Control methods for a metro optical amplifier
US6614587B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 28, 2001 |
| Grant date | Sep 2, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 28, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04B10/296
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A reliable and inexpensive method for deploying, operating and maintaining optical amplifiers in a variety of optical networks under a wide range of conditions using channel number reference tables. A preferred embodiment of the current invention may control one or more optical amplifiers or gain blocks operating in a variety of modes such as AGC mode, ALC mode and hybrid AGC/ALC mode without requiring the use of expensive channel counters. Channel number reference tables may be calculated based on initial input optical power output readings and a count of the number of channels initially served by the amplifier. According to the current invention, changes in the number of channels may be monitored and used to control a gain block by monitoring the gain block input optical power output, converting to a gain block voltage and referencing the channel number reference table.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.