Optic system useful with metal service lines

Claim 2

An optical communications system comprising: (a) an optical-fiber street line; (b) an optical-fiber transfer line; (c) a plurality of transmitting stations communicating with said street line, at least one of which stations provides an electrical signal; (d) means to provide a single optical source synchronization pulse through said optical-fiber street line; (e) electro-optical modulating means to accept electrical signals originating from each transmitting station and to act on at least a portion of said single optical source synchronization pulse from said street line to convert each said electrical signal into a time-divided modulated optical signal; (f) optical coupling means to transfer each said modulated optical signal to said transfer line; (g) delay means to cause the signal transferred to said transfer line from any of said transmitting stations to be inserted into a different time slot from that of any signal transferred to said transfer line from any other of said stations; and (h) switching means and routing means communicating with said street and transfer lines for accepting said time-divided multiplexed modulating optical signals and routing same through at least one outgoing optical communications line to at least one receiving station.

Claim 3

A system as defined in claim 1 wherein (i) said switching means and routing means comprises filter means for selecting a frequency channel of aid modulated signal, and transmitting said selected frequency of said modulated signal through at least one outgoing optical communications line and thence to signal-receiving stations; and having (ii) means associated with said receiving stations comprising optical-time-division demultiplexing means to select said multiplexed modulated signal transmitted through said at least one outgoing optical communication line and to convert it to an electrical signal.

Claim 4

A system as defined in claim 2 where said optical-frequency-multiplexing means of said switching and routing means has, in series, between an incoming transfer line and at least one outgoing optical communication line (a) a first timing switch for selecting time-division-multiplexed modulated signal pulses received from said transfer line; (b) frequency selective optical amplification means for amplifying a selected frequency channel of said signal pulses selected by said first timing switch; and (c) a second timing switch for selecting a portion of said amplified signal pulses having a length equivalent to a selected time slot.

Claim 5

A system as defined in claim 3 wherein said timing switches are Mach-Zehnder devices.

Claim 6

A system as defined in claim 4 wherein said frequency selective optical amplification means is a Brillouin amplifier.

Claim 7

A system as defined in claim 3 wherein said frequency selective optical amplification means is a Brillouin amplifier.

Claim 8

A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said switching and routing means includes: (a) an achromatic tape coupled to said transfer line to remove at least a portion of said modulated, time-divided multiplexed optical pulse signals from said transfer line and to transfer said signals to a first electro-optic timing switch; (b) a first electro-optic timing switch coupled to said tap and being operative to allow only modulated, time-divided multiplexed optical pulse signals of a preselected time slot to pass therethrough; (c) a frequency selective amplifier means coupled to said first electro-optic timing switch, said amplifier means being operative to amplify a preselected frequency of the optical pulse signals permitted to pass through said first electro-optic timing switch; (d) a second electro-optic timing switch coupled to said amplifier means, said second switch being operative to receive and chop the amplified optical pulse signals of predetermined frequency to a length within said time slot and to pass said chopped optical pulse signals therethrough; and (e) an achromatic tap coupled to said second electro-optic timing switch and to an outgoing optical communications line, said tape being operative to transfer the modulated, time-divided multiplexed, amplified optical pulse signals of preselected frequency from said second electro-optic timing switch to said outgoing optical communications line.

Claim 9

A system as defined in claim 7 wherein said frequency selective amplifier means is a Brillouin amplifier.

Claim 10

A system as defined in claim 7 wherein each said electro-optic timing switch is a Mach-Zehnder switch.

Claim 11

A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said electro-optical modulating means comprises at least one compound piezoelectric vise.

Claim 12

A system as defined in claim 10 wherein said electro-optical modulating means is a two-arm interferometer having a piezoelectric vise on each arm thereof.

Claim 13

A system as defined in claim 10 wherein said electro-optical modulating means is a two-arm interferometer having a compound piezoelectric vise on a single arm thereof.

Claim 14

A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said electro-optical modulating means is comprised of at least three compound piezoelectric vise interferometers as follows: (a) a first interferometer coupled to said transfer line and comprising (1) two achromatic optical taps for receiving at least a portion of said optical pulse signal from said street line and transferring said signal to said transfer line and (2) a compound piezoelectric vise on said transfer line between said taps, said first interferometer being operably connected to respond to signals send from said transmitting station; (b) a second said interferometer comprising (1) two achromatic optical taps for receiving said optical pulse signal from said street line and (2) a compound piezoelectric vise between said taps, said second interferometer being operative in the opposite power transfer sense from said first interferometer, to prevent said modulating means from interfering with modulation of modulating means coupled to transmitting stations further down said street line; and (c) a third said interferometer comprising (1) two achromatic optical taps for receiving optical signals from said transfer line and (2) a compound piezoelectric vise between said taps; said third interferometer acting to prevent said modulating means from interfering with modulation of signals modulated by modulating means coupled to transmitting stations further up said street line.

Claim 15

An optical communications system as defined in claim 1 or 13 wherein said electro-optical modulating means for use in converting an electrical communications signal to an analogous optical communications signal, comprises (a) an achromatic tap for transferring a portion of said optical pulse signal to be modulated from said street line to a modulating fiber; (b) a modulating interferometer receiving said electrical communications signal and acting upon said modulating fiber in response thereto, thereby to modulate said optical pulse signal in proportion to said electrical signal; and (c) an achromatic tap for transferring the modulated optical signal output of said modulating interferometer from said modulating fiber to an output optical communications line.

Claim 16

An optical communications system as defined in claim 14 wherein said modulating interferometer comprises at least one Mach-Zehnder interferometer.

Claim 17

An optical communications system as defined in claim 14 wherein said modulating interferometer comprises reflector means.

Claim 18

An optical communications system as defined in claim 16 wherein said output communications line is the same optical fiber communications line that communicates with the optical signal and both said achromatic taps are embodied in a single lateral tap device.

Claim 19

An optical communications system as defined in claim 17 wherein one arm of said interferometer comprises a Mach-Zehnder device and another arm of said interferometer terminates in an optical-signal-reflective mirror.

Claim 21

A system as defined in claim 16 wherein each said electrooptical modulating means comprises a time-delay means for optical signals passing therethrough.

Claim 22

A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said modulating means is an optical interferometer means.

Claim 23

A system as defined in claim 21 wherein said interferometer is a reflective interferometer.

Claim 24

A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said transfer line for carrying said time-division multiplexed modulated optical signal transferred thereto is physically identical with said street line.

Claim 25

A system as defined in claim 23 wherein said electro-optical modulating means is a reflective interferometer.