Patent US5861965A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5861965A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical communication system employing spectrally sliced optical source
Assignee: Nokia of America Corp
•
Filing: 1996-08-30
•
Granted: 1999-01-19
•
Expires: 2016-08-30
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus and method provides optical multiple wavelength signals using a single, broadband optical source such, for example, as an LED, to generate many independent optical wavelength channels. An optical transmitter includes a wavelength channel defining assembly which resolves the broad spectrum pulses output by the source into discrete wavelength bands constituting respective pulses (i.e., wavelength channels) and which inserts a delay between the bands to define a sequence of individually addressable channels. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, spectral splicing is achieved by a multiple channel filter, and insertion of the respective delays is achieved by individual fiber sections, each section having a length selected to introduce a particular delay, coupled to the output ports of the router. The inserted delays can be conveniently selected to separate adjacent wavelength channels and thereby minimize the likelihood of crosstalk. Pulses of the thus-resolved channels arrive at different times to a multiplexer which may be configured, for example, as a passive WDM multiplexer or as a star combiner. The resulting sequence of addressable wavelength channels may be supplied to one or more high-speed, broadband modulators, with each modulator being operable to modulate some or all of the channels.
Inventors
- 👤 Uziel Koren
- 👤 Kang-Yih Liou
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 16:49
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04B; H04B10/00; H04B10/27; H04B10/272; H04J; H04J14/00; H04J14/02; H04J14/03; H04J14/0307; H04J14/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
94 words
An optical multiple wavelength apparatus comprising a broad spectrum optical source operable at a first rate to generate a sequence of output pulses having a spectral bandwidth encompassing a plurality of discrete wavelength bands; and a channel defining assembly optically coupled to said broad spectrum source for resolving the output pulses of the optical source into said plurality of discrete wavelength bands, inserting a time delay between said discrete wavelength bands to thereby define a sequence of individually addressable wavelength channels, and combining the discrete wavelength bands into at least one multiplexed output signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
94 words
An optical multiple wavelength apparatus comprising a broad spectrum optical source operable at a first rate to generate a sequence of output pulses having a spectral bandwidth encompassing a plurality of discrete wavelength bands; and a channel defining assembly optically coupled to said broad spectrum source for resolving the output pulses of the optical source into said plurality of discrete wavelength bands, inserting a time delay between said discrete wavelength bands to thereby define a sequence of individually addressable wavelength channels, and combining the discrete wavelength bands into at least one multiplexed output signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
The optical multiple wavelength apparatus of claim 1, further including an optical modulator encoding at least one optical wavelength channel using a data signal operating at a second rate equal to or greater than said first rate to form at least one encoded optical channel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The optical multiple wavelength apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second rate is equal to or greater than said first rate multiplied by the number of optical wavelength channels.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
The optical multiple wavelength apparatus of claim 2, wherein each discrete wavelength channel comprises short optical pulses having a pulse width that is less than or equal to the inverse of the second rate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The optical multiple wavelength apparatus of claim 2, wherein each discrete wavelength channel comprises short optical pulses having a pulse width that is greater than the inverse of the second rate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
70 words
The optical multiple wavelength apparatus of claim 5, wherein the channel defining assembly further includes a plurality of optical fiber delay lines, each delay line being optically coupled to one of the output ports of said demultiplexer, for delaying the time when short optical pulses associated with a given wavelength channel arrive at an output of the channel defining assembly relative to when pulses associated with other wavelength channels arrive.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
The optical multiple wavelength apparatus of claim 6, wherein the channel defining assembly further includes an optical combiner having a plurality of input ports and at least one output port for receiving respectively delayed optical pulses from said delay lines and combining at least some of them for subsequent transmission over a common waveguide.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The optical multiple wavelength apparatus of claim 7, wherein said optical combiner is a star coupler.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
The optical multiple wavelength apparatus of claim 7, wherein said optical combiner is a wavelength division multiplexer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The optical multiple wavelength apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical source is an optically amplified light emitting diode.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
76 words
The optical multiple wavelength apparatus of claim 1, wherein the channel defining assembly includes a wavelength division demultiplexer having an input port optically coupled to said optical source and a plurality of output ports, said wavelength division multiplexer being operable to resolve each input optical pulse into a plurality of short optical pulses, each short optical pulse corresponding to one of said discrete wavelength bands and being supplied at one of said plurality of output ports.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
The optical multiple wavelength apparatus of claim 11, wherein said wavelength division demultiplexer includes a waveguide grating router and wherein said optical source is an optically amplified light emitting diode.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
106 words
The optical multiple wavelength apparatus of claim 1, wherein said wavelength channel defining assembly includes a star coupler having N input ports and M output ports, a plurality of optical fiber delay lines each coupled to a corresponding one of said output ports, and a wavelength division multiplexer having input ports each coupled to a respective one of said fiber delay lines, where N is an integer equal to or greater than one, M is an integer equal to a maximum number of optical channels definable by the wavelength channel defining means, and at least one of said input ports is coupled to said optical source.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
141 words
A transmitter for use in an optical communication system, comprising: a broad spectrum optical source operable at a first rate to generate a sequence of output pulses having a spectral bandwidth encompassing a plurality of discrete wavelength bands; channel defining means optically coupled to said broad spectrum source for resolving the output pulses of the optical source into a plurality of short optical pulses corresponding to said discrete wavelength bands, for inserting a time delay between said short optical pulses to thereby define a reordered sequence of individually addressable wavelength channels, and for combining the discrete wavelength bands into at least one multiplexed output signal; and an optical modulator for encoding at least one of the wavelength channels using a data signal operating at a second rate equal to or greater than said first rate to form an encoded optical channel.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
141 words
A transmitter for use in an optical communication system, comprising: a broad spectrum optical source operable at a first rate to generate a sequence of output pulses having a spectral bandwidth encompassing a plurality of discrete wavelength bands; channel defining means optically coupled to said broad spectrum source for resolving the output pulses of the optical source into a plurality of short optical pulses corresponding to said discrete wavelength bands, for inserting a time delay between said short optical pulses to thereby define a reordered sequence of individually addressable wavelength channels, and for combining the discrete wavelength bands into at least one multiplexed output signal; and an optical modulator for encoding at least one of the wavelength channels using a data signal operating at a second rate equal to or greater than said first rate to form an encoded optical channel.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
The transmitter of claim 14, wherein adjacent wavelength channels are separated in the time domain in the reordered sequence of wavelength channels to thereby reduce crosstalk.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
64 words
A method of operating a transmitter in an optical communication system, comprising the steps of: resolving output pulses of a broad spectrum optical source into a plurality of discrete wavelength bands; inserting a time delay between the resolved discrete wavelength bands to thereby define a sequence of individually addressable wavelength channels; and combining the discrete wavelength bands into at least one multiplexed output signal.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
64 words
A method of operating a transmitter in an optical communication system, comprising the steps of: resolving output pulses of a broad spectrum optical source into a plurality of discrete wavelength bands; inserting a time delay between the resolved discrete wavelength bands to thereby define a sequence of individually addressable wavelength channels; and combining the discrete wavelength bands into at least one multiplexed output signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 16, further including a step of sequentially modulating, using a single modulator after the combining step, a plurality of the wavelength channels with data for transmission to a remote receiver.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 16, wherein the sequence of resolved discrete wavelength bands is reordered during said time delay inserting step.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 16, further including a step of amplifying the output of the optical source prior to said resolving step.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of operating a multiple wavelength optical communication system, comprising the steps of: resolving output pulses of a broad spectrum optical source into a plurality of discrete wavelength bands; inserting a time delay between the discrete wavelength bands to thereby define a sequence of individually addressable wavelength channels; combining the resolved discrete wavelength bands into at least one multiplexed output signal; and sequentially modulating after the combining step, using a single modulator, a plurality of the wavelength channels with data for transmission to a remote receiver.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of operating a multiple wavelength optical communication system, comprising the steps of: resolving output pulses of a broad spectrum optical source into a plurality of discrete wavelength bands; inserting a time delay between the discrete wavelength bands to thereby define a sequence of individually addressable wavelength channels; combining the resolved discrete wavelength bands into at least one multiplexed output signal; and sequentially modulating after the combining step, using a single modulator, a plurality of the wavelength channels with data for transmission to a remote receiver.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 20, further including a step of launching the modulated wavelength channels into an optical medium for transmission to a multiple wavelength receiver.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 21, further including a step of receiving the launched channels at multiple wavelength receiver comprising a waveguide grating router followed by photodetectors.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 21, further including a step of receiving the launched channels at a multiple wavelength receiver comprising a diffraction grating followed by photodetectors.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 21, further including a step of receiving the launched channels at a multiple wavelength receiver comprising an interference filter array followed by photodetectors.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 21, further including a step of receiving the launched channels at a multiple wavelength receiver comprising a wavelength division demultiplexer followed by photodetectors.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-01-18 | 2002-07-20 | 2003-01-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-01-18 | 2006-07-20 | 2007-01-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-01-18 | 2010-07-20 | 2011-01-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |