Branching configuration including a cross-coupling arrangement to provide fault tolerance and topside recovery in the event of subsea umbilical assembly failure and system and method including same
US10230456B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 21, 2016 |
| Grant date | Mar 12, 2019 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 21, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04J14/0201
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In general, a branching configuration used in a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical communication system, consistent with an embodiment of the present disclosure, includes a branch path with two or more optical paths cross-coupled to each other to provide redundant add and/or drop channel wavelengths to a branch terminal on each cross-coupled path. Accordingly, a fault condition affecting some of the cross-coupled optical paths may occur physically downstream from the cross-coupling, e.g., within a subsea umbilical cable or associated termination equipment. However, so long as at least one of the cross-coupled optical paths remains operational, then branch terminal equipment in the branch terminal may continue to receive channel wavelengths associated with a faulted optical path via an operational optical path by virtue of cross-coupling. Thus, the cross-coupled configuration reduces or otherwise eliminates the necessity of allocating spare optical paths within the subsea umbilical cable.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.