System and method for optical monitoring
US6208780A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 19, 1999 |
| Grant date | Mar 27, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 19, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F2203/055
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An optical filter, system, and method capable of detecting optical signals in an optical fiber trunk for purposes of diagnostics and control of a wavelength division multiplexing system using optical fiber network. The optical filter is described comprising a predetermined number N of cascaded Mach-Zender circuits having a predetermined transfer function with a predetermined scanning peak, the cascaded Mach-Zender circuits having an optical input and an optical output. In another embodiment, a system is provided which employs the optical filter in which a control circuit coupled to each of the Mach-Zender circuits to shift the scanning peak according to a predetermined criterion. The control circuit advantageously causes a phase shift in the Mach-Zender circuits, thereby allowing the optical filter to scan a predetermined frequency spectrum with a narrow pass band or scanning peak to determine the existence and/or the condition of optical signals within the predetermined frequency spectrum.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.