Add/drop optical multiplexing device
US6198857A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 29, 1998 |
| Grant date | Mar 6, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 29, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04J14/0209
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optical multiplexing device is disclosed for multiplexing optical signals, for example, for a fiber-optic telecommunication system employing wavelength division multiplexing. The optical multiplexing device has a filter assembly defining a light path, preferably a multi-bounce zigzag expanded beam light path, from a common port at least to a first channel port and then a second channel port and then a pass-through port. The first channel port has a first optical filter element, for example, a multi-cavity interference filter, which is transparent to a wavelength sub-range within the wavelength range passed by the common port and the pass-through port, and substantially reflective of other wavelengths within such wavelength range. The second channel port includes a second optical filter element having light transmittance and reflectance properties substantially the same as those of the first optical filter element. The optical multiplexing device can be used to extract or drop a selected wavelength sub-range, most typically a single channel signal, from the multiplexed light, and to then inject a new signal into the multiplexed light at that same wavelength sub-range. In accordan…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.