Quasi-hitless tunable add-drop filters
US6826326B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 1, 2002 |
| Grant date | Nov 30, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 19, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04J14/0213
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In tunable systems, during a tuning cycle, express channels or wavelengths are dropped as the system sweeps through its free spectral range (FSR) before stopping at the desired wavelength to be dropped. This is disadvantageous as the data information in the express wavelengths suffers a hit or momentary increase in bit error rate (BER). Techniques for eliminating or at least minimizing interference to those channels or wavelengths are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, the wavelength selection to be dropped is done “off-line” and does not affect the express channels. An optical reference source is used to set up and tune a drop filter. Once the filter is set to the appropriate dropping wavelength, a secondary filter is scanned to cause the channels to be shunted to the drop filter. If the wavelength of a signal and the drop filter matches, the signal is dropped. If the wavelength of the signal and the drop filter wavelength do not matches, the signal passes and is recombined with the other express channels.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.