Wavelength-selective optical add/drop switch
US5915051A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 21, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jun 22, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 21, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B2006/12173
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A wavelength-selective optical switch having a first input port for accepting a plurality of copropagating optical channels, each of the channels having a distinct wavelength band. The optical switch includes first and second output ports. A wavelength-selective optical filter is connected to receive the copropagating optical channels from the first input port to extract a selected one of the channels while allowing the remaining channels to copropagate to the first output port. An interferometric switch is connected to receive the selected extracted channel; the interferometric switch includes a controller for controlling propagation of the selected extracted channel to either the second output port, the optical filter, or both. The optical filter is connected to receive from the interferometric switch an optical channel to be combined with the remaining copropagating channels and all directed to the first output port. In a first control state of the controller, the interferometric switch is adapted to direct the selected extracted channel to the optical filter, while in a second control state of the controller, the interferometric switch is adapted to direct the selected extracte…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.