Patent · US Expired

Undersea branching unit for an undersea optical transmission system

US6934442B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by
1References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 16, 2003
Grant dateAug 23, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 13, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04J14/0217
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A branching unit is provided for interconnecting at least three undersea optical transmission cables. The branching unit includes first, second and third ports for receiving first, second and third undersea optical transmission cables, respectively. The first and second cables each include an electrical power conductor and a plurality of first optical fibers. The third cable is electrically unpowered and includes at least one drop optical fiber and at least one add optical fiber. An electrical power conductor segment is provided for electrically coupling the conductor in the first cable received in the first port to the conductor in the second cable received in the second port. A first optical fiber segment optically couples a first of the plurality of first optical fibers in one of the first or second cables to the drop optical fiber of the third cable. A second optical fiber segment optically couples a second of the plurality of first optical fibers in one of the first and second cables to the add optical fiber of the third cable. First and second optical amplifiers are located along the first and second optical fiber segments, respectively so that the first optical amplifier pro…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.