Patent · US Expired

Optical power monitor and optical amplifier having the optical power monitor

US5859725A · kind A · utility

32Cited by
3References
33Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 22, 1997
Grant dateJan 12, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 22, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04B2210/003
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An optical power monitor for an optical signal having a signal spectrum superimposed on a noise spectrum. Typically, the optical power monitor includes an optical coupler, first and second optical band-pass filters, first and second photodetectors, and an operating unit. The optical coupler branches the optical signal into first and second beams. The first optical band-pass filter has a first pass band including the signal spectrum, and the first beam is supplied to the first optical band-pass filter. The second optical band-pass filter has a second pass band including the signal spectrum and narrower than the first pass band, and the second beam is supplied to the second optical band-pass filter. The first photodetector receives the first beam passed through the first optical band-pass filter, and the second photodetector receives the second beam passed through the second optical band-pass filter. The operating unit calculates the power of the optical signal according to output signals from the first and second photodetectors. Since the first and second optical band-pass filters have different pass bands, the power of the optical signal relating to the signal spectrum can be preci…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.