WDM optical network with passive pass-through at each node
US6493117B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 19, 1999 |
| Grant date | Dec 10, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 19, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04J14/0298
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A communications network has a plurality of nodes interconnected by an optical transmission medium. The transmission medium is capable of a carrying a plurality of wavelengths organized into bands. A filter at each node for drops a band associated therewith and passively forwards other bands through the transmission medium. A device is provided at each node for adding a band to the transmission medium. Communication can be established directly between a pair of nodes in the network sharing a common band without the active intervention of any intervening node. This allows the network to be protocol independent. Also, the low losses incurred by the passive filters permit relatively long path lengths without optical amplification.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.