or the open optical segment of the controllable resonant structure through an input optical loop and the output optical loop respectively.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
40 words
An optical communications system according to any of Claims 9 to 18, wherein the resonant structure means (14) has a frequency response passband characteristic sufficient to sense carrier energy of a selected carrier and adjacent upper and lower frequency carriers.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
42 words
An optical communications system according to Claim 19, wherein the frequency response characteristic of the resonant structure means (14) is such that the carrier energy passed for the adjacent upper and lower frequency carriers is less than that of the selected carrier.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
41 words
An optical communications system according to Claim 19 or Claim 20, wherein each terminal device senses the energy level of the adjacent upper and lower frequency carriers and controls the resonant structure means (14) to maintain both energy levels substantially equal.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
65 words
A method for controlling a tunable element in an optical communications system of the type having a plurality of frequency distinct carriers, the method comprising the steps of sensing the carrier strength of carriers immediately adjacent a selected carrier; and controlling a tunable resonant structure (14) until the sensed carrier strength of the carriers immediately adjacent to the selected carrier are equal to one another.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
65 words
A method for controlling a tunable element in an optical communications system of the type having a plurality of frequency distinct carriers, the method comprising the steps of sensing the carrier strength of carriers immediately adjacent a selected carrier; and controlling a tunable resonant structure (14) until the sensed carrier strength of the carriers immediately adjacent to the selected carrier are equal to one another.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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