Reconfigurable WDM mux/demux/OADM
US6868201B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 22, 2002 |
| Grant date | Mar 15, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 5, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04J14/0221
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A reconfigurable optical add drop module has a coarse demultiplexer, for outputting sub bands of wavelengths, a fine mux/demux, for adding and/or dropping wavelengths, a coarse multiplexer, for remultiplexing the sub bands, an optical switch in between the coarse demultiplexer and the fine mux/demux, to switch the sub bands for pass through, or for add/drop. Reconfiguration can be remote, automatic, with less interruption to traffic. By switching sub bands rather than individual wavelengths, the number of switches can be reduced, and consequently losses, and space requirements can be reduced. Also, upgrading from pass through to add drop, of one or more sub bands is easier. Hence initial capital cost of nodes and the cost of upgrading can be reduced, since there is less need to provide redundant add drop capacity initially. Mid stage access enables external components to be added to the optical path for the sub bands.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.